Buying Points
The Old Way
It’s simple you can buy more points, subject to the rules below, to top up your balance – whether you need the extra points for Status – or to get that reward stay you’ve been saving up for.
It’s rarely cheaper to buy points for a reward night than pay the rack rate – but of course exceptions do apply – such as a Points Break stay.
- A 1,000 point minimum and a 40,000 point maximum
- no more than a 40,000 point maximum per rolling 12 month period
- in 1,000 point increments for
- 1,000 – 9,000 points US $13.50 per 1,000 points
- 10,000 – 19,000 points US $12.50 per 1,000 points
- 20,000 – 40,000 points US $11.50 per 1,000 points
The New Way – Half Price Points
So you can now make a points reservation and pay part-points part-cash.
And you can also cancel these reservations. When you cancel the points originally deposited go back in to your account + the points purchased also go back in to your account, as there is no cash refund for the extra points purchased, so you’re effectively getting points at half price!
- To buy 5,000 points cost US$40 – US $8.00 per 1,000 points
- To buy 10,000 points cost US$60 – US $6.00 per 1,000 points
Nice and Easy..
- Step 1. You need a minimum of 5,000 points in your account
- Step 2. Search for a reward night for some time in the future
- (I’m going to use the Holiday Inn Express in Derby at 15,000pts per night for one night)
- Step 3. Book the night and select “5,000″ + US$60
- Step 4. Complete Credit-card details and confirm booking
- Step 5. Cancel the booking
Result..
The 5,000 points originally debited are credited back + the 10,000 extra you just purchased for US$60. Job done!
Do these points count for status? Afraid not.
Therefore when booking a room don’t pay more than…
…unless you need the qualifying night to trigger a promotion.
- US$60 Holiday Inn Express* (10,000 points)
- US$90 Candlewood Suites (15,000 points)
- US$120 Staybridge Suites® (20,000 points)
- US$150 Crowne Plaza / Hotel Indigo (25,000 points)
- US$165 Holiday Inn Club Vacations™ (27,500 points)
- US$180 Intercontinental (30,000 points)
- US$240 Intercontinental (40,000 points)
* Can also cost 15,000 or 25,000 points depending on the property.
Which hotels do you see 15,000 pts + $90. Any IC’s?
Thanks,
-Kinglobjaw
Mark, there are some IC’s at 30,000 points such as the two in Cario – you just have to find them!
You can’t book 15,000 pts + $90, but you can book 20,000pts + US$60
Has Points and Cash been withdrawn? It wasn’t working earlier this week and now its disappeared from the PC website! Anyone know what’s happenning?
Some hotels don’t offer points + cash…keep looking
does it still works ?
Has anybody found more than 10k Points for US$60 ? Cairo seems to be fixed
Try Sydney, Australia. All the hotels there offer cash and points. Actually, it is offered in most cities around Australia.
How often does this work? Generating Priority Club Points in the amount of more than 200.000 Points possible?
@Matze
I don’t see why not – but untested.
@Alan
Sometimes the whole Points+Cash system falls over for a couple of days and then comes back to life. I don’t believe it works on a hotel by hotel basis.
I hope I understand the rules, but it’s not ONLY for status reasons you might want to pay more than the prices you list above, is it?
If you use the points you have just bought instead of cash, you don’t get any more PC points. These would be at least 1500 for a $150 / 25000 points stay, which is 6%. But it could be much more if you have signed up for current promotions like the double points now on, some of the extra points offers your great site shows us, and gold or platinum bonuses too.
So for $150 you might receive in total: 3000 doubled-up points, 750 for platinum bonus, and possibly another 3000 for next stay bonus, welcome back bonus, etc. This now adds up to 6750 which is 27% of 25000.
So maybe you should make it clear that it might be worth paying more than the listed prices, according to how many extra PC points you will get for the stay?
Regards, Mark
if the hotel shows 10000 plus $40 – how many points would I receive
I am new so have mercy
So it seems to me that I should buy as many points as I can at half price, correct?
@Mark
True, but I do say “Therefore when booking a room don’t pay more than……unless you need the qualifying night to trigger a promotion.”
@joan
5,000 points. If you scroll down you might find a 10,000 points + US$60 deal which offers better value
@Solomon
Correct