There’s a transfer bonus promotion from American Express to Marriott currently. If you transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points, you get 30% more Marriott Bonvoy points. Even with this bonus, it’s not necessarily a good deal… but it can be for some.
It’s so important to know how to do the math well in the world of travel rewards (literally 1 of the 6 most vital things)… and seeing how many people have unfortunately closed their HSBC card before the bank’s acquisition by RBC earlier this year even if it made absolutely no sense, I think we’re going to do more content on the math aspect. It’s so important!
Besides, there’s another basic tip, a simple universal principle: just because there’s a promotion doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good one. You just have to do the math to find out, like with everything else. Don’t worry, we’ll help you!
Here are the details of the transfer bonus from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy.
Overview of the Amex to Marriott transfer bonus promotion (September 2024)
You can read a few basic articles (or all 4) to understand everything if you’re just starting with the best rewards currencies:
- Basics of transferable points and transfer bonuses
- Basics of rewards of the more lucrative type
- Basics of Amex Membership Rewards points
- Basics of Marriott Bonvoy points
Here are the basics of the Amex to Marriott transfer bonus promotion:
- 30% transfer bonus
- Special rate is 1 to 1.56
- Normal rate is 1 to 1.2
- Gives a value of ≈ 1.4¢ per Amex point
- Based on our Flytrippers Valuation of Marriott points
- Our Flytrippers Valuation of Amex points is ≈ 1.5¢/pt
- Until October 31, 2024
- 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Even with a 30% bonus, it isn’t such a good deal. But obviously, the value of points varies for each traveler. Some are better at maximizing airline points (the alternative that’s usually better) and others are better at maximizing Marriott points.
Here are the scenarios where it makes sense to take advantage of the promotion:
- If you have a specific use for Marriott points that’s good
- Either to get a lot more free nights
- Or to get nights worth a lot in cash
- And it’s happening soon (no time to get the best credit cards for Marriott points)
- If you want more Marriott points already have the 2 best credit cards for Marriott points
- And your travel companion too
- And so do your relatives who aren’t interested in points
- If you know you’ll get more value from Marriott
- Than with airline points (Aeroplan or Avios)
- Either because you aren’t maximizing Aeroplan and Avios properly
- Or because you are maximizing Marriott very well
- Nights that cost very little in points
- Nights that cost a lot in cash
Usually, we never recommend transferring points speculatively (i.e. without needing them for a specific use). The only exception is precisely while there’s a transfer bonus promotion going on. But even while there’s a bonus, you still need to check if it’s going to be good for you; it’s not a sure thing!
Here’s how to concretely take advantage of the promotion, step by step:
- Log into your Amex account
- Link your Marriott account to your Amex account
- Transfer your Amex points
This is an American Express Membership Rewards promotion, so logically everything is done on the American Express Membership Rewards website. We have a very detailed post on how to transfer Amex points to partners, with screenshots step by step.
Here are the general rules for all transfers of Amex points to Marriott:
- Usually instantaneous
- Even if they say 48 hours
- Always one-way
- Completely irreversible
- Minimum of 1000 Amex points
- No maximum
- In increments of 100 Amex points
As is often the case with transfer bonus promotions, the transfer rate displayed on the transfer page is the normal rate, but if you make the transfer during the promotion period, you’ll receive the bonus transfer points. The points are usually deposited into your Marriott account in 2 separate transactions (the regular points and the bonus points).
Detailed analysis of the Amex to Marriott transfer bonus promotion
I just gave you concrete examples of scenarios where it’s a good deal, but I want to give you a more detailed response to the “should I transfer my Amex points to Marriott” question you might be asking yourself.
Amex points and the points you can get by transferring them (Marriott, Aeroplan, Avios, etc.) are the best because they are of the more lucrative type and have unlimited value! This also means that their value varies according to the specific redemptions you choose; it really depends. Read the basics of reward value if you haven’t yet.
So, the value of points is different for each traveler. And each traveler also has their own priorities. Like with many things in the wonderful world of travel rewards, there’s no simple answer. I sincerely wish I could give you a simple, generic answer, but that would be a disservice to you because it truly depends!
Also, I want to help you become a pro (or at least get better), so it’s important that you understand the reasoning and learn to analyze things on your own. With our help, of course.
In short, I can only explain how it all works and analyze the Amex to Marriott transfer bonus according to our generic Flytrippers Valuation, but you need to analyze whether it’s a good deal for you specifically because everyone is different.
