According to VFTW, starting September 30, points earned through spending on the IHG Premier card will no longer count as Elite Qualifying Points (EQP), meaning they can no longer be used to earn higher IHG elite status. In theory, it used to be possible to move from Platinum to Diamond without any hotel stays, purely through card spending. In short, top-tier status will still need to be earned the old-fashioned way: by staying at hotels.
Previously, points transferred from UR to IHG also counted as EQP. It is unclear whether that path has been shut down as well.
