Creation Marriott Bonvoy credit card closing end Feb 2025

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

Just had an email from Creation saying:

“We need to tell you that the relationship between Creation Financial Services and Marriott Bonvoy is coming to an end on 28 February 2025.

We’re giving you notice that your account will be closed on 28 February 2025, in accordance with the provisions of clause 14 of your credit agreement. You won’t be able to use your Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card after 28 February 2025.”

As I mentioned in today’s chat thread, this is a legacy card not open to new holders so was living on borrowed time. I had been hopefully it might stick around though as it had survived Creation’s earlier cull of the IHG co-branded card.

It was good for me for two reasons:
– The 10 elite night credits annually stacked with the 15 from the Amex Bonvoy card, so giving gold status without any actual stays
– Also you can pay it off with the HSBC Premier World Elite card for a nice double dip! Still – if you hold both you have 3 months remaining to make the most of this top tip 😉

[ankomonkey]

This card holds a special place in my points-earning portfolio from over they years, partly due to the ability to pay it off creatively. But I lost mine during the MS-cull.

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

ankomonkey wrote:

This card holds a special place in my points-earning portfolio from over they years, partly due to the ability to pay it off creatively. But I lost mine during the MS-cull.

The halcyon days of Bendy-Beardy-Che-Solihull shenanigans will live long in the memory on here @ankomonkey !

[RussellH]

What I posted earlier in my own thread: I was probably too busy writing my own contribution to see this one arrive…

I have just received 2 e-mails from Creation, timed 3 minutes apart.

Both have the same subject: Russell, important changes to your Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card

The content is different, though.

Both start “We need to tell you that the relationship between Creation Financial Services and Marriott Bonvoy is coming to an end on 28 February 2025.”

The first one then states “On 28 February 2025 you’ll move over to the Creation Credit Card”.
I assume that the Creation Credit Card is the one that I got (but never used) when the Creation/IHG card died.

The second e-mail states: “We’re giving you notice that your account will be closed on 28 February 2025, in accordance with the provisions of clause 14 of your credit agreement. You won’t be able to use your Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card after 28 February 2025.”

Both e-mails have the same info about points and status:

Points
You can continue to earn points up to and including 28 February 2025. After this time, any points will be handed over to Marriott Bonvoy®who will add them to your Marriott Bonvoy account.
If your anniversary is up to and including 28 February 2025, we’lll send your 2,000 bonus points to Marriott Bonvoy by 31 March 2025.

Status
Your Marriott Bonvoy status will remain the same until 28 February 2026. Changes to your status after this date will be communicated to you directly by Marriott Bonvoy.

I assume that as I already have a Creation Credit Card, the first e-mail was sent in error.

I know that there are not many holders of the card left, but still a sad day. But for the next three months, this will probably be the only card I use!

[RussellH]

ankomonkey wrote:

This card holds a special place in my points-earning portfolio from over they years, partly due to the ability to pay it off creatively. But I lost mine during the MS-cull.

Still works, though!!!

[HappymanUK]

I’ve had the same come through for my IHG Creation credit card. Which become just the Creation credit card.

I only used it because as mentioned, you can pay it off ‘creatively’. I don’t think anyone else allows that do they?

[George K]

Not getting this card when I could have was one of my greatest regrets (The ICC Amex now being a distant second in my list of those who got away…). Well done to all those who held on and benefited from it for all these years!

[ankomonkey]

Guernsey Globetrotter wrote:

ankomonkey wrote:

This card holds a special place in my points-earning portfolio from over they years, partly due to the ability to pay it off creatively. But I lost mine during the MS-cull.

The halcyon days of Bendy-Beardy-Che-Solihull shenanigans will live long in the memory on here @ankomonkey !

Indeed! I’d managed a variety of other MS for quite a few years before that, nearly all using the Creation Marriott and IHG cards, and paying them off with my Hilton Barclaycard. My hotel points balances have never recovered from me losing the two Creation cards.

[NorthernLass]

We’ve still got 850k IHG points between us. Since dynamic pricing came in I resent not getting good value from them 😂

Also 1 million HH points which I’m saving for something like Xmas in Maldives 😂😂😂

[BBbetter]

NorthernLass wrote:

We’ve still got 850k IHG points between us. Since dynamic pricing came in I resent not getting good value from them 😂

Same boat. 400k and poor value everywhere. My mistake was not using it when I had the diamond status. Atleast the breakfast cost would have been covered. Hotels have jacked up even the breakfast prices! Probably use it for HIX stays near airports or on motorways.

Regret not getting more HH points instead.

[RussellH]

BBbetter wrote:

NorthernLass wrote:

We’ve still got 850k IHG points between us. Since dynamic pricing came in I resent not getting good value from them 😂

Same boat. 400k and poor value everywhere. My mistake was not using it when I had the diamond status. Atleast the breakfast cost would have been covered. Hotels have jacked up even the breakfast prices! Probably use it for HIX stays near airports or on motorways.

