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IHG One Rewards guide: How to earn and redeem points and get elite status
Katie Genter is a digital nomad who has traveled full time since June 2017. She writes and edits stories about points and miles, and loyalty programs, often letting her personal experiences color these stories.
October 9, 2026 • 28 min read
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By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
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Quick summary
IHG One Rewards is the loyalty program for IHG Hotels & Resorts, covering a wide range of brands from budget to luxury.
The program offers five elite status tiers, plus special memberships like InterContinental Ambassador and Kimpton Inner Circle.
Members can earn and redeem points through hotel stays, dining, events and select partners, with dynamic award pricing for free nights.
Select credit cards provide benefits such as elite status, free night certificates and the fourth-night-free feature.
What to consider
Elite status is usually earned through qualifying nights or points, although some credit cards and memberships offer automatic status.
Award night pricing varies by property and date, and inventory may be limited.
IHG points are valued at 0.6 cents each as of October 2026 per TPG's valuations.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of IHG elite benefits versus other major hotel loyalty programs, plus step-by-step guidance on maximizing redemptions and Milestone Rewards.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
IHG One Rewards is the loyalty program for IHG Hotels & Resorts, which includes brands like Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, InterContinental, Kimpton and Crowne Plaza. It has become one of my go-to hotel loyalty programs; I spent 72 nights with it in 2025, and I've already logged 81 nights in 2026.
The IHG Hotels & Resorts portfolio includes a mix of luxury and mainstream brands. I love the high-end Six Senses brand, but even less prestigious properties, like those affiliated with Candlewood Suites and Holiday Inn Express, usually offer solid quality.
A few notes first, though. When discussing card benefits throughout this guide, we discuss the benefits you'd get as a new cardholder (benefits for existing cardholders may be different). We also present the earning and redeeming options available to U.S. residents, as these vary by country of residence.
IHG One Rewards elite status
There are five IHG elite status tiers. Plus, IHG offers two additional membership programs: InterContinental Ambassador and Kimpton Inner Circle. You can also earn Milestone Rewards as you reach specific elite qualifying night thresholds.
IHG One Rewards Club member
You’ll become a Club member simply by signing up for the IHG One Rewards program. Club members get the following benefits:
Access to member rates and promotions
The ability to earn points when paying qualifying rates for stays
Free internet access
2 p.m. late checkout, upon request and subject to availability
Silver Elite membership typically requires 10 elite qualifying nights per calendar year. However, travelers with the IHG One Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) get automatic Silver Elite status if their account is open and in good standing.
InterContinental Phuket Resort in Thailand. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
On top of the benefits available to Club members, Silver Elite members get:
20% bonus earnings on top of base points
No points expiration while they have elite status
Keep in mind that getting automatic elite status as a credit card perk doesn't reduce the requirements for earning a higher tier. However, elite night credits you receive from a credit card count toward the applicable night threshold.
Gold Elite membership typically requires 20 elite qualifying nights or 40,000 elite qualifying points per calendar year. However, travelers with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (see rates and fees) enjoy automatic Gold Elite status. And travelers with the IHG One Rewards Credit Card can earn Gold Elite status through the end of the following calendar year if they spend $15,000 or more on their card within the current calendar year.
In addition to the benefits available to Silver Elite members, Gold Elite members get:
40% bonus earnings on top of base points
Hertz Gold+ Five Star status
The ability to roll over qualifying nights that surpass what they need for status during a particular year to the next year (although rollover nights are only valid for one calendar year)
Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
You’ll also get complimentary Platinum Elite status if you buy an InterContinental Ambassador membership, and travelers with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card can earn Platinum Elite status through the end of the following calendar year if they spend $15,000 or more on their card within the current calendar year. Further, those with a United Club℠ Card (see rates and fees) can register for complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status, and those with a Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) or Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees) can enroll in complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status through Dec. 31, 2027.
On top of the benefits available to IHG One Rewards Gold Elite members, Platinum Elite members get:
Diamond Elite membership typically requires 70 elite qualifying nights or 120,000 elite qualifying points per calendar year. However, you can also earn Diamond Elite status through the end of next year if you meet one of the following spending requirements:
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: Spend $40,000 or more on your card within the current calendar year.
IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card: Spend $25,000 or more on your card within the current calendar year.
IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card: Starting in 2027, spend $50,000 or more on your card within the current calendar year.
Chase Sapphire Reserve: Spend $75,000 on purchases on your Sapphire Reserve within the current calendar year.
Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business: Make $120,000 in purchases on your Sapphire Reserve for Business card within the current calendar year.
InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort in Australia. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
In addition to the benefits available to IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite members, Diamond Elite members get:
100% bonus earnings on top of base points
Hertz President's Circle status
Access to a dedicated support phone line for Diamond Elite members
A welcome amenity choice of free breakfast (per night for up to two people), points (per stay), or a drink and a snack (per stay) at check-in
InterContinental Ambassador
You can purchase a 12-month InterContinental Ambassador membership for $225 or 45,000 IHG points. InterContinental Ambassador members get extra perks at InterContinental hotels and resorts, including a guaranteed one-category room upgrade and 4 p.m. late checkout.
Additionally, membership includes IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status and a complimentary weekend night at an InterContinental hotel or resort (valid for the second night of a minimum two-night paid weekend stay booked at a special rate).
InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort in Vietnam. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
InterContinental Ambassador members also get extra perks at Six Senses properties participating in IHG One Rewards. These benefits include complimentary breakfast daily for two in the main restaurant, a wellness platter welcome amenity on the day of arrival and a complimentary one-category room upgrade (subject to availability).
Even if you already have Platinum Elite status or higher, purchasing InterContinental Ambassador status can be worth it if you frequently stay at InterContinental properties. It can also make sense if you get more than $225 of value from your complimentary weekend night.
IHG invites select InterContinental Ambassadors to become Royal Ambassadors based on their qualifying activity at InterContinental hotels and resorts. Royal Ambassadors receive even more perks, including access to Club InterContinental lounges.
Kimpton Inner Circle
If you’re an IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite member and frequently stay at Kimpton hotels, you might be invited to become a Kimpton Inner Circle member.
Kimpton Margot Sydney. ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
Kimpton Inner Circle members get extra perks, including personalized treats upon arrival, guaranteed one-category room upgrades, waived amenity and destination fees, guaranteed 10 a.m. early check-in and guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout, when staying at Kimpton hotels.
IHG Milestone Rewards
As you accrue elite qualifying nights each calendar year, you can earn IHG Milestone Rewards at specific thresholds. Here are the IHG Milestone Rewards you can earn as you reach the following elite qualifying nights milestones each calendar year (you can choose one at each level, except at 40 and 70 nights, which get two):
20 nights: 5,000 bonus points, two $20 food-and-beverage rewards or one confirmable suite upgrade
30 nights: 5,000 bonus points or two $20 food-and-beverage rewards
40 nights (choose two): 10,000 bonus points, five $20 food-and-beverage rewards, one confirmable suite upgrade (limit one) or one annual lounge membership (limit one)
50 nights: 10,000 bonus points or five $20 food-and-beverage rewards
60 nights: 10,000 bonus points or five $20 food-and-beverage rewards
70 nights (choose two): 10,000 bonus points, five $20 food-and-beverage rewards, two confirmable suite upgrades (limit one) or one annual lounge membership (limit one)
80 nights: 10,000 bonus points or five $20 food-and-beverage rewards
90 nights: 10,000 bonus points or five $20 food-and-beverage rewards
100 nights: 10,000 bonus points or five $20 food-and-beverage rewards
InterContinental Phuket Resort in Thailand. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
You'll earn one elite qualifying night per night stayed, up to one night per day. So, if you book two rooms for the same night, you'll only earn one elite qualifying night. Elite qualifying nights count toward the calendar year in which the checkout day occurs. You can also earn elite night credits toward elite status and Milestone Rewards with IHG credit cards as follows.
Card
Annual elite qualifying nights you get as a cardholder
Additional elite qualifying nights you can earn through card spending
IHG One Rewards Credit Card
Five elite night credits
N/A
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
15 elite night credits
Two elite night credits per $5,000 spent, plus five elite night credits when you spend $15,000 with your card in a calendar year
IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card
20 elite night credits
Two elite night credits per $5,000 spent, plus five elite night credits when you spend $15,000 with your card in a calendar year
IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card
15 elite night credits
Two elite night credits per $5,000 spent, plus five elite night credits when you spend $25,000 with your card in a calendar year
Which bookings are eligible for IHG elite benefits and earnings?
You generally need to book through IHG or another eligible direct booking channel to receive elite benefits. However, bookings through certain authorized travel agents that IHG recognizes as qualifying can also earn points and elite qualifying nights. And you are eligible for on-property member benefits even when staying as part of a group booking.
