Marriott Bonvoy has just launched its newest promotion on purchased points, which is the first offer we’ve seen from the program in 2024. This has the potential to be a great deal, so let’s go over all the details.
In this post:
Promotion on purchased Marriott Bonvoy points
Through Sunday, March 31, 2024, Marriott Bonvoy is offering a bonus on purchased points. All the accounts I manage show a bonus of 40%, as long as you purchase at least 2,000 points in one transaction. It’s possible that other accounts are eligible for different offers, so you’ll want to log into your Bonvoy account and see what your account shows.
How much does it cost to buy Marriott Bonvoy points?
Ordinarily you can buy Marriott Bonvoy points for 1.25 cents each, before any discounts or bonuses. If you were eligible for the 40% bonus and maxed out the offer, you could purchase 140,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at a cost of $1,250. That’s a rate of 0.89 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point.
How many Marriott Bonvoy points can you buy?
Marriott Bonvoy ordinarily lets you buy up to 100,000 points per calendar year, before any bonuses. Do note that Marriott Bonvoy lets you share up to 100,000 points per year with another member, which could be an opportunity to potentially acquire even more points.
The terms suggest that it could take up to seven business days for purchased points to post. Furthermore, there are some eligibility restrictions to be aware of:
- A new member may purchase points 30 days after enrollment if they have some qualifying activity
- Without qualifying activity, a new member may purchase points only one year after enrollment
Which credit card should you buy Marriott Bonvoy points with?
Marriott Bonvoy points purchases are processed by points.com, meaning they don’t count as a hotel purchase for the purposes of credit card spending.
I’d recommend using a card with which you’re trying to reach a minimum spending requirement, or a credit card that maximizes your return on everyday spending, like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (review), Citi Double Cash® Card (review), or Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (review) (Rates & Fees).
When in doubt, review which credit cards are best for buying points and miles.
- Earn 1% cash back when you make a purchase, earn 1% cash back when you pay for that purchase
- $0
- Earn 3% Cash Back on Dining
- Earn 3% Cash Back at Drugstores
- Earn 1.5% Cash Back On All Other Purchases
- $0
- Earn 2x miles on every purchase
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary
- $395
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Global Entry/TSA Pre-Check Credit
- $95
- 2x points on purchases up to $50k then 1x
- Access to Amex Offers
- No annual fee
Is buying Marriott Bonvoy points worth it?
While I’m not particularly loyal to Marriott as such, there’s no denying that Marriott Bonvoy has some phenomenal hotels around the world. At an acquisition cost of 0.89 cents per Bonvoy point, there are situations where you can get outsized value for your points, especially if you’re topping off an account for a redemption.
As of 2022, Marriott Bonvoy introduced dynamic award pricing, so there’s no longer an award chart that redemptions follow (though there is an unofficial award chart). However, there are still all kinds of properties where you can get a ton of value, ranging from the Ritz-Carlton Maldives, to many of the Luxury Collection properties in the Mediterranean in summer.
How many points do you need for a free night with Marriott?
In the past Marriott Bonvoy had an award chart, and hotels cost anywhere from 5,000 to 100,000 points per night, not factoring in a fifth night free when redeeming for five nights. Nowadays there are no longer maximum amounts that can be charged, though you will find that a vast majority of properties don’t charge more than what was previously in the pricing range.
Do Marriott Bonvoy points expire?
Marriott Bonvoy points don’t expire as long as you have at least some account activity once every 24 months. This could include any activity whereby you earn or redeem points.
How much are Marriott Bonvoy points worth?
Everyone will value points differently, but personally I value Marriott Bonvoy points at ~0.7 cents each, and I tend to value points pretty conservatively. The purchase price is a bit higher than what I value the points, though like I said, there are ways to get much more value.
Does Marriott Bonvoy have blackout dates?
Marriott Bonvoy doesn’t have blackout dates on award nights, but the program does have capacity controls on a limited number of dates. While on most dates all standard rooms will be available for redemptions, on some dates hotels can limit the number of standard rooms that they make available using points.
How else can you earn Marriott Bonvoy points?
Aside from outright buying points or staying at a Marriott, the best way to earn Bonvoy points is with a co-branded Marriott Bonvoy credit card. These cards offer big welcome bonuses and in some cases a decent return on spending.
Marriott Bonvoy is also transfer partners with Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards, though I tend to think there are better ways to redeem those points, given the amount of flexibility they offer.
Bottom line
Marriott Bonvoy is offering a promotion on purchased points. All the accounts I manage show a bonus of up to 40%, which is an opportunity to acquire Bonvoy points for 0.89 cents each. While I wouldn’t proactively pick up points without a specific use in mind, this has the potential to be a good deal.
Do you plan on purchasing Marriott points with a bonus?
Received an email saying 40%, but only shows 35% when I log in.
I'm seeing 35% points bonus after clicking on the banner and logging in.
Ben,
Any idea what property the lead in or first photo is from ? That is one of the nicest above water rooms I've ever seen. . .
Thanks
Ritz-Carlton Maldives
It’s the Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands
I used google lens to find it. It’s pretty easy to use to search from an image among (other things).
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands. Used google lens to find it.
I think that's the Ritz Carlton Maldives
THX fumbles 14 !
Just discovered, "be0nd Air", with is out of the Maldives.
Hmmm,