Marriott Bonvoy is the lodge loyalty program of selection for a lot of Canadians, each for lodge bookings and for its flexibility to switch to an enormous number of airline companions.
Marriott Bonvoy has now prolonged its newest promotion for anybody seeking to enhance their factors stability in preparation for spring journey and past. Whereas it was beforehand set to run out on April 3, it has now been prolonged via to April 13, 2023.
Purchase Marriott Bonvoy Factors with a 40% Bonus
Marriott Bonvoy is providing a bonus on factors purchases till April 13, 2023. Somewhat than their standard tiered bonuses, it seems that the usual supply throughout the board is for a 40% bonus whenever you purchase at the least 2,000 factors.
This isn’t top-of-the-line provides we’ve seen within the latest previous, however it could actually nonetheless make sense in some particular conditions.
Sometimes, Marriott prices 1.25 cents per level (USD) to purchase immediately from this system. With a 40% bonus, the speed improves to 0.89 cents per level (USD).
Shopping for Bonvoy factors at this charge is above our present valuation of 0.6 cents per Bonvoy level (USD).
We’ve seen Marriott go as excessive as a 60% bonus on these promotions earlier than, however we don’t know if/when that bonus may return. So, if you could purchase factors, you’ll avoid wasting money with this promotion, however you might be higher off ready till one thing higher comes alongside.
What number of Marriott Bonvoy factors can you purchase?
Since 2021, Marriott Bonvoy has imposed a restrict of 100,000 factors bought per calendar yr, up from 50,000 beforehand.
This restrict contains factors bought for your self, plus factors you obtain that have been bought and gifted by others. Beforehand bought factors do depend in the direction of the restrict.
Should you max out this promotion, it’ll value $1,250 (USD) for 140,000 Bonvoy factors.
Which bank card do you have to use to purchase Marriott Bonvoy factors?
Marriott sells factors via an exterior vendor, Factors.com. They don’t depend as a journey buy, and there’s no further profit to utilizing a co-branded Amex Marriott Bonvoy card issued in Canada or the US.
As a substitute, I’d counsel any card with a excessive base earn charge, or one the place you’re engaged on assembly the minimal spend requirement.
As a result of the acquisition is charged in USD, you may think about using a Canadian-issued card with no international change charges, or any US bank card.
Who Ought to Purchase Marriott Bonvoy Factors?
Shopping for factors generally is a good solution to top-up your account should you’re eager to make a redemption quickly.
Reserving a Excessive-Worth Aspirational Lodge
The Marriott Bonvoy portfolio accommodates among the most distinctive lodge manufacturers on the planet, together with Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, and EDITION, amongst others.
With sky-high money costs, reserving on factors can carry these experiences inside attain, regardless of the demise of the Marriott Bonvoy award chart.
The most effective of one of the best go for 80,000–150,000+ factors per evening. Evaluate that to the money value on the Luxurious Assortment’s Al Maha Desert Resort Dubai, which may simply exceed $1,600 (CAD) per evening!
At a money value of $1,250 (USD) for 140,000 factors (with the present 40% bonus), which might be greater than sufficient for an evening at Al Maha on many dates, it positively is smart to purchase factors as a substitute of pay money if a luxurious reserving is in your radar.
Or if the desert isn’t your fashion, you might take pleasure in decadence on the JW Marriott Maldives. Even with “comparatively” extra cheap costs underneath $1,000 (CAD) per evening, a factors reserving remains to be the best way to go.
After all, you’ll need to make sure you’ve lined up the award availability on the lodge earlier than pulling the set off on a factors buy, particularly should you’re attempting to maximise the fifth-night-free profit.
Fast Prime-Up for Any Upcoming Redemption
For travellers with extra humble style, the highest finish of the Marriott Bonvoy chart isn’t the one place to seek out good worth.
On the finish of the day, so long as the worth of your redemption is above the acquisition value of 0.89 cents per level (USD), you’ll come out forward on any reserving.
For instance, on the decrease finish, the Courtyard Phnom Penh provides higher worth on factors that with money. You’ll find dates underneath 10,000 factors per evening on the PointSavers charge. In opposition to a nightly money value of $118, an 8,000-point reserving is a price of 1.5 cents per level (CAD).
Nonetheless, in comparison with aspirational properties, the worth proposition in shopping for Bonvoy factors for lower-end redemptions is much less clear-cut. It’s closely depending on discovering a discrepancy between the money value and the factors value, and that may usually be exhausting to foretell.
Due to this fact, since Bonvoy factors are slightly straightforward to earn anyway, I’d advocate exhausting the cheaper sources first earlier than shopping for factors outright.
Switch to Unique Airline Companions
Marriott Bonvoy has 38 airline companions. For many packages, Bonvoy factors may be transferred to airline miles at a charge of three:1, with a 5,000-mile bonus for transferring in increments of 60,000 Bonvoy factors for many airways.
By shopping for Bonvoy factors at 0.89 cent per level (USD) and transferring to frequent flyer packages, you’re successfully buying airline miles for 2.14 cents per mile (USD).
That is actually fairly costly, however the true profit is having access to unique airways.
For instance, Singapore Airways doesn’t make First Class award area bookable for accomplice packages like Aeroplan. Normally, you’ll be able to solely guide Singapore Suites with their very own KrisFlyer loyalty program.
And with few switch companions in Canada (HSBC Rewards is the one different one), Marriott Bonvoy can present a uncommon gateway to pattern this luxury expertise.