Via confirmable suite upgrades within 14 days of check-in, where each upgrade is good for a stay of up to five nights (you can select a confirmable upgrade through the Milestone Rewards program after just 20 elite qualifying nights in a calendar year)
Via nightly upgrade awards confirmed within five days of check-in, where each award is only good for one night (you can select nightly upgrade awards as your choice benefit after 50 or 75 elite nights within a calendar year)
Via suite upgrade awards at booking, where each upgrade is good for a stay of up to seven nights (you can select suite upgrade awards as milestone rewards after 40 nights or 65,000 base points within a calendar year)
Via confirmable upgrade rewards at booking, where each upgrade is good for a stay of up to seven nights (you get a confirmable upgrade once you earn Diamond Reserve status)
Elite member breakfast
Diamond Elite members can choose as a welcome amenity at most brands where breakfast isn't offered to all guests
Platinum Elite and higher can choose as a welcome amenity at select properties
Globalist members get breakfast
Gold elite members and higher get breakfast or a food-and-beverage credit on most stays
Best late checkout benefits
2 p.m., upon request and subject to availability, for all members
4 p.m. at most properties for Platinum Elite and higher
4 p.m. at most properties for Globalist
4 p.m. at most properties for Diamond Reserve
The top status you can get automatically as a cardholder
Platinum Elite
Platinum Elite
Discoverist
Diamond
How to earn IHG points
There are many ways to earn IHG points. Here’s a quick overview of some of the most popular ways.
Hotel stays
All IHG One Rewards members earn base points as follows when paying a qualifying rate at participating IHG hotels and resorts:
3 points per dollar spent at IHG Army Hotels
5 points per dollar spent at Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and IHG Residences (serviced apartments and extended-stay units)
10 points per dollar spent at other IHG properties
You can also earn points on eligible charges billed to your room, such as food-and-beverage, telephone and laundry charges.
Holiday Inn Johannesburg Airport. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
Only specific Six Senses properties, select Iberostar Beachfront Resorts properties and select Ruby Hotels participate in IHG One Rewards. So, if you’d like to earn IHG points and elite nights, check if your desired hotel participates before you book.
As discussed above, elite members earn bonus points in addition to these base points. Specifically, Silver Elite members receive a 20% bonus, Gold Elite members receive a 40% bonus, Platinum Elite members receive a 60% bonus and Diamond Elite members receive a 100% bonus.
IHG often offers bonus points promotions that let members earn even more on stays. Plus, you can pay to add up to 5,000 elite qualifying points per night on select bookings.
Credit cards
IHG currently offers four credit cards: three consumer cards and one small-business card. Here are their welcome offers, annual fees, earning rates and bonus points opportunities.
Earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
12 points per dollar spent on qualifying purchases made at hotels participating in IHG One Rewards
6 points per dollar spent on travel (excluding purchases made at hotels participating in IHG One Rewards that qualify for 12 points) and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services)
3 points per dollar spent on all other purchases
Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 on purchases with your card during a calendar year.
Earn 180,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
10 points per dollar spent on qualifying purchases made at hotels participating in IHG One Rewards
5 points per dollar spent on grocery stores, gas stations and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services)
5 points per dollar spent on travel (excluding purchases made at hotels participating in IHG One Rewards that qualify for 10 points) through Dec. 31, 2026 (starting Jan. 1, 2027, only on airline tickets when purchased directly with the airline and car rental agencies)
3 points per dollar spent on all other purchases
Earn 15,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 on purchases with your card during a calendar year.
Earn 190,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
10 points per dollar spent on qualifying purchases made at hotels participating in IHG One Rewards
5 points per dollar spent on gas stations, dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services), social media and search engine advertising
5 points per dollar spent on travel (excluding purchases made at hotels participating in IHG One Rewards that qualify for 10 points) and office supply stores through Dec. 31, 2026 (starting Jan. 1, 2027, only on airline tickets when purchased directly with the airline and car rental agencies)
3 points per dollar spent on all other purchases
Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $25,000 on purchases with your card during a calendar year.
The IHG Business Rewards program allows you to earn IHG points when you book rooms, meetings and events for others at participating IHG hotels and resorts.
First, you must register for IHG Business Rewards on IHG’s website. Then, you can earn 3 points per dollar spent on the following:
Guest rooms
Meetings and events
Conference rooms
Food-and-beverage service linked to meetings and conferences
All-inclusive meeting packages
However, you can’t earn more than 60,000 points on a meeting or event in most cases.
IHG Trip Extras
IHG Trip Extras is a booking platform that allows you to earn IHG points on select bookings. Specifically, you’ll earn as follows when you book through the IHG Trip Extras portal:
Hertz car rentals: Earn up to 10 points per dollar spent.
Tours and activities: Earn 1,000 points per activity booking.
OpenTable reservations: Earn up to 500 points when you make an OpenTable restaurant reservation.
