American Express to Marriott Bonvoy Transfer Promotion: 30% Extra Points

Marriott Bonvoy points are among the easiest hotel chain points to collect in Canada. You can earn points from hotel stays at one of the 30 Marriott brands, with one of the two Marriott Bonvoy American Express Canada cards, or by transferring American Express Membership Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy points. Right now, American Express is running a promotion that offers bonus Bonvoy points when you transfer Amex Membership Reward points.

Eugenia de Montijo, Autograph Collection, Spain

Promotion Details

From March 1, 2025, to April 30, 2025, when you transfer 1,000 Amex Membership Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy points, you will receive a 30% bonus. The standard redemption rate is 1,000 Membership Rewards points = 1,200 Marriott Bonvoy points, but with this promotion, you’ll receive 1,560 Marriott Bonvoy points instead. This increases the transfer ratio to 1:1.56 compared to the usual 1:1.2.

Example Transfers:

·         1,000 Membership Rewards points → 1,560 Marriott Bonvoy points (normally 1,200)

·         30,000 Membership Rewards points → 46,800 Marriott Bonvoy points (normally 36,000)

·         50,000 Membership Rewards points → 78,000 Marriott Bonvoy points (normally 60,000)

A minimum of 1,000 Membership Rewards points is required for a transfer, and you can transfer up to 999,900 points in increments of 100.

Is This a Good Deal?

This promotion occurs a few times a year—the last one ended on October 31, 2024. It’s a great opportunity to top up your Bonvoy account if you’re short on points for a redemption. Typically, Marriott Bonvoy points are valued at around 1 cent CDN per point, making this a solid deal if you have a specific hotel stay in mind.

Sheraton Salzburg

However, American Express Membership Rewards points are among the most valuable and flexible points you can collect. They can be transferred to six different airline programs and two hotel chains. In most cases, you’ll get better value by transferring to an airline program, such as Aeroplan, and redeeming for business or first-class flights using a fixed award chart.

That said, there are situations where transferring to Bonvoy makes sense. If you frequently stay at Marriott properties, especially high-end resorts or international destinations where cash prices are high, redeeming Bonvoy points can offer substantial savings. Additionally, Marriott’s Fifth Night Free perk on award stays can further increase the value of your points, making this transfer option more attractive for longer stays.

How to Transfer Your Points

1.      Log into your American Express account.

2.      Navigate to the View and Redeem Points section.

3.      If you haven't already, add your Marriott Bonvoy account under the Transfer Points section.

4.      Select the number of points you wish to transfer and confirm the transaction.

Important: The transfer page will only show the standard 1,000:1,200 transfer rate. However, when the points appear in your Bonvoy account, you’ll see two separate lines: one for the base points and one for the 30% bonus points. You can verify the promotion details by opening the "Product Information" tab on the transfer page.

Transfers are officially stated to take up to 48 hours, but in my experience, they often post within an hour.

Final Thoughts

If you need extra Marriott Bonvoy points for an upcoming redemption, this 30% bonus promotion is a great way to boost your balance. However, if you’re looking for maximum value, transferring American Express points to an airline program—especially for premium-class flights—may be a better option. Still, for frequent Marriott guests or those planning a high-value redemption, this promotion presents a solid opportunity.

Before making a transfer, consider your upcoming travel plans and compare the redemption value of Bonvoy points versus airline miles. If you have specific Marriott stays in mind and can take advantage of perks like Fifth Night Free, this could be a great way to stretch your points further.