Different area of interest switch companions embrace Alaska Airways Mileage Plan for its distinctive partner-based candy spots, ANA Mileage Membership for its beneficiant round-the-world award ticket, Korean Air SKYPASS for Korean Air First Class, or another airline loyalty program with a weaker footprint within the bank card business.
Multi-Participant Mode: Pool Factors Among the many Household
Certainly one of Marriott Bonvoy’s biggest strengths lies within the skill to switch factors freely between accounts. Every member might ship as much as 100,000 factors per calendar yr, and obtain as much as 500,000 factors per calendar yr.
You probably have Marriott Bonvoy Elite standing on the first account in your family, it’s supreme to pool your factors within the elite member’s account to make bookings, particularly for high-end properties the place the perks of lodge standing actually shine.
When you’ve hit your factors buy cap in your predominant account, you should purchase extra factors on one other account to benefit from any remaining switch room. Notice that members have to be enrolled for 30 days and have some exercise on their account earlier than they’re eligible to buy factors.
Different Methods to Earn Marriott Bonvoy Factors
Marriott Bonvoy moved to dynamic pricing in 2022, so it may be a dangerous proposition to commit cash to their loyalty program should you aren’t imminently planning a reserving.
In March 2023, this system raised the ceiling for award bookings, which is the newest step in its transfer in the direction of dynamic pricing. Whereas this most negatively impacts ultra-high-end lodges, it seems that different properties have seen a rise, too.
Should you aren’t in a rush to accumulate Bonvoy factors however wish to slowly construct your stability for an even bigger redemption down the street, I’d advocate bank card alternatives first.
Canadian Credit score Playing cards by American Specific
American Specific points two co-branded Marriott Bonvoy playing cards in Canada:
At 0.21–0.27 cents per level (CAD), the annual charges on each playing cards symbolize extraordinarily beneficial acquisition prices in comparison with at the moment’s valuation of 0.8 cents per level (CAD).
Marriott Bonvoy Credit score Playing cards
American Specific Membership Rewards may also be transferred to Marriott Bonvoy at a charge of 1:1.2. All MR-earning playing cards good choices; nevertheless, the next present one of the best return on annual charges:
- American Specific Gold Rewards Card: Earn as much as 70,000 MR factors within the first yr, with a web annual charge of $150 (CAD).
- Transformed to Marriott Bonvoy, this turns into 78,400 Bonvoy factors.
- American Specific Enterprise Gold Rewards Card: Earn as much as 115,000 MR factors within the first yr, with an annual charge of $199 (CAD).
- Transformed to Marriott Bonvoy, this turns into 138,000 Bonvoy factors.
- American Specific Enterprise Edge Card: Earn as much as 77,000 MR factors within the first yr, with an annual charge of $99 (CAD).
- Transformed to Marriott Bonvoy, this turns into 92,400 Bonvoy factors.
- Alternative Card by American Specific: Earn 10,000 MR factors upon spending $1,000 (CAD) within the first three months, with no annual charge.
- Transformed to Marriott Bonvoy, this turns into 12,000 Bonvoy factors.
After transferring factors to Bonvoy, the annual charges symbolize acquisition prices beneath 0.2 cents per level (CAD). Certainly, the entire above playing cards supply good worth for the Marriott Bonvoy program.
US Credit score Playing cards by American Specific & Chase
South of the border, American Specific points two co-branded Marriott Bonvoy playing cards:
- American Specific US Marriott Bonvoy Good Card: Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors upon spending $5,000 (USD) within the first three months, with an annual charge of $650 (USD) (offset by a $300 (USD) whole annual eating credit score).
- American Specific US Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card: Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors upon spending $4,000 (USD) within the first three months, with an annual charge of $250 (USD).
- American Specific US Marriott Bonvoy Enterprise Card: Earn 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors upon spending $3,000 (USD) within the first three months, with an annual charge of $125 (USD).
As well as, Chase has additionally partnered with the lodge chain, providing two co-branded private playing cards on the Visa community:
- Chase Marriott Bonvoy Daring Card: Earn 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors upon spending $2,000 (USD) within the first three months, with no annual charge.
- Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card: Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors upon spending $3,000 (USD) throughout the first three months, with an annual charge of $95 (USD).
- Chase Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card: Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors upon spending $4,000 within the first three months, with an annual charge of $250 (USD)
All the above playing cards are fairly compelling when you contemplate the annual Free Night time Awards you earn.
Additionally, take into account that should you’ve obtained the welcome bonus on an Amex US Marriott Bonvoy card throughout the final 24 months, you’re not eligible for the Chase provides, and vice versa.
So though there are various methods to earn Bonvoy factors from US bank cards, you’ll have to decide on only one that fits you finest within the quick time period.
Earlier Promotions
As you determine whether or not this promotion is an efficient alternative so that you can meet your journey objectives, right here’s a glance again at Marriott Bonvoy’s previous bonuses on buying factors:
40% extra bought factors |
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25% low cost on bought factors |
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50% extra bought factors |
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25% extra bought factors |
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35–55% extra bought factors |
Conclusion
With so many different methods to gather Marriott Bonvoy factors, I wouldn’t rush to speculatively purchase factors at 0.89 cents per level (USD).
But when you could push your stability over the hump for a dream redemption that has gotten dearer with dynamic pricing, this promotion might help you make it occur.
Consider loading up with a 40% bonus – money charges at top-tier properties are astronomical, and factors bookings are solely getting additional out of attain as nicely, so don’t let the chance cross you by.
Make sure that to buy Marriott Bonvoy factors earlier than April 13, 2023 to benefit from this supply should you’re .