Limited Time: Marriott Premier 80,000 Point Offer (but Is It Really a Good Deal?)

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For a limited time, Chase has increased the sign-up bonus on the Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card and Marriott Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card cards to 80,000 Marriott points after completing minimum spending.

To get the new offer, you must apply by August 31, 2015.

But I’ve looked at the fine print and it’s usually NOT a better deal than the regular sign-up bonus.

I’ll explain why some folks will prefer the regular 70,000 point offers for these cards!

Emily and I receive a commission for the 80,000 point personal version of the card, but not for the other offers.  No matter what, we’ll always tell you about the best deals!

What’s the Deal?

Link:   Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card

Link:   Marriott Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

Link:   My Review of the Chase Marriott Premier

Link:   Marriott Award Chart

Until August 31, 2015, you’ll earn 80,000 Marriott points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your Chase Marriott Rewards Premier (personal or business) account.

Marriott hotels include:

• AC Hotels by Marriott
• Autograph Collection Hotels
• Courtyard by Marriott
• EDITION
• Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott
• Gaylord Hotels
• JW Marriott
• Marriott Hotels
• Marriott Vacation Club
• Moxy Hotels
• Protea Hotels
• Renaissance Hotels
• Residence Inn by Marriott
• Ritz-Carlton
• Springhill Suites by Marriott
• TownePlace Suites by Marriott

Previously, the best offer was for 70,000 points after completing minimum spending.  But with that offer, you’d also earn a free night in a category 1 to 4 Marriott when your account is approved.

The free night on approval is NOT included with the 80,000 point offer!  And the minimum spending requirement is higher.

With the new offer, you’ll still get:

• 1 free night in a category 1 to 5 hotel on your card anniversary
• 5X points per $1 spent at Marriott
• 2X per $1 at office supply stores, restaurants, on car rentals, airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, and (business card only) cellular phone, landline, internet and cable TV.
• 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• NO foreign transaction fees
• 15 nights credit towards elite status (so you get Marriott Silver status)

Note:   With the 80,000 point offers, the $85 annual fee for the personal card and $99 fee for business card are NOT waived for the 1st year.  With the 70,000 point offers, the annual fees ARE waived for the 1st year!

80,000 Marriott points is enough for:

Two nights at a category 8 (2nd-highest category) Marriott (40,000 Marriott points per night), like the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.

Three nights at a category 5 Marriott (25,000 Marriott points per night), like the Renaissance Curacao Resort & Casino

Or make your points last for 8 nights at a category 2 Marriott (10,000 Marriott points per night) like the Courtyard St. Petersburg Clearwater.

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.  But you will NOT receive the cateogry 1 to 4 free night certificate if you’ve earned it before.

Folks who have had this card in the past will likely do better with the new 80,000 point offer (as long as they don’t mind the annual fee for the 1st year).

Thanks to reader Phil for the reminder!

Which Is the Better Deal?

I still prefer the 70,000 Marriott point offer and free category 1 to 4 night upon account approval.

Unless you plan to use the free night certificate in a category 2 or lower Marriott, you’re better off earning 10,000 fewer points (70,000 versus 80,000).  That’s because you’ll get more than 10,000 points value from the category 1 to 4 certificate.

Marriott 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

For example, using the category 1 to 4 free night certificate at a category 4 hotel would save you 20,000 Marriott points.  So you’d get a value of 70,000 + 20,000 = 90,000 Marriott points from the regular offer.

I prefer that to earning 80,000 Marriott points and no free night certificate (especially since the minimum spending is higher).

That said, if you want to stay at high category Marriotts only, the 80,000 point offer is a better deal.

Note:   The free category 1 to 4 night certificate expires 6 months from the date of issue.  So if you don’t have immediate travel plans, the 80,000 Marriott point offer is a better deal for you.

Marriott points expire after 24 months of account inactivity.

So consider your travel plans and goals before you jump into either offer.

Bottom Line

There’s a limited-time sign-up bonus on the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier personal and business cards.

Until August 31, 2015, you’ll earn 80,000 Marriott points after completing the minimum spending requirement with either card.  That’s enough for 2 nights in a luxury Marriott hotel.  Although the annual fee is NOT waived for the 1st year.

The previous 70,000 Marriott point offer (which has a lower minimum spending requirement) is still a better deal for many folks.  That’s because it includes a free night in a category 1 to 4 Marriott when your account is approved.  And you won’t have to pay an annual fee your 1st year with the card!

The 80,000 point offer does NOT include the free category 1 to 4 night.

Emily and I receive a commission for the 80,000 point personal offer but not for the others.  Regardless, we’ll always tell you about the best deals!