Currently have 2/3 Accelerate goals unlocked. The third is: stay at any hotel and pay with your IHG card, 1,500 points. I get a 12,500 point bonus for completing 3/3 tasks as well, so any hotel stay paid with my IHG card should net 14,000 points. I see some hotels in Shanghai that I could book for about 35 USD, and this seems like a no-brainer for the points.

Has anyone booked and paid for a non-stay in order to unlock an Accelerate goal? My only concern is that if it gets billed as something like a "no-show fee" rather than a completed stay.