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

From now till 24 December 2024, buy Marriott Bonvoy points with up to a 45% bonus, with an extra 1,000 points for a minimum transaction of 20,000 miles.

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. 

If your bonus is… Cost per point
(USD)
50% 0.83 cents
45% 0.86 cents
40% 0.89 cents
35% 0.93 cents
30% 0.96 cents
25% 1 cent
20% 1.04 cents

What can you do with Marriott Bonvoy points?

All Marriott Bonvoy awards are now priced dynamically

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.

Resort Cash Rate* Points
Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort US$842 92,000
(US$791)
St Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort US$2,876 144,000
(US$1,238)
Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands US$2,751 162,000
(US$1,393)
JW Marriott Maldives US$1,470 112,000
(US$963)
Le Meridien Maldives US$644 65,000
(US$559)
*Inclusive of 16% GST and 10% service charge. This is not imposed on points stays

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. 

โœˆ๏ธ Marriott Bonvoy Airline Transfer Partners
(All 3 points: 1 mile unless otherwise stated)
  • AEGEAN Miles + Bonus
  • Aer Lingus AerClub
  • Aeromexico Club Premier
  • Air Canada Aeroplan
  • Air China PhoenixMiles
  • Air France-KLM Flying Blue
  • Air New Zealand AirPoints (200:1)
  • Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
  • American Airlines AAdvantage
  • ANA Mileage Club
  • Asiana Airlines Asiana Club
  • Avianca LifeMiles
  • British Airways Executive Club
  • Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
  • China Southern Airlines Sky Pearl Club
  • Copa Airlines Connect Miles
  • Delta SkyMiles
  • Emirates Skywards
  • Etihad Guest
  • FRONTIER Miles
  • Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club
  • Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Miles
  • Iberia Plus
  • InterMiles
  • Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank
  • LATAM Airlines LATAM Pass
  • Lufthansa Miles & More
  • Qantas Frequent Flyer
  • Qatar Airways Privilege Club
  • Saudia Alfursan
  • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
  • Southwest Rapid Rewards
  • TAP Air Portugal Miles & Go
  • Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
  • Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
  • United MileagePlus
  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
  • Vueling Club

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?

St. Regis Kuala Lumpur

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.

Aaron Wong
Aaron Wong
Aaron founded The Milelion to help people travel better for less and impress chiobu. He was 50% successful.

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Tony

Marriot is in cost cutting mode. https://viewfromthewing.com/marriotts-new-100m-cost-cutting-strategy-changes-coming-to-your-2025-stay/. Points sales may be a way to enhance their bottom line. Trying to get a Best Rate Guarantee is like trying to squeeze water from rocks.

Scott

Will buying points for this promotion be eligible for the DBS altitude foreign spend 5 miles per dollar spend promotion?

Diong

Will buying points from this Marriott promo be eligible for the Citi Prestige foreign spend if I use this card for the purchase. Can you help to advise……Thanks