Short answer: buy IHG points only for a specific stay you have already priced, and only the points that stay needs. In a sale with a 100% bonus, points cost about 0.5 US cents each, so a night has to be worth more than $50 for every 10,000 points it costs before buying beats paying cash.
That bar is lower than most people think. In our live check of 2,860 IHG hotel nights on October 30, 2026, 81.9% cleared it. But most cleared it by only a little. At the typical value of $57.80 per 10,000 points, buying saves about 13.5% against the cash rate, and you give up the points and elite night credit a paid stay would earn. Only 27.4% of nights saved 20% or more. Those are the nights worth buying for.
IHG runs points sales several times a year. The rules on this page work for any sale. Only the "Current sale" section changes.
The breakeven rule
At 0.5 cents a point, 10,000 points cost you $50. So:
Buy points when the cash price of the night is more than the points price x $0.005.
Put another way, the redemption has to be worth more than $50 per 10,000 points. The saving versus paying cash is:
Saving = 1 - (points x 0.005) / cash price
Example: InterContinental New York Barclay on Wednesday December 9, 2026 was $1,456.49 cash or 120,000 points. 120,000 x $0.005 = $600, so buying the points costs 58.8% less than paying cash.
If your bonus is smaller, your breakeven is higher. Multiply your cost per point by 10,000 to get it. At 0.53 cents you need $53 per 10,000 points, at 0.61 cents $61, at 0.75 cents $75, and at the full price of 1.35 cents with no bonus, $135. Our guide to what 10,000 IHG points are worth explains the same math in more depth.
How often buying beats cash
We priced one-night stays at 1,081 IHG hotels in 59 of our 62 featured cities on three nights (Wednesday November 18, Saturday November 21 and Wednesday December 9, 2026) and checked each against the tier prices in the current sale.
| Your price per point | Breakeven per 10,000 points | Share of 2,860 nights where buying beats cash |
|---|---|---|
| 0.50 cents (100% bonus) | $50 | 81.9% |
| 0.53 cents (90% bonus, larger purchase) | $53 | 71.3% |
| 0.61 cents (90% bonus, smaller purchase) | $61 | 33.6% |
| 0.75 cents (80% bonus) | $75 | 4.0% |
| 1.35 cents (no bonus) | $135 | 1 night |
At the best tier, the size of the saving matters more than whether there is one:
| Saving versus cash at 0.5 cents | Value needed per 10,000 points | Share of nights |
|---|---|---|
| Any saving | over $50.00 | 81.9% |
| 10% or more | $55.60 or more | 61.3% |
| 20% or more | $62.50 or more | 27.4% |
| 30% or more | $71.40 or more | 7.1% |
Two takeaways. First, the bonus tier you land in decides almost everything: at 0.75 cents only one night in 25 beat cash. Second, a 10% saving is easily wiped out by what a cash stay earns, so look for 20% or more.
Real nights where buying beat cash, and where it didn't
Cash prices are the rates IHG Points Finder pulled for one night, in US dollars. Confirm the final price with taxes on IHG.com before you buy anything. Cost if bought assumes the 0.5 cent tier.
Buying beat cash:
| Hotel | Night (2026) | Cash | Points | Cost if bought | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites - Waterpark | Wed Nov 18 | $151.60 | 11,050 | $55.25 | 63.6% less than cash |
| InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco | Wed Nov 18 | $1,593.12 | 120,000 | $600 | 62.3% less |
| InterContinental New York Barclay | Wed Dec 9 | $1,456.49 | 120,000 | $600 | 58.8% less |
| Holiday Inn Miami Beach-Oceanfront | Wed Dec 9 | $411.54 | 38,000 | $190 | 53.8% less |
| voco London Camden Lock | Wed Dec 9 | $446.94 | 57,000 | $285 | 36.2% less |
Cash beat buying:
| Hotel | Night (2026) | Cash | Points | Cost if bought | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday Inn Edinburgh | Sat Nov 21 | $338.44 | 94,000 | $470 | 38.9% more than cash |
| Ruby Zoe Hotel London | Sat Nov 21 | $385.54 | 101,000 | $505 | 31.0% more |
| Regent Carlton Cannes | Wed Dec 9 | $1,208.21 | 312,000 | $1,560 | 29.1% more |
| ANA InterContinental Tokyo | Wed Nov 18 | $1,019.49 | 258,000 | $1,290 | 26.5% more |
The Orlando night only needs 11,050 points, so on its own it would not get you into the 100% tier, which starts at 40,000 bought points. It shows the value is there; it only makes sense to buy for it as part of a bigger purchase.
