IHG Points Value
The value of IHG Points are 0.7 cents on average. Calculate the cash value of points based on redemption and get the best point value.
The best value of IHG Points will come from redeeming them towards free nights at IHG brand hotels. Hotel redemptions will give you around 0.7 cents per IHG Point on average. Overall, IHG Points can be used/redeemed for:
- Free Nights at IHG Properties
- Gift Cards
- Merchandise from the IHG Rewards Club Catalog
- Digital Rewards
- Transferred To Airline Partners
This page will cover the cash value you can obtain from these redemptions as well as details on each available option.
IHG Points Value Calculator
Use the IHG Points Value Calculator to calculate the average value of your IHG Points based on the average value of each redemption listed. Average values (denoted by '~') are based on how much The Point Calculator values that redemption after doing some testing and number crunching. You can enter any amount of IHG Points in the field below.
These are the average cash values of IHG Points when used for free nights:
| IHG Points | Cash Value |
|---|---|
| 10,000 Points | US $70 |
| 25,000 Points | US $175 |
| 30,000 Points | US $210 |
| 50,000 Points | US $350 |
| 60,000 Points | US $420 |
| 80,000 Points | US $560 |
| 100,000 Points | US $700 |
Redeem For Free Nights
The best value you can squeeze out of IHG Points will come from redeeming them for free nights at IHG brand hotels. Points can be used at any IHG Hotel as long as there's availability. If you own the IHG Premier Card or IHG Traveler Card, you'll be able to use IHG's 4th night free benefit which allows you to book 4 consecutive award night stays for the price of 3. If you frequent IHG properties, this benefit alone can make it work picking up an IHG credit card.
Standard IHG Redemptions
Standard free nights at IHG brand hotels will give you an average value of 0.7 cents each. Depending on the effort you put forward, you can sometimes find some hidden gems that can give you close to 1 cent in value. Finding good value will take a little bit of back and forth action, but luckily IHG offers the ability to 'Show prices with taxes and fees' on the search results page. This means you'll only need to toggle between the Money, Points, and Points+Cash options at the top to compare values.
Let's take a look at the first few hotels that pop up in Tampa, FL for a weekend out in April.
All of these redemptions offer a higher than average value of around 0.9 to 1 cent per point which is quite magnificent. This can possibility be due to the fact that we are still hovering around the COVID pandemic. But even before pandemic times, I could easily find 1 cent redemptions with IHG Points without too much effort. With that out the way, lets look at the value of these redemptions.
| Hotel | Points Needed | Cash Cost | Point Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa East - Ybor City | 20,000 pts | $202.32 | 1.01 Cents |
| Tampa Westshore - Airport Area | 17,500 pts | $156.64 | 0.89 Cents |
| Tampa USF - Busch Gardens | 15,000 pts | $149.73 | 0.99 Cents |
| Tampa/Rocky Point Island | 22,500 pts | $223.20 | 0.99 Cents |
| Tampa Fairgrounds - Casino | 20,000 pts | $203.41 | 1.01 Cents |
When it comes to finding the best value based on the cost, the search results screen provides everything that you need. As previously stated, it will require a little bit of back-and-forth between the redemption options. Also, make sure that you check mark the box to show the totals with fees and taxes included so you can get the most accurate results.
IHG 4th Night Free Perk
You can easily bump up the value of your IHG Points as well as save points with IHG's 4th Night Free Perk. In order to partake in the marvelous perk, you will need to own the IHG Premier Card or IHG Traveler Card. This perks allows you to book a 4-night consecutive award stay at an IHG hotel for the cost of 3 nights.
Do note that the cost in IHG Points can change per day depending on various factors. On the search results screen, IHG will give you the average cost in points per day across the days you select. Also, if you have an IHG credit card the free night will display automatically anytime you book 4 or more consecutive days.
Looking at the same hotels, lets bump up the nights to a total of four and see how much the value of IHG Points increase.
Since the cost of these hotels fluctuate depending on the day of the week, I had to actually go into each result and get the total amount of points. The final costs of these hotels are listed below.
| Hotel | Points Needed | Cash Cost | Point Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa East - Ybor City | 55,000 pts | $588.68 | 1.07 Cents |
| Tampa Westshore - Airport Area | 50,000 pts | $589.56 | 1.17 Cents |
| Tampa USF - Busch Gardens | 47,500 pts | $580.72 | 1.2 Cents |
| Tampa/Rocky Point Island | 62,500 pts | $691.60 | 1.1 Cents |
| Tampa Fairgrounds - Casino | 60,000 pts | $682.92 | 1.13 Cents |
Multiple properties are now offering a significant value of 1.1 cents or more which is pretty superb. Even if you ran into an IHG property that initially gives you 0.6 - 0.7 cents in value, the 4th night free benefit would generally bump it up to 0.8 to 0.9 cents. Besides the extra value, you also save a lot of points. Most of the extra nights on the 5 hotels listed above ranged from 12,500 to 17,500 points. Between this benefit and the earnings per $1 spent at IHG Hotels, picking up one of the IHG credit cards is easily worth it if you plan on earning and redeeming IHG points.
Other Redemptions
Outside of free nights, you can also put your IHG Points towards merchandise, gift cards, and digital rewards. Points can also be shared with other IHG members which is great if you're trying to pool your points for a redemption.
