How to earn and use IHG One Rewards free night certificates
Editor's Note
The cobranded IHG One Rewards cards offer many valuable perks. But one of the most valuable on the IHG cards with annual fees that are available to U.S. residents is free night certificates.
The anniversary free night certificate you get each year as a cardmember perk can often provide enough value to justify paying the card's annual fee. And, as an added bonus, you have the opportunity to earn an additional free night certificate on some IHG credit cards each calendar year when you meet specific spending requirements.
So, here's what you should know about IHG free night certificates.
How to earn IHG free night certificates
IHG One Rewards may occasionally offer promotional free night certificates, but, by far, the most common way to earn IHG free night certificates is through IHG credit cards. Here's a look at the free night certificates you can earn with select U.S.-issued IHG credit cards that are currently available:
| Card | Card annual fee | Redemption value of the anniversary free night certificate | How to earn an additional free night certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
$350 | 60,000 points or less | Spend $40,000 on purchases with your IHG Premier Select card during a calendar year to earn another certificate with a points redemption value of 60,000 points or less. | |
$150 | 50,000 points or less | N/A. | |
$200 | 50,000 points or less | Spend $60,000 on purchases with your IHG Business card during a calendar year to earn another certificate with a points redemption value of 50,000 points or less. |
For cardholders of these cards, IHG deposits an anniversary free night certificate into your account on your card anniversary each year. IHG deposits certificates earned based on card spending within eight weeks of when you qualify. You can top off certificates that you earn from these three IHG cards with points from your IHG account if you wish to redeem for a night that costs more than your certificate's redemption value.
However, existing cardholders who opened their accounts before the recent IHG card portfolio revamp will still receive certificates redeemable for a night costing up to 40,000 points through the end of 2026. Existing cardholders will begin getting certificates with the increased redemption value cap starting in 2027. To this point, cardholders of the IHG One Rewards Select Credit Card (which hasn't been open to new applicants for many years) will begin receiving anniversary free night certificates that are eligible for top-off and have a redemption value of up to 50,000 points starting in 2027.
The information for the IHG Select has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Best time to apply for IHG Chase cards based on offer history
How to check the details of your IHG free night certificate
If you want to check whether you have any IHG free night certificates or confirm the details of your certificates, log in to your IHG One Rewards account and click on your name in the upper-right-hand corner. Scroll down the page that loads, then check the "Enjoy your rewards" section. Here, you should see a panel with your free nights (if you have any).
Click on "Book a Free Night" to check the details of your certificate. A page will load, showing your account's unredeemed free night certificates. You can see the date ranges during which you must book and stay for each certificate. And if you click "View details" for a specific certificate, you'll see its maximum points redemption value and whether you can redeem points for a night at a higher points cost.
IHG free night certificates typically require you to redeem and complete your stay within 12 months of issuance; you won't be able to book a stay that's outside of a certificate's eligibility window.
Related: Which credit card should you use for IHG stays?
How to redeem your IHG free night certificate
To redeem an IHG free night certificate, click the blue "Book Free Night" button on the page we just discussed by the certificate's details. Doing so would automatically select the rate associated with that free night certificate in the "Rate Preference" drop-down box on the booking screen.
You can also start on the landing page once you've logged in to your account and then select this same rate (if you have a certificate in your account). Enter your search details, and click the orange "Search" button.
Your search results will appear, and you'll see the properties you can book with your free night certificate. If you see "FREE per night," you can use your certificate to cover the room rate and applicable taxes for that night. However, you may need to pay amenity or resort fees at some properties.
You can top off most free night certificates. As such, if you search with the certificate rate selected and are using a certificate that allows top-offs, you may see some properties that require you to redeem extra points in addition to your certificate.
You may also see some properties that list a paid rate. This means the property isn't bookable with your free night certificate on the dates you searched.
In this case, you can click "View available dates" to see nights you can book with your free night certificate (potentially with a top-off required if you're using a certificate that allows it).
Once you find a property that works for you, click the orange "Select Hotel" button to see the available room types.
Then, click "Select" for a specific room type to get to the final booking page, where you can check your reservation details and select (or enter) a payment card to guarantee your reservation. Click "Book for Chase Anniversary Free Night" when you're ready to book your stay.
Like when redeeming IHG points, not all room types are available when using your free night certificate.
And unfortunately, IHG's booking system won't let you redeem a certificate for one night and use points or cash for other nights on the same reservation. Instead, you'll need to make consecutive reservations for the same room types if you want to stay longer than one night. But keep in mind that IHG's fourth-night-free benefit doesn't apply when using a free night certificate since certificate reservations must be booked separately from points reservations.
Related: How to maximize award redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program
Bottom line
IHG free night certificates can provide significant value, especially now that certificates issued through select IHG credit cards have higher redemption caps.
To maximize your certificates, compare cash rates and points requirements to find a redemption that offers good value. And remember to use your certificates before they expire, as even a modest redemption is better than letting a free night go to waste.
Frequently asked questions
The value of an IHG free night certificate depends on the hotel's cash rate and the certificate's redemption cap, which varies by card and issuance date. To maximize its value, look for a night with a high cash rate relative to any points you need to add.
IHG free night certificates can be used at eligible IHG properties with standard reward night availability. You'll need to find a night within your certificate's redemption cap or use points to top off an eligible certificate.
Most IHG credit card free night certificates allow you to add points from your IHG One Rewards account to book a night that costs more than the certificate's redemption cap. The number of additional points required depends on the hotel's award price.
IHG anniversary free night certificates typically expire 12 months after issuance, and you must complete your stay before the expiration date.
Nights booked with IHG free night certificates count toward IHG One Rewards elite status qualification and Milestone Rewards. You won't earn points on the room rate, but you can earn points on eligible incidental charges.
You can use multiple IHG free night certificates to book consecutive nights, but you'll need to book each certificate as a separate reservation. You can ask the hotel to link your reservations after booking, though.
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