Mar 21, 2014, 1:39 pm
Last edit by: beltway
FAQs
1. What are the current types of free-night certificates (FNC)?
2. Where do I find the FNC(s) in my IHG online account?
3. Is a FNC revoked if I cancel my Chase card?
4. If I make a reservation using my FNC and then need to cancel, are there any special procedures? Do I have to call IHG?
5. Can I use my FNC for a date past the certificate's expiration, provided that I make the reservation prior to that expiration date?
6. Can I trade/gift my FNC?
7. If I have multiple IHG cards (other than the Traveler card), do I get more than one FNC?
1. What are the current types of free-night certificates (FNC)?
As of April 2023, there are four different active FNC types. Described below in order from newest to oldest (roughly), they will appear in your account under the following headings:
2. Where do I find the FNC(s) in my IHG online account?
After you log into the website, click on the section at the top of the window showing your first name and current point balance. This will take you to the Overview page of the My Account section. Underneath the gray box showing your status level, member number, and points balance you will see a submenu with "Overview" selected. Click on "Rewards Wallet" to go to the page summarizing your FNCs. Click "Details" to see the type(s) of FNC(s) in your account.
You can also go directly to the Details page by logging in and visiting http://www.ihg.com/rewardsclub/us/en...gmt/freenights (for English-speaking US members).
3. Is a FNC revoked if I cancel my Chase card?
No.
4. If I make a reservation using my FNC and then need to cancel, are there any special procedures? Do I have to call IHG?
You may cancel your reservation online using the same process as for any other reservation. The certificate is normally returned to your account immediately and available for re-use with no wait and no need to call IHG. For unknown reasons, on rare occasions a FNC will not instantly reappear; in such cases, call IHG customer service to have the FNC redeposited manually.
5. Can I use my FNC for a date past the certificate's expiration, provided that I make the reservation prior to that expiration date?
As of January 2019, members are reporting that they are unable to do this.
Formerly, some members reported success in doing this. (See, for example, the discussion at post #516.) Two basic recommendations:
6. Can I trade/gift my FNC?
No. FNCs are non-transferable.
7. If I have multiple IHG cards (other than the Traveler card), do I get more than one FNC each year?
Yes. The Select card (legacy), the personal Premier card, and the Premier Business card all include an anniversary FNC as a benefit. But note the difference, discussed above, between the Select card FNC--capped at 40K value--and the "flex" FNCs associated with the other cards. The no-fee Traveler card does not provide a FNC benefit.
In previous years, Chase issued the anniversary FNC shortly before the annual fee was billed. More recently, Chase has begun delaying issuance of FNCs until at least 8 weeks after the annual-fee statement date, presumably to prevent accountholders from canceling their cards while keeping the FNC.
Questions related to the extension of the certificate due to the Coronavirus are discussed in its own thread, which is here.
1. What are the current types of free-night certificates (FNC)?
2. Where do I find the FNC(s) in my IHG online account?
3. Is a FNC revoked if I cancel my Chase card?
4. If I make a reservation using my FNC and then need to cancel, are there any special procedures? Do I have to call IHG?
5. Can I use my FNC for a date past the certificate's expiration, provided that I make the reservation prior to that expiration date?
6. Can I trade/gift my FNC?
7. If I have multiple IHG cards (other than the Traveler card), do I get more than one FNC?
1. What are the current types of free-night certificates (FNC)?
As of April 2023, there are four different active FNC types. Described below in order from newest to oldest (roughly), they will appear in your account under the following headings:
- Premier Credit Card Annual Flex Night: The anniversary FNC, good for a base room up to 40K points, for the personal Premier card. This FNC is described as “flex” because you can redeem for an award in excess of 40K by adding points on top of the FNC (aka "topping up").
- Note: points used to top up a Flex FNC are not subject to the 10% rebate for Select cardholders.
- Business Credit Card Annual Flex Night: The anniversary FNC for the IHG Business card. This is identical in all respects to the Premier flex cert.
- New Cardmember Bonus Free Night: Some recent offers for the personal Premier card have included one or more FNCs in the signup bonus. These FNCs are capped at 40K value; there is no "flex"/"top-up" option.
- Select Credit Card Anniversary Night: The anniversary FNC for the older Select card, for which Chase stopped accepting applications in 2018. As with the previous category, this FNC type has a hard cap of 40K redemption value.
- Premier Credit Card Anniversary Night: Prior to March 24, 2022, the personal Premier card FNC was hard-capped at 40K value. On March 24, all unused FNCs of this type were automatically converted to Premier "flex" FNCs as described above.
- Credit Card Anniversary Night: Prior to May 1, 2018, anniversary FNCs for the Select card were uncapped--that is, they could be used at any IHG property.