IHG Rewards Club Catalog
IHG Points can be redeemed on the IHG Rewards Club Catalog for merchandise. This will give your IHG Points a value of around 0.2 to 0.3 cents per point, but there's are instances in which you can get lower or higher depending on the item. There's lots of things to choose from ranging from Electronics and Garden to Fashion and Kids. I only recommend going this route if you're trying to clear out your IHG Points since the value is more than half the average value when used for free nights. If you're big on merchandise, I recommend taking a look at cash back credit cards.
Gift Cards
IHG Points can be redeemed in the IHG Rewards Club Catalog for gift cards for 0.18 to 0.2 cents in value depending on the denomination of the gift card. There's over 70 different gift cards that you can redeem your points for and redemptions start at 5,500 points. Listed below are the standard redemption options for most of the available gift cards based on denominations.
| Gift Card Amount | Points Needed |
|---|---|
| $10 Gift Card | 5,500 IHG Points |
| $25 Gift Card | 12,500 IHG Points |
| $50 Gift Card | 25,000 IHG Points |
Points.com Portal
IHG Points can be redeemed on Points.com. The redemption values are worse than those that IHG offers through their portal, but there's lots of different options to choose from. The Points.com portal offers a little over 70 gift card options in which you'll get 0.14 to 0.16 cents in value per point. Listed below are the standard redemption options for the gift cards available through Points.com.
| Gift Card Amount | Points Needed |
|---|---|
| $25 Gift Card | 17,000 IHG Points |
| $50 Gift Card | 31,000 IHG Points |
| $100 Gift Card | 61,000 IHG Points |
Some gift cards allow for smaller denominations of $5 to $20 while some allow up to $500 denominations (296,000 IHG Points). Remember that the value for using your points via Points.com is worse than that of the IHG Rewards Portal.
Digital Rewards
You can apply your IHG Points towards digital rewards through the IHG Digital Rewards Portal. The value for these redemptions will vary. Within the portal you'll be able to use your points to purchase digital rewards such as music, movies, and eMagazines. Redemptions start at around 300 IHG Points so this is a good way to clear out your IHG Points if you have some laying around that you don't plan on using.
Share Points With IHG Members
IHG Points can be shared with other IHG Rewards members for a cost of 0.5 cents per point transfered. This means that every 1,000 IHG Points you transfer will cost you $5 which is the better option over buying IHG Points which can cost you a little more. You can transfer points to other IHG members using the IHG Transfer Points page.
Transfer IHG Points To Partners
IHG Points can be transferred to more than 35 airlines. The transfer ratios vary depending on the program, but most transfers are 10,000 IHG Points for 2,000 airline miles which comes out to 1 airline mile for every 5 IHG Points. Transferring your points can be a good route to take if you need to top off your frequent flyer account or if you don't plan on using them for IHG stays. You can check out the IHG Points Transfer Calculators to get the full list of IHG transfer partners and calculate the transfer of points to and from your IHG Rewards Club account.
Points.com Transfer
The Points.com portal allows you to transfer your IHG Points to a handful of programs. The transfer ratio (similar to their gift card ratio) is pretty bad, but it's an option so it's worth covering. The only programs that you can transfer through Points.com that you can't do directly through IHG are:
- Amtrak Guest Rewards (10:1.3)
- Icelandair (10:1.13)
- KickBack Rewards Systems (10:1.13)
The other handful of airlines aren't worth mentioning since you can redeem your points directly via IHG at a better ratio.
Summary
IHG Points can be redeemed for great value if you take the time to price out award redemptions. At minimum, you should strive for at least 0.7 cents in value which should be pretty easy to obtain. And if you want even more value, pick up an IHG credit card and go for the 4th night free benefit.
If you want to know how much value you can squeeze out of IHG credit cards, you can use the IHG Credit Card Calculators. Calculate total IHG Points based on your spend across the card's bonus categories and IHG elite status along with the total cash value of the card based on the value of the points earned, the value of the card benefits, and the annual fee. You can compare the results side by side any credit cards featured on the site. You can also use the Best Credit Cards For IHG Points to find out which cards can earn you the most IHG Points by entering your spend for up to 20 categories from a list of hundreds.
- Best Credit Cards For IHG Points
- IHG Premier Card Calculator (Free Night Annually)
- IHG Traveler Card Calculator (No Annual Fee)
Bask in the knowledge of point values for other hotel loyalty programs and see how they compare to the IHG Rewards Club.
IHG Points Value FAQ
How much are IHG Points worth?
IHG Points are worth around 0.7 cents each on average. You can typically get higher values of 1 cent or more with the 4th Night Free Perk.
How many IHG Points do you need for a free night?
Redemptions start at around 10,000 IHG Points per night, but most hotels hover around the 20,000-40,000 points per night range.
How do you use the IHG 4th night free benefit?
If you have an IHG credit card tied to your IHG Rewards Club account, this perk is triggered automatically when you book a 4-night or longer stay.
Can I redeem IHG Points for gift cards?
Yes. IHG Points can be redeemed for gift cards starting at 5,500 points for a $10 gift card.
Can I buy merchandise with IHG Points?
Yes. You can use the IHG Rewards Club Catalog to use your points towards electronics, fashion, health, garden, and much more.
Can you transfer IHG Points to other IHG members?
Yes. You can transfer points to another member at a fee of 0.5 cents per point. So transferring 1,000 IHG Points would cost you $5.
Can you transfer IHG Points to other rewards programs?
Yes. You can transfer IHG Points to over 35 different airline partners.
Are the IHG credit cards worth it?
If you want to earn the most IHG Points on IHG spend and get the best value with the 4th Night Free Perk, yes the cards are worth it.
