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
#601
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 59
i tried searching for this info but couldn't find anything specific to this:
i have my anniversary night award about to be posted...when does it exactly become available (day? week? billing statement?) and is it possible to contact either chase or ihg to get it expedited due to upcoming travel in the next few weeks?
i believe the card was approved on 2014.04.20
i have my anniversary night award about to be posted...when does it exactly become available (day? week? billing statement?) and is it possible to contact either chase or ihg to get it expedited due to upcoming travel in the next few weeks?
i believe the card was approved on 2014.04.20
#602
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
i tried searching for this info but couldn't find anything specific to this:
i have my anniversary night award about to be posted...when does it exactly become available (day? week? billing statement?) and is it possible to contact either chase or ihg to get it expedited due to upcoming travel in the next few weeks?
i believe the card was approved on 2014.04.20
i have my anniversary night award about to be posted...when does it exactly become available (day? week? billing statement?) and is it possible to contact either chase or ihg to get it expedited due to upcoming travel in the next few weeks?
i believe the card was approved on 2014.04.20
#603
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 16
Just read the wiki and it says that if I cancel my reservation (under the free anniversary night) that I should get that night back immediately. That did not happen. As a matter of fact, it still shows that I used my night. Has this happened to anyone else before? I tried sending Chase a secure message online and am waiting for a response.
#604
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
Just read the wiki and it says that if I cancel my reservation (under the free anniversary night) that I should get that night back immediately. That did not happen. As a matter of fact, it still shows that I used my night. Has this happened to anyone else before? I tried sending Chase a secure message online and am waiting for a response.
#605
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,720
Just read the wiki and it says that if I cancel my reservation (under the free anniversary night) that I should get that night back immediately. That did not happen. As a matter of fact, it still shows that I used my night. Has this happened to anyone else before? I tried sending Chase a secure message online and am waiting for a response.
#607
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 468
Just read the wiki and it says that if I cancel my reservation (under the free anniversary night) that I should get that night back immediately. That did not happen. As a matter of fact, it still shows that I used my night. Has this happened to anyone else before? I tried sending Chase a secure message online and am waiting for a response.
#608
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 468
While I do not know why the problem occurred, the agent at IHG did return it to my account promptly when I called.
#611
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Cary, NC
Posts: 108
#612
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 751
#613
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
#614
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 4
Missing IHG Mastercard Free Night
I recently had a disagreement with IHG regarding a missing IHG Mastercard anniversary free night. I've had the card for over two years now. Obviously I was under the impression that I would get a free night for each anniversary, so I should have earned two nights by now.
My card anniversary is December 29. I earned the first anniversary free night on December 29 2013. It expired January 2015. I booked a free night in November 2014 for a trip to San Francisco. So far so good.
December 2014, I had my second card anniversary and I received an email that I had a new free night that would expire January 2016. I then planned a trip to San Diego for a couple weeks from now. To my surprise, when I checked my account, the free night was not there. I called the customer service line, I had a run-around that lasted over an hour, with calls to three different numbers and having to explain my situation four times. They insisted that my first anniversary night expired, and that I used my second anniversary was used in San Francisco, before I even earned it! They eventually gave me some points to make up for the lost night, but did not agree with me that the night went missing.
I was very frustrated that they did not at least acknowledge the problem. I emailed IHG to explain, and they sent me back an email that reiterated what the phone operator had said - that my first night had expired without me using it, and the second night was already used last year before the second anniversary.
Am I crazy?! Or does this make no sense? Has anyone else experienced this? It is just one night...not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But it really frustrates me because this free night is supposed to be the main benefit to this card. Why is IHG being so difficult about it?
My card anniversary is December 29. I earned the first anniversary free night on December 29 2013. It expired January 2015. I booked a free night in November 2014 for a trip to San Francisco. So far so good.
December 2014, I had my second card anniversary and I received an email that I had a new free night that would expire January 2016. I then planned a trip to San Diego for a couple weeks from now. To my surprise, when I checked my account, the free night was not there. I called the customer service line, I had a run-around that lasted over an hour, with calls to three different numbers and having to explain my situation four times. They insisted that my first anniversary night expired, and that I used my second anniversary was used in San Francisco, before I even earned it! They eventually gave me some points to make up for the lost night, but did not agree with me that the night went missing.
I was very frustrated that they did not at least acknowledge the problem. I emailed IHG to explain, and they sent me back an email that reiterated what the phone operator had said - that my first night had expired without me using it, and the second night was already used last year before the second anniversary.
Am I crazy?! Or does this make no sense? Has anyone else experienced this? It is just one night...not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But it really frustrates me because this free night is supposed to be the main benefit to this card. Why is IHG being so difficult about it?
#615
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,720
Well, the fault appears to be your own, as I have never had this issue and I have cancelled my award nights willy nilly and sometimes I have noticed -- as others have -- that they do not go back into the "bank" automatically -- this happens rarely but it does happen, and those who actually monitor things catch these issues.
I assume that must have occurred with respect to your 2 award nights.
You must have made an initial reservation that you cancelled and it did not go back into the account and then the 2nd award night was issued to you.
Note, however, I have just observed -- and posted to FT -- that the overlap of the 2 free nights is very small, about 7 - 10 days, so you were obviously cutting things very close -- hence you should have monitored your account better.
Hopefully you will learn from this lesson and not trust computer generated cancellations inherently. @:-)
I assume that must have occurred with respect to your 2 award nights.
You must have made an initial reservation that you cancelled and it did not go back into the account and then the 2nd award night was issued to you.
Note, however, I have just observed -- and posted to FT -- that the overlap of the 2 free nights is very small, about 7 - 10 days, so you were obviously cutting things very close -- hence you should have monitored your account better.
Hopefully you will learn from this lesson and not trust computer generated cancellations inherently. @:-)