Amex Platinum now gets you Marriott Rewards Gold status and earns Marriott points
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As I have written another article today about a new indirect benefit of having the American Express Platinum charge card (ie Star Alliance Silver status), I thought it was worth flagging up another key benefit.
I wrote last week about the status match that has been launched for Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards members following the Starwood takeover.
Starwood Preferred Guest Gold members get Marriott Rewards Gold, and vice versa. Platinum members also get a direct match.
Here are the two things to learn from this article:
American Express Platinum gives away Starwood Preferred Guest Gold status, but it doesn’t get you very much
Starwood Preferred Guest Gold now gets you Marriott Rewards Gold, and that gets you a lot
What are the key benefits of Marriott Rewards Gold?
Marriott Rewards elite benefits are listed here.
They are not to be sniffed at, which is as it should be given that you normally need to stay for 50 nights a year to earn Marriott Rewards Gold:
25% bonus points
high speed internet access
room upgrade
guaranteed 4pm check-out (new this year, except at resort and convention hotels)
guaranteed lounge access, or free continental breakfast if no lounge is available (except at resort properties)
How long will my Marriott Rewards Gold status last?
Until the end of 2017. In 2018, a brand new loyalty programme will be launched which will combine Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards.
There is a real risk, as Marriott is a long-term Visa partner, that American Express will be cut out entirely. We may see the end of elite status and Membership Rewards points transfers to Starwood. However, until the end of 2017, there is a great opportunity here to enjoy Marriott Rewards Gold status for free.
How can I earn Marriott Rewards points from Amex Platinum?
The Marriott Rewards official UK credit card has not been available for the past year. American Express Platinum now offers you a chance to earn Marriott points in two ways:
the 30,000 Membership Rewards points you get for signing up transfer into 15,000 Starwood points and can be moved across to 45,000 Marriott Rewards points
the 1 point per £1 on your spending equates to 0.5 Starwood points per £1 which converts to 1.5 Marriott Rewards points per £1
Of course, you can do better than this with the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express card. This earns 1 Starwood point per £1 which means an impressive 3 Marriott Rewards points per £1.
My full review of American Express Platinum and all of its benefits is here. The official Amex Platinum website is here.
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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – April 2025 update
If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.
In 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard
18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review
Earning miles and points from small business cards
If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:
American Express Business Platinum
50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Capital on Tap Pro Visa
10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review
Capital on Tap Visa
NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review
British Airways American Express Accelerating Business
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
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