I was chatting to someone just yesterday about whether IHG One Rewards were going to make an offer this year to retain Diamond status. Lo and behold, overnight an offer to purchase Elite Qualifying Points (EQP) lobbed into my inbox.
Of course, i wasn’t a random conversation. Pretty much the same offer popped up at this time last year. So what’s this offer about? And is it worth it?
The offer allows members to purchase up to 120,000 Elite Qualifying Points, which would be enough to earn Diamond status. In addition, these points are also redeemable points, which means they add to your stash of points that you can use on awards.
Key Details
- Offer:
- Purchase up to 120,000 Elite Qualifying Points
- Validity
- Members that have received the offer have until 1159 pm 31 December 2025 ET (or 12:59 Perth time on 1 January)
Something to keep in mind is that you only have one shot at this. You need to purchase enough points in one go to retain your status.
From what I can gather, the members targeted with this offer fall into two groups
- Diamond members that look like falling short on renewing their Diamond status (i.e. me)
- Platinum members that are looking for a leg up to Diamond.
It is worth keeping in mind that Diamond status can be achieved in one of two ways:
- Earn 120,000 Elite Qualifying Points in a calendar year
- Have stayed 70 eligible nights in a calendar year
This promotion targets the first criteria. If my offer is anything to go by, they will offer you the chance to buy enough points to get Diamond
Is it Worth It?
At first blush, these are expensive points. That said, the price is on a sliding scale. As you buy more, the price of the additional points slowly decreases.
Based on the prices I was offered (and this may vary between people), the first 5,000 points are the most expensive costing $US250 (or 5c per point). Step that up to 10,000 points, and you are looking at $US350. At 50,000 points you are up to $US675 while at 100,000 points will set you back $US920. The maximum 120,000 points is available for $US1,000.
Compare that to times when they are selling (not EQP) points with a bonus offer. These points can sometimes be had for 0.5 US cents per point. Or another way, 120,000 redeemable points can sometimes be had for $US600.
As such, these EQPs are somewhat more expensive. But that’s probably to be expected. Expensive they may be, but they are a path to Diamond status, and they have some value as redeemable points.
So, is DIamond worth going for? Well, maybe. The benefits of Diamond include
- Complimentary breakfast (as a welcome amenity choice)
- 100% IHG bonus points
- Room upgrades (subject to availability)
- Early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability)
I guess if you’re a reasonably frequent guest at IHG properties, and the breakfast benefit has value, then it is probably worth going for.
Final Words
I don’t normally write much about targetted promotions. However, this particular one is one that I had built-in to my points strategy this year. Overall, I will get to 40 nights this year – enough for a lounge pass. But I fall short on the measures to get to Diamond. Definitely thinking about it.
