Marriott Bonvoy offering 40% bonus on points purchases and increased limit

Marriot Bonvoy has launched its latest points sale, which offers up to a 40% bonus on points purchases plus an increased annual purchase limit.

While it’s not always a slam dunk, buying points can be a useful way of saving on hotel stays, depending on what the cash rates happen to be for the dates and destinations you’re looking at.

Marriott Bonvoy offering up to 40% bonus on points purchases

Buy Marriott Bonvoy points

From now till 21 December 2023, 11.59 a.m SGT, Marriott Bonvoy members can buy points with up to a 40% bonus.

• Early bird 40% bonus: for purchases till 9 November 2023, 11.59 a.m SGT
• Regular 30% bonus: for purchases from 9 November 2023, 9 p.m SGT to 21 December 2023, 11.59 a.m SGT. 

Different accounts may be targeted for different bonuses, so you’ll need to login and see what your offer is.

The following conditions apply:

• A minimum of 2,000 points must be purchased to enjoy the bonus
• The annual purchase limit (pre-bonus) is 150,000 points (upsized from the usual 100,000 points)
• New Marriott Bonvoy members may purchase points 30 days after enrolment
• Purchased points will be posted to the member’s account within 72 hours after completing the transaction

Marriott Bonvoy normally charges 1.25 US cents per point, so a 40% bonus reduces the price to 0.89 US cents per point, and a 30% bonus reduces the price to 0.96 US cents per point. 

For context ,we saw a 50% bonus during the May to July period, which is the highest that Marriott offers.

What can you do with Marriott Bonvoy points?

Marriott Bonvoy eliminated its award chart in 2022, and all hotels now adopt dynamic pricing. This means the cost of award nights now fluctuates depending on factors like seasonality and occupancy. 

It doesn’t necessarily mean the end of sweet spots, however. There are still opportunities to get outsized value, particularly if you’re visiting a high cost destination like the Maldives. 

For example, here’s how much a night in January 2024 would cost at various Maldives resorts if you paid cash, versus buying points with a 40% bonus.

There’s even bigger savings to be had if you book five consecutive nights, because all Marriott Bonvoy members enjoy the 5th night free on redemption bookings. 

In fact, the bigger problem here is getting sufficient points, since the maximum points you can buy during this sale is 210,000. But if you can’t accumulate enough points by yourself, you can receive points from a partner to make up the difference. Every member can receive up to 500,000 points per calendar year. 

Apart from hotel stays, Marriott Bonvoy points can also be converted to airline miles with the following frequent flyer schemes. Most transfers take place at a ratio of 3:1, with a minimum transfer of 3,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. 

Every transfer of 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points will receive a bonus of 5,000 partner miles (except for American Airlines AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles, Delta SkyMiles and Korean Air SKYPASS; United MileagePlus receives a 10,000 bonus). For example, if I transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to British Airways Executive Club, I’ll receive 25,000 Avios in total. 

When do Marriott Bonvoy points expire?

Marriott Bonvoy points will expire if 24 months pass without qualifying activity. 

What card should I use to buy Marriott Bonvoy points?

Purchases of Marriott Bonvoy points are processed by Points.com in USD, and code as MCC 7399 (Business Services Not Elsewhere Classified) instead of hotel transactions.

Here’s the best cards to maximize the miles earned on your purchase:

Card	Earn Rate	Remarks
Citi Rewards Apply	4 mpd	Cap of S$1K per s. month
UOB Visa Signature Apply	4 mpd	Min S$1K, max S$2K FCY spend per s. month
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Apply	3.2 mpd	Min spend S$800 per s. month*
SCB Visa Infinite Apply	3 mpd	Min spend S$2K per s. month
HSBC TravelOne Card Apply	2.4 mpd	No cap
UOB PRVI Miles Card Apply	2.4 mpd	No cap
S. Month= Statement Month | C. Month= Calendar Month
*Limited-time offer

Remember, you can pair the Citi Rewards Card with the Instarem Amaze Card to earn 4 mpd on Points.com purchases, while paying lower FCY fees than banks.

I generally don’t advise using the DBS Woman’s World Card for Points.com purchases, as past data points have indicated issues with getting the bonus points credited. 

Conclusion

Buy Marriott Bonvoy points

Marriott Bonvoy members can now buy points with up to a 40% bonus, or 0.89 US cents per point. This can help you save on upcoming hotel stays, but remember: never buy points speculatively. Only buy them when you have an immediate redemption in mind.

Marriott Bonvoy runs points sales fairly frequently, so there will always be future opportunities.