Luxury does not mean good value. Regent Carlton Cannes and ANA InterContinental Tokyo are both expensive in cash, and still cost more to buy than to pay for.
The same hotel can be a buy one night and a pass the next
IHG prices reward nights dynamically, and the points price does not move in step with the cash price. Two examples from our fresh pull at 13:07 Dublin time on October 30:
- Holiday Inn New York City - Times Square. Saturday November 21: $468.98 cash or 98,000 points, so buying costs $490, 4.5% more than cash. Wednesday December 9: $1,032.58 cash or 120,000 points, so buying costs $600, 41.9% less.
- Holiday Inn London - Kensington High St. Wednesday November 18: $493.44 cash or 64,000 points, so buying saves 35.1%. Wednesday December 9: $347.48 cash or 68,000 points, so buying saves only 2.2%.
This is why "is the sale worth it" has no single answer. Price your exact night first.
Where buying tends to pay off
Share of nights in each group where buying at 0.5 cents saved 20% or more (groups with at least 30 nights in the sample):
| Brand | Nights priced | Saved 20% or more |
|---|---|---|
| Kimpton | 98 | 51.0% |
| Garner Hotel | 78 | 43.6% |
| Vignette Collection | 31 | 41.9% |
| EVEN Hotel | 33 | 39.4% |
| InterContinental | 139 | 38.1% |
| Holiday Inn | 558 | 24.0% |
| Crowne Plaza | 285 | 23.9% |
| Holiday Inn Express | 698 | 21.9% |
| Ruby | 33 | 0.0% |
By city (at least 20 nights), the best and worst:
| City | Nights priced | Saved 20% or more |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | 115 | 58.3% |
| Bangkok | 39 | 51.3% |
| Singapore | 30 | 50.0% |
| Shanghai | 254 | 46.1% |
| Chicago | 147 | 43.5% |
| Washington | 170 | 40.0% |
| New York | 186 | 38.2% |
| London | 197 | 9.6% |
| Madrid | 36 | 5.6% |
| Manchester | 92 | 2.2% |
| Sydney | 46 | 2.2% |
| Munich | 48 | 2.1% |
| Zurich | 20 | 0.0% |
| Nice | 20 | 0.0% |
London, Manchester and most of western Europe rarely give a big enough saving. Ruby hotels never did in this sample. For the full city ranking, see IHG points value by city.
Current sale: November 2026
Checked on October 30, 2026.
- Dates: purchases from 12:00 AM ET on October 21, 2026 to 11:59 PM ET on November 5, 2026. That is 04:59 on Friday November 6 in Dublin and London, since US clocks go back on November 1.
- Bonus: up to 100%, shown when you log in to your IHG One Rewards account. A bonus needs at least 5,000 points in one transaction. The offer is for intended recipients only, so your bonus may be lower than the headline.
- Limit: up to 200,000 bought points in a calendar year, counting anything you already bought in 2026. Some accounts see a higher limit.
- Bought and bonus points do not count toward elite status, are not refundable and can take up to 72 hours to post.
- LoyaltyLobby counted this as IHG's ninth buy-points bonus sale of 2026.
Tiers reported by AwardWallet and The MileLion (check your own account):
| Points bought in one transaction | Bonus | Points you receive | Cost per point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 to 4,000 | none | 1,000 to 4,000 | 1.35 cents |
| 5,000 to 10,000 | 80% | 9,000 to 18,000 | 0.75 cents |
| 11,000 to 25,000 | 90% | 20,900 to 47,500 | 0.61 cents |
| 26,000 to 39,000 | 90% | 49,400 to 74,100 | 0.53 cents |
| 40,000 to 200,000 | 100% | 80,000 to 400,000 | 0.50 cents |
One quirk worth knowing: The MileLion found that 26,000 bought points (49,400 after the bonus) cost $260, while 25,000 (47,500 after the bonus) cost $287.50. Buying slightly more can cost less, so check the price one step above the amount you need.
