While we’re used to IHG One Rewards having promotions on buying points, the program is currently offering a year-end promotion for buying elite qualifying points, which is essentially a way to buy elite status. We saw a similar promotion at the end of last year, though this one isn’t quite as generous.
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IHG One Rewards selling elite status boost
It’s not uncommon to see airline and hotel loyalty programs offer ways to buy up to elite status at the end of the year, whether members are struggling to requalify for their current status, or are hoping to achieve a higher status tier.
Along those lines, between December 16 and December 31, 2025, IHG One Rewards is selling elite qualifying points, to help members earn status in 2025, for the 2026 program year. As a reminder:
- IHG One Rewards Gold status requires 40,000 elite qualifying points
- IHG One Rewards Platinum status requires 60,000 elite qualifying points
- IHG One Rewards Diamond status requires 120,000 elite qualifying points
With this promotion, members can buy enough elite qualifying points either to requalify for their current elite tier, or to qualify for the next tier. This opportunity is based on the status that a member had as of December 4, 2025.
New elite status earned through this promotion will be awarded within 5-10 business days of making the purchase. Note that it appears that not all members are eligible for this offer, and pricing even differs between accounts. So you’ll have to log into your account to see what you’re eligible for.
Many with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (review) or IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (review) have the opportunity to buy up to Diamond status, given that the card offers Platinum status. The 20% cardmember discount on buying points also applies for this.
What’s the cost to purchase points? It depends on how many you buy, as the cost per elite qualifying point gets lower the more elite qualifying points you purchase. For example, looking at my account:
- Buying 5,000 elite qualifying points costs $250, or $200 with the 20% cardmember discount; that means you’re paying 4-5 cents per elite qualifying point
- Buying 120,000 elite qualifying points costs $1,000, or $800 with the 20% cardmember discount; that means you’re paying 0.67-0.83 cents per elite qualifying point
As an existing Platinum member with virtually no elite qualifying points, this means that I can outright buy Diamond status for $800 (factoring in the 20% cardmember discount).
What’s interesting here is that the elite qualifying points that you purchase can also be redeemed toward award stays. So you’ll earn the same number of elite qualifying points as you earn redeemable points — buying 120,000 elite qualifying points also earns you 120,000 redeemable points.
Keep in mind that when IHG offers a 100% bonus on purchased points, the cost is typically 0.5 cents per point.
Is it worth buying IHG One Rewards elite status?
Let’s assume you’re eligible for the offer of 120,000 points (elite qualifying and redeemable) for $800. Assuming you’d consider buying IHG points for 0.5 cents each, you’re basically spending $200 or so on Diamond status (since buying 120,000 points with a 100% promotion would ordinarily cost $600). A few thoughts:
- Even a couple of stays (or a longer stay) as an IHG Diamond at a full service property would probably allow you to breakeven on this, given that Diamond offers complimentary breakfast
- A lot of IHG’s best elite perks are tied to the IHG Milestone Rewards program, as this is how you can receive confirmed suite upgrades, get club lounge access, etc.; this is tied to elite nights and not elite qualifying points, so this promotion wouldn’t help you with that
- Another pathway to IHG Diamond status is to just spend $40,000 per year on one of IHG’s premium co-branded credit cards, so if you do really value Diamond status and have access to the cards, that’s another option to consider
If you’re a relatively frequent IHG guest who gets value from IHG points and would consider buying them for 0.5 cents each, then I’d absolutely consider this offer. Meanwhile if you wouldn’t otherwise buy IHG points, or if you only very rarely stay at IHG properties, I’d save your cash.
Bottom line
For a limited time, IHG One Rewards is selling elite qualifying points, for those looking for a year-end status boost. The price for outright being able to buy top tier status is quite attractive, especially since these also count as redeemable points. For some people, if you’d otherwise consider buying points, this is like spending $200 on Diamond status, which is potentially quite a good deal.
Do any OMAAT readers plan on buying IHG elite qualifying points to earn status?
I have around 55k qualifying points, so I did the math and it's interesting that buying up for me would cost more than if I had not points at all. Not sure they math it out reasonably for this one. If I buy 70k, it would cost me $620, and the points are worth half a cent a piece, which is $350. So the total real cost is 620-350=270. However, if you had no point...
I have around 55k qualifying points, so I did the math and it's interesting that buying up for me would cost more than if I had not points at all. Not sure they math it out reasonably for this one. If I buy 70k, it would cost me $620, and the points are worth half a cent a piece, which is $350. So the total real cost is 620-350=270. However, if you had no point with IHG at all, spending $800 to buy 120k points, since the points are worth $600, the cost is only $200. So I don't feel good that my 60k elite qualifying points earned doesn't get me closer at all given how this is structured. I think this is a good initiative, but to me it's not a fair one.
