12/21 – Reposting as the last day to buy Marriott points with the current bonus promotion is Monday, December 23rd
With over 8,000 Marriott properties worldwide, you’re likely to find one that fits your needs when planning your next vacation. And your next vacation might be closer than you think, now that Marriott is offering up to a 40% bonus on purchased points, through December 23rd. This is a high bonus, close to the best bonus Marriott has ever offered. Let’s examine the math and see if this makes sense.
The Promotion
Below are details of the Marriott 40% bonus on buying points promotion:
- Transactions must be completed between 9:00 a.m. ET November 5, 2024, and 11:59 p.m. ET December 23, 2024, to be eligible for the 40% bonus Points purchase offer with a minimum purchase of 2,000 Points.
- The bonus Points earned with this promotion through the Buy Points or Gift Points pages are not included in the annual purchase limit of 100,000 Points.
- This offer is valid only for Points purchased through the promotion’s Buy Points and Gift Points pages.
- I may receive a commission if you purchase points through my link
Normally, Marriott points cost $12.50 to purchase 1,000 points (tax included), for a purchase price of 1.25 cent per point. That might seem cheap, but remember, Marriott points are only worth about 0.7 – 0.8 cents each, so at the normal rate, you’re paying a premium on the value. At the normal rate, it doesn’t make sense to buy Marriott Bonvoy points.
What about with the 40% bonus? This time the bonus is tiered –
- Buy fewer than 2,000 points – no bonus
- Buy 2,000 – 100,000 points – get a 40% bonus
If you buy the full 100,000 points, it will cost you $1,250 for a total of 140,000 points, which brings the purchase price to 0.89 cents per point, which is closer to the normal redemption value, but still slightly higher.
While I’m generally against buying points speculatively, if you need some points for your next redemption, it could be worth topping up your account.
(SEE ALSO: When is buying miles worth it? Only in these 3 instances)
If you do that, I recommend buying at least 3,000 points so you get a discount. You can find the link to this promotion here
Getting More Marriott Bonvoy Points
Generally if you’re looking to get a lot of points in a (relatively) short period of time, it’s better / cheaper to sign up for a new Marriott credit card, if you’re eligible. Here are a few of the current welcome offers on Marriott credit cards
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card – Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. $0 annual fee. Read our full review here.
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card – Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. $95 annual fee. Read our full review here.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card – Earn 3 Free Night Awards, valued at up to 50K points each for eligible stays after spending $6,000 in 6 months. Free Night valued at 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees. $125 annual fee (see rates and fees). Read our full review here.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card – Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after spending $5,000 in 6 months. $250 annual fee (see rates and fees)
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card – Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after spending $6,000 in 6 months. $650 annual fee (see rates and fees)
The Bottom Line
While I don’t generally recommend buying points speculatively, there’s no denying that it can make sense in certain situations. Sometimes it’s cheaper to even buy points and use them to book an award night rather than paying an elevated cash rate. And if you’re going to buy points, it makes sense to buy them when they are running a bonus.
Will you buy Marriott points with a 40% bonus? Or will you wait for a better offer to come back?
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
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