How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points

Not much has changed in terms of how you can earn Marriott Bonvoy reward points. Booking stays at eligible hotels with cobranded Marriott Bonvoy cards is still the best way to accrue points. Here’s the nitty-gritty of how you can earn points and which ways are the most lucrative.

Seven ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points

Compare credit cards that earn Marriott Bonvoy points

Making purchases with eligible credit cards is the most reliable way to earn points. In the case of Marriott Bonvoy cobranded cards, purchasing Marriott Bonvoy nights will be your largest earning category. Not only that, but the points earned on Marriott credit cards stack with the bonuses you earn for being a Marriott Bonvoy member. Of course, these cards also let your earn Marriott points on other purchases and often come with a large signup bonus worth up to a few nights stays depending on where you redeem them.

If you’re not interested in signing up for a Marriott Bonvoy cobranded card, other Chase and American Express cards can help you earn and transfer points to your Bonvoy account. These cards can be helpful if you only occasionally stay at Marriott branded hotels or if you prefer more diverse earning categories.

You can choose up to 4 cards to compare side-by-side.

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Name	Product	Welcome offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
American Express® Gold Card		60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 6 months	4x at restaurants including delivery and Uber Eats; 4x at US supermarkets on up to $25,000 annually (then 1x points) and 3x points on directly-booked flights	$250		Earn up to 4x points on select purchases, a bevy of travel perks, and a welcome offer worth up to $600 with this upper-mid tier travel card. Terms apply, see rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card		60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, a value of up to $750 through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Plus up to $50 statement credit towards groceries.	5x points on Lyft, 2x points on up to $1,000 on groceries until April 30, 2021, 2x points on travel and dining and 1x points on all other purchases	$95		Earn a signup bonus worth $750 plus up to $50 statement credit towards groceries with this popular travel card.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
The Platinum Card® from American Express		75,000 points after spending $5,000 in your first 6 months, plus 10x points at US gas stations and US supermarkets on up to $15,000 in combined purchases in the same timeframe	10x points at US gas stations and US supermarkets on up to $15,000 combined in the first 6 months, 5x points on directly-booked flights on up to $500,000 annually, then 1x points after that and on other purchases	$550		One of the most valuable premium travel cards, featuring two welcome offers worth up to $4,500, multiple travel credits and unrivaled lounge access. Terms apply, see rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Stay and spend at eligible hotels

Staying and spending at Marriott Bonvoy qualifying hotels is your other primary method of earning points. As a Marriott Bonvoy member, you’ll earn a certain number of points per dollar spent depending on which hotel brand you’re staying with. Here are the most recent values according to the Marriott Bonvoy site.

Data obtained February 2021. Values are subject to change and should be used only as a general guide.

Qualifying charges, in this case, include charges related to your stays, such as dining, beverages, spa services and any activities associated with the hotel such as golf.

Elite status levels

You can boost the number of points you earn on hotel stays when you become a Silver Elite member or higher. Here’s the point bonus you’ll earn and how to qualify.

Data obtained February 2021. Values are subject to change and should be used only as a general guide.

Car rentals with Hertz

You’ll earn 2,000 points for Hertz rentals of two or more days, or 500 points for one day at participating locations. Hertz also offers discounts on base rental rates to Marriott Bonvoy members. You can book your rental directly through the Marriott Bonvoy site.

Book cruises with CruisesOnly

Get 3 points for every dollar spent booking a cruise with CruisesOnly. CruisesOnly also offers extra point promotions on certain destinations. You can view your options and book your cruise through the Marriott Bonvoy “Cruise With Points” site.

Host meetings and events

Marriott Bonvoy has a unique earning opportunity that lets you earn points on bookings made for meetings or other business events, even if you aren’t footing the whole bill. The maximum points you can earn depends on both the cost of the event and your Marriott Bonvoy member level.

Earning rate: 2 points per $1 USD or 1 mile per $1 USD spent per qualifying event

Data obtained February 2021. Values are subject to change and should be used only as a general guide.

Refer a friend

Certain credit cards offer bonus points for referring a friend to a card and having them sign up. Chase, for example, allows you to earn up to $500 in points each year — $50 for each friend who opens an account.

Marriott Activities

Marriott now offers a variety of outdoor experiences, tours and more that will earn you Marriott points for your purchase. You’ll earn roughly 5 Marriott points per dollar spent on these experiences. After making your purchase through Marriott’s activity portal, your points will automatically post to your account.

Purchase points

You can purchase up to 50,000 points per year in 1,000 point increments through the Marriott Bonvoy site if you need more points for an award. Each increment costs about $12.50 as of February 2021. From a pure mathematical standpoint, this isn’t the best deal – you’re paying more than the 1 cent each point is worth. However, Marriott occasionally offers deals on increments that can make purchasing them worth your cash.

Bottom line

Marriott Bonvoy remains a fairly standard hotel rewards program. While the value of a single Marriott Bonvoy point isn’t the best out there, this can be made up for with the large variety of ways to earn points.

However, if you want the most earning value, you’ll need to commit to earning Marriott Bonvoy Elite status. In most cases, this will require some additional planning and effort to reach the highest tier levels. If you want to learn more, take a look at our guide on the Marriott Bonvoy program. And compare your redemption options to get the most value out of your hard-earned points.

Frequently asked questions

• How much does it cost to join Marriott Bonvoy?

  Joining the Marriott Bonvoy program is free of charge.

• Do I need to create a new account if I was a Marriott Rewards member before the merger?

  No. You can use your existing login information to access your Marriott Bonvoy account. If you had multiple accounts and didn’t combine them before the merger, you’ll need to request to transfer your points into your Bonvoy account.

• Can I earn points on multiple rooms?

  Yes. You can earn points on up to three rooms so long as you occupy at least one room, you’re paying for each room and your membership number is on each room.

• Do Marriott Bonvoy points expire?

  Yes. If your account isn’t active for 24 months then your current points will expire. You can remain active by earning points or miles or redeeming points at least once every 24 months.

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