I have the card so am Platinum. Seems the only advantage is free breakfasts.
Not eligible. Was last year but ran into problems trying to actually complete the purchase. Guessed I can skip the status
Big eligible. Was last year but ran into problems trying to actually complete the purchase. Guessed I can skip the status
Delete the typo please.
Big eligible. Was last year but ran into problems trying to actually complete the purchase. Guessed I can skip the status
As a leisure traveller with no business stays, no credit card offers (I'm belgian) and staying in hotels occasionally (50 nights per year), the perk I value the most is 'free breakfast'. As I am eligible for this offer (I achieved Platinum status in 2025 thanks to the Ambassador programme), I purchased 100,000 points to attain Diamond Elite status. I estimate the value of breakfast at around $20 per person, so in my case it...
As a leisure traveller with no business stays, no credit card offers (I'm belgian) and staying in hotels occasionally (50 nights per year), the perk I value the most is 'free breakfast'. As I am eligible for this offer (I achieved Platinum status in 2025 thanks to the Ambassador programme), I purchased 100,000 points to attain Diamond Elite status. I estimate the value of breakfast at around $20 per person, so in my case it pays for itself after ten nights (and if I stay at ICs, it pays for itself even faster!). The remaining nights are a free bonus! As are the better room upgrades, earlier check-ins and later check-outs, and dedicated services. I just love this opportunity!
I stay often in Japan and some of those breakfasts are expensive if paying cash. $50 CAD and up. Might pull the trigger on this offer
If you’re interested in Platinum, why not just buy an Ambassador membership for $225?
mangoMan am I nuts or assuming one can get a half cent of value out of IHG points then Diamond status is essentially free if you charge your taxes?
$700 (correcting my number) in fees, less $600 of value for the 120,000 points you get, less $100 statement credit less $50 of value for the 10,000 points.
$700 in, $750 out and you get two years of Diamond.
Is that right?
@Steve: your numbers match my thinking. However, as pointed out by Will in replies to my initial comment, you should factor in the opportunity cost of making the $40K tax payment with a 3% cash back card. See Will's reply for details.
I must not be understanding something.
If you charge $40,000 of taxes on an IHG Premier card in 2026 the fee is $756. My understanding is that card earns 3x/$ on everyday spend, so 120,000 points which valuing points at $0.005 is worth $600 plus you get a $100 statement credit and 10,000 points, worth $50 or a total of $750 of value plus two years of Diamond.
What am I doing wrong?
“We saw a similar promotion at the end of last year, though this one isn’t quite as generous.” The initial offer was a mistake (20% off 20%) by IHG they quickly corrected to the same $800
I was eligible last year but not this year. I do wish I would have purchased it last year as i did stay in enough IHGs that it would have been beneficial. Outside the US there are not many diamonds so upgrades tend to be quite good. I have found, though, in the US, there are still too many diamonds. I stayed at several HIEs in the past couple weeks and I was surprised just...
I was eligible last year but not this year. I do wish I would have purchased it last year as i did stay in enough IHGs that it would have been beneficial. Outside the US there are not many diamonds so upgrades tend to be quite good. I have found, though, in the US, there are still too many diamonds. I stayed at several HIEs in the past couple weeks and I was surprised just how many parking spaces they had for diamonds. They explained they have quite a few business travelers who spend months in the hotels.
Quite worth it if you clear 40 nights but didn't clear diamond otherwise, can buy the difference instead of huy Ambassador
Have made IHG my go to program, did 54 nights this year (mostly work, some vacation) and ending up with about 190k qualifying points. Being a Diamond Ambassador has gotten me upgrades to suites or jr suites at every IC property I stayed at this year like DTLA, Abu Dhabi, Berlin and Sofia. Also great upgrades to suites or larger rooms at Kimpton's like Shinjuku, De Witt in AMS, Da An in Taipei. IHG is...
Have made IHG my go to program, did 54 nights this year (mostly work, some vacation) and ending up with about 190k qualifying points. Being a Diamond Ambassador has gotten me upgrades to suites or jr suites at every IC property I stayed at this year like DTLA, Abu Dhabi, Berlin and Sofia. Also great upgrades to suites or larger rooms at Kimpton's like Shinjuku, De Witt in AMS, Da An in Taipei. IHG is underrated if you travel to the right places. IC breakfast spreads are also fab.
