Marriott is one of the largest hotel chains in the world and its loyalty program is one of the largest as well. But do Marriott points expire and what can you do about it?
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WhatAreMarriottBonvoyPoints?
MarriottBonvoypointsarethecurrencyoftheMarriottBonvoyloyaltyprogram.TheyareusedtoredeemrewardssuchasfreenightsatMarriotthotels,airlinemiles, experiences,andmerchandise.MarriottBonvoypointscanbeearnedbystayingataMarriotthotel,receivingpointsasagift,transferringpointsfromotherloyaltyprograms (like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards),usingaMarriottBonvoycreditcard,andparticipatinginspecialoffersthroughMarriottBonvoy.
MarriottRewardsandStarwoodPreferredGuestmergedin2018tocreatetheworld‘slargestloyaltyprogram following the acquisition of Starwood by Marriott.Membersofbothprogramsarenowabletoearnandredeempointsatmorethan6,700participatinghotelsacross 32 brandsin131countriesandterritories. Ritz-Carlton members continue to earn and redeem in the program, but status and benefits are often run asymmetrically to Marriott’s broader program.
It should be noted, Marriott Bonvoy has not always operated with its customer’s best interests in mind.
DoMarriottBonvoyPointsExpire?
MarriottBonvoypointsdonotexpireaslongasyourMarriottBonvoyaccountremainsactive.Tokeepyouraccountactive,you do not needtostayataMarriotthotelorresortatleastonceevery24months but you do need to have some form of activity.Ifyouraccountisinactive,yourpointswillexpireafter24monthsofinactivity.
We will cover how to earn and redeem points to keep accounts active in the next section as both earning and redeeming points will count as “activity.” Therefore, if a guest doesn’t have a way to quickly earn points, they can find a minimal redemption to maintain their points balance.
HowCanIEarnMoreMarriottBonvoyPoints?
ThereareseveralwaystoearnmoreMarriottBonvoypoints.GuestscanstayataMarriotthotelorresortandearnpointsforeachstay,orreceivepointsasagift.Theycanalsotransferpointsfromotherloyaltyprogramsoruse a Chase or an American ExpressMarriottBonvoycreditcard.Additionally,guestscanparticipateinspecialpromotionsofferedbyMarriottBonvoyonsocialmedia,orsignupforspecialoffers.Besuretoreadthetermsandconditionsforeachoffertomakesureyouarereceivingthemostpointspossible.
Uber
YoucanearnMarriottBonvoypointswhenyouuseUber.Todoso,firstmakesurethatyourMarriottBonvoyaccountislinkedtoyourUberaccount.Then,whenyoutakeanUberride,simplyenteryourMarriottBonvoynumberintheUberapp.Foreveryeligiblerideyoutake,you‘llautomaticallyearnMarriottBonvoypoints,withnoneedtoredeemthemaftertheridehasbeencompleted.
Thenumberofpointswilldependonthetypeofrideyoutake,thedistancetraveled,andthecountryinwhichyouareriding.Forexample,intheUnitedStatesandCanada,youcanearnupto10pointsperdollarspent.So,ifyourridecosts$20,you‘llearn200MarriottBonvoypoints.Thepointscanbeusedforhotelstays,flights,carrentals,andmore.Additionally,youcanalsoearnbonuspointswhenyoutakeUberridestoorfromselectMarriotthotels.
Dining
MarriottBonvoymemberscanearnpointsbydiningatparticipatingrestaurants,barsandlounges.WhenmembersusetheirMarriottBonvoycreditcardtopayforeligiblediningpurchases,theycanearnuptofivepointsperdollarspent.PointscanalsobeearnedbyusingtheMarriottBonvoydiningplatformtobookareservationatparticipatingrestaurants.Memberscanalsoearnpointsthroughthe Eat Around Town with Marriott Bonvoy dining program.Withthisprogram,membersearnuptothreepointsperdollarspentwhentheydineatparticipatingrestaurants.Additionally,memberscanearnbonuspointswhendiningatcertainrestaurantsduringspecifictimesoftheyear. The program currently features a 6,000 point bonus for new members.
Conclusion
Do Marriott Bonvoy points expire? Yes, they expire every 24 months. However, bytakingadvantageofallthedifferentwaystoearn (and redeem)MarriottBonvoypoints,youcanmaximizeyourhotelloyaltyandmakethemostofyourstays.Withtherightcombinationofearning,spending,andtransferringpoints,youcanensurethatyourMarriottBonvoypointswillneverexpire.
Lifetime Elite member’s points don’t expire under current rules.
@Kyle, you probably want to edit your post for accuracy. (As an aside, you probably want to edit your past posts for accuracy, too.)
“To keep your account active, you need to stay at a Marriott hotel or resort at least once every 24 months.”
As you point out later, you *don’t* need to stay at a Marriott to keep your account active. Marriott even has a page (https://help.marriott.com/s/article/Article-23644) that lists all the qualifying activity that keeps an account active.
Got it corrected, thanks for catching that.