Feb 3, 2016, 11:31 am
Last edit by: beltway
Temporary COVID-19 extension of point expiry until December 31, 2022:
"Points Expiration: Points never expire for all members with Elite status (Gold, Platinum and Spire) - a key benefit of our program. We have extended points expiry until December 31, 2022 for Club members (points normally expire after 12 months of inactivity)."
https://www.ihg.com/content/us/en/cu...isory-covid-19
Check current expiration on an account without elite status
Click on "points" in the top bar when logged in, or go here after logging in: https://www.ihg.com/rewardsclub/us/e...nt-mgmt/points
Since points do not expire for elite members (those with Gold, Platinum, or Spire status), for those accounts, no expiration information will be shown on this page. In the IHG app, click your name in the corner then click “2020 track to elite status” shown below your points total. The 3rd line on that page shows the point expiration date.
IHG T&C:
How can I keep my IHG points from expiring after one year?
Various types of status or activity will reset the clock or even prevent it from running:
"Points Expiration: Points never expire for all members with Elite status (Gold, Platinum and Spire) - a key benefit of our program. We have extended points expiry until December 31, 2022 for Club members (points normally expire after 12 months of inactivity)."
https://www.ihg.com/content/us/en/cu...isory-covid-19
Check current expiration on an account without elite status
Click on "points" in the top bar when logged in, or go here after logging in: https://www.ihg.com/rewardsclub/us/e...nt-mgmt/points
Since points do not expire for elite members (those with Gold, Platinum, or Spire status), for those accounts, no expiration information will be shown on this page. In the IHG app, click your name in the corner then click “2020 track to elite status” shown below your points total. The 3rd line on that page shows the point expiration date.
IHG T&C:
39. Point Expiration: Club level membership Points (see Member Benefits, including levels of membership, here) will expire if your membership account becomes inactive for any period of twelve (12) months or longer, which means your Points will be removed from your account and will no longer be available for redemption. To maintain the Points in your membership account, you must have at least one “earn” or “redeem” transaction posted to your account every twelve (12) months. Use of the one night per year provided to IHG One Rewards credit card holders does not constitute an “earn” or “redeem” activity to prevent Point expiration. Elite Members’ Points do not expire as long as Elite level membership is maintained.
How can I keep my IHG points from expiring after one year?
Various types of status or activity will reset the clock or even prevent it from running:
- Maintaining elite status (including via the credit card, if your card offers that benefit)
- Any earning activity that increases your balance (including nonqualifying or bonus points), such as transfering points from programs like e-rewards or earning dining rewards points
- Any redemption activity that decreases your balance (like redeeming 3 points for an eBook). As noted in the T&C above, this no longer includes a booking that is later canceled.
Preventing IHG Rewards Club points from expiring?
Feb 3, 2016, 1:58 pm
#31
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
Like I said I am probably being over cautious however if you book and cancel you have not redeemed as you have not spent any points you have simply moved them around.
Given IHGs IT system booking and cancelling will probably work and I understand what you are saying about a zero option being available, however for the sake of three points is it really worth it?
Given IHGs IT system booking and cancelling will probably work and I understand what you are saying about a zero option being available, however for the sake of three points is it really worth it?
There is no benefit in spending 3 points where zero will work. It is also possible to tell whether it has been successful since the website states what the points expiration date is. If the expiration date changes, then it has worked
Given how easy it is to do it for zero points, if it works ( which is quickly provable one way or other ), why would you want to use anything other than zero
Feb 3, 2016, 2:29 pm
#32
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Somewhere in Europe
Posts: 3,362
Yes you have. There are two transactions occurring - one is a transaction for a points deduction ( which explicitly is stated as an activity that resets the time ) and then a points credit for the cancellation
There is no benefit in spending 3 points where zero will work. It is also possible to tell whether it has been successful since the website states what the points expiration date is. If the expiration date changes, then it has worked
Given how easy it is to do it for zero points, if it works ( which is quickly provable one way or other ), why would you want to use anything other than zero
There is no benefit in spending 3 points where zero will work. It is also possible to tell whether it has been successful since the website states what the points expiration date is. If the expiration date changes, then it has worked
Given how easy it is to do it for zero points, if it works ( which is quickly provable one way or other ), why would you want to use anything other than zero
The terms and conditions clearly state something must be earned or redeemed in order to keep the points live.
If you make the booking (redemption) and then cancel the booking you have cancelled your redemption.
Going back to my reply to scubaccr earlier on which is where you pulled my quote from. His/her question was do you trust IHG?
Imagine the suggestion Scubaccr made is true and the write off isn't as big as was expected and they look into why it wasn't.
This is the same IHG that closed accounts for people gaming the system, changed promotion terms midway through etc etc.
Whilst that all sounds extreme I wouldn't put anything past them and I certainly wouldn't put it past them saying you cancelled your redemption therefore you have forfeited your points as you haven't earned or redeemed within the last twelve months.
