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The Essential Guide to IHG Rewards Dine & Earn [2024]

Join IHG Rewards Dine & Earn for free and earn points when you spend at more than 10,000 restaurants, clubs, and bars.

Guide to the IHG Rewards Club Dining Program
Updated Dec. 10, 2024
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Do you enjoy dining out and getting rewarded with free money? If you do, you should join IHG Rewards Dine & Earn. Signing up is free, and earning rewards points is as simple as registering one of your credit cards and using it at one of more than 10,000 IHG Rewards Dine & Earn participating restaurants, bars, and clubs.

IHG Rewards is much broader than just a dining rewards program, though. IHG points can be earned lots of ways, which include staying at participating hotels and using certain credit cards that either earn you IHG rewards or rewards you can transfer for IHG points.

All of your IHG points — including those earned from joining IHG Rewards Dine & Earn — can be redeemed for free nights at hotels; merchandise from online catalogs; magazine subscriptions; digital media; or airline miles. Points can also be transferred to other IHG Rewards account members or donated to charity.

With so many ways to earn and redeem IHG rewards, there's no reason not to join IHG Rewards Dine & Earn. Here’s how it works and what to expect.

In this article

What is IHG Rewards Dine & Earn?

IHG Rewards Dine & Earn is a program operated by IHG Rewards. You can join Dine & Earn for free by signing up at IHG Rewards Dine & Earn. You'll need to be an IHG Rewards member first, though, so join the loyalty program if you haven't already.

Once you've signed up for Dine & Earn, the next step is to register all of the credit and debit cards you use to make purchases at restaurants and other food venues. You can register as many as you want, so add any card you'd potentially use to dine out.

After your cards are registered, you'll get points when you pay with them at one of more than 10,000 participating restaurants, clubs, and bars. You'll also earn points for taxes and tip. The number of points you get will vary depending on your membership level within the IHG loyalty program.

How many points can you earn with IHG Rewards Dine & Earn?

When you've joined IHG Rewards Dine & Earn, you’ll earn:

  • One point per dollar spent if you're a Basic member
  • Five points per dollar spent if you're a Select member
  • Eight points per dollar spent if you're a VIP member

For a Basic membership, simply sign up for IHG Rewards. You can move up to the Select membership tier by opting to receive email offers from IHG Rewards Dine & Earn — just make sure you use a valid email address.

Finally, you can earn VIP status and the most points by both opting to receiving email offers and completing 11 qualifying transactions per calendar year. The extra points per dollar spent start on your 12th transaction.

When you first sign up for IHG Rewards Dine & Earn, you can also earn 1,000 bonus points if you spend at least $30 within the first 30 days of joining. To earn your bonus points, just sign up, spend at least $30 at participating restaurants within one month, pay with a debit or credit card you’ve registered, and complete an online review of the restaurant within 30 days of your visit.

How does IHG Rewards Dine & Earn work?

Once you've joined IHG Rewards Dine & Earn, you can visit the program's website to find out what restaurants, bars, and clubs allow you to earn points. You can search by either the name of the dining establishment or by ZIP code or city and state to find participating restaurants near you.

Then visit a restaurant that participates in the program and pay using a credit or debit card you've registered on the IHG website. You'll earn between one and eight points per dollar spent on your food and drink purchases, as well as on tax and tip, with the number of points determined by your membership level.

Your Dine & Earn points will be added to other IHG points you get from other activities, such as staying at a participating hotel, using a credit card that earns IHG points, or scoring points with another credit card and transferring them to IHG Rewards. For example, you might have one of the best hotel credit cards that you use frequently. You may also be able to register this card with IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card to earn additional rewards. 

What are the benefits of enrolling in IHG Rewards Dine & Earn?

The benefits of enrolling in this program are obvious. Once you register your cards, you effortlessly earn more IHG points whenever you dine at a participating restaurant or visit a club or bar that’s an IHG partner.

By signing up for free and taking a few seconds to register your cards, you can earn IHG rewards quickly and accrue points to score free travel or cool merchandise.

How to find IHG Rewards Dine & Earn participating restaurants

You can only earn points at IHG Rewards Dine & Earn participating restaurants, but fortunately, finding one is easy. Simply visit the IHG Rewards website and search by either restaurant name or geographic location.

Guide to the IHG Rewards Club Dining Program

Once you've completed the search, you’ll see a list of participating restaurants that match the name you provided or are located within the city or ZIP code you entered.

Guide to the IHG Rewards Club Dining Program

You can choose to see the participating restaurants in list view or map view. You can also conduct an advanced search to narrow down restaurants by cuisine or limit the results to only new restaurants or establishments that have been reviewed by other customers.

Guide to the IHG Rewards Club Dining Program

How to use your credit cards to earn more IHG Rewards Dine & Earn points

Dining at IHG Rewards Dine & Earn participating restaurants helps you earn IHG points, but you can also rack up significantly more rewards by opening a credit card that offers IHG points for spending. Or you can opt for a credit card that lets you score rewards in another program that can be transferred and converted into IHG points.