2. Where do I find the FNC(s) in my IHG online account?
After you log into the website, click on the section at the top of the window showing your first name and current point balance. This will take you to the Overview page of the My Account section. Underneath the gray box showing your status level, member number, and points balance you will see a submenu with "Overview" selected. Click on "Rewards Wallet" to go to the page summarizing your FNCs. Click "Details" to see the type(s) of FNC(s) in your account.
You can also go directly to the Details page by logging in and visiting http://www.ihg.com/rewardsclub/us/en...gmt/freenights (for English-speaking US members).
3. Is a FNC revoked if I cancel my Chase card?
No.
4. If I make a reservation using my FNC and then need to cancel, are there any special procedures? Do I have to call IHG?
You may cancel your reservation online using the same process as for any other reservation. The certificate is normally returned to your account immediately and available for re-use with no wait and no need to call IHG. For unknown reasons, on rare occasions a FNC will not instantly reappear; in such cases, call IHG customer service to have the FNC redeposited manually.
5. Can I use my FNC for a date past the certificate's expiration, provided that I make the reservation prior to that expiration date?
As of January 2019, members are reporting that they are unable to do this.
Formerly, some members reported success in doing this. (See, for example, the discussion at post #516.) Two basic recommendations:
- It is advisable to obtain advance written confirmation, ideally from the hotel itself, that your certificate will be honored under these circumstances.
- Once the certificate expiration date passes, you will not be able to make any changes to the reservation (occupancy, date, room type, etc).
6. Can I trade/gift my FNC?
No. FNCs are non-transferable.
7. If I have multiple IHG cards (other than the Traveler card), do I get more than one FNC each year?
Yes. The Select card (legacy), the personal Premier card, and the Premier Business card all include an anniversary FNC as a benefit. But note the difference, discussed above, between the Select card FNC--capped at 40K value--and the "flex" FNCs associated with the other cards. The no-fee Traveler card does not provide a FNC benefit.
In previous years, Chase issued the anniversary FNC shortly before the annual fee was billed. More recently, Chase has begun delaying issuance of FNCs until at least 8 weeks after the annual-fee statement date, presumably to prevent accountholders from canceling their cards while keeping the FNC.
Questions related to the extension of the certificate due to the Coronavirus are discussed in its own thread, which is here.
Annual Free Night Cert from IHG (Rewards Club) Visa / Mastercard
Jan 11, 2015, 7:37 am
#586
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: HYX
Programs: ~IHG(p)/BW~Nat'l.Exec~ ~NW(SE)~ ~Cessna~ NASM.do-07 ~AAAF.do-05/06/07/08/09
Posts: 1,529
an add-on to the 'restore my cert' saga ...
Reserved with my cert at a CP last spring -- but noticed later that my checkout folio showed a regular-rate charge; desk had apparently fumbled.
A call to the manager got the ball rolling (tho it took an act of IHG guest to push thru) to restore my free cert (I elected to pay the charge)... and the manager tossed in another paper cert @ his property.
Hard to complain
/.
Reserved with my cert at a CP last spring -- but noticed later that my checkout folio showed a regular-rate charge; desk had apparently fumbled.
A call to the manager got the ball rolling (tho it took an act of IHG guest to push thru) to restore my free cert (I elected to pay the charge)... and the manager tossed in another paper cert @ his property.
Hard to complain
/.
Jan 16, 2015, 10:24 am
#587
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Sacramento, CA, US
Posts: 2,229
Which is more advantageous:
-- Paying the $49 annual renewal fee for the IHG MC, or
-- Canceling the card after booking the annual free award night, and then reapplying for a new card one or more years later to get another signup bonus of 80,000 or maybe 60,000 points?
My annual reward night posted this week, and I immediately booked the IC Park Lane in London. However, my credit card statement closed a few days later, and no $49 fee has posted. I was willing to pay the $49 fee assuming it was required to get the annual reward, but now I'm not so sure.
Any thoughts?
-- Paying the $49 annual renewal fee for the IHG MC, or
-- Canceling the card after booking the annual free award night, and then reapplying for a new card one or more years later to get another signup bonus of 80,000 or maybe 60,000 points?
My annual reward night posted this week, and I immediately booked the IC Park Lane in London. However, my credit card statement closed a few days later, and no $49 fee has posted. I was willing to pay the $49 fee assuming it was required to get the annual reward, but now I'm not so sure.
Any thoughts?
Jan 22, 2015, 5:59 pm
#588
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 754
My annual reward night posted this week, and I immediately booked the IC Park Lane in London. However, my credit card statement closed a few days later, and no $49 fee has posted. I was willing to pay the $49 fee assuming it was required to get the annual reward, but now I'm not so sure.