Again we will have to agree to disagree three points (not even a cent or a penny) ain't worth having an argument about just because I have slightly more jaded view of it than you.
Feb 3, 2016, 3:56 pm
#33
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
We clearly aren't going to agree but I can see where you are coming from.
The terms and conditions clearly state something must be earned or redeemed in order to keep the points live.
If you make the booking (redemption) and then cancel the booking you have cancelled your redemption.
The terms and conditions clearly state something must be earned or redeemed in order to keep the points live.
If you make the booking (redemption) and then cancel the booking you have cancelled your redemption.
If you want to throw points away, that is fine, but I cannot see any reason to advocate that as a better method
Feb 3, 2016, 4:11 pm
#34
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Somewhere in Europe
Posts: 3,362
Like I said we will have to agree to disagree.
Feb 3, 2016, 5:33 pm
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
Yes you have. There are two transactions occurring - one is a transaction for a points deduction ( which explicitly is stated as an activity that resets the time ) and then a points credit for the cancellation
There is no benefit in spending 3 points where zero will work. It is also possible to tell whether it has been successful since the website states what the points expiration date is. If the expiration date changes, then it has worked
Given how easy it is to do it for zero points, if it works ( which is quickly provable one way or other ), why would you want to use anything other than zero
There is no benefit in spending 3 points where zero will work. It is also possible to tell whether it has been successful since the website states what the points expiration date is. If the expiration date changes, then it has worked
Given how easy it is to do it for zero points, if it works ( which is quickly provable one way or other ), why would you want to use anything other than zero
Feb 3, 2016, 5:37 pm
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
If you have status (via any means, including as a credit card benefit), your points do not expire. As before, see the wiki for http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inter...ards-club.html ("What activity resets the one-year point expiration clock (i.e., prevents points from expiring)?").
Feb 3, 2016, 5:42 pm
#37
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Somewhere in Europe
Posts: 3,362
I am currently downgraded to Gold because I ditched the card last year. Yet I still dont see anywhere in my account showing the expiration date of the points. Last activity before the Priceless promo was Sept that earned some pts from a stay paid with the now-canceled IHG card.
If you are gold, platinum, spire, have the IHG credit card or are a member of dining rewards your pints won't expire just. There is probably something else that exempts them from expiring but off the top of my head I can't remember.
So you will be fine this year. If you drop to club next year an expiry date should show up.
Feb 3, 2016, 5:48 pm
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
The balance is reduced by the cost of the stay and then increased by the cancellation
It also states where you didnt highlight
Only activity that changes your point balance by either earning or redeeming points will count towards keeping your account balance active.
I believe that for accounts where points expire , that there is a date of expiration and checking the value of this will prove whether it worked
I can't see a reason to spend more than zero points where a zero point activity is very quick and easy to do
It also states where you didnt highlight
Only activity that changes your point balance by either earning or redeeming points will count towards keeping your account balance active.
I believe that for accounts where points expire , that there is a date of expiration and checking the value of this will prove whether it worked
I can't see a reason to spend more than zero points where a zero point activity is very quick and easy to do
We have no idea how IHG would treat a reward booking that has yet to consume. As others point out, we have not seen any participation from the IHG Social Media rep for almost a year... Whoever trusts that quote would be putting his account at risk.
It is much safer to just redeem 3pts as some said if that is doable. Or, for those in the US, sign up the dining program and have a meal even though in my area the restaurants in the dining program are places I would never consider to go. But if I need to do something to keep my account alive, I would do it.
Feb 3, 2016, 6:19 pm
#39
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
Given that
(a) redeeming points is explicitly listed as eligible activity
and
(b) the date of point expiration is stated on the account page
I cannot see how there is any risk - expiration date counter will change or it will not
I fail to see how throwing points away is safer than doing a book/cancel and checking the expiration date
It appears , it is reported, in the account information page on accounts where points may expire. If holding status, then there is no points expiration , so no expiration date to be displayed
(a) redeeming points is explicitly listed as eligible activity
and
(b) the date of point expiration is stated on the account page
I cannot see how there is any risk - expiration date counter will change or it will not
I fail to see how throwing points away is safer than doing a book/cancel and checking the expiration date
It appears , it is reported, in the account information page on accounts where points may expire. If holding status, then there is no points expiration , so no expiration date to be displayed
Apr 25, 2016, 8:37 am
#43
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: DL-Silver, Marriott-Life Plat, IHG-Plat, Hilton-Gold
Posts: 119
I think they upped the minimum price on all books to 300 points. Because there are only a few days left I bought one digital book, but the downloaded file is "urllink.acsm". How do I actually get the book? IHG's online help is not helpful. Big surprise.
Apr 26, 2016, 12:20 pm
#45
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 508