Here are a few of the travel credit cards we recommend:

Card name Welcome bonus Rewards rate Key travel benefits Annual fee
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening up to 26X total points on stays at IHG hotels & resorts; 5X points on travel, gas stations, and restaurants; and 3X points on all other purchases Free night at an IHG hotel on your account anniversary each year

Up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years

Trip cancellation or interruption insurance

$99
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases Option to transfer points to IHG Rewards or to airline or hotel travel partners

$50 annual credit on hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠

Trip cancellation or interruption insurance

Emergency assistance service while traveling

$95
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening 5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 3X points on other travel and dining & 1X points per dollar on all other purchases $300 statement credit annually for travel spending

Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years

Two free years of Lyft Pink All Access (activate by Dec. 31, 2024)

Trip cancellation or interruption insurance

$550 
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25 Up to a $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years

Travel accident insurance1

$95

Common questions about IHG Rewards Dine & Earn

Is it free to join IHG Rewards Dine & Earn?

Yes, it’s free to join IHG Rewards Dine & Earn.

Are there bonuses for new members?

New members can earn a 1,000-point IHG Dine & Earn Rewards bonus by spending $30 or more at a participating restaurant within 30 days of becoming an IHG Rewards Dine & Earn member. You’ll need to pay with your registered credit or debit card at the participating restaurant and leave an online review of the establishment within 30 days of eating there to get your bonus.

How long does it take for IHG Rewards Dine & Earn points to post?

It can take up to five days for your transaction to appear in your account after you dine at an IHG Rewards Dine & Earn participating restaurant. The specific length of time it will take depends on how the establishment you visited processes credit cards. After your transaction has been processed, it takes six to eight weeks from the date the transaction occurs for the points to post to your IHG Rewards account.

How can I earn more points through IHG Rewards Dine & Earn?

As an IHG Rewards Dine & Earn member, you can score additional rewards by taking advantage of bonus or promotional offers. You can find out about these by visiting the IHG Rewards website and selecting "Earn more."

Currently, you can earn points by purchasing through Fazenda Coffee Roasters with a credit or debit card you have registered.

You can also maximize points by making sure to register your credit and debit cards and by dining out early and often. Once you have 11 transactions, you can go from earning one or five points per dollar (depending on your membership level) to earning eight points per dollar as a VIP member.

Do IHG Rewards Dine & Earn memberships expire?

Your IHG Rewards Dine & Earn membership can expire. If there is no dining activity on your registered debit or credit cards for 36 months, your membership will be rendered inactive.

How to sign up for IHG Rewards Dine & Earn

Signing up for IHG Rewards Dine & Earn takes just a few minutes. However, you need to be an IHG Rewards member before you can join Dine & Earn. To do this, visit the IHG Rewards page and select "Join Now."

Next, input:

  • Your first and last name
  • Your street address
  • Your email address
  • The country where you’re located
  • A four-digit PIN of your choosing

After submitting the form with this information, you'll officially be an IHG Rewards member. Now, you just need to join Dine & Earn.

  • Visit the IHG Rewards Dine & Earn website
  • Select "Join Now"
  • Input your first and last name, ZIP code, and the email address you use for your IHG Rewards account
  • Agree to the terms and conditions of the program
  • Choose whether to opt in to receiving emails from participating restaurants — which would allow you to earn five points per dollar instead of one point per dollar spent
  • Create a username and input your name, address, password, and IHG Rewards number

Complete the process by linking the credit or debit cards you'll use when dining out. Then you're ready to earn points on every meal at any participating establishment.

Joining IHG Rewards Dine & Earn is worth the effort

Since it’s free and takes only seconds to start earning points for dining at IHG Dine & Earn Rewards participating restaurants, just about everyone who eats out would benefit by joining IHG Rewards. And remember, you can earn points even faster if you also have a credit card that provides IHG points or if you stay at participating hotels. With the right strategy, you could be well on your way to deep discounts on travel, especially if you have one of the best travel credit cards in your pocket.

Earn an Annual Free Night

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
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IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

Current Offer

Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual Fee

$99

Rewards Rate

up to 26X total points on stays at IHG hotels & resorts; 5X points on travel, gas stations, and restaurants; and 3X points on all other purchases

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Author Details

Christy Rakoczy

Christy Rakoczy has a Juris Doctorate from UCLA Law School with a focus in Business Law, and a Certificate in Business Marketing with an English Degree from The University of Rochester. As a full-time personal finance writer, she writes about all things money-related but her special areas of focus are credit cards, personal loans, student loans, mortgages, smart debt payoff strategies, and retirement and Social Security. Her work has been featured by USA Today, MSN Money, CNN Money and more, and you can learn more at her LinkedIn profile.