From December 6, 2023, the IHG One Rewards program allowed IHG Diamond Elite and IHG Business Rewards members to transfer points to another IHG account free of charge. While IHG Diamond Elite status may be difficult to obtain, joining the IHG Business Rewards program is easy and free to become a member.
How Does the IHG Business Rewards Program Work?
As its name suggests, the IHG Business Rewards program is designed for businesses and corporations. However, any IHG One member can join the program and be the “booker” for others for business purposes or themselves. However, not all IHG Hotels and Resorts participate in the program.
IHG One Rewards members in Greater China, on the other hand, cannot join the program because it is by invitation only for that specific region.
When you become an IHG Business Rewards member, you will have access to the corporate account and manage all bookings for others, including yourself. Additional benefits include:
- You can earn points based on qualifying spend on rooms of others but not yourself (more below).
- You can earn elite tier nights but not the tier bonus (more below).
- Most importantly, you can transfer points to another account for free.
IHG Business Rewards Benefits
IHG Business Rewards membership offers a few benefits that are worth checking out, including free points transfer to another account.
Earning IHG Points
As an IHG Business Rewards member, you can earn 3 points per $1 spent on the following qualifying spends:
- Guest rooms
- Meetings and events
- Conference rooms
- Food and beverage service linked to meetings and conferences
- All-inclusive meeting packages
Qualifying spend does not include the following:
- Any taxes, gratuities, or service fees
- Outside vendor/supplier charges
- Any attendee incidentals including individual meals and beverages, or other expenses, including leisure spend.
Moreover, you will not earn points on spend for your room as an IHG Business Rewards member. Therefore, do not book this type of reservation for yourself if you join the program, mainly to transfer points to another account for free.
Earning Elite Nights
As an IHG Business Rewards member, you also earn qualifying elite nights towards the next tier status. However, you do not earn tier bonus points from any bookings, whether for yourself or others. For example, if you are an IHG Platinum Elite member, you do not earn the 60% tier bonus points.
Transferring IHG Points to Another Account For Free
The IHG One Rewards program charges $5 per 1,000 points between IHG accounts. However, as an IHG Business Rewards member, you can transfer points to another account free of charge. The receiving account does not have to have an elite status or be an IHG Business Rewards member. The only requirement for both accounts is each account has to be at least 30 days old after joining the IHG One Rewards program to transfer or receive points.
IHG Rewards Business Hotels Exclusion List
Not all IHG Hotels and Resorts participate in the IHG Business Rewards program. For instance, IHG Business Rewards is not applicable at Iberostar Beachfront Resorts properties.
In addition, IHG also puts together a list of non-participating IHG hotels and resorts here.
How to Join the IHG Business Rewards Program?
Once you are ready to enroll and take advantage of the IHG Business Rewards program’s benefits, it’s free and easy to join the program:
- Go to the official IHG Business Rewards enrollment website.
- Sign into your IHG One Reward account, and it’ll automatically complete the enrollment form for you.
- Then, all you have to do is accept the terms and click the Join Now button.
How to Transfer IHG Points to Another Account For Free?
As an IHG Business Rewards member, you can transfer points to another account for free. IHG Diamond Elite members can also transfer points free of charge, but becoming an IHG Business Rewards member is a lot easier.
IHG free points transfer has a few terms and conditions:
- Both IHG accounts must have been 30 days after joining the program.
- A member can transfer or receive up to 500,000 IHG points per calendar year.
- Points must be transferred in increments of 1,000.
Transferring IHG points to another account for free is a straightforward process. Go to the following link and fill out the transfer form to successfully share IHG points with another IHG member’s account.
- Direct Link to Transfer IHG Points to Another Account For Free
- Sign into your IHG One Rewards account if you are not signed in.
- The system will automatically determine whether your account is eligible for free points transfer.
Is the IHG Business Rewards Program Worth It?
The IHG Business Rewards program is created for business travels. Being able to earn IHG points and qualifying elite nights from bookings for others towards higher tier status for yourself is fantastic. On the other hand, if you do not have a business, you can still join the program for free, and perhaps the sole valuable benefit of the program is being able to share points for free with loved ones. This is also one way to keep IHG points from expiring.
