Travel · Review · Updated 17 October 2026
IHG One Rewards Buy Points reviewTop up IHG One Rewards points for an award night, best bought in 100% bonus sales
Good
Brent score, out of 5
Buying IHG One Rewards points makes sense in one situation: a 100% bonus sale, a specific award night already in view, and a points price that beats the after-tax cash rate. At full price, or bought speculatively, it is usually poor value because IHG points tend to be worth around half a US cent each. Treat it as a top-up tool, not an investment.
Price
About 0.5 US cents per point during 100% bonus sales
Free option
Paid only
Best for
Members a few thousand points short of a specific award night
Opens IHG Hotels & Resorts (sold via Points.com) in a new tab · We may earn a commission
Disclosure: we may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our ratings. How we make money
Best for
- Members a few thousand points short of a specific award night
- Travelers eyeing a pricey IHG hotel where the points rate beats the cash rate
- IHG cardholders who can use the fourth-night-free award benefit
- Members who want to keep a non-elite account from expiring
Skip it if
- Anyone buying points speculatively with no trip in mind
- People who would pay the regular, non-sale price
- Travelers who mostly stay at budget hotels where cash rates are low
You have found the right IHG hotel for your trip, the cash rate is painful, and your account is a few thousand points short of a free night. Waiting months to earn the rest is not an option, so the question is simple: should you just buy the points?
IHG lets members buy points online through Points.com, and it runs frequent sales with bonuses of up to 100%. At the right moment that turns an expensive night into a cheap one. At the wrong moment you are paying more for points than they are likely to be worth.
This review explains what IHG points cost on and off sale, what they are typically worth when redeemed, and a simple test to decide whether a purchase makes sense for your stay.
What is IHG One Rewards Buy Points?
IHG One Rewards is the free loyalty program of IHG Hotels & Resorts, which covers brands such as Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Kimpton, InterContinental and Six Senses. Members can buy extra points online; the purchase is processed in US dollars by Points.com, the loyalty commerce company that runs buy-and-transfer stores for many hotel and airline programs, and the points are added to your IHG account. You then redeem them for award nights, which IHG prices dynamically rather than from a fixed chart.
Pros and cons
What we like
- 100% bonus sales bring the cost down to about 0.5 US cents per point
- Points post to your IHG One Rewards account for use across all IHG brands
- Award stays have no taxes or fees, so points can beat high post-tax cash rates
- Fourth night free on award stays for IHG co-brand cardholders
- Small purchases possible: sales have started from 5,000 points
What could be better
- Award prices are dynamic, so the value of points you buy today can change
- Average redemption value of roughly 0.4-0.6 US cents leaves little margin even on sale
- Bonus offers can be targeted, so your price may differ from what others see
- Charged in US dollars by Points.com, so non-US cards may add foreign transaction fees
Overall
Good
- Value3.8
- Ease of use4.4
- Flexibility3.7
- Transparency3.6
Key features of IHG One Rewards Buy Points
Frequent bonus sales
IHG regularly runs buy-points promotions, often with a 100% bonus that halves the effective price to about 0.5 US cents per point. Some sales use sliding tiers, such as 80% for 5,000+ points and 100% for 30,000+ points.
Points post to your account
Purchased points go straight into your IHG One Rewards balance. You can combine them with points you earned from stays or a co-brand card.
No taxes or fees on award nights
Award redemptions carry no taxes or resort-style fees, so compare the points price against the full after-tax cash rate. This is where purchased points can come out ahead.
Fourth night free for cardholders
Holders of IHG co-brand credit cards get every fourth night free on award stays booked entirely with points. That boosts the value of each point by up to 25% on longer stays.
Annual purchase limits
Members can generally buy up to about 200,000 points per year before bonuses, and some accounts are allowed more. Sale caps can be lower if you already bought points that year.
Keeps points alive
Points of non-elite members expire after 12 months with no earning or redeeming. A small purchase counts as activity and resets that clock.
IHG One Rewards Buy Points pricing
Checked 2026-10. Prices can change; confirm on IHG Hotels & Resorts (sold via Points.com)’s site.
Regular price (no promotion)
Check current pricing
per purchase, charged in USD by Points.com
- Third-party guides put the base rate at roughly 1-1.15 US cents per point
- Rarely worth paying, since points average about 0.5 US cents in value
100% bonus sale
About 0.5 US cents per point
per purchase, sale periods of a few weeks
- Recent sales started at 5,000 points
- Bonus points included in the effective price
- Offers can be targeted per account
Points + Cash during sales
About 0.4-0.5 US cents per point (effective)
at booking
- Pay part of an award stay in cash
- Effectively buys points when IHG discounts the cash portion
- Not eligible for the fourth-night-free benefit
Watch out: Prices are set by IHG and processed in US dollars by Points.com; check your personal offer in your IHG account before buying, as bonuses vary by member and purchases are generally final.
