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
May 13, 2014, 3:51 pm
#511
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,720
It might be, yes. As to your second statement, it does not work that way, unlike Marriott or perhaps others, you cannot substitute in your free night for a pre-existing points reservation. The free night award space must be there when you attempt to book the award, so a "placeholder" award will not be helpful to you.
May 13, 2014, 3:54 pm
#512
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 27
I mean, if it's true that the availability is the same, then I can probably try to book with "free night" quickly after I cancel the reservation by points.
It might be, yes. As to your second statement, it does not work that way, unlike Marriott or perhaps others, you cannot substitute in your free night for a pre-existing points reservation. The free night award space must be there when you attempt to book the award, so a "placeholder" award will not be helpful to you.
May 13, 2014, 7:13 pm
#513
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,720
It still does not work that way. If there is availability when you are ready to book then you are fine. If not, it is very unlikely that canceling the points reservation will free up a room for rewards of any type. It just usually does not work that way, but you are free to hope.
May 14, 2014, 1:48 pm
#514
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
Posts: 163
I called the hotel
May 20, 2014, 12:26 am
#515
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Brooklyn, NY, United States
Programs: AA, BA, UA, Spirit, Delta, PC Plat, SPG Gold, HHonors Diamond, Club Carlson Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,735
Well, guess what! They did charge my card for one-night stay (out of two). Didn't happen on the day of arrival, though, but they did it just yesterday night. Already called IHG and got a ref#, but hey, you were right (wish you weren't) 
Just to recap.
1. I combined two free nights, one for the previous year, and another for this year.
2. One night was expired by the time of staying, but not by the time of booking.
3. In addition, I changed the date of stay (had to be back in NY earlier).
I still expect to win if it comes to credit card dispute (hope it won't get to this) since I have all the screenshots with the words FREE on them, but you can totally say told you so, and you'll be right. Fellows, beware!
Details
Just to recap.
1. I combined two free nights, one for the previous year, and another for this year.
2. One night was expired by the time of staying, but not by the time of booking.
3. In addition, I changed the date of stay (had to be back in NY earlier).
I still expect to win if it comes to credit card dispute (hope it won't get to this) since I have all the screenshots with the words FREE on them, but you can totally say told you so, and you'll be right. Fellows, beware!
Details
May 20, 2014, 6:44 am
#516
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,720
Well, guess what! They did charge my card for one-night stay (out of two). Didn't happen on the day of arrival, though, but they did it just yesterday night. Already called IHG and got a ref#, but hey, you were right (wish you weren't)
Just to recap.
1. I combined two free nights, one for the previous year, and another for this year.
2. One night was expired by the time of staying, but not by the time of booking.
3. In addition, I changed the date of stay (had to be back in NY earlier).
I still expect to win if it comes to credit card dispute (hope it won't get to this) since I have all the screenshots with the words FREE on them, but you can totally say told you so, and you'll be right. Fellows, beware!
Details
Just to recap.
1. I combined two free nights, one for the previous year, and another for this year.
2. One night was expired by the time of staying, but not by the time of booking.
3. In addition, I changed the date of stay (had to be back in NY earlier).
I still expect to win if it comes to credit card dispute (hope it won't get to this) since I have all the screenshots with the words FREE on them, but you can totally say told you so, and you'll be right. Fellows, beware!
Details
'Cause I'm doing the same thing you are doing!
I have a stay this coming Saturday at the IC Westminster and have been assured now twice that all should be fine and notes have been placed on the reservation about this.
However, my stay will only be for one night and, here is the clincher, I HAVE WRITTEN CONFIRMATION FROM AN IHG AGENT THAT ESSENTIALLY STATES THAT MY FREE NIGHT WILL BE GOOD AFTER THE EXPIRATION DATE AS THE BOOKING DATE CONTROLS.
Now, I know that is contrary to your experience, and just in case, I still have my "new" credit card free night to be held in reserve and hopefully applied if I encounter any trouble.
But, we will see and what I have in writing should trump whatever may occur if I have issues.
Good luck with your quest and let us know what happens.
Sorry to have been so hard on you but I never claim victory until the fat lady sings and even though I have my trump card in writing, I felt that you were being too optimistic about this and that you should wait and see if the proof was in the pudding so to speak. After all, I knew that the same thing occurs with the Marriott free credit card night -- that you could book it past its expiration date but if you did so -- poof, when it came to staying past the expiration date it was nowhere in sight. Moreover, what is written on the IHG site is exactly the same as what Marriott's site states and that what I have been told orally and in writing was at variance with that clear statement.
Anyway, we will see what happens to me and you!
May 20, 2014, 4:56 pm
#517
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Brooklyn, NY, United States
Programs: AA, BA, UA, Spirit, Delta, PC Plat, SPG Gold, HHonors Diamond, Club Carlson Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,735
Hey, I wish I wasn't right as well.
'Cause I'm doing the same thing you are doing!
I have a stay this coming Saturday at the IC Westminster and have been assured now twice that all should be fine and notes have been placed on the reservation about this.
However, my stay will only be for one night and, here is the clincher, I HAVE WRITTEN CONFIRMATION FROM AN IHG AGENT THAT ESSENTIALLY STATES THAT MY FREE NIGHT WILL BE GOOD AFTER THE EXPIRATION DATE AS THE BOOKING DATE CONTROLS.
Now, I know that is contrary to your experience, and just in case, I still have my "new" credit card free night to be held in reserve and hopefully applied if I encounter any trouble.