Don't have much experience with IHG properties but I'm glad I'll be getting Diamond status through my 75k per year spend with Chase Sapphire.
Not eligible. :-(
Still, Platinum's been pretty good this year in terms of upgrades.
Got studio suites/jr suites on most stays, "premium" rooms on a few others, and good regular rooms otherwise. Had to ask for studio suites at check-in at a few HIEX properties, though.
14:00 check-out was granted every time I asked.
Aside from breakfast, I don't think I missed much.
I’m a Diamond and had 21 IHG stays this year. Not a single meaningful upgrade, sometimes “a better view” or a “higher floor”. Used free breakfast as welcome amenity 3 times, otherwise too jet lagged or there are more exciting options around.
Late checkout at 2pm subject to availablity - “we can make it 12pm maximum” (standard policy was 11am). When other chains offer 4pm guaranteed late checkout, 2pm subject to availablity is super weak.
...I’m a Diamond and had 21 IHG stays this year. Not a single meaningful upgrade, sometimes “a better view” or a “higher floor”. Used free breakfast as welcome amenity 3 times, otherwise too jet lagged or there are more exciting options around.
Late checkout at 2pm subject to availablity - “we can make it 12pm maximum” (standard policy was 11am). When other chains offer 4pm guaranteed late checkout, 2pm subject to availablity is super weak.
Early checkin - I was told that I had to pay for early checkin and the receptionist was adamant that this benefit means I can pay for the preceding night to checkin early. Bizarre. I can always do that! This was IC Baku.
So wouldn’t really go out of my way to get Diamond status or pay more than maybe $100…
Is this being made available to everyone?
I dont seem to have an email.
"Another pathway to IHG Diamond status is to just spend $40,000 per year"...."JUST" ...that's a 1% comment right there!!
FWIW I have the IHG One Rewards Select Mastercard from Chase and was NOT offered the 20% discount that Ben is showing
Hear me out, use your 2.5%-5% cashback card on those 40K spend and then use those cashback for this offer and you will still come out ahead with few hundred bucks more left in your wallet.
You want to know why you'll never break out from the middle class.
It's because you don't even understand how money works.
In a $30 trillion GDP market, $40k is not even JUST 0.0000001%
You can MS $40000 a year for as little as $700.....
Last year, IHG ran something similar, but they sort of had a pricing error, wherein some people had an offer that effectively double-applied a 20% bonus. As a result, I was able to get 120k pts (which would normally sell for $600 during many of IHG's sales) and get Diamond status, for $640. This essentially put the Diamond Status at $640.
However... I got Diamond Status for 2 years (essentially from 12/31/2024 through 12/31/2026) through...
Last year, IHG ran something similar, but they sort of had a pricing error, wherein some people had an offer that effectively double-applied a 20% bonus. As a result, I was able to get 120k pts (which would normally sell for $600 during many of IHG's sales) and get Diamond status, for $640. This essentially put the Diamond Status at $640.
However... I got Diamond Status for 2 years (essentially from 12/31/2024 through 12/31/2026) through what is essentially an IHG error. I would expect you can probably do the same this year.
I bought the points on the evening of the very last day (Dec 31, 2024). I expected to get Diamond status through 12/31/2025, but was surprised to find that my account reflected it through 12/31/2026. My theory behind this is that IHG must want to guard against a situation in which a person is supposed to receive points on Jan 1st but they are granted a day early on Dec 31st (i.e. a hotel in a different timezone?) and screw up someone's elite qualification status or plans. And so they must allow points earned on Dec 31st to be treated as if they were earned on Jan 1st, which is why my status ran through Dec 31 of the following year (2026, instead of 2025).
I have gotten outsized value from Diamond status (a lot of free breakfast on some great vacations) and continue to do so over 2 years. If you are considering doing this, I might advise that you try this in the evening on Dec 31, and you might get lucky like me (and have status through the end of 2027, rather than 2026).
er, "This essentially put the Diamond Status at $640." should read "this essentially put the Diamond Status cost at $40"
Thanks for a useful, valuable tip Dave, I’ll plan on buying in just before popping the champagne!
Not Eligible
If you have large estimated tax payments as an option, a better deal is to spend $40K on taxes on the IHG Premier card in Jan 2026. Cost is $700. Gets you Diamond status for all of 2026 and 2027, 120K points, plus 10K bonus points and $100 statement credit for passing $20K spend threshold on card.
No, spending 40K on IHG at 3x is not actually the better than this offer (assuming your offer is also 800 dollars for 120,000 EQP and Points)
The opportunity cost of spending 40K on your tax is at 3% for total of $1200. You get 130,000 IHG points (value at $650) and $100 statement credits in return. So the net cost is $450. (I won’t share how to earn 3% here, but the baseline should...
