Loyalty programs · By Points Frog Editorial ·
IHG One Rewards points at Club level can expire after twelve months without a qualifying earning or redemption transaction. The current terms make an important distinction: using the annual credit-card free night does not itself count as the points activity needed to prevent expiry.
Look at posted account activity
Check the transaction history rather than only the date of your last hotel visit. A certificate stay may have been useful without creating an earning or redemption entry that protects the point balance. The program's rule concerns the account activity it defines.
IHG also says points do not expire while an elite membership level is maintained. That protection depends on maintaining the relevant tier. A member expecting to lose status should review the balance and current terms rather than assuming past elite status protects it forever.
Use a reminder before the deadline
Imagine a Club member earned points eleven months ago and recently used a card anniversary night. They might assume the recent stay reset the point clock. If that was only a certificate redemption, the assumption could leave the balance exposed under the stated rule.
The practical step is to review which qualifying earning or redemption transactions are actually posted. If an eligible activity is needed, allow time for it to appear and keep the receipt or confirmation. Do not wait until the final day to discover that the selected activity is not counted.
Price any purchase against the balance you are protecting. A $100 unnecessary hotel stay is not sensible solely to preserve points worth less to your travel plans. The right action is one that satisfies the current rule and supports a useful reward or purchase, with enough time to resolve a missing posting.
Place certificate expiry in a separate calendar entry from point expiry. A valid certificate cannot be assumed to protect the rest of the account, and keeping points active does not necessarily extend the certificate. Record the action required for each asset. This helps avoid a last-minute booking made to solve one deadline while the other remains unaddressed.
A practical way to decide
An expiry review works best as a small calendar task. Record the date shown in the account, the action required to extend or use the balance, and the time it may take to post. Set your reminder early enough to deal with a missing credit. A receipt proves you made a purchase; it may not prove the program has credited the points.
Do not spend more than the balance is useful to save. First identify a reward you would use, then compare the cost of preserving the account with that reward's practical value. Small balances can still be handy, but a new trip or an unnecessary purchase can cost more than the points it protects.
Keep planning
Read our related guide, IHG reward nights can still carry resort or service charges, for the next part of the decision. For a different angle, see Using Chase points from another airport: add the positioning trip. You can also explore Points Frog’s other rewards guides.
Sources and date checked
Rules checked October 13, 2026. Examples in this guide are hypothetical, not live offers. The current booking quote and the issued award’s terms govern your trip. IHG terms.