Picture this: you’ve got a pile of Amex Membership Rewards points lounging in your account, doing nothing but waiting for an excuse to travel. Along comes Marriott Bonvoy with a big neon sign saying, “30% extra if you send them our way.” Tempted? You should be.
In This Post
The Deal
Until 9th November 2025, UK Amex cardholders (personal or business) get a 30% transfer bonus to Marriott Bonvoy. Normally, you’d swap 1 Amex point for 1.5 Bonvoy points, but during this promo, you’ll get 1.95 Bonvoy points per point.
No secret codes, no invite-only nonsense. The bonus should flash up when you try a transfer, but if it doesn’t, don’t dump your entire balance. Test with a tiny transfer first.
What It’s Worth
A Marriott point usually comes in at around 0.5p in value. With the 30% boost, you’re suddenly getting 0.975p per Amex point. That’s nearly double the usual rate and puts Bonvoy redemptions right up there with Avios or other miles at 1p each.
The Twist: Buy or Transfer?
Marriott is currently flogging points with a 40% purchase bonus until 17th September, making them cost about 0.7p each. Sounds good, right? Not really.
Here’s the kicker:
- Buying 210,000 points → about £1,400
- Transferring 107,700 Amex points under this bonus → same 210,000 points
- That’s like getting 1.3p of travel for every Amex point. In other words, transferring trumps buying.
Why Airlines Should Care Too
This isn’t just a hotel story. Marriott Bonvoy has the widest airline partner list out there (40 in total). Most transfers are at 3:1, but if you shift in chunks of 60,000 Bonvoy points, you get a 25% airline bonus.
Lets look at this:
- 30,770 Amex → 60,000 Bonvoy (with promo)
- 60,000 Bonvoy → 25,000 airline miles
That’s 0.81 airline miles per Amex point. Not amazing for Avios or Virgin (already 1:1 partners with Amex), but a clever play if you’re into KrisFlyer (Amex’s direct rate is a measly 0.66) or Emirates (0.75 direct vs 0.81 via Marriott).
Why Timing Matters
With British Airways Club shaking things up, flexibility is king. Cards that earn Membership Rewards (like Amex Gold and Platinum) let you sit on your points until the right promo pops up. That way, you’re not forced into one airline’s arms and can grab outsized value when bonuses like this appear.
Fresh Amex Bonuses to Stack
Because this offer drags on until November, there’s time to apply for an Amex, nail the spending target, and still transfer under the bonus. Make sure to read our wingtips wallet watch, where I post monthly articles about the best sign-up bonuses currently offered in the UK.
WingTips Takeoff
Not every promo is worth jumping on, but this one ticks the boxes. It beats buying points, makes Amex more versatile, and gives you both hotel and airline angles. If you’ve got a redemption in mind, this is the time to shift gears and move those points before 9th November.
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