Image credit: Ken Lund via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0). Willard InterContinental Washington, an IHG luxury brand hotel.. License: CC BY-SA 2.0.
IHG One Rewards is still selling points with a reported 100 percent bonus through Sept. 1, 2026, which can cut the effective price to about 0.5 cents each when the top offer appears in your account.
That extension matters for anyone short of an InterContinental, Kimpton, or Holiday Inn award stay this fall. One Mile at a Time and other loyalty desks say the window that was set to end earlier in August was pushed to Sept. 1, and the best bonus usually unlocks at a 5,000-point purchase threshold.
- Deadline: Reported purchase window runs through Sept. 1, 2026, Eastern time.
- Best rate: A 100 percent bonus can bring the cost to about 0.5 cents per point.
- Threshold: Loyalty desks say the top bonus typically requires buying at least 5,000 points in one order.
- Cap: The promotional purchase cap has been reported at 200,000 points before bonus.
- Traveler action: Log into the official buy-points flow, confirm your personal bonus, then buy only against a priced award stay.
What the current IHG buy-points offer actually does
IHG normally sells points near one cent each before bonuses, with non-linear pricing by size. During this promotion, specialists report that many members see a 100 percent bonus, so a $2,000 purchase of 200,000 points can yield 400,000 points.
Upgraded Points frames that 0.5-cent rate as matching its current valuation of IHG points, which means the deal is strongest when you already have a redemption that beats cash.
AwardWallet and LoyaltyLobby have tracked the same Sept. 1 extension after an earlier August end date. Bonus amounts can vary by account, so the screenshot in your logged-in buy cart is the binding offer, not a blog table.
Points purchases usually route through points.com and do not count as hotel spend for credit-card bonuses. That is a useful planning detail if you were hoping to hit a category multiplier on the same charge.
When buying IHG points is worth it
IHG uses dynamic award pricing, so there is no fixed chart that guarantees value. The buy decision starts by opening a cash rate and an award rate for the same room on the same nights.
If 40,000 points replace a $280 room, you are looking at 0.7 cents per point in value, which can clear a 0.5-cent buy price even before elite perks. If the award only replaces a $120 rate, the math usually fails.
IHG credit cards that include a fourth night free on award stays can improve the return further, because four nights can price as three on qualifying redemptions. That benefit is separate from the buy bonus and only helps when the stay length fits.
Deep Arrival readers comparing transfer-side IHG offers should keep streams straight. The live Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer bonus toward IHG is a different product from buying points inside One Rewards, even though both feed the same hotel currency.
How to verify the offer before you pay
Start at IHG’s official points-purchase path, sign in, and read the bonus percentage shown for your account before entering a card. If the page shows 80 percent instead of 100 percent, price the smaller bonus against your target stay rather than forcing the headline rate.
Confirm the calendar-year purchase limit displayed in the cart. Specialists say the promotional pre-bonus cap has been lifted to 200,000 points for this window, which is higher than the ordinary annual buy limit many members remember.
Buy only after you have an award hold or a realistic open award inventory date. Points do not expire quickly for elite members, but non-elite balances still need activity within the program’s inactivity rules.
Keep a screenshot of the pre-purchase bonus screen and the final confirmation email. Those two files settle most disputes if the posted bonus and the credited bonus diverge later.
Where redeemed points actually travel
IHG’s portfolio stretches from Six Senses and InterContinental to Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites, so the same points bank can cover a luxury weekend or a week of road-trip nights.
The sample redemption market in this story’s hero is an InterContinental property, which is the kind of cash-expensive stay where a 0.5-cent buy can still pencil out when award inventory is open. Midscale brands can work too when cash rates spike around conventions or holidays.
Related Deep Arrival coverage of the Chase to IHG transfer bonus window remains useful if you already hold Ultimate Rewards and want a second path into the same program before deciding to buy.
If neither buying nor transferring beats the cash rate on your exact dates, skip both. The offer is a tool for priced gaps, not a requirement to stockpile.
What remains uncertain for late-August buyers
IHG has not published a single evergreen press release that lists every member’s bonus tier for this extension, which is why specialists keep stressing the logged-in cart. Treat third-party reporting as a radar, then let the official purchase screen confirm the number.
It is also unclear how long award inventory will stay open at the properties where the math is best. Popular InterContinental and Kimpton weekends can disappear while a buy confirmation is still processing.
Finally, watch for quiet changes to the end date. Earlier August reporting already saw one extension to Sept. 1, so a traveler who waits until Labor Day weekend should refresh the official page the same morning they intend to buy.
Members who already sit on large IHG balances can still use the window surgically. Top up only the missing block for one confirmed stay, then leave the rest of the cash in a card that earns transferable points for the next decision.
If your account shows a lower bonus tonight, check again tomorrow morning before assuming the sale is gone. Personalization and staggered testing are common on hotel buy portals, and a one-day refresh sometimes restores the headline 100 percent offer.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Already see a dated IHG award that beats cash at 0.5 cpp or better | Log in, confirm the 100 percent bonus, and buy only the points needed for that stay. |
| Hold Chase Ultimate Rewards and a live IHG transfer bonus | Compare transfer cost versus buying before spending cash on points.com. |
| See an 80 percent bonus instead of 100 percent | Recalculate value at the lower rate or wait for a later personal offer. |
| Have no near-term award target | Skip the purchase; do not buy points only to sit on an unpriced balance. |
- Before Sept. 1: Price the award stay first, then open the official buy flow while logged in.
- Card choice: Expect points.com coding, not hotel category spend, on the purchase.
- After purchase: Confirm bonus points post before canceling a flexible cash backup rate.
- If inventory vanishes: Keep the points for another date rather than forcing a weak redemption.
The cleanest use of this window is narrow: fill a priced IHG award gap at a verified bonus, then stop.
How long does the IHG 100 percent buy-points bonus last?
Loyalty reporting says the current window runs through Sept. 1, 2026, but your logged-in purchase screen is the offer that counts.
How cheap can purchased IHG points be right now?
With a 100 percent bonus, specialists calculate about 0.5 cents per point on larger buys, versus roughly one cent without a bonus.
Is buying IHG points the same as a Chase transfer bonus?
No. Buying adds points inside One Rewards for cash, while a Chase transfer bonus moves Ultimate Rewards into IHG under a separate offer.
Should I buy IHG points without a redemption in mind?
Usually no. Buy against a priced award stay so the 0.5-cent cost has a clear cash alternative to beat.
