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Rakuten is back with another good cash back offer with which you can earn 10% cash back or 10 Amex Membership Rewards Points per dollar on most IHG (InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, etc…) bookings. It’s not clear how long this offer will last for so don’t wait too long if you have an IHG stay that you need to book.
Rakuten IHG 10% cash back terms
These are the key terms and conditions per Rakuten:
- Cash Back is not available on bookings with Kimpton Hotels, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Six Senses, or IHG Army Hotels.
- Changes made to the reservation at the hotel will void Cash Back.
- Specialty negotiated rates such as IHG friends & Family are not eligible for Cash Back.
- Cash Back is not available on the purchase of reward Club Points or the Ambassador Certificate program.
- Rooms booked and paid for by IHG reward Club Points are not eligible for Cash Back incentives.
- Cash Back will be added to your Rakuten account within 3 months after travel has been completed
Make sure you read all the terms carefully on the Rakuten page before booking.
Participating brands
Sometimes we see a significant number of IHG brands specifically excluded from these Rakuten cashback promotions, but this time only Kimpton, Six Senses and Mr. & Mrs. Smith properties appear to be excluded (from the main brands).
Also, unlike what we’ve seen on a few other occasions, there doesn’t appear to be a requirement for bookings to be made at IHG’s US properties so all stays at eligible IHG properties around the world should trigger this offer.
Why this is a good deal
Not only will clicking through the Rakuten portal earn you 10% cash back on eligible IHG bookings, but you’ll also continue to earn IHG Rewards points and credit towards IHG elite status and you’ll continue to enjoy any elite status benefits that you may be entitled to (Rakuten’s links take you directly to the IHG website so all stays booked in this way are treated like any other booking made directly with IHG).
Don’t forget!
Earn Membership Rewards Points
If you’d like to earn Membership Rewards points instead of cashback (1 point per 1% cash back) make sure you change your Rakuten account settings appropriately (click here to see how to do this).
Earn bonus IHG One Rewards Points
IHG is currently running a 4Q 2023 promotion in which members of its IHG One Rewards program can earn 2,000 bonus points for every two nights consumed through 31 December 2023, so make sure you register for this deal before you make any bookings.
Save with Amex & Chase offers
Amex is currently targeting select cardholders for savings on InterContinental & Kimpton stays (details here) so if you hold any Amex Membership Rewards cards, make sure that you check to see if you have this offer available before you book any InterContinental stays (Kimpton is not participating in this 10% cash back deal).
Save on European bookings
IHG One Rewards members can currently get at least 25% off IHG’s best flexible rates in its current Europe & UK sale so make sure you make the most of that if you’re heading across the pond (details here).
Tips
There’s no trick to earning the cashback or Membership Rewards points on offer (you just click through to the retailers using the links on Rakuten), but there are two things you should keep in mind:
Firstly, before making any purchases, make sure you check what Amex offers are available in your American Express account, and make sure that you load your Amex card with any relevant offers before using that card for your booking.
Secondly, if you don’t have any relevant Amex offers to use, make sure you use a credit card that will reward you well. The card_name (review) will help you earn at least 26 IHG Rewards Points per dollar on most IHG bookings or you could choose to use the card_name which will earn you 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on all travel.
Bottom line
For a limited time, Rakuten is offering 10% cash back or 10 Membership Rewards Points per dollar for stays booked with IHG, so with Amex also offering a targeted discount on InterContinental bookings, with IHG running a Europe sale and with a bonus points promotion also on offer, this could be a good time to start making some bookings if you’re planning any hotel stays,
Featured image: InterContinental Dublin courtesy of IHG
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