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Whether you earned them from a hotel like the Holiday Inn or through an IHG-branded credit card, you probably want to know how much your stash of IHG points is worth.
The short answer: Based on our most recent valuation, NerdWallet determined that the latest IHG points value is 0.6 cent each. This is a baseline value, drawn from real-world data, not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award redemptions that offer 0.6 cent or more in value from your IHG points.
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What does this value mean?
Our data-driven value of 0.6 cent per IHG point is a baseline value. This is effectively the value you could expect to get from your IHG points if you chose to book a random hotel stay with points rather than cash.
The IHG program offers several "sweet spots" compared to other hotel loyalty programs — like Marriott — because it uses award categories. So researching can help you boost the value of your points.
Calculator: Convert IHG points to dollars
With the calculator below, you can quickly figure out how much your IHG points are worth based on our estimated value.
IHG points have been hovering around 0.8 cent each since 2019.
Ways to earn IHG points
How easy is it to earn IHG points?
Stay at IHG hotels
The most straightforward way to earn IHG points is through actually staying at IHG hotels. You’ll typically earn 10 base points per eligible dollar spent at most IHG hotels, though you can earn even more points when you hold IHG elite status.
Get an IHG credit card
One of the fastest ways to rack up IHG points is through spending on an IHG-branded credit card, which allows you to earn points not just on spending at IHG hotels, but on your everyday purchases, too.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
• Up to 17 total points per $1 when you stay at an IHG hotel. (Includes points earned from using the card, points earned from being an IHG One Rewards member and bonus points from the Silver Elite status you get automatically as a cardholder.)
• 3 points per $1 at gas stations, restaurants and on monthly bills.
• 2 points per $1 on all other purchases.
• Up to 26 total points per $1 when you stay at an IHG hotel. (Includes points earned from using the card, points earned from being an IHG One Rewards member and bonus points from the Platinum Elite status you get automatically as a cardholder.)
• 5 points per $1 at gas stations, restaurants and on travel.
• 3 points per $1 on all other purchases.
• Up to 26 total points per $1 when you stay at an IHG hotel. (Includes points earned from using the card, points earned from being an IHG One Rewards member and bonus points from the Platinum Elite status you get automatically as a cardholder.)
• 5 points per $1 at gas stations, restaurants, on travel and on select advertising.
• 3 points per $1 on all other purchases.
Bonus offer
Earn 90,000 Bonus Points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening and up to 30,000 more points by earning 3 additional points in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that earn 2x and 3x on up to $10,000 spent.
Earn 175,000 Bonus Points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Other ways to earn IHG points include spending money with IHG’s partners which include rental car company Hertz and food delivery app Grubhub.
How did we determine the value of IHG points?
We collected hundreds of data points comparing the cash value to award (points) value for the same stays and dates. That is, we compared the cost of a given booking in either cash or miles, across many bookings.
This method differs from many others in that it looks at real-world redemptions rather than hypothetical, maximized redemptions. The advantage of this approach is that it provides an actual, real-world indication of how much these points are worth on average. That said, it doesn’t take into account the high-value redemptions that some points enthusiasts seek.
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