Sources:
- LoyaltyLobby, quoting IHG's terms and conditions
- AwardWallet, tier prices
- The MileLion, tier table and the 25,000 vs 26,000 example
- IHG's buy points page in your IHG One Rewards account shows your own bonus and limit.
When not to buy
- You don't have a stay booked or planned. Points bought to hold only pay off if you later find a night worth more than your breakeven, and IHG can change reward prices at any time.
- The saving is under about 10% to 20%. A paid stay earns IHG points and counts toward status. Bought points and reward nights don't.
- Your bonus is below 100%. At 0.75 cents a point, only 4.0% of the nights we priced beat cash.
- You'd need fewer than 80,000 points. You can't reach the 0.5 cent tier without buying at least 40,000. Price the smaller tier, or the gap you actually need.
- You hold an IHG credit card with the fourth reward night free. That improves the math on stays of four nights or more, so price the whole stay rather than one night. Our fourth night free guide shows the savings city by city.
- You need the money back if plans change. Bought points are non-refundable, even though the reward booking itself usually isn't.
- You need the points today. Purchases can take up to 72 hours to post, and reward prices can move in that time.
How to check your own stay
- Search your city and dates on IHG Points Finder. It shows the cash rate, the points price and the value per 10,000 points side by side.
- Note the points price for the exact night and room you want.
- Work out your cost: points x your price per point (0.005 at the 100% tier).
- Compare that with the cash rate on IHG.com, including taxes.
- If the saving is 20% or more, confirm the reward night is available, then buy only the points you need before the sale ends.
Before the next sale: a checklist
IHG sales repeat, so save this list:
- Write down the bonus and cost per point your account shows. Your breakeven per 10,000 points is that cost x 10,000.
- Check the minimum purchase for the best tier, and what you'd pay one step above it.
- Price your actual night. Skip the sale if the saving is under about 20%.
- Check your calendar year purchase limit, which counts earlier buys.
- Leave 72 hours for the points to post.
Quick answers
Is the IHG buy points sale worth it?
Only for a specific stay that clears your breakeven by a good margin. At 0.5 cents a point, 81.9% of the 2,860 IHG nights we priced on October 30, 2026 beat cash, but only 27.4% by 20% or more.
What does the IHG 100% bonus cost per point?
About 0.5 US cents, so 10,000 points cost $50. In the November 2026 sale the 100% tier needed at least 40,000 bought points in one transaction.
What is the breakeven for buying IHG points?
Your cost per point x 10,000, in dollars per 10,000 points. At 0.5 cents that is $50, at 0.61 cents $61 and at 0.75 cents $75.
Should I buy IHG points to hold for later?
No. IHG uses dynamic pricing, so the value of a point changes from night to night, and bought points are not refundable. Buy for a stay you have already priced.
How often does IHG have a points sale?
Several times a year. LoyaltyLobby counted the October to November 2026 sale as the ninth of 2026.
Related guides
- How much are IHG points worth?
- How many IHG points for a free night
- Cheapest IHG reward nights right now
- IHG points value by city
- Best time to book IHG hotels with points
- IHG fourth night free: what it is really worth
- IHG points value by country
Methodology: one-night cash and points prices from the IHG Points Finder live search API in US dollars. The 2,860-night sample was pulled on Friday October 30, 2026, 12:29 to 12:32 Dublin time (GMT), for 62 featured cities, 59 of which returned comparable points prices. The London, New York and Tokyo examples come from a second pull at 13:07 Dublin time the same day. Savings assume the 0.5 cent tier unless stated. Prices change daily. IHG Points Finder is independent and not affiliated with IHG. Always confirm on IHG.com before buying points or booking.