Regret not getting more HH points instead.

Still getting HH points + Gold status for next year from my Hilton Barclayvard, thank goodness.

Stayed at the Bournemouth Hilton last weekend. Pleasant, in that we were upgraded from a basic room to a suite with a glimpse of the sea.
But several niggles: the shower gel dispenser was never refilled / replaced – I did not comment because I wanted to see if anyone checked over three nights – clearly they did not.
Breakfast did not match what was stated on the hotel website – no smoked salmon (unless specifically asked for).
First morning – “Continental fridge” was broken, so no cold meat, cheese, fruit. Avaialble to order, true.
Second morning – one of the two coffee machines was broken.
Third morning – the other coffee machine was broken.
Seems like they are deliberately letting things slip and hoping for the best.
Then, on checkout they charged my Hilton Visa for the stay, rather than the Amex with the £50 cashback, even though the Hilton Visa had been taken off my profile and they pre-authorised the Amex.
Turned out they pre-authorised both cards!
Complained, got a quick apology and the Amex charged instead, but just too many things going wrong.

[NorthernLass]

Yes, HH Visa still gifting here as well, though not as much since Curve put the squeeze on. Enough for 80-kish points per year and gold status though.

Used 160k points for 5 nights at the Hilton Mexico City next week which feels like a good redemption. We’ll probably use up the IHG stash in GCM over the next 2/3 years if it remains a sweet spot.

[The Urbanite]

Guernsey Globetrotter wrote:

– Also you can pay it off with the HSBC Premier World Elite card for a nice double dip! Still – if you hold both you have 3 months remaining to make the most of this top tip 😉

It works to pay for sure, but are HSBC still awarding points for these transactions?

[The Urbanite]

George K wrote:

Not getting this card when I could have was one of my greatest regrets (The ICC Amex now being a distant second in my list of those who got away…). Well done to all those who held on and benefited from it for all these years!

Same here – back in 2015 I was getting emails from Creation weekly inviting me to apply for the card! But I was too busy spreading spend across so many other cards to take any notice, plus I didn’t see a way to rack up big points with Marriott given back then it hadn’t yet merged with Starwood Preferred Guest.

[The Urbanite]

ankomonkey wrote:

Guernsey Globetrotter wrote:

ankomonkey wrote:

This card holds a special place in my points-earning portfolio from over they years, partly due to the ability to pay it off creatively. But I lost mine during the MS-cull.

The halcyon days of Bendy-Beardy-Che-Solihull shenanigans will live long in the memory on here @ankomonkey !

Indeed! I’d managed a variety of other MS for quite a few years before that, nearly all using the Creation Marriott and IHG cards, and paying them off with my Hilton Barclaycard. My hotel points balances have never recovered from me losing the two Creation cards.

Same, but all kinds of rubbish could be used to pay off Creation, including gift cards and prepaid cards that proved tricky to cash out otherwise. I bought an obscene amount of gift cards, making a profit on each one then paid the entire balance into Creation. The Hilton card was of course the best one to use in my opinion. Although HSBC Premier also worked, there wasn’t much point as HSBC at the time was paying out merchant categories that most cards didn’t, so was a bit of a waste to use that bandwidth with Creation!

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

The Urbanite wrote:

Guernsey Globetrotter wrote:

– Also you can pay it off with the HSBC Premier World Elite card for a nice double dip! Still – if you hold both you have 3 months remaining to make the most of this top tip 😉

It works to pay for sure, but are HSBC still awarding points for these transactions?

Oh yes… so at least have the consolation of the higher points earn on HSBC for a few months swansong!

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

George K wrote:

Not getting this card when I could have was one of my greatest regrets (The ICC Amex now being a distant second in my list of those who got away…). Well done to all those who held on and benefited from it for all these years!

@George K – all of us must have these missed opportunities … you can’t win em all!

Luckily, I still have the Amex ICC green card, which gives both the chance to uplift UK Amex Reward points to it at the prevailing exchange rate (so about 1:1.26 multiplier atm) along with the 1:1 Krisflyer conversion opportunity. The annual fees of $136 are just about offset by the points I earn on USD spend (including any points purchases) and one day soon I hope to have accrued enough for a proper blow out redemption on SQ 🤞

But if that card comes to an end then, like with the Creation Marriott card, I’m sure the game will move on too 😎

[Talay]

I’ve had this for years but very rarely use it because I can put 95% of everything on Amex.

Mostly used it for my business insurance (circa £12k) a year, once a year.

I find hotel points somewhat pointless these days as you can always find a good hotel with a deal and Avios on Qatar is the main play now.