No, spending 40K on IHG at 3x is not actually the better than this offer (assuming your offer is also 800 dollars for 120,000 EQP and Points)
The opportunity cost of spending 40K on your tax is at 3% for total of $1200. You get 130,000 IHG points (value at $650) and $100 statement credits in return. So the net cost is $450. (I won’t share how to earn 3% here, but the baseline should be 2.625% cashback from BofA would bring your opportunity cost to $1050, which will bring your net cost to $300)
Meanwhile, this offer will net you 120,000 points (value at $600) so the cost is $200. It beats the above scenario by $100-250. That is to say, this is a better offer if you can get $800 offer.
Not sure I completely follow you. While I see your argument of a 3% opportunity cost for normal $40K spend, spending on taxes incurs a 1.75% processing fee, so your opportunity cost is 1.25%, or $500. Furthermore, the strategy I outline nets 2 years of status, not 1 year.
I think you made a good point if it's for 2 years of status.
I didn't factor in 1.75% processing fee because that's what you need to pay if you are going to pay with any credit cards. The opportunity cost is the best way you would have done other than what you propose. That is to say, I have a 3% Cashback credit card that earns 3% on everything. If I use that...
I think you made a good point if it's for 2 years of status.
I didn't factor in 1.75% processing fee because that's what you need to pay if you are going to pay with any credit cards. The opportunity cost is the best way you would have done other than what you propose. That is to say, I have a 3% Cashback credit card that earns 3% on everything. If I use that 3% CB credit card on your $40,000 spent on tax (ignoring processing fee here because both methods will incur the processing fee), I would have earn $1,200 Cashback. So the opportunity cost is $1,200. Spending on IHG Premier card will net you 130,000 IHG points and $100 statement credit with IHG Diamond status.
So if you use those $1,200 that earned with a 3% Cashback credit card by paying 40K tax to pay for this $800 offer, you get 120,000 IHG points and IHG Diamond status with $400 left over.
So my original argument was 130,000 IHG Points and $100 with IHG Diamond versus 120,000 IHG Points and $400 with IHG Diamond. Obviously, we will assign IHG Points value at 0.5 cpp since they almost always have 100% bonus sale every time. Then it's equivalent to $650 worth of points and $100 dollars with IHG Diamond versus $600 worth of points and $400 dollars with IHG Diamond. The net differnece is $250. The latter offer gives you $250 more money in your pocket.
So here is another argument I want to bring, obviously, you are saying spending 40K on IHG Premier gives you 2 years of IHG Diamond. So now it has become the following:
You still get 130,000 IHG Points and $100 but with 2 years of IHG Diamond status. (With $1,200 of opportunity cost, the 2-year IHG Diamond status would cost $450 dollars (1200-130000*0.005-100)).
The method I proposed and assuming the offer is the same for next year. You'll have to pay $1,600 dollars over 2 years to gain 240,000 IHG Points with 2 years of IHG Diamond status. The net cost for 2-year IHG Diamond status would be $400 dollars (1600-240000*0.005).
So I think the 3% CB method would still come out ahead by $50 with 2-year Diamond status. But obviously, you will be risking if IHG stop having this kind of offer in the future (or worse offer.)
Given your 2-year status claim, I think both are great.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but even though I got the offer as a card holder, I should use a different card (cap one venture x for ex) to purchase since points purchases don't earn anything on the IHG card?
To get the 20% discount on points, you will need to use your IHG card. This promo is basically the only one where you want to use the IHG card instead of a 2x catch-all card, as the 20% discount doesn't apply when IHG sells points outright with an 80%-100% bonus. Here there is no bonus, so you'll want the discount.
You do not need to pay using the IHG card to get the 20% off: it triggers based on your showing as an IHG credit card holder in IHG's own systems.
I'm getting $960 for 120,000 points, and it also says specifically in fine print: "These points are Non-Qualifying points and are not Elite Status qualifying".
Strike that. I was using the wrong link. Not eligible.
Or you could spend $75k with a CSR I suppose. Plus you get that sweet $500 southwest credit. Yawn.
This is a solid deal if you stay at any high end ihg property. You can easily recoup the $200 staying even once a year. Thanks for the info
Says I am not eligible, although I did purchase this promotion last year, and didn't end up using the diamond status much at all this year unfortunately rip.
I'm glad they're putting a cap on max status that can be "purchased". IHG Diamond is great but it's only great because they protect it from credit card qualifications and whatnot.