Ground transport services: Earn up to 1,000 points per transportation booking.
Most of these bounties are relatively small, although the earnings on Hertz car rentals could add up. You'll generally only want to book through the IHG Trip Extras portal when it matches or beats the lowest-priced competitor.
IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn
The IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn program lets you earn IHG points on dining. To earn points at participating restaurants, join the program and enroll at least one credit or debit card. You’ll earn IHG points when you use an enrolled card to pay at participating restaurants, bars and clubs.
Your earning rate will depend on your elite status level within the IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn program:
VIP members earn 8 points per dollar spent.
Select members earn 5 points per dollar spent.
Basic members earn 1 point per dollar spent.
To earn Select status, opt in to receive emails. You’ll earn VIP status when you opt in to receive emails and complete 11 qualifying transactions in a calendar year. Once you’ve earned VIP status, you’ll keep it for the rest of the current year and the following calendar year.
However, you can only enroll each card in one dining rewards program at a time. So, if you use another program, such as American Airlines’ AAdvantage Dining, you’ll need to decide whether IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn offers more value.
Buying points
You can also boost your account balance by buying IHG points. All four IHG cards give you at least a 30% discount on IHG point purchases, but you can't stack this discount with other discounts or bonuses (some of which bring the cost as low as 0.5 cents per point). You can generally purchase no more than 200,000 IHG points per calendar year.
Which points qualify for elite status?
Some activities above earn elite qualifying IHG points, while others earn nonelite qualifying points. Both types of points are redeemable, but only elite qualifying points count toward elite status.
Hertz car rentals, OpenTable reservations and Viator experiences
IHG One Rewards bonus points packages
Qualifying spending through IHG Business Rewards
Villa at Six Senses Yao Noi in Thailand. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
Meanwhile, the following activities produce points that are redeemable but do not qualify for elite status:
Purchases on U.S.-issued IHG One Rewards credit cards
Transfers of Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt points to IHG
New cardmember bonuses and bonus points promotions through IHG One Rewards credit cards (unless otherwise indicated)
Points earned through IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn
Points earned from IHG promotions and select partner promotions
Elite tier bonus points
Points vouchers, purchases, deposits and transfers (unless otherwise indicated)
If you aren’t looking to earn IHG elite status through elite qualifying points, you don’t have to worry about which points qualify.
How to redeem IHG points
You’ll generally get the most value when you redeem IHG points for hotel stays, but other options exist. Here’s what you need to know.
Reward nights
IHG One Rewards uses dynamic award pricing, meaning the number of points required to book a reward night at a particular property varies from night to night and may change at any time.
You can use points to book reward nights at most IHG properties. However, you may be unable to redeem points at IHG Army Hotels and Six Senses properties. The lowest rate I’ve seen for any IHG property recently is 5,000 points per night.
You may be able to book multiple room types with IHG points. At some properties, premium room types may cost more points than base room types. For example, on a random night at the InterContinental Presidente Mexico City, an executive-floor room costs 20,000 points more than a standard king room.
IHG
TPG’s October 2026 valuation of IHG points pegs their value at 0.6 cents each. So, you should generally aim to get at least this value when redeeming IHG points.
If you have an eligible IHG credit card, you can get more value from your points by using the fourth-night-free benefit. This benefit lets you effectively pay 0 points for every fourth night when you redeem points for a stay of four nights or longer. For example, here's what the benefit looks like for a sample four-night award stay with my IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card.
IHG
However, you can't combine the new hotel award discount with the fourth-reward-night-free benefit.
If you’re looking to conserve points, you may want to book using Points & Cash. As the name implies, you’ll pay partially with points and partially with cash on a Points & Cash booking. The cost of paying partially in cash through Points & Cash bookings varies, so consider whether the rate at which you’d be purchasing points provides good value.
IHG
One caveat about Points & Cash bookings is that you don’t get the cash portion back if you cancel the stay. Instead, IHG refunds the cash copay as points deposited in your IHG One Rewards account.
IHG One Rewards Access
IHG One Rewards Access is an auction platform where you can redeem IHG points for experiences. There are usually some experiences you can bid on and some experiences you can obtain by redeeming a set number of points. If you have a Mastercard, you can also redeem points for Mastercard Priceless Experiences.
Redeem for airline miles
You can also redeem IHG points for airline miles with select partners by calling the IHG One Rewards Service Center. However, you can usually only redeem in increments of 10,000 IHG points, and it may take up to six weeks for the miles to post to your airline loyalty account.
Other ways to redeem IHG points
Catalog: You can redeem IHG points for gift cards, merchandise and more via the IHG Catalog. However, your redemption rate will usually be lower than it would be on stays.
