How to earn booking platform rewards: a checklist

Which account and country rules decide whether a booking earns?

IHG One Rewards is free to join but requires one account, used only by you, with an account name matching your legal photo identification, a single email address, current contact details, and a member who is the age of majority in their state, province or country, whichever is older. [8] Some countries' laws may prohibit participation in the programme or parts of it, and members residing in China are directed to the Chinese translated version of the terms. [8]

Marriott Bonvoy is open to individuals who are at least 18 or have reached the age of majority where they live, and who reside in a jurisdiction that legally permits participation; where the English and a translated version differ, the English version governs. [6] Accounts are individual and may not be shared, and members must keep their mailing address, email address and personal details current, because the programme is not responsible for communications lost to outdated details. [6]

Booking.com's Genius programme needs only a free account to unlock Level 1, but your level shows correctly only when you are signed in to the same account on every device. [2]

Which rate and booking channel counts as eligible?

IHG One Rewards awards points on qualifying stays booked through IHG Customer Care, IHG websites, the IHG One Rewards app, the IHG WeChat mini program, Iberostar channels and IberostarPro, directly at the hotel, or through an Authorized Travel Agent, meaning a platform with a direct distribution agreement that specifically provides for its nights to be qualifying stays; online travel agencies such as Expedia.com and booking.com fall outside that group unless they hold such an agreement. [8] Non-qualifying rates also include complimentary rooms, airline or travel partner passenger rates given for travel delays, tour operator or wholesaler rates, seasonal worker or crew rates, 50% Travel Club discount rates, and group rates unless the member individually pays the hotel for their own room rather than through the group's master account. [8] On most non-qualifying rates no points are earned on the room rate and no member benefits apply, although points still accrue on other eligible charges billed to the room. [8]

Qualifying rates at IHG include Reward Night and Free Night stays, IHG Member Rates on Authorized Travel Agent platforms, the IHG Employee Discount Rate and most business and leisure rates, and locally negotiated rates in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Greater China, while elsewhere a locally negotiated rate qualifies only if it is discounted by less than 30%. [8] At InterContinental Alliance Resorts the reservation must be made through IHG channels to be eligible for points. [8]

Marriott Bonvoy sets the bar at the folio: the member must be the registered guest, must provide the membership number at the time of reservation or at check-in, and must pay for the charges. [6]

Booking.com Genius counts completed bookings, so all stay, flight, rental car, taxi and attraction bookings you complete count toward progress, while ride hail, cruises, insurance, public transit, free options and extras such as room upgrades, car seats and additional luggage are excluded. [2]

How do tier, payer and stay completion change what you earn?

IHG One Rewards adds an elite tier bonus to the points a member collects, at these published percentages: [8]

Base earning at IHG is 10 points per US dollar at most brands, 5 at Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Residences, and 3 at IHG Army Hotels. [8] Marriott Bonvoy pays 10 base points per US dollar on qualifying charges at most brands, 5 at Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, City Express, Element, Four Points Flex, Homes & Villas, Marriott Executive Apartments, Protea Hotels, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites — though at Marriott Executive Apartments points are earned only on Qualifying Rates, not on other qualifying charges — and 4 at StudioRes, with elite bonus points depending on the status achieved. [6] A Marriott member may also earn on up to two additional guest rooms with the same check-in and check-out dates when those charges sit on their folio. [6]

Who pays matters in two narrower places. At Marriott Participating Outlets a member may need to give the membership number when paying or use a payment card linked to the account, and in some markets, where one card is linked to several accounts only the most recently linked account earns. [6] At IHG only the member whose name and account number are on the reservation earns points and qualifying night credit, so a second guest sharing the room does not split it. [8]

Completion is the last gate. IHG awards nothing for no-shows or for rooms cancelled after the hotel's cancellation time, even if the room is paid in full, and if two rooms are booked for the same day only one qualifying night counts. [8] Booking.com counts a reservation once however many rooms, seats or travellers it includes. [2]

When do rewards post, and how long do you have to claim them?

Booking.com says completed bookings must be updated in its system before they show in your progress, and that this can take some time. [2]

Marriott says points from Participating Outlets may take up to 10 days after the transaction to post and invites members to contact Member Support if they have not appeared after 10 days, while missing-credit requests must be received within one year of the activity. [6] New members may request credit for eligible activity completed in the 30 days before enrolment if they ask within that year. [6]

IHG will not make point or stay adjustments more than 90 days after the statement date and expects members to keep hotel receipts, which are required for adjustment requests based on a stay. [8] Enrolment timing matters too: points are earned from the enrolment date, stays completed before it earn nothing, but a member who enrols during a stay at an IHG branded hotel, excluding InterContinental Alliance Resorts, earns 1,000 points for that stay if the reservation was made through IHG channels, directly with the hotel, or through an online travel agent such as Expedia.com and booking.com. [8]

Exceptions and limits

• Not every property participates. Marriott lists non-participating brands and properties including Bulgari Hotels and Resorts and The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, and where a property exits the programme members stop earning there even for stays booked before the exit date. [6]
• IHG One Rewards applies only at specific Six Senses properties, participating Iberostar Beachfront Resorts and participating Ruby Hotels, with Ruby Hotels being integrated progressively from January 2026. [8]
• Rewards must be kept alive after they post: IHG Club-level points expire after 12 months without an earn or redeem transaction, while elite members' points do not expire while elite status is maintained. [8] Marriott requires qualifying activity at least once every 24 months, and gifting, transferring or receiving points does not count. [6]
• Booking.com Genius rewards, once a level is unlocked, are kept for life and members are not demoted. [2] A higher level is not a promise of a bigger discount, because Genius percentages vary by property and some properties give the same discount at every level. [2]

Frequently asked questions

Do you earn hotel points when you book a hotel through a booking site?

Not at IHG One Rewards: bookings through online travel agencies such as Expedia.com and booking.com are non-qualifying rates unless the platform is an Authorized Travel Agent with a direct distribution agreement. [8] The booking still counts toward Booking.com Genius progress once the stay is completed. [2]

Do you give your membership number at booking or at check-in?

Marriott Bonvoy accepts either, provided you are the registered guest in one of the reserved rooms and you pay for the charges. [6] IHG will link a booking to your account automatically when it carries identifiable information such as your phone number or email address, but Iberostar bookings need the membership number added manually. [8]

Does a no-show or a late cancellation still earn rewards?

At IHG One Rewards, no: points and qualifying night credit are not awarded for no-shows or for rooms cancelled after the hotel's cancellation time, even if the room is paid in full. [8] Booking.com counts only completed bookings toward Genius progress. [2]

How long does it take for rewards to post?

Booking.com says completed bookings must be updated in its system before appearing in your progress and that this can take some time. [2] Marriott says points from Participating Outlets may take up to 10 days after the transaction. [6]

Related pages

Programme profiles: Booking.com Genius, Agoda Rewards, Priceline VIP, Trip.com membership, One Key. Comparisons: booking-platform rewards terms checklist and booking-platform rewards value compared. Definitions: frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers Booking.com Genius, Marriott Bonvoy and IHG One Rewards; Agoda Rewards, Priceline VIP, Trip.com membership and One Key are not covered here.

1. Booking.com Genius loyalty programme page, checked 18 October 2026
2. Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programme terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
3. IHG One Rewards membership terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026