IHG Point Transfers: Who Can Move Points for Free and When It Makes Sense

IHG One Rewards lets members transfer points to another person's account. Most members must pay $5 for every 1,000 points transferred — a fee that can quickly wipe out much of the value of those points.

Fortunately, IHG Diamond Elite members and eligible IHG Business Rewards members can transfer up to 100,000 points per calendar year without paying this fee. That can be useful when combining balances for an expensive award, moving points to an account with better benefits, or sharing the cost of a stay.

Here's how to transfer IHG points to another member for free, including the restrictions you'll need to know.

IHG Points Transfer Rules and Limits

IHG permits transfers between two designated IHG One Rewards accounts. However, the rules depend on whether the sender qualifies for free transfers.

• Standard transfer fee: $5 per 1,000 points transferred
• Transfer increments: 1,000 points
• Who can transfer for free: IHG Diamond Elite members and eligible IHG Business Rewards members
• Cap on free transfers: 100,000 points per calendar year
• Minimum number of free transfers: 6 transactions per calendar year
• Maximum points an account can receive: 500,000 points per calendar year
• Minimum account age: Both accounts must have been open for at least 30 days
• Processing time: Up to 72 hours

The recipient doesn't need elite status or an IHG Business Rewards membership. You also don't need to be related or share an address. However, once the transfer has been processed, the sender gives up any claim to the points. IHG doesn't permit cancellations or refunds.

IHG previously let qualifying members transfer up to 500,000 points annually without a fee. However, IHG reduced the free-transfer limit to 100,000 points and tightened the Business Rewards eligibility requirements in late 2025.

Who Can Transfer IHG Points for Free?

Only two groups can currently avoid IHG's $5-per-1,000-point transfer fee.

IHG Diamond Elite members

Members with active IHG Diamond Elite status can transfer up to 100,000 points to other IHG members each calendar year for free.

The recipient doesn't need Diamond Elite status. IHG bases the fee waiver on the status of the member sending the points.

IHG Diamond Elite normally requires earning 70 qualifying nights or 120,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. There also are several ways to earn IHG Diamond Elite status through credit card spending.

Eligible IHG Business Rewards members

IHG Business Rewards is free to join in most regions, but enrollment alone no longer unlocks free point transfers.

To qualify, IHG requires the member to have participated in a Business Rewards event during the current or previous calendar year. In other words, simply opening a Business Rewards account or booking a future event isn't enough.

For example, completing a qualifying Business Rewards event in 2026 should make the member eligible for free transfers during 2026 and 2027, provided the account otherwise remains eligible.

This restriction eliminates the previous strategy of joining IHG Business Rewards solely to transfer an existing point balance for free.

How To Transfer IHG Points to Other Members for Free

If you qualify through Diamond Elite status or eligible Business Rewards activity, you can complete the transfer online:

1. Visit the IHG free points transfer page.
2. Enter the requested information to access your IHG One Rewards account.
3. Provide the recipient's IHG One Rewards account details.
4. Select how many points you want to transfer. Transfers must be made in 1,000-point increments.
5. Review the transfer details and confirm that the page shows a $0 fee.
6. Submit the transfer and save the confirmation email until the points arrive.

IHG says transfers can take up to 72 hours to process, although they may complete much faster.

Important: If the checkout page shows a transfer fee, don't submit the transaction. First, confirm that your Diamond Elite status is active or that your qualifying Business Rewards event has been recognized. If necessary, contact IHG One Rewards before proceeding.

When Does Transferring IHG Points Make Sense?

Even when transfers are free, you shouldn't move points without a specific reason. Once transferred, the transaction can't be reversed.

Here are a few situations where consolidating IHG points can be worthwhile:

• Combining balances for an award: Neither account may have enough points individually, but transferring points could unlock the desired stay.
• Unlocking a cardholder benefit: Moving points to an eligible U.S. IHG cardholder's account could let that person use the fourth reward night free on qualifying stays.
• Booking through a higher-status member's account: If that member will be staying, booking through their account could unlock their applicable elite benefits.
• Sharing the cost of a trip: One traveler can transfer their portion of the required points to the member making the reservation.
• Giving the recipient control of the booking: Transferring points lets the recipient redeem from their own account and manage the resulting reservation.

Transferred points aren't elite-qualifying, so receiving points won't help someone earn IHG elite status.

Is It Worth Paying To Transfer IHG Points?

For most members, paying IHG's transfer fee provides poor value. At $5 per 1,000 points, you'll pay:

• $50 to transfer 10,000 points
• $250 to transfer 50,000 points
• $500 to transfer 100,000 points

That works out to 0.5¢ per point. For comparison, AwardWallet users typically redeem IHG points for around 0.69¢ apiece. Paying 0.5¢ per point just to move them to another account consumes most of that potential value.

IHG also frequently sells points for as little as 0.5¢ each. If the account making the reservation needs more points, buying them during a promotion could cost the same as transferring points — without reducing another member's balance.

Before paying the transfer fee, consider these alternatives:

• Book the award for the other traveler: IHG generally lets members book a Reward Night for someone else by adding that person as the secondary guest. Additional procedures apply in Greater China.
• Split the stay between two accounts: Each member could book part of a consecutive stay, then ask the hotel to link the reservations. The hotel may require you to check in again or change rooms.
• Buy the needed points: A good IHG points sale may provide a more practical way to top off the account making the reservation.

Paying the fee might make sense for a small top-up that immediately unlocks a valuable award. But for a large transfer, the cost is difficult to justify.

Our Take

Free IHG point transfers remain useful for Diamond Elite members and active IHG Business Rewards members. Combining balances can help unlock an expensive award, access the fourth-night-free benefit, or make a shared trip easier to book.

However, IHG has made this benefit much less generous. Qualifying members can now transfer only 100,000 points per calendar year, and joining IHG Business Rewards without qualifying activity no longer provides a workaround.

If you qualify for free transfers, use the benefit when it unlocks concrete value. Otherwise, IHG's $5-per-1,000-point fee is usually too expensive. Booking an award for the other traveler or buying additional points will often be the better option.