See current IHG One Rewards Buy Points pricing →What people use IHG One Rewards Buy Points for
Topping up for one award night
A member has 22,000 points and the Holiday Inn they want costs 30,000 points. Buying 8,000 points during a bonus sale closes the gap for about US$40 instead of paying a high cash rate.
A luxury stay with a steep cash rate
A traveler compares an InterContinental at 70,000 points against a post-tax cash rate of several hundred dollars. At 0.5 US cents per point, the points cost about US$350, so buying makes sense only if the cash rate is clearly higher.
Stopping points from expiring
A non-elite member with no stays planned this year buys a small block of points. The purchase counts as account activity and resets the 12-month expiry clock.
How to get started with IHG One Rewards Buy Points
- 1
Find your hotel and dates and note both the points price and the full after-tax cash rate
- 2
Divide the cash rate by the points price to get the value per point for this stay
- 3
Sign in to IHG One Rewards and open the buy-points page to see your current offer and bonus
- 4
Buy only if your cost per point is clearly below that value, ideally during a 100% bonus sale
- 5
Book the award night soon after the points post, before dynamic prices change
IHG One Rewards Buy Points alternatives
| Product | Choose it when |
|---|---|
| IHG One Rewards Buy Points 3.9 | Members a few thousand points short of a specific award night |
| Hilton Honors Buy Points3.8 | Choose it if you stay mainly at Hilton brands and want to top up that balance instead. |
| IHG One Rewards credit cards | Choose a co-brand card if you can earn a welcome bonus, which often beats buying points per dollar spent. |
| Bilt Rewards transfer to IHG | Choose a 1:1 Bilt transfer if you already hold Bilt points, though airline transfers are usually better value. |
IHG One Rewards Buy Points: frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to buy IHG points?+
During 100% bonus sales, IHG points cost about 0.5 US cents each, including the bonus. Outside sales, third-party guides put the price at roughly 1-1.15 US cents per point. Check your account for your current offer, since bonuses can be targeted.
Is it worth buying IHG points?+
Usually only during a bonus sale and for a specific booking. IHG points are typically valued at around 0.4-0.6 US cents each, with top redemptions reaching about 1.2 cents. If the stay's after-tax cash rate divided by its points price beats your purchase price, buying can save money.
How often does IHG run a buy points sale?+
IHG has run 100% bonus promotions several times in 2026, typically lasting a few weeks. Travel blogs expect one every few months, so if there is no sale today, waiting is often the better move.
How many IHG points can I buy per year?+
Members can generally buy up to about 200,000 points per calendar year before bonuses, and some accounts are allowed higher limits. Caps during a sale can be lower if you already bought points earlier in the year.
Who processes IHG points purchases?+
Points.com processes purchases in US dollars on IHG's behalf. The charge appears as a business services purchase, not a hotel transaction, so it usually does not earn hotel-category card bonuses.
Do IHG points expire?+
Points never expire for members with any elite status. For Club (non-elite) members, points expire after 12 months without earning or redeeming, and a points purchase counts as activity.
Final verdict
Is IHG One Rewards Buy Points worth it?
If you have a specific IHG stay in mind, the cash rate is high and a bonus sale is running, buying the missing points is one of the quickest ways to lock in an award night. Check your personal offer on the official buy-points page, run the simple value test above, and book while the price is right.
Check IHG points offerAffiliate link · we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Reviewed by
Amjid Ali, Founder and editor
Amjid Ali is a Melbourne-based AI and automation lead, author of five books on infrastructure, automation and digital transformation, and a corporate trainer whose courses on n8n, Proxmox, firewalls and ERP have taught thousands of IT professionals.
Last updated 17 October 2026 · How we review
You might also like
Travel
Hilton Honors Points (Buy Points) review
Buy Hilton Honors points to top up an award stay, and know when it pays off
Travel
Southwest Rapid Rewards Points review
Buy, gift or transfer Rapid Rewards points to close the gap on a Southwest award flight
Travel
United MileagePlus Miles review
Buy MileagePlus miles to top up a United or Star Alliance award, best during bonus sales
IHG One Rewards Buy Points 3.9
About 0.5 US cents per point during 100% bonus sales