IHG, or InterContinental Hotels Group, is a major hotel chain in which I have Platinum status due entirely to my IHG Premier credit card. I have 150,000+ IHG points burning a hole in my pocket right now, but I’m not traveling during the COVID-19 outbreak. You might be like me and wonder, When do my IHG points expire?
IHG points expire after 12 months of inactivity, unless you hold elite status, in which case they NEVER expire. And due to the COVID-19 practice, IHG points for non-elite members will be extended through at least December 31, 2020.
(In case you have similar questions about other hotel programs, I’ve got you covered here too! Check out the following:
- When do my Marriott Bonvoy points expire?
- How can I keep my Hyatt points active?
- Are my Hilton free night certificates going to get extended?
- When do Radisson points expire? Elite status? )
What can I do to keep my IHG points active?
You only need to complete ONE of these activities in a 12-month period to keep your IHG points active. And remember, due to coronavirus, your points won’t expire until at least December 31, 2020.
Not all of these activities require you to travel, or even to spend money! I’ve detailed all of the things you can do to keep your IHG points from expiring below.
| How to keep your IHG points from expiring | Travel required? (Y/N) | Cash spend required? (Y/N) |
| 1. Get or keep the IHG Premier credit card. This $89 annual fee card comes with free Platinum status, which means your points will NEVER expire. There are other benefits too, including a free night worth up to 40,000 points each year! This is probably the easiest option. | N | Y ($89 annual fee) |
| 2. Book a paid stay at an IHG property. Simple enough. | Y | Y |
| 3. Book an award stay at an IHG property. Also pretty simple! | Y | N |
| 4. Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to your IHG account. These transfer at a 1:1 ratio in 1,000-point minimum increments. I usually don’t recommend doing this because Chase points are worth about 2 cents apiece and IHG points are worth only about 0.6 cents apiece. However, for only 1,000 Chase points, this is one way to keep your IHG points from expiring. | N | N |
| 5. Earn IHG points for dining. Register any credit/debit card (not limited to IHG’s card) at the IHG Dine & Earn site, then use that card to pay for a meal at any restaurant listed there. If you plan to eat out at one of those restaurants anyway, this is a great way to keep your IHG account active AND earn bonus points! | N | Y |
| 6. Book a tour or local activity. IHG partners with Viator, a site that allows small tour operators to offer their services, which range from short $10 walking tours to multi-day, expensive itineraries. I actually love Viator on its own. But if you book a tour through IHG on Viator, you can receive 1,000 IHG points. You can book activities near your home, so you don’t even need to travel. But be sure to price-compare between IHG and Viator’s service directly. | N | Y |
| 7. Transfer/receive IHG points to/from a friend. It only costs $5 to send 1,000 IHG points to a friend, and this keeps both of your accounts active! Just go here and click Transfer Points. Note, this process takes a few days. | N | Y |
| 8. Rent a car. You have to rent through IHG’s website with Hertz, Avis, or Budget, so make sure you get a good rate. Also make sure that your IHG account gets reflected in the car rental. | Y | Y |
| 9. Purchase IHG points. As with most loyalty programs, you can purchase points to keep your account active, but this usually doesn’t give you a great value. You can buy points in 1,000-point increments for 1 cent apiece. IHG sometimes offers bonuses if you buy more, but I usually don’t recommend this unless you have a specific redemption in mind. | N | Y |
| 10. Donate IHG points. You can donate a minimum of 2,500 IHG points to the Red Cross to keep your IHG account active too! | N | N |
When will my anniversary night certificates with IHG expire?
All anniversary certificates set to expire in 2020 will be extended through December 31, 2020. And, all certificates that you will earn in 2020 will be good for 18 months instead of the usual 12 months.
This is not nearly as generous as Hilton or Hyatt’s policies, which are extending award night expiration dates through year-end 2021. But it does represent an extension nonetheless.
How many IHG points do you need for a free night?
A free night at any IHG brand of hotel costs anywhere from 10,000 – 70,000 points. Sometimes, IHG offers promotions of 5,000 – 15,000 points off their standard price.
Free anniversary night certificates from having the IHG Premier credit card allow you to stay anywhere that costs up to 40,000 points per night. I recently used two free night certificates at the InterContinental Berlin, which was a fantastic way to get the maximum value out of my card.
(UPDATE) As of May 2020, IHG has introduced dynamic pricing. Previously, IHG set its room rates to be the same every day; for example, the InterContinental Berlin was 40,000 points regardless of what day you booked it. As long as there was a room available, it cost 40,000 points. Since May 2020, IHG’s pricing is “dynamic,” and thus will fluctuate. In the age of COVID-19, so far all changes have been very positive. The InterContinental Berlin, which I thought was a great value at 40,000 points, is going for HALF that nowadays! Bottom line, so far this is a good development, but be aware this may change after the coronavirus crisis has passed.
To learn more, including how to maximize the value of your IHG points, check out 5 Steps to Booking InterContinental Hotels for Free.
Will IHG extend my elite status due to coronavirus?
YES! IHG is extending all elite status through January 2022. Previously, IHG wasn’t issuing any status extensions, but only making it easier to obtain status in 2020. As of April 22, IHG has now updated its policy to do both: You get an automatic status extension through January 2022, and it’s 25-30% easier to obtain status in 2020. The updated 2020 chart is as follows:
You can view the full set of IHG’s policy terms on their website here.
Remember, if you have the IHG Premier credit card, you will keep your Platinum elite status without completing any travel. This is a good deal for a card with only an $89 annual fee.
Bottom line
IHG has made some positive changes in light of the coronavirus cris. Your IHG points won’t expire until at least December 31, 2020. Your anniversary night certificates will also be extended through year-end 2020, and new certificates will be good for 18 months.
Generally speaking, IHG’s changes aren’t as generous as either Hilton’s or Hyatt’s. Click those respective links to see why I think IHG’s policy changes are less generous.
In case you’re wondering what ALL the major hotel chains are doing about cancellations during coronavirus, Travel On Points has a handy guide you can check out here!
Some great information you are putting out with these articles. I’m sure a lot of people are wondering when their points expire. Let’s hope we all get to travel again sooner than we think. Until then stay safe 🙂
Thanks so much, Martin! I wrote these because I found myself with about 1.5 million points of various currencies, and nowhere to plan to go. I’m glad most hotel programs are recognizing the issue and helping me plan for later though! Hope you’re well and you stay safe too!