Donate points: You can also donate your IHG points to select charities through the IHG Catalog.
Transfer points: You can transfer IHG points from your account to friends or family in 1,000-point increments. Transfers usually cost $5 per 1,000 points, and you can transfer up to 100,000 points per calendar year. Transfer fees are waived for Diamond Elite and qualifying Business Rewards members.
Earning and redeeming IHG free night certificates
One of the most valuable perks of IHG credit cards with an annual fee is the free night certificates they provide. Here's a look at the IHG free night certificates you can obtain from currently available credit cards.
Card
Annual fee
Point redemption value of the anniversary free night certificate that you get each year as a cardholder
Opportunities to earn additional free night certificates by spending on your card
Earn a free night certificate with a point redemption value of 60,000 points or less when you spend $40,000 on purchases with your card in a calendar year.
Earn a free night certificate with a point redemption value of 50,000 points or less when you spend $60,000 on purchases with your card in a calendar year.
It's easy to redeem these free night certificates, although you can only use them when booking single-night stays. This is true even if you have multiple certificates or want to use a certificate for one night and points and cash for the rest of your stay.
To redeem, simply search for a one-night stay, select your free night certificate type from the "Rate Preference" drop-down menu and then click "Search."
IHG
The results page will show you which properties you can book on the date you searched with your certificate. And, as you can top up many types of IHG free night certificates with additional points from your account (the primary exception is certificates from legacy IHG cards that are no longer open for applications), you'll see how many points you'd need to redeem to use your certificate at a property with a redemption rate over the value of your certificate.
IHG
How to book an IHG award stay
Booking award nights through the IHG website or app is easy. I usually book through the IHG website.
To make a booking from the IHG homepage, click "Sign in" in the upper right-hand corner. Once you've signed in, type in your destination, dates, number of guests and number of rooms. Before clicking “Search,” click the “Rate Preference” drop-down option and select “Reward Nights.”
IHG
Once you click “Search,” you’ll see bookable options within a set radius of your destination. You can filter these options by brand and amenities. You can sort your results by distance, price or rating.
IHG
You can also click "Map" to view your results on a map.
IHG
Click “Select Hotel” to see award rates for each room type. By selecting the applicable tiles, you can see paid rates and Points & Cash rates. This will help you decide if redeeming points is worthwhile.
IHG
In this case, you could pay 15,666 IHG points or $108 per night for a reservation you can cancel without charge up to one day before your stay. So, you’d get 0.69 cents per point if you redeem for this stay.
Is IHG One Rewards worth it for you?
IHG One Rewards is free to join, so there’s little downside to enrolling before an eligible IHG stay. But whether it’s worth actively prioritizing depends on how you travel. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Do you regularly stay at IHG properties? If IHG’s footprint fits your travel patterns, the IHG One Rewards program may be rewarding since qualifying nights can move you toward both elite status and Milestone Rewards.
Would you get meaningful value from an IHG credit card? IHG One Rewards becomes more compelling if you have a card that provides elite status, elite night credits and access to the fourth-reward-night-free benefit. Luckily, IHG cards with annual fees offer an anniversary free night certificate and food-and-beverage credits that can often justify the annual fee.
Do IHG’s brands fit how you travel? IHG has everything from extended-stay and select-service properties to luxury brands like Six Senses, Regent and InterContinental, making the program useful for many types of trips.
Are you comfortable with dynamic award pricing? IHG points can provide good value, especially when you use the fourth-reward-night-free benefit, but redemption rates can vary significantly by property and date.
However, another hotel program may be a better primary choice if you value predictable award pricing or stronger guaranteed elite benefits.
Pros and cons of IHG One Rewards
Pros
Cons
Extensive global footprint
Variety of brands, ranging from extended stays and select service to luxury
Fourth-reward-night-free perk can provide good value
Cobranded cards that provide ample value
No award chart
Award night room inventory is limited
Resort fees on award stays
No lifetime elite status
Bottom line
IHG One Rewards remains one of my go-to hotel loyalty programs thanks to its large global footprint, wide range of brands and valuable Milestone Rewards. The cobranded IHG credit cards make the program even more compelling for many travelers, as they all offer elite night credits and automatic elite status. Plus, IHG cards like the IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card and the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card provide anniversary free night certificates and automatic access to the fourth-reward-night-free perk.
Dynamic award pricing and limited award inventory can make some redemptions frustrating, though. And IHG’s elite benefits aren’t always as strong as those offered by competing programs. Still, there’s plenty of value to be found, especially for frequent guests who can also make good use of an IHG credit card.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.