Better Card Offer! 50,000 Marriott Points & $200 Gift Card

November 30, 2015 By Million Mile Secrets

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There’s a new offer for 50,000 Marriott points and a $200 Marriott gift card when you sign-up for the Chase Marriott Premier card by January 31, 2016, and meet the minimum spending requirement.

This is a much better deal than the regular offer. That’s because if you plan your stays carefully, you can get more Big Travel with Small Money at Marriott hotels!

Better Card Offer 50,000 Marriott Points 200 Gift Card — 50,000 Marriott Points Is Enough for 2 Nights at the Renaissance Wien Hotel in Vienna…and Get $200 Toward Another Stay With the New Chase Marriott Premier Offer!

I’ll explain what’s different about this deal, and why I like it better. And help you decide between the 2 best current offers for the card.

Emily and I don’t earn a commission on this card, but we’ll always tell you about the best deals no matter what!

What’s the Deal?

Link: Chase Marriott Premier Rewards Card 50,000 Points + $200 Gift Card Offer

Link: My Review of the Chase Marriott Premier Card

Link: Marriott Award Chart

Via Running With Miles, Chase has a new offer for the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier card.

You’ll earn 50,000 Marriott points and a $200 Marriott gift card after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your Chase Marriott Rewards Premier card. And, the $85 annual fee is waived the 1st year. To get the offer, you must apply by January 31, 2016.

Marriott hotels include:

Previously, the best offer was for 80,000 Marriott points after completing minimum spending (which is still available). But with that offer, the $85 annual fee is NOT waived for the 1st year.

With the new offer, you’ll also get:

1 free night in a Category 1 to 5 hotel on your card anniversary
5X Marriott points per $1 spent at Marriott
2X Marriott points per $1 at restaurants, on car rentals, and airline tickets purchased directly from the airline
1X Marriott point per $1 spent on all other purchases
5,000 bonus Marriott points when you add an authorized user within the 1st 3 months of account opening and make a purchase on the card
NO foreign transaction fees
15 nights credit towards elite status (so you get Marriott Silver status)

50,000 Marriott points is enough for:

2 nights at a Category 5 Marriott hotel (25,000 Marriott points per night), like the JW Marriott Hotel Santo Domingo
3 nights at a Category 3 Marriott hotel (15,000 Marriott points per night), like the Courtyard Budapest City Center
Or stretch your points for 5 nights at a Category 2 Marriott hotel (10,000 Marriott points per night) like the AC Hotel Los Vascos in Madrid

And, you’ll have a $200 Marriott gift card to redeem at a Marriott hotel of your choice.

Marriott and Ritz-Carlton are basically the same frequent-guest program (just with different branding and marketing), so you can use your Marriott points to stay at Ritz-Carlton hotels and vice versa.

Note: If you’ve already held this card, the terms and conditions say you can earn the bonus again as long as you have NOT received the bonus in the past 24 months.

The bonus points and will post to your account on your billing statement following when you meet the minimum spending requirements. And you’ll receive your $200 Marriott gift card in the mail 6 to 8 weeks after the same billing cycle closes.

Because this is a Visa Signature card, you’ll be eligible for Visa discounts and a 6-month membership to CLEAR.

Why Is This a Better Deal for Some Folks?

This offer is interesting because you’ll earn points AND a gift card worth $200. I don’t see many offers like this!

If you prefer lower-tier Marriott hotels, you could afford 2 nights at a Category 5 hotel, like the SpringHill Suites Orlando at SeaWorld®. And, you’d have a $200 Marriott gift card to use toward your next Marriott stays!

There’s another offer to earn 80,000 Marriott points with the same minimum spending requirement, but I personally like this new offer more.

That’s because the $85 annual fee is waived for the 1st year, so you’ll get to enjoy the perks of the card without paying anything extra.

Those 30,000 extra Marriott points are worth 1 night at a Category 6 hotel, like the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel. When I checked, a night there in March 2016 costs $133 with taxes and fees.

In this case, the $200 Marriott gift is worth more than 30,000 Marriott points, because you’d have ~$67 left over to spend at another Marriott hotel.

And remember, you’ll also save $85 on the card’s annual fee with this offer, because it’s waived the 1st year.

Which Offer Should You Choose?

If you want to stay at top-tier Marriott hotels, you might choose the offer for 80,000 Marriott points.

For example, 2 nights at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Hawaii, a Category 8 hotel, cost ~$860 in March 2016.

You’d pay ~$430 or 40,000 Marriott points each night.

With the 80,000 Marriott points offer, you could pay for both nights using points.

But with the 50,000 Marriott points offer, you could only pay for 1 night. You could use your $200 Marriott gift card on the 2nd night, and pay the remaining ~$230 dollars. You’d still have 10,000 Marriott points to redeem toward another Marriott award stay, and you wouldn’t have to pay the $85 annual fee the 1st year.

So it depends on your travel goals which offer is best for you, and if you want to pay the $85 annual fee. As always, run the numbers to see which offer is best for you!

Keep in mind with either card, you also get a free night certificate to use at a Marriott Category 1 to 5 hotel after your 1st cardmember anniversary year. Marriott’s lower category hotels cost:

Category 1 – 7,500 Marriott points per night
Category 2 – 10,000 Marriott points per night
Category 3 – 15,000 Marriott points per night
Category 4 – 20,000 Marriott points per night
Category 5 – 25,000 Marriott points per night

So using the Category 1 to 5 free night certificate at a Category 5 hotel would save you 25,000 Marriott points!

Marriott points expire after 24 months of account inactivity. So consider your travel plans and goals before you jump into either offer.

Need More Marriott Points?

Folks with a small business are eligible for the Chase Marriott Rewards Business card.

And anyone with a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Ink Plus, or Ink Bold card can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott. Although that’s NOT my favorite transfer partner, it’s useful if you’re just short of the award stay you want.

That’s because, for hotels, I generally prefer to transfer my Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt. I like the Hyatt award chart, along with the brand, customer service, and attention to detail.

Hyatt award nights usually cost less than Marriott for a similar class of hotels. And because Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer 1:1 to both hotel chains, I find Hyatt to be a better deal for the hotels I like.

Bottom Line

Through January 31, 2016, there’s a better offer for the 50,000 Marriott points version of the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier card.

You’ll earn 50,000 Marriott points AND a $200 Marriott gift card after completing the minimum spending requirement. That’s enough for 2 nights at Category 5 places like some of their JW Marriott hotels. Or 3 nights at their Category 3 hotels that include certain Courtyard Marriotts.

Plus you’ll have $200 to use at a Marriott hotel of your choice!

I like that the $85 annual fee is waived for the 1st year.

You’ll also get a free night certificate to use at a Marriott Category 1 through 5 hotel on your cardmember anniversary. Category 5 hotels usually cost 25,000 Marriott points, so this can save you even more!

There’s still an offer to earn 80,000 Marriott points, which is better for folks who want award stays at top-tier hotels like the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Hawaii, if they don’t mind paying the $85 annual fee.

Choose the one that’s right for your travel patterns and goals!

Emily and I don’t receive a commission for either card, but we always want you to know about the best deals!