IHG® One Rewards
IHG Hotels & Resorts
VS
qitaf
stc
IHG® One Rewards vs qitaf: which loyalty program wins?
We score IHG® One Rewards and qitaf on the same five factors — earning rate, redemption value, partner network, ease of use, and point expiry — to help you choose the right program for how you actually spend.
Verdict
IHG® One Rewards is best for Frequent flyers, while qitaf is best for Heavy stc users on plans that earn points + frequent partner shoppers.
Skip IHG® One Rewards if Anyone wanting predictable redemption costs or daily-spend earning, and skip qitaf if Non-STC subscribers.
Overall rating
| IHG® One Rewards | qitaf | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.2 / 5 | 3.5 / 5 |
| Earning | 3.0 / 5 | 3.0 / 5 |
| Redemption | 3.0 / 5 | 3.0 / 5 |
| Network | 4.0 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
| Ease of use | 3.0 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
| Expiry | 3.0 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
Earning structure
| IHG® One Rewards | Members earn 10 base points per USD spent at most IHG brands. Extended-stay brands (Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites) earn 5 points/USD. Elite tier members receive bonus points: Silver +20%, Gold +40%, Platinum +60%, Diamond +100%. Saudi users do not have access to IHG-branded credit cards - the IHG Premier and Traveler cards from Chase are US-only. Members can also earn points through Hertz car rentals (1,500 bonus + 125-500 points/day), OpenTable dining reservations, and point purchases. | |
|---|---|---|
| qitaf | Postpaid customers earn 1 Qitaf point per 15 SAR paid against eligible portions of their bill. Tamayouz Platinum customers earn 1.5 points per 15 SAR; Tamayouz Diamond customers earn 2 points per 15 SAR. Specific Mofawtar Prime and Baity packages earn fixed monthly bonuses ranging from 10 to 35 points. Members earn 1 point per 10 SAR at most partner outlets (Yelo, Applebee's, Ocean Basket, AbdulSamad AlQurashi, and others), and varying rates at others. Travel partners include Almosafer (1 point per 20 SAR flights, 1 per 10 SAR hotels) and Flyin. Excluded from earning: VAT, device installments, direct billing services (Apple, Google, Netflix, Spotify, OSN, stc TV), roaming packages, and many add-ons. |
Redemption structure
| IHG® One Rewards | Points redeem for hotel stays at 6,300+ IHG properties in 100+ countries. Variable point pricing applies (no published award chart since 2018) - redemption costs shift based on cash rates. Members can also use Points + Cash flexibility, transfer to 30+ airline partners (typically poor 5:1 or 10:1 ratios), redeem for gift cards, merchandise, or Hertz car rentals. Platinum and Diamond Elite members get exclusive access to promotional Reward Night discounts. IHG dropped fixed award charts in favor of variable dynamic pricing, making redemption costs less predictable than competitors. | |
|---|---|---|
| qitaf | Points redeem at partner outlets at a rate of 5 Qitaf points = 1 SAR by sharing the registered mobile number with the cashier and confirming via OTP. Members can also pay Saudi Electricity bills with points, redeem for stc internal services (minutes, SMS, data, bill discounts), transfer to flynas naSmiles miles at 1 Qitaf = 2 miles, or use points toward flights and hotels via Almosafer and Flyin. Internal stc rewards (minutes, SMS, data) expire 1 month from issuance. Redemption is processed via the Qitaf app, mySTC app, web portal, SMS to 900, or by calling 900. The Qitaf app supports non-stc users. |
Partner network · Tiers & status · Point expiry policy
| IHG® One Rewards | qitaf | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of partners | 0 | 0 |
| Partners | — | — |
| Number of tiers | 5 | 0 |
| Top tier | Diamond Elite | — |
| First-tier qualification | 20,000 points | — |
| Point expiry | 12 months inactivity (reset on earn) | 12 months |