Editor’s Note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
If you use one of the Best credit card for dining When you go out to eat, you have earned many rewards at restaurants. However, if you’re looking to collect a few more points or miles, you might also want to sign up food rewards program.
We reviewed other dining rewards programs, including Dinner at Hilton Honors, American Airlines AAdvantage Diningand Marriott’s Eat Around Town. But today, we’re going to look at another program: IHG Rewards Dine and Earn.
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Overview of IHG Rewards Dine and Earn
The IHG Meal and Earn Program allow you earn IHG points for every dollar you spend at certain restaurants, bars and clubs. These points are on top of rewards you normally earn through your credit card or restaurant rewards program.
To get started, you need to sign up for the program and add at least one card to your account. You can then search for eligible restaurants, bars and clubs. When you dine and pay at these locations with your registered card, you’ll earn extra IHG points.
The rest of this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to maximize the IHG Rewards Dine and Earn program.
Related: How to redeem points with IHG One Rewards
How to join
You can register online to participate in the IHG Rewards Dine and Earn program. However, before doing so, you should check that new member bonus available.
As of publication, new IHG Rewards Dine and Earn members without a dining record can earn 1,000 IHG points when they join the program. To earn bonus points, new members must spend $30 or more at any participating restaurant during the first 30 days using their registered credit or debit card, continue to receive emails and complete an online assessment within 30 days of their visit. Based Valuation of TPG1,000 IHG points worth $5.
Whether you’re signing up with the new membership bonus or not, you’ll need to provide some information to join the program. First, you need to provide your last name, first name, zip code and email address, as well as your IHG One Rewards number. You’ll want to choose to receive email notifications, as doing so unlocks new member rewards and higher monetization rates.
On the next pages, you’ll need to create a username and password and enter your own home address. You will also need to enter information for a Credit or debit card that you want to associate with the IHG Rewards Dine and Earn program.
Related: Can I earn points and miles from 2 food rewards programs at the same time?
How to use IHG Rewards Dine and Earn
Once you’ve joined the IHG Rewards Dine and Earn program, you’ll want to look for participating restaurants, bars and clubs near your home, office, and high-traffic areas. To do so, log in to your account and enter your location.
It’s worth noting that some restaurants may not host rewards every day of the week. In the example below, Chalet does not provide benefits on Mondays and Tuesdays.
You can use the more advanced search to filter and sort based on certain criteria, including price, dining options, and meal service. You can also use advanced search to find eligible restaurants near a specific address and exclude restaurants that don’t offer rewards today.
Then use the registered card to pay at an eligible restaurant and earn bonus IHG points on the amount paid.
IHG One Rewards points usually expire after 12 months if there is no account activity and you do not maintain IHG One Rewards elite status. However, you can create an activity by dining with a registered card at an eligible restaurant. So using the IHG Rewards Dine and Earn program can be a useful way to make sure your points don’t expire.
Related: 11 of the most generous airline and hotel dining programs
Earning rate
Your rate of earning through the IHG Rewards Dine and Earn program will depend on whether you achieved elite status in the IHG Rewards Dine and Earn program and whether you choose to receive email notifications. Here are the relevant status levels, monetization rates, and benefits:
| Membership level | How to reach this level | Earning rate | Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIP member | Choose to receive email and complete 11 eligible transactions in a calendar year. | 8 points for every dollar spent. | Special VIP-only offers, more bonuses and benefits, and exclusive pre-communication. |
| Choose a member | Select receive email. | 5 points for every dollar spent. | Extra bonuses and benefits and exclusive pre-contact information. |
| Basic member | Join the program and opt out of receiving emails. | 1 point for every dollar spent. | Periodic bonus opportunities. |
Once you gain VIP status, you keep it for the year you earn it and the following year.
As you can see, earning and then maintaining VIP membership with the IHG Rewards Dine and Earn program will allow you to maximize your earning opportunities. Also, since the income through this program is on top of any rewards you earn from your credit card or restaurant loyalty programThe profit you earn from the IHG Rewards Dine and Earn program is just the beginning.
Related: The best credit cards for dining
Which cards to use with IHG Rewards Dine and Earn
You will want to use one or more Best credit cards for eating out when you set up your IHG Rewards Dine and Earn profile. Here are some tags to consider:
Information about the Amex Green Card has been independently obtained by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
You can apply for almost any credit or debit card in the IHG Rewards Dine and Earn program. If you are wanting accumulate IHG points quickly for upcoming redemption you can register IHG Rewards credit card. If you apply for an IHG card and then use it at an eligible restaurant, you’ll earn IHG points on spending on your card plus 1 to 8 points for every dollar spent from IHG Rewards Dine and Earn.
You may only apply for each debit or credit card in a food rewards program operated by the Rewards Network. So if you plan on using multiple dining rewards programs, you’ll need to use a different card for each.
Related: I Tried Amex Gold Dining Credits At All 6 Participating Merchants: Here’s How To Maximize It
More dining opportunities to earn IHG points
You can also earn IHG points through IHG’s partnership with OpenTable and GrubHub when you click through the word IHG’s partner offering page. Specifically, you can earn up to 500 IHG points when you reserve OpenTable. And you can earn 500 IHG points on your first food delivery and 250 IHG points on subsequent food deliveries when you order from GrubHub.
Related: Easy strategies to save money on food delivery and takeout
Key point
Many hotel and airline loyalty programs offer the ability to earn rewards points or miles through their own Rewards Network food rewards program. Each of these offers distinct promotions and slightly different income structures.
So, before joining IHG Rewards Eat and Earn, you should consider if it is the best food rewards program run by the Rewards Network. This is especially true as most dining rewards programs offer a higher percentage of earnings and bonuses to consumers who regularly use the program.
Additional reporting by Ehsan Haque.
