Marriott Bonvoy offering up to 45% bonus on points purchases, with increased annual limit

Marriott Bonvoy has launched its latest points sale, which offers up to a 45% bonus on points purchases, with an increase in the annual purchase limit to 150,000 points.

Targeted customers will also receive a flat bonus of 1,000 points when they buy at least 20,000 points, which isn’t going to move the needle a whole lot, but free points are free points. 

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 45% bonus on points purchases

Buy Marriott Bonvoy points

From now till 24 December 2024, 12.59 p.m SGT, Marriott Bonvoy members can buy points with up to a 45% bonus. 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
• 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

An additional gift of 1,000 points will be awarded for any purchase of at least 20,000 points, and awarded within four weeks after the promotion ends. For avoidance of doubt, this bonus can  only be enjoyed a maximum of once for the entire promotional period, no matter how many transactions you make.

Marriott Bonvoy normally charges 1.25 US cents per point, so a 45% bonus reduces the price to 0.86 US cents per point. Historically, we see bonuses in the range of 30-50% so a 45% bonus would be better. 

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, but generally ranges from 5,000 to 100,000 points per night. 

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 early January would cost at various Maldives resorts if you paid cash, versus buying points with a 45% 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 217,500. 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, and Delta SkyMiles; 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 Card 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 World Mastercard Apply	3.2 mpd	Min. S$4K per c. month, no cap
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Apply	3.2 mpd (till 31 Jan 25)	Min S$800 per c. month, no cap
SCB Visa Infinite Apply	3 mpd	Min S$2K per s. month, no cap
UOB PRVI Miles Apply	2.4 mpd	No cap
S. Month= Statement Month | C. Month= Calendar Month

Remember, you can pair the Citi Rewards Card with Amaze 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 45% bonus, or 0.86 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.