Is the IHG United TravelBank ‘Double Dip’ Disappearing?

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The IHG Premier card’s $25 United TravelBank deposits are one of those small perks that feels bigger than it is — mostly because there’s a clever way to use it.

If you time it right, you can have two $25 deposits available at the same time — the tail end of the previous one, plus the brand-new deposit — and effectively “double dip.” I wrote about that trick last year.

But there’s a catch: this only works if the new deposit shows up early enough. And based on what cardholders are reporting this January, that posting date may be creeping later — quietly shrinking (or wiping out) the overlap window.

Reminder: how the double-dip works (and why the window is tiny)

The key detail is that these TravelBank deposits don’t expire “six months from whenever they post.” They expire on fixed dates.

The $25 United TravelBank deposits that land between January 1 and June 30 expire on July 15 of the same calendar year. Deposits that land between July 1 and December 31 expire on January 15 of the following year — regardless of deposit date.

That creates a short overlap window twice a year when you can combine both $25 deposits and use $50 toward a single United purchase. For example:

• If you haven’t used the $25 deposited in July, you can stack it with the new $25 deposit made in January and use the full $50 before January 15.
• If you haven’t used the $25 deposited in January, you can stack it with the new $25 deposit made in July and use the full $50 before July 15.

The deposit date is drifting later

Normally, a credit arriving a day or two later than usual isn’t anything to worry about. It will show up eventually.

But if you’re trying to book a United flight and use the full $50, you want that second $25 deposit to show up ASAP — and apparently, I’m not the only one watching the clock this year.

In a post on the r/unitedairlines subreddit, a user asked if anyone had received the January deposit yet, noting it was already January 6 and nothing had posted. Others replied that they were still waiting as well.

In my own account, these deposits have typically shown up right around the 5th — though last January mine didn’t post until the 7th. If this January deposit slips past that again, it starts eating into the double-dip window fast.

Why the delay matters: Jan 15 / Jul 15 are hard deadlines

Chase describes the two deposits as happening “on or about” January 5 and July 5 each year.

“…on or about January 5…” and “…on or about July 5…”

It appears the “on or about” in that statement is doing the work, so there’s not much we can do but keep checking for the deposit to arrive. But the later it shows up, the shorter the window to double-dip becomes.

Because the expiration date doesn’t move, a late January deposit doesn’t just show up “a little late” — it can turn the double-dip into a race against January 15.

What to do this cycle

If you’re like me and you have a $25 deposit sitting in your TravelBank that’s going to expire on the 15th — and you’re holding off on buying a ticket because you’re trying to stack it with the new $25 — the only real option is to keep checking your account and hope the new deposit posts in time.

At worst, if it comes down to it, I’d use the $25 that’s going to expire on the 15th so it doesn’t go to waste. The new $25 deposit will still be usable later (through July), even if the double-dip doesn’t happen this cycle.

Final Thought

I don’t think this means IHG is “ending” the TravelBank credit — but if the deposit keeps landing later and later, the practical ability to double dip starts to disappear for a lot of people. When the expiration dates are fixed (Jan 15 / Jul 15), even a small delay can turn what used to be a reliable overlap into a gamble.

If you’re trying to stack credits this cycle, my advice is simple: don’t let the older $25 expire while you’re waiting for the new one. If the new deposit shows up in time, great—you can still double-dip. But if it doesn’t, at least you didn’t lose money you already had sitting there.

And if you’ve noticed your deposit dates shifting (or if yours already posted this month), feel free to share a datapoint in the comments — it helps everyone figure out whether this is a one-off hiccup or the new normal.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary