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[thirstylink linkid=”25103″ linktext=”IHG Rewards has launched a 3-day flash sale in which members can buy IHG Rewards points and get a 100% bonus thrown in” class=”thirstylink” title=”IHG Rewards has launched a 3-day flash sale in which members can buy IHG Rewards points and get a 100% bonus thrown in”]. As with most IHG Rewards flash sales this promotion isn’t targeted so all members should be eligible for the best rate.
IHG Flash Sale – The Details
- The offer is available for IHG Rewards points purchases made between 12:00 AM ET on 26 September and 11:59 PM ET on 29 September 2017 inclusive.
- IHG Rewards members may purchase up to 60,000 points per calendar year (excluding bonuses).
- Purchases of IHG Rewards Points are processed by Points.com so they’re not eligible for a credit card category bonus
IHG Flash Sale – The Math
Although it doesn’t appear to be mentioned anywhere in the terms and conditions, there appears to be a threshold above which the best cost per point is attained.
IHG Rewards states that as long as a member purchases 5,000 or more Rewards Points he/she will receive double the points….and that’s true.
But, if you purchase the minimum number of points to get the 100% bonus…..
…..the net result is that you end up with 10,000 points at a cost of $67.50 which is equivalent to 0.675 cents per point.
If, however, you purchase over 25,000 points in a single transaction you get a noticeably better rate.
In this example a purchase of 26,000 points will net you 52,000 points at a cost of $299 which is equivalent to 0.575 cents per point.
So if you’re going to buy points in this promotion make sure you buy over 25,000 to get the best cost/point.
Should You Buy Points In This Flash Sale?
Firstly, don’t rush into anything. IHG points sales with a 100% bonus (or its equivalent) aren’t all that rare so don’t let the deadline force your hand.
But, if you are thinking of buying points now, here’s what the value proposition looks like.
If you buy the maximum number of points allowed you would be buying 60,000 points and getting a further 60,000 point bonus for a total of 120,000 points at a cost of $690:
That’s a cost of 0.575 cents per point.
Most of the top IHG properties around the world cost between 50,000 and 60,000 points per night so, essentially, this promotion allows you to buy 2 nights at a very good InterContinental for between $288 and $345/night….and that’s inclusive of all taxes and fees.
That’s not bad at all when you consider how expensive some InterContinental hotels can be.
With my budget I probably wouldn’t pay $345 for a night at a hotel unless it was at a property I really like and somewhere I really wanted to visit……but I would almost certainly pay $288/night to return to the InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam where rates before tax are often a lot higher:
And where an award night goes for just 50,000 IHG Rewards points.
Buying points in this promotion and using them to make a booking like the one above would get you two nights at one of my favourite European InterContinentals for $575…..and would save over $400 once you account for the taxes due on the stay.
Added to this all IHG Rewards award night bookings are flexible and refundable while the best cash price quoted (above) is an advance rate that’s not flexible at all.
You would be saving money and getting a better type of reservation.
[thirstylink linkid=”25103″ linktext=”Link to buy points” class=”thirstylink” title=”Link to buy points”]
Bottom Line
Here’s how you decide if you should be buying points:
- Explore various locations you’d like to visit and see if there’s a good IHG property there
- Check what award availability is like for the dates you’re thinking of visiting
- Check how much rooms are selling for on the dates you want to visit
- Work out the math – will buying points and booking a room save you cash?
If you can see award availability at a hotel you’d like to visit and the math works in your favor then go ahead and [thirstylink linkid=”25103″ linktext=”buy some points in this sale” class=”thirstylink” title=”buy some points in this sale”]…if not, you should probably give this promotion a miss.
