The IHG card seems to have adopted a new schedule for posting signup bonus. Normally for Chase cards, upon closing of the statement in which you meet minimum spending requirement, all points earned in that period post to the reward account around the same time, including the signup bonus, bonus for adding authorized user (AU), and points for the spend. Now, the IHG card is posting the latter 2 right after statement closing, but the most important part – the signup bonus – is taking several more days to post. Here’s a real example:
As you can see, the base points and AU bonus posted on 1/5, but the signup bonus didn’t post until 1/9. Flyertalk has several similar data points recently, with one user being told IHG performs a separate review of bonus eligibility before posting. Frustratingly, this user was denied signup bonus even though their Chase statement affirmed it, but IHG deemed them ineligible due to not waiting 2 years since the last signup bonus. This strongly implies IHG uses a stricter formula to calculate the 2 year period than Chase.
So, if your IHG signup bonus didn’t post with the spend points, give it a few days before panicking. Also, best to wait at least 26 months from the last signup bonus before meeting minimum spend (and triggering the signup bonus). You can still get the card after 24 months, but don’t meet minimum spend until 26 months in, to stay clear of IHG’s wrath.
Leave a Reply