But, we will see and what I have in writing should trump whatever may occur if I have issues.
Good luck with your quest and let us know what happens.
Sorry to have been so hard on you but I never claim victory until the fat lady sings and even though I have my trump card in writing, I felt that you were being too optimistic about this and that you should wait and see if the proof was in the pudding so to speak. After all, I knew that the same thing occurs with the Marriott free credit card night -- that you could book it past its expiration date but if you did so -- poof, when it came to staying past the expiration date it was nowhere in sight. Moreover, what is written on the IHG site is exactly the same as what Marriott's site states and that what I have been told orally and in writing was at variance with that clear statement.
Anyway, we will see what happens to me and you!
'Cause I'm doing the same thing you are doing!
I have a stay this coming Saturday at the IC Westminster and have been assured now twice that all should be fine and notes have been placed on the reservation about this.
However, my stay will only be for one night and, here is the clincher, I HAVE WRITTEN CONFIRMATION FROM AN IHG AGENT THAT ESSENTIALLY STATES THAT MY FREE NIGHT WILL BE GOOD AFTER THE EXPIRATION DATE AS THE BOOKING DATE CONTROLS.
Now, I know that is contrary to your experience, and just in case, I still have my "new" credit card free night to be held in reserve and hopefully applied if I encounter any trouble.
But, we will see and what I have in writing should trump whatever may occur if I have issues.
Good luck with your quest and let us know what happens.
Sorry to have been so hard on you but I never claim victory until the fat lady sings and even though I have my trump card in writing, I felt that you were being too optimistic about this and that you should wait and see if the proof was in the pudding so to speak. After all, I knew that the same thing occurs with the Marriott free credit card night -- that you could book it past its expiration date but if you did so -- poof, when it came to staying past the expiration date it was nowhere in sight. Moreover, what is written on the IHG site is exactly the same as what Marriott's site states and that what I have been told orally and in writing was at variance with that clear statement.
Anyway, we will see what happens to me and you!
May 20, 2014, 7:02 pm
#518
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,720
Two things I take from this: First, I think that perhaps the deciding issue was my obtaining in writing that the free night voucher would be honored and secondly, even if the foregoing is always the case, the fact that I did not amend my stay.
One of the things that both C/S agents had advised was that if I had changed my stay after its expiration, I would lose the certificate. This may have impacted you as you advised above that you had amended your stay to cut one day off. Now, it is ridiculous for them to have allocated the free night to the day cut from your stay unless it truly was the day that you cut off of your stay. If not, then the free night should have been properly allocated.
In addition, I don't think it would hurt your for you to state that you had contacted C/S like I had done and that you were advised likewise and thus your being charged for the night as totally blindsided you and you know it is at variance with their policies as at least one other individual who posts on FT was assured that this was the case -- they might change this in the future to follow the Marriott program's free night expiration policy, but at present they have advised otherwise.
In any event, update your situation when you know additional information and good luck!
May 20, 2014, 11:22 pm
#519
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Brooklyn, NY, United States
Programs: AA, BA, UA, Spirit, Delta, PC Plat, SPG Gold, HHonors Diamond, Club Carlson Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,735
Got an email from The Willard that they had processed my refund. My next update is when (if) I actually see the money in my account. 
May 21, 2014, 12:36 pm
#520
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Global
Programs: United 1K, Qatar Gold, Etihad Gold, Hilton Diamond, InterCon RA, PC Plat, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat
Posts: 1,453
Used my free night at Intercontinental Paris Le Grand. Junior Suite Opera View - went for 860 Euros the night we were there...
Jun 3, 2014, 2:11 pm
#521
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Brooklyn, NY, United States
Programs: AA, BA, UA, Spirit, Delta, PC Plat, SPG Gold, HHonors Diamond, Club Carlson Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,735
A class act!
Jun 10, 2014, 8:05 am
#522
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 29
I don't see anything under "my offer status." If I click that I just get taken to the three promo codes I signed up for, none of which is "free night status." I've only had the card since October 2013 though, so does that mean I have to wait till Oct 2014?
Last edited by tdankmyer; Jun 10, 2014 at 8:17 am
Jun 10, 2014, 9:52 am
#523
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,720
I/C Westminster upgraded me one room category to a slightly larger room. I was only allowed to take the water in the minibar without charge -- they had provided me with an amenity in my room of water and some apples if I recall -- no points. I wasn't going to complain as I received the upgrade, the room was ready for me early, and as I have related earlier, my certificate had "expired", although I had booked the hotel before its expiration -- this appears to be allowed as I had contacted the hotel and they indicated that all will be OK -- and it was! Very nice hotel and room - very modern and can't be beat for the $49 annual credit card fee!
Jun 10, 2014, 11:01 am
#524
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
The free-night cert is issued on your card account anniversary or shortly before.
Jun 18, 2014, 8:50 pm
#525
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 5
Question for those who have used the Chase PC free cert before:
How quickly did the online system to show '1' under 'used night'? Immediately after you booking? Or after you completed your stay?
I am asking because I completed by stay about 3 weeks ago already, but the system is still showing that I have 1 unused chase reward night (I didn't see them deducting any points from my account either).
Does it mean I can book another night for free? (I know I am dreaming...
)
How quickly did the online system to show '1' under 'used night'? Immediately after you booking? Or after you completed your stay?
I am asking because I completed by stay about 3 weeks ago already, but the system is still showing that I have 1 unused chase reward night (I didn't see them deducting any points from my account either).
Does it mean I can book another night for free? (I know I am dreaming...
)