American Express Membership Rewards transfers to Marriott Bonvoy are now instant
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On Friday, we published an article on why INSTANTLY transferable points are the best sort of points.
Whilst it is fantastic that you can convert points such as American Express Membership Rewards points into many different airline and hotel schemes, the vast majority of Amex, Heathrow Rewards and Tesco Clubcard transfers are not instantaneous.
Most happen overnight or within 24 hours, which can be a problem if a flight or hotel reward pops up and may disappear. Some American Express transfers take 2-3 days and transfers from other schemes can take far longer.
Our article on Friday listed the following partners as transferring instantly from Membership Rewards:
- Delta SkyMiles
- Virgin Flying Club
- Emirates Skywards
Marriott Bonvoy has now joined the list
Two readers dropped me a note to say that Marriott Bonvoy transfers from American Express are also now instant.
I gave it a try and they were correct. I transferred 400 points from American Express Membership Rewards to Marriott Bonvoy and immediately went across to marriott.com to log in. My 600 transferred points (the rate to Bonvoy from Membership Rewards is 2:3) were there.
My Marriott account was already linked to my American Express account, so I don’t know if first time transfers could be slower. A report in our comments yesterday said that it was within a couple of hours, which is the same as Virgin Atlantic first time transfers.
(The reason that first time transfers are slower is that American Express sends an initial request to validate the account name and number, and only then authorises the transfer. Subsequent transfers are sent immediately.)
Hotel room redemption availability tends to disappear more slowly than flight availability so this is less revolutionary than an airline partner becoming an instant transfer partner. It is definitely good news though.
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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (June 2025)
There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.
The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 15th July 2025, the sign-up bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is TRIPLED to 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. This would convert into 25,000 Avios or into 40 other airline schemes. It would also get you at least £300 of Marriott hotel stays based on our 0.5p per point low-end valuation. Other T&C apply and remain unchanged. Click here for our full card review and click here to apply.
You can apply here.
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card
60,000 points (to 15th July) and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review
You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.
Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card? It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.
We reviewed The Platinum Card from American Express in detail here and you can apply here.
The Platinum Card from American Express
50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:
- American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card (20,000 bonus Amex points)
- The American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)
and for small business owners:
- The American Express Business Gold Card (20,000 bonus Amex points)
- The American Express Business Platinum Card (50,000 bonus Amex points)
The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.
