1,000 Free IHG Points For Your Birthday – Make Sure It’s Set

IHG has been doing something new this year, they are sending out a surprise bonus of 1,000 IHG points on people’s birthdays.

The problem is that you don’t set your birthday when you create an IHG account, so most people won’t have their birthday set (if it’s already been set, you can’t change it online so no having 365 birthdays in a year). Setting your birthday is easy:

  • Click ‘Personal Information’ in the left hand sidebar
  • Scroll down to the end
  • Click ‘Add Birthday’
  • Just requires day and month, no year required

I didn’t have mine set, and now I do! I’ll be looking forward to my free 1,000 points. You can view more free points opportunities here.

Hat tip to offsider on /r/churning
    William Charles
  • On September 18, 2016, 19:44

View Comments (15)

  • I set mine when I opened my account. I was happy to get an email giving me 1000 points which showed up on my account 12 days after my birthday. Nice!!!

  • Thanks for this post William. Happens my birthday is 9/11 (sic), and it's already registered in my IHG account. But I searched my email in box and at first didn't find anything -- until I changed the search to IHG and birthday -- and found an invitation from IHG on August 5th .... (subject line was "getaway on your birthday!")

    Delighted to discover I got an offer for 5,000 points, if I stay once within 90 days of registration. (on top of other pending promos, very nice indeed)

    *********

    Your birthday’s on the way

    Travel’s a great way to celebrate your birthday. And being a member of IHG® Rewards Club can take you to all the places you’d like to explore. Now when you stay a weekend in the next 90 days, you’ll earn 5,000 bonus points. It’s an early birthday gift from us to you. Register for your birthday bonus, then book your stay. It’s that easy.

    (It then had a link to "get started" that took me to my account -- and it worked, as of today)

  • I got the birthday points email on my birthday. You need to register for the offer from the email link. Checking the details in My Offers showed that the points were only valid starting on my birthday for 90 days thereafter. So I am not sure if this "resets" the expiration, but I have the IHG credit card and other activity in my account.

    So 3 days after my birthday I re-booked an upcoming reward reservation via the My Offers link so the points would be applied.

    HOWEVER, I just returned from my trip and checked my account. Apparently, the birthday bonus 1K points took 5 days to be posted to my account, which was 2 days after I rebooked my reward stay.
    So I called IHG Rewards Club and they noted the timing issue of my re-booking and the birthday bonus posting. They assumed the timing would cause the points to be lost so they gave me a courtesy goodwill adjustment. Can’t ask for more than that.

    So if you get this bonus, be sure to check the expiration date in your offers, and watch for the bonus to actually post before you try to use them.

  • DP: After finding out about the birthday 1K today, I added my birthday and called in to have the points credited because my bday was last month, and they did. For whatever it's worth, I have the IHG credit card, which makes me a platinum elite member. They didn't specify if this is why they agreed.

    • Do you have the credit card? That will give you Platinum Elite status, which prevents the points from expiring and it essentially gives you a room every year at any IHG hotel for the $49 AF.

    • Its easy to know. IHG is one of the rare places that actually help you by telling you.

      "Point Expiration Date: JAN XX, 20XX. How to keep my points?"

      Straight up in your "Account Status & Activity". When you get the BDAY credit you can look to see if date changed.

  • How do I edit my birthday?

    To change or modify the birthday of your account, please contact your nearest IHG® Rewards Club Customer Care Center.

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