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Chase just launched a new limited-time Ultimate
But while the bonus amount is flashy, don’t get too excited. IHG is one of Chase’s least valuable transfer partners. Even with this elevated bonus, you're likely better off using your Ultimate Rewards elsewhere. Let's show you why.
Chase to IHG Transfer Bonus Offer Terms
- Transfer Ultimate Rewards points to IHG One Rewards and receive an 80% bonus points through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 3, 2026.
- The minimum transfer amount is 1,000 points (1,800 IHG points after the 80% transfer bonus).
- Point transfers to IHG take an average of ~5 hours to process.
- Transfers are final and non-reversible.
- Here's how to transfer
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Why You Might Want to Skip This IHG Transfer Bonus
Outside of transfer bonuses, Chase points transfer at a 1:1 ratio for some of Ultimate Rewards travel partners. But all points don't have the same value. While AwardWallet users have redeemed Chase Ultimate Rewards points for an average of 2.11¢ per point, AwardWallet users have only been able to redeem IHG points for 0.69¢ per point in recent redemptions.
Even an 80% transfer bonus doesn't completely close the gap. Multiplying IHG's average redemption value of 0.69¢ per point by 1.8 effectively gets you to around 1.2¢ in value per Chase point transferred. That's a significant improvement over the standard transfer ratio, but it's still below the average value AwardWallet users get from Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Unless you have a specific high-value IHG redemption in mind, you'll generally get better value by transferring your Chase points to one of Chase's more rewarding airline or hotel partners.
Related: All of the
Don't forget about the Chase Travel℠ portal
While 2.11¢ and 0.69¢ per point are our baseline values for these currencies, you may value them differently. And that's okay. But that still doesn't necessarily make this transfer bonus a good deal.
Personal valuations aside, Ultimate Rewards cardholders can redeem points through Chase Travel℠ for up to 2¢ per point through Chase Points Boost.
Even with an 80% transfer bonus, you'd need to redeem your IHG points for at least 1.11¢ each to match that value, since every 1 Chase point becomes 1.8 IHG points. While that's certainly more achievable than under the standard transfer ratio, it still requires above-average IHG redemptions.
In short, whether it's better to transfer points or book through Chase Travel depends on both your Chase card and the value you'll get from your planned IHG redemption.
Walking through an example
Let's use a booking at the Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo — one of our favorite IHG luxury redemptions — to demonstrate this point.
For a two-night award stay in January 2027, the award price for a base room is 64,000 IHG points per night, or 128,000 IHG points total. With the current 80% transfer bonus, you'd only need to transfer 72k Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book the stay.
For comparison, the same stay costs $706 ($353 per night), after taxes and fees:
However, before transferring your points, it's always worth checking the Chase Travel portal.
In our search, Chase Travel offers a similar room type for 69,805 Ultimate Rewards points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees). That's less than the 72,000 Ultimate Rewards points you'd need after the 80% transfer bonus.
If you hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees) or Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (Rates & Fees), the comparison can become even more interesting. Eligible Points Boost bookings can offer up to 2¢ per point through the Chase Travel℠ Portal. Depending on the room type and rate available through Chase Travel, you may be able to book your stay for fewer Ultimate Rewards points than transferring them to IHG.
But the primary takeaway is this: Don't transfer your points until you've compared both options.
An 80% transfer bonus is compelling, but it doesn't automatically make transferring your Ultimate Rewards points to IHG the best value. In some cases, Chase Travel may still require fewer points, while in others, the transfer bonus will come out ahead.
Related: Do Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Expire?
Bottom Line
Despite the 80% bonus, transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to IHG One Rewards still won’t deliver above-par value in most cases. Even solid points redemptions may not outperform the value you’d get by booking through the Chase Travel Portal — especially if you hold the Sapphire Reserve.
What's a better alternative to building your stash of IHG points? An IHG credit card welcome bonus can be a better way to build your balance. Here are the current offers:
- Earn up to 17X points spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining, at grocery stores, and gas stations
- 2X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 5X points for being a IHG One Rewards Card member
- Earn up to 2X points from IHG® with Silver Elite Status, a benefit of this Card
- Earn up to 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG® Rewards Club Member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG®
loyalty program
$150Rates & Fees
- Earn up to 24X points total per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- 5X points per $1 spent on flights booked directly, car rental agencies, at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants
- 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 10X points for being a IHG One Rewards Premier Card member
- Earn up to 4X points from IHG® with Gold Elite Status, a benefit of having this card
- Earn up to 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG® One Rewards member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
$200Rates & Fees
- Earn up to 26X total points per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 5X points per $1 spent on flights booked directly, car rental agencies, select advertising, gas stations, and restaurants
- 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 10X points for charging your stay to your IHG Business Card
- Earn up to 6X bonus points for having IHG®Platinum Elite Status, a benefit of having this card
- Earn up to 10X base points for being an IHG® One Rewards Member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (Rates & Fees), IHG One Rewards Credit Card (Rates & Fees), IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