Any thoughts?
Any thoughts?
Jan 22, 2015, 7:38 pm
#589
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
Which is more advantageous:
-- Paying the $49 annual renewal fee for the IHG MC, or
-- Canceling the card after booking the annual free award night, and then reapplying for a new card one or more years later to get another signup bonus of 80,000 or maybe 60,000 points?
My annual reward night posted this week, and I immediately booked the IC Park Lane in London. However, my credit card statement closed a few days later, and no $49 fee has posted. I was willing to pay the $49 fee assuming it was required to get the annual reward, but now I'm not so sure.
Any thoughts?
-- Paying the $49 annual renewal fee for the IHG MC, or
-- Canceling the card after booking the annual free award night, and then reapplying for a new card one or more years later to get another signup bonus of 80,000 or maybe 60,000 points?
My annual reward night posted this week, and I immediately booked the IC Park Lane in London. However, my credit card statement closed a few days later, and no $49 fee has posted. I was willing to pay the $49 fee assuming it was required to get the annual reward, but now I'm not so sure.
Any thoughts?
2) Chase has a 24 months wait period on a second bonus in many of its cards' T&Cs. No idea if such is added to the IHG card which always is a bit of an outliner in Chase card family. 80K offer is currently dead.
Jan 24, 2015, 10:59 am
#590
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Lakeville, Ma.
Programs: AA, IHG Platinum
Posts: 41
Signing up??
I am thinking of signing up for the promo spend $1000. in 3 months and receive 70,000 points. My question is has anybody had any problems with this card and program? Also, if I sign up do I have to go one year to get the free night. Or do I have to wait until I actually pay an annual fee, because the first year the fee is waived.
Jan 24, 2015, 12:13 pm
#591
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
The cert posts on your account anniversary, shortly before your AF posts. As noted in the wiki above, you do not lose the cert if you cancel the card to avoid the AF.
Feb 2, 2015, 6:14 pm
#592
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: New York, NY
Programs: IHG Spire Ambassador, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 456
I just used my dad's certificate at the Crowne Plaza South Beach - Z Ocean Hotel, Miami. I included my name (and my partner's) in the Additional Guests field. No problem at all at check-in.
FWIW, I emailed the hotel in advance with an innocuous question, referencing the confirmation number and signing it with my name so that if there were to be a problem at check-in, I could say something like, "...but I emailed (manager) John Doe and he knows that I'm checking in for this reservation." Dunno if it would even work, but it's my way of reducing my anxiety a bit.
FWIW, I emailed the hotel in advance with an innocuous question, referencing the confirmation number and signing it with my name so that if there were to be a problem at check-in, I could say something like, "...but I emailed (manager) John Doe and he knows that I'm checking in for this reservation." Dunno if it would even work, but it's my way of reducing my anxiety a bit.
Mar 12, 2015, 8:14 am
#594
Formerly known as hcampana
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AMS
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 463
No they don't roll over, you need to book it before the expiry date or you lose it.
Mar 12, 2015, 9:39 am
#595
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,720
However, if you definitely know the property and time that you wish to book with the free night that will expire, you sometimes can use it in conjunction with the new certificate that you are going to soon earn.
Say you have a certificate that will expire at the end of April 2015 and you wish to use it at the Intercontinental Park Lane in October 2015 -- as long as you can book the hotel with the soon to expire certificate -- and you are sure you want that date as you won't be able to change it after the certificate "technically" expires -- then book it.
Then, when your new certificate becomes available, book it on the preceding or next day after the date that you have selected with the "technically" expired certificate.
Of course, you take some risk that either of those dates you plan to select with the soon to be issued new certificate will not be available for a reward stay between the time you research whether those 2 nights are available and when you actually get the new certificate, but if it is not a high demand time, it should work.
IHG will not however, permit an expiring certificate to have "new" life -- it is a use it or lose it proposition, albeit, it can survive after its expiration date if it already had been attached for a reward before that expiration date, even if the selected reward date post-dates its expiration date. You will not be able to change it for any reason after that expiration date has passed, however.
Mar 12, 2015, 10:15 am
#596
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 127
They do not roll over and do expire.
However, if you definitely know the property and time that you wish to book with the free night that will expire, you sometimes can use it in conjunction with the new certificate that you are going to soon earn.
Say you have a certificate that will expire at the end of April 2015 and you wish to use it at the Intercontinental Park Lane in October 2015 -- as long as you can book the hotel with the soon to expire certificate -- and you are sure you want that date as you won't be able to change it after the certificate "technically" expires -- then book it.