There are 3 main considerations:
- Your travel rewards preferences
- Your overall earning strategy
- Your valuation of each currency
Your travel rewards preferences
You have many redemption options with Amex points:
- ≈ 2.1¢/pt to UNLIMITED: Specific flights in premium cabins with airline price charts
- ≈ 1.5¢/pt to ≈ 2.1¢/pt: Specific flights in economy class with airline price charts
- ≈ 1.5¢/pt to 2¢/pt: Any flights with the Amex price chart
≈ 1.08¢/pt to UNLIMITED: Specific hotels with hotel price charts- ≈ 1.4¢/pt to UNLIMITED: Specific hotels with hotel price charts (WITH BONUS)
- 1¢/pt: Any trips on any website
- 1¢/pt: Any trips on the Amex website
- 1¢/pt: Cash back as a statement credit
- ≈ 0.7¢/pt: Merchandise and gift cards
Maybe you prefer using Amex points for a terrible 1¢/pt value. Maybe you prefer the Amex price chart. You can read more about those in our teaser about Amex points.
But if you like maximizing, the best option is almost always transferring Amex points to airline programs, so that’s the main decision: airline points or hotel points.
It’s worth reminding you that hotel programs like Marriott Bonvoy are a lot simpler than airline programs, and we know many people love when things are simpler (even if that means getting less value).
If you don’t want to learn about how airline points work, it’s an easy decision.
If you know how airline points work but simply don’t want to deal with the restrictions and complexity, same thing.
If you don’t want to fly in business class or are just not flexible enough to find good deals in economy class, Marriott is at least better than getting just 1¢/pt!
Your overall earning strategy
It’s so easy to get a ton of free travel every year thanks to welcome bonuses, but your exact strategy is vital to consider to choose the best redemption option for your Amex points.
The thing is, Marriott points are much harder to earn in huge quantities than airline points.
For Marriott points, you can only get 2 welcome bonuses per person (lifetime). For airline points, you can get an unlimited quantity of welcome bonuses (mostly thanks to RBC’s generous welcome bonus eligibility rules). Although for Aeroplan points specifically, you can only get 4 welcome bonuses per person (5 if you have an incorporated business), but Aeroplan rules aren’t enforced that strictly.
(Those figures obviously all exclude the 6 cards that earn Amex points that can be transferred to Marriott, Aeroplan, and others!)
Your valuation of each currency
There are always 2 simple things to look at to calculate the value of point transfers:
- The transfer rate
- The value of the points
Our conservative Flytrippers Valuation of Amex points is ≈ 1.5¢/pt. Because points are transferable to the Aeroplan and Avios programs at a 1 to 1 rate and our Flytrippers Valuation of Aeroplan points and Avios points is ≈ 1.5¢/pt.
(And if you use them right, they can easily be worth double in economy and triple in business class or first class!)
Our conservative Flytrippers Valuation for Marriott points is ≈ 0.9¢/pt. So, at the normal transfer rate, 1 Amex point is worth just ≈ 1.08¢ by transferring it to Marriott instead of ≈ 1.5¢ in airline points. That’s why we strongly advise transferring Amex points to Aeroplan or Avios.
With the transfer bonus promotion, 1 Amex point is therefore worth ≈ 1.4¢. Simple math: 1 Amex point becomes 1.56 Marriott points and Marriott points are worth ≈ 0.9¢/pt (1.56 pts * 0.9¢ = 1.4¢ per Amex point)!
That’s still less than our Flytrippers Valuation, but not by much.
But as I showed you in the best uses of Marriott Bonvoy points, you can get 4¢/pt with Marriott points at some top luxury hotels on certain dates. The Maldives example is extreme, but it’s possible!
So if you’re going to get more than 0.9¢/pt with your Marriott points, it’s worth it. But don’t forget that you can also get much more than 1.5¢/pt with Aeroplan or Avios! Compare carefully.
Check out the good uses of Amex points and do the math… and if in doubt, don’t transfer the points!
History of Amex to Marriott transfer bonus promotions
Eventually, we’ll dig around to include the promotion history from past years, but at least we have the 2024 history:
- September to October, 2024
- 30% bonus
- March to April 30, 2024
- 30% bonus
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Summary
The American Express to Marriott Bonvoy transfer bonus promotion of September and October 2024 gives you 30% more Marriott points. The value you get is still less than our Flytrippers Valuation of Amex Membership Rewards points, but it can be interesting for some travelers.
What would you like to know about the transfer bonus promotion from American Express to Marriott? Tell us in the comments below.
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Featured image: Desaru Beach, Malaysia (photo credit: M. Fildza Fadzil)
