The world of miles and points can get complicated. There are a lot of great websites out there that’ll give you tons of great information (I even happen to write for one of them)! But on this site, I like to keep miles and points as simple as possible — just the basics!
Once you’ve found a great Marriott hotel you want to try out, you’re going to need lots of Marriott Bonvoy points. So, here are 3 easy ways to earn Marriott points fast plus some FAQs about Marriott points.
How To Earn Marriott Points Fast
Let’s go over the main 3 ways you can earn Marriott points fast for your next vacation.
There are a ton of little nitty-gritty ways to earn points, but I am going to keep it simple and give you the 3 easiest ways to pad your Marriott Bonvoy account quickly.
1. Earn a Sign-Up Bonus on a Marriott Credit Card
Earning a sign-up bonus on a credit card is the single best way to get Marriott points fast!
Don’t worry — as long as you pay off your credit card bills each month, getting another credit card won’t be a problem for your credit score.
The credit cards offered by Marriott Bonvoy offer ongoing points earning plus generous sign-up bonuses.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card from Chase
With the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card, you can earn a 75,000 point bonus after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. This card comes with a $95 annual fee.
Here are some of this card’s features:
- Earn 6x points per $1 spent at any Marriott hotel
- Earn 2x points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 1 free night certificate every year after account anniversary (up to 35,000 points)
- Automatic Silver Elite Status
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card is offering a 75,000 point sign on bonus after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 6x points per $1 spent at any Marriott hotel
- Earn 3x points per $1 spent at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly through the airline
- Earn 2x points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 1 free night certificate every year after account anniversary (50,000 points or under)
- Automatic Gold Elite Status
- Annual $300 statement credit to use towards eligible purchases at participating Marriott locations
Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card from Chase
This card is offering a 30,000 point bonus after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Best of all, there is no annual fee!
- Earn 3x points per $1 spent at any Marriott hotel
- Earn 2x points per $1 spent on other travel purchases (anything from flights to taxis to cruises).
- Earn 1x points per $1 spent on all other purchases
2. Transfer Points From Chase or American Express
Chase Ultimate Rewards points and American Express Membership Rewards points transfer to Marriott at a 1:1 ratio.
That means that any Chase points or Amex points you have can easily be turned into Marriott points through an instant (or almost instant) transfer.
This also gives you a slew of other credit card options to earn a bonus on! Here are the highlights of each program:
American Express® Gold Card: Earn 40,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. This card is a powerhouse earner and comes with some incredible benefits! This one is always in my wallet.
- Earn 4x points at restaurants worldwide
- Earn 4x points at U.S. grocery stores
- Earn 3x points on flights booked directly with the airlines or on amextravel.com
- $120 yearly dining credit
- $100 yearly airline fee credit
Learn more about the Amex Gold Card here.
Chase Sapphire Preferred®Card: Earn a 60,000 point bonus after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. This card has a $95 annual fee but also has great bonus categories to help you earn points fast.
- Earn 2x points travel purchases
- Earn 2x points on dining purchases
If you get the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you might also want to apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card too. This card has no annual fee plus earns 1.5x points on ALL purchases. Best of all, when you also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, the points you earn on the Freedom Unlimited card can be transferred to Marriott too (instead of having to take them as cashback).
The Chase Freedom Flex Credit Card is another great no-fee option that has some great bonus categories. The current sign-on bonus includes grocery stores as a bonus category! You can earn 5% cash-back on all grocery purchases (up to $12,000) in your first year.
3. Stay At A Marriott Hotel
You will earn Marriott Bonvoy points each time you stay at a Marriott hotel.
You’ll earn 10 Marriott points per $1 spent on room charges plus things like dining and spa services (except at Element®, Residence Inn® and TownePlace Suites® hotels where you will earn 5 points per $1).
Marriott is a huge brand that includes over 6,000 hotels across 30 unique brands, so there really is something for everyone.
Pro Tip: If you need to get Marriott points fast, you can stay at an inexpensive Marriott hotel in your hometown. Treat yourself to a little staycation and rack up lots of Marriott points in a snap!
Marriott Luxury Brands:
Edition, Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, St. Regis, W Hotels, JW Marriott
Marriott Premium Brands:
Marriott, Sheraton, Marriott Vacation Club, Delta Hotels, Westin, Le Meridien, Renaissance, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels, Gaylord Hotels
Marriott Select Brands:
Courtyard, Four Points, Springhill Suites, Fairfield, Protea Hotels, AC Hotels, Aloft, Moxy
Marriott Longer Stay Brands:
Homes & Villas by Marriott International, Residence Inn, Townplace Suites, Marriott Executive Apartments, Element
FAQs About Earning Marriott Bonvoy Points Fast
Q: How do I Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points?
A: Here are some ways to earn Marriott points fast:
- Stay at any Marriott hotel
- Transfer points from Chase or American Express
- Use a Marriott branded credit card
- Refer a friend to a Marriott credit card
- Use Marriott’s shopping portal
- Book a Marriott Vacation Package
- Rent a car through Hertz
Q: How Many Marriott Points Does It Take To Get a Free Night?
A: The amount of points it takes for a free night varies substantially — from 5,000 all the way up to 100,000! Each time you search for a hotel, you will be able to see the hotel’s rewards category. Then you can look that up on the redemption chart to see how many points it takes to get a free night.
Q: What Are Marriott Points Worth?
The value of a Marriott point can vary but the average is right around .9 cents per point.
