The IHG One Rewards program has again launched one of the most aggressive promotions of the year, offering members a chance to purchase points with a 100% bonus. This limited-time promotion gives travelers a chance to buy IHG points for 0.5 cents per point, which immediately leads to an important question: Is this a good deal or just another points sale?

Purchasing hotel points can, at times, provide access to amazing deals, especially when it comes to high-end hotels and extended stays. But not all hotel point purchases are worth taking advantage of. This guide will walk you through the details of the current IHG deal and who it will benefit the most.

Current IHG Points Promotion: An Overview

The bonus offer on purchased points is available from January 15 through February 5, 2026. Although some members may receive different versions of the bonus offer, the most common version of the offer is a 100% bonus.

For members to be eligible for the highest bonus, they need to buy a minimum of 5,000 points at one time. If they buy less than that, the bonus percentage could be lower or not applicable at all.

Points sales occur regularly throughout the year at IHG, but a straight 100% bonus is at the very top of what the program has to offer, so this offer stands out.

What Does It Actually Cost to Buy IHG Points?

IHG has a variable pricing structure for points purchases, but in this offer, the calculation is refreshingly simple.

Here’s how it works:

• Purchase 200,000 points (pre-bonus)
• Receive an additional 200,000 points as a bonus
• Total points received: 400,000
• Total cost: $2,000

This translates to a cost of 0.5 cents per IHG point, which is in line with the value that most travelers would consider to be the baseline value of the currency.

Although IHG-branded credit cards provide a 20% discount on points purchases at full price, this benefit is not applicable during promotional sales such as the current offer.

Purchase Limits You Should Know About

Normally, IHG permits members to purchase a maximum of 150,000 points in a year, not including bonuses. However, to make this offer more attractive, the maximum limit has been raised to 200,000 points.

Taking into consideration the bonus points, it means that members can walk away with a total of up to 400,000 points from a single sale period.

In the case of travelers who are planning to use their miles for high-end redemptions or award stays, this increased cap can be a game-changer.

Best Credit Cards to Use When Purchasing IHG Points

One thing that is often missed is that IHG points purchases are actually processed by Points.com, and not IHG. This means that these transactions will not code as hotel spend on most credit cards.

What this means is that you will not be able to earn bonus hotel category points, regardless of whether you are using an IHG or travel rewards credit card.

Rather, think of one of the following:

• Use a card where you’re working toward a minimum spending requirement.
• Use a card that earns strong rewards on everyday, non-bonused purchases.

Examples of popular rewards cards for this type of spending include flat-rate cash back or points rewards cards that earn 2x or more on all transactions.

Is Purchasing IHG Points Worth It?

Whether this is a good deal or not is entirely dependent on your plans for the points. IHG One Rewards has dynamic award pricing, which means that there is no fixed award chart.

Generally, the price of an award night corresponds loosely to the cash price of a room. But this does not mean that all redemptions are of equal value.

However, astute travelers can still identify opportunities where the purchase of points translates to substantial savings, particularly when traveling during peak seasons or when staying at luxury hotels.

The Fourth-Night-Free Advantage

One of the largest value multipliers for IHG points comes from having an IHG co-branded credit card.

The IHG One Rewards Premier, Premier Business, and Traveler credit cards come with the fourth night free reward. This means that when you book four consecutive nights using points, you only have to pay for three.

This is an effective way to get a 25% discount on award stays, and there is no cap on how many times you can take advantage of this benefit.

When combined with the purchase of points for 0.5 cents each, this perk can significantly reduce the cost of hotel stays.

Where You Can Redeem IHG One Rewards Points

IHG prides itself on having 15+ hotel brands, which means that members have plenty of options when it comes to redemption.

Brands to note include:

Luxury and Premium Hotels

• Six Senses
  

• Regent
  

• InterContin
  

• Kimpton
  

• Hotel Indigo

Mid-Range and Budget Accommodations

• Crowne Plaza
• Holiday Inn
• Holiday Inn Express
• voco
• EVEN Hotels

Extended-Stay Options

• Staybridge Suites
• Candlewood Suites

This widespread presence across the globe makes IHG points very valuable for those who want flexibility in their travel.

What Are IHG Points Really Worth?

The value of points for a specific point valuation system is subjective, but most experienced travelers put the value of IHG One Rewards points at 0.5 cents per point. This means that the cost of purchase in this offer is equivalent to the value of the points.

What this means is that buying points speculatively is not always a good deal, but buying points to redeem for a particular award can still provide a high return, particularly when used to replace high cash rates.

In certain instances, the cost of staying in a luxury hotel can be cut by 50% or more by using purchasing points.

Do IHG Points Expire?

The points in the IHG One Rewards program do expire, although the policy is quite lenient.

• Points expire after 12 months of inactivity for non-elite members
• Any earning or redemption action will reset the clock for expiration
• The points of the elite members expire never

It is very easy to retain elite status because, to begin with, the IHG credit card, even the entry-level one, automatically gives you Platinum status without any stay requirements.

Final Verdict: Should You Buy IHG Points Now?

This IHG One Rewards promotion represents one of the best chances to purchase points at a good price all year. Although 0.5 cents per point is not an extremely good deal by itself, it becomes very attractive when considering:

• The fourth-night-free benefit
• High cash rates at luxury properties
• The extensive global hotel chain of IHG 

For those who have upcoming stays or specific redemptions in mind, buying points during this sale may result in significant savings. It may also be a good idea to maintain a small stash of IHG points for last-minute stays.

However, if you do not have a clear plan to use the points soon, it may be wise to pass. Dynamic pricing means that future redemptions are never guaranteed to deliver strong value.