Then, when your new certificate becomes available, book it on the preceding or next day after the date that you have selected with the "technically" expired certificate.
Of course, you take some risk that either of those dates you plan to select with the soon to be issued new certificate will not be available for a reward stay between the time you research whether those 2 nights are available and when you actually get the new certificate, but if it is not a high demand time, it should work.
IHG will not however, permit an expiring certificate to have "new" life -- it is a use it or lose it proposition, albeit, it can survive after its expiration date if it already had been attached for a reward before that expiration date, even if the selected reward date post-dates its expiration date. You will not be able to change it for any reason after that expiration date has passed, however.
However, if you definitely know the property and time that you wish to book with the free night that will expire, you sometimes can use it in conjunction with the new certificate that you are going to soon earn.
Say you have a certificate that will expire at the end of April 2015 and you wish to use it at the Intercontinental Park Lane in October 2015 -- as long as you can book the hotel with the soon to expire certificate -- and you are sure you want that date as you won't be able to change it after the certificate "technically" expires -- then book it.
Then, when your new certificate becomes available, book it on the preceding or next day after the date that you have selected with the "technically" expired certificate.
Of course, you take some risk that either of those dates you plan to select with the soon to be issued new certificate will not be available for a reward stay between the time you research whether those 2 nights are available and when you actually get the new certificate, but if it is not a high demand time, it should work.
IHG will not however, permit an expiring certificate to have "new" life -- it is a use it or lose it proposition, albeit, it can survive after its expiration date if it already had been attached for a reward before that expiration date, even if the selected reward date post-dates its expiration date. You will not be able to change it for any reason after that expiration date has passed, however.
Mar 13, 2015, 2:20 am
#597
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: DL DM/MM, UA 1K, AA Exp, HH Dia, WOH Glob, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, NA EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 17,423
Must book using the FN cert by expiration date. After that use it or lose it, and no changes.
Mar 15, 2015, 6:38 am
#598
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,860
This might buck the trend here. I am a longtime IHG card holder (by comparison it seems...). Opened it in mid-2011 and have kept it open and always been a on time payer - but minimal spender per se (compared to other cards).
Just looked at my Chase statement today and received a 40k courtesy adjustment. This isn't something I planned or asked for. I didn't call in and threaten to cancel. I haven't done any award bookings or cancellations. Anyone ever have anything strange like this happen? I don't mind waking up to another 40k points, but I also don't know why I got them. If this is just Chase thanking me out of the blue for not being a churner or something, not sure.
Just looked at my Chase statement today and received a 40k courtesy adjustment. This isn't something I planned or asked for. I didn't call in and threaten to cancel. I haven't done any award bookings or cancellations. Anyone ever have anything strange like this happen? I don't mind waking up to another 40k points, but I also don't know why I got them. If this is just Chase thanking me out of the blue for not being a churner or something, not sure.
Mar 15, 2015, 7:21 am
#599
Moderator: InterContinental Hotels and Germany
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 6,552
This might buck the trend here. I am a longtime IHG card holder (by comparison it seems...). Opened it in mid-2011 and have kept it open and always been a on time payer - but minimal spender per se (compared to other cards).
Just looked at my Chase statement today and received a 40k courtesy adjustment. This isn't something I planned or asked for. I didn't call in and threaten to cancel. I haven't done any award bookings or cancellations. Anyone ever have anything strange like this happen? I don't mind waking up to another 40k points, but I also don't know why I got them. If this is just Chase thanking me out of the blue for not being a churner or something, not sure.
Just looked at my Chase statement today and received a 40k courtesy adjustment. This isn't something I planned or asked for. I didn't call in and threaten to cancel. I haven't done any award bookings or cancellations. Anyone ever have anything strange like this happen? I don't mind waking up to another 40k points, but I also don't know why I got them. If this is just Chase thanking me out of the blue for not being a churner or something, not sure.
This might be a better place for your question.
FLYGVA
co-moderator IHG Forum
Mar 19, 2015, 7:45 am
#600
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: S Cal
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, United Silver, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 1,142
About expiration of the free night cert:
This question comes up with some frequency.
The wiki already has a reference to post 516.
I think post 595 is also very clear and very useful. If I knew how to add a link to a single post to the wiki (sorry, I don't), I'd add it as well. If someone agrees with me, and knows how to do that, it may be worth that simple modification to the wiki in this thread.
This question comes up with some frequency.
The wiki already has a reference to post 516.
I think post 595 is also very clear and very useful. If I knew how to add a link to a single post to the wiki (sorry, I don't), I'd add it as well. If someone agrees with me, and knows how to do that, it may be worth that simple modification to the wiki in this thread.