Given how much consumer behavior has changed in the past several weeks, suffice to say that many credit card bonus categories aren’t as useful as they used to be. For example, at this point I think many of us would trade in bonus points on airfare and hotels for bonus points on toilet paper.
Along those lines, we’ve seen some card issuers get creative with bonus categories. Now we’re seeing something new on co-brand Marriott credit cards.
In this post:
Marriott cards offering 6x points at grocery stores
All personal US Marriott co-branded credit cards will be offering 6x points at grocery stores between May 1 and July 31, 2020. This applies to a total of up to $5,000 in purchases.
This includes Marriott’s American Express and Chase cards, including the following:
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card
- Other Marriott cards that are no longer open to new applicants
- This does NOT include the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex
Marriott notes that studies show that people are spending up to 30% more on groceries than in the past, which is the motivation for this bonus category.
Separately, between July 15 and September 15, 2020, select Marriott Bonvoy cards are offering 10x points on dining and gas.
Is 6x Marriott points on groceries a good deal?
Ordinarily the above cards offer anywhere from 1-2x Marriott points per dollar spent at grocery stores, so the increased earnings rates are 3-6x better. Should you be shifting your grocery spending to a Marriott card?
- I value Marriott points at ~0.7 cents each, so to me this is like a ~4.2% return on grocery spending
- See this post for a rundown on what the best cards ordinarily are for grocery store purchases
- There are some cards offering better returns on grocery store spending; for example, the Amex Gold offers 4x Amex Membership Rewards points, which I value at 1.7 cents each, for a 6.8% return
Bottom line
For the next few months, co-brand personal Marriott credit cards are offering 6x Marriott points at grocery stores, which is in line with what you’d usually earn at Marriott properties.
This is a nice added bonus, and for many this will be a good option for earning Marriott points. However, personally there are other cards that I would still prefer to use.
I’m still hoping we see some more significant perks from some card issuers, as Amex is expected to announce something in early May.
Will this promotion cause you to switch grocery store spending to a Marriott card?
Sadly, earlier this year, Marriot Award Hotel stays went up signigantly. They have watered down the value of my existing account balance to offer these types of artificial promotions. Very disappointed with Marriot.
My Hilton Amex card has been paying 6X for the past 2 years..
If anyone curious picture on top of this page is Marriott in U.K.
https://www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/travel/loniv-the-langley-a-luxury-collection-hotel-buckinghamshire/
6x on these cards for groceries or 5x on the CSR...tough call lol
Offer seems targeted In The limits of spend for the 6x pts, mine is $7500, I’ve read others at $5k.
I was looking at other stories on OMAT and I was wondering if we will be seeing other special offers such as this in the near future. IF, as has been reported, that some of the airlines and hotels have sold tons of points to the credit card companies, special offers such as this would be one way for them to reduce the amount of point inventory and to get users to use these cards.
@greta & m.s that looks like the property not far form heathers in the British countryside he’s been to recently.
HI Can you please tell me which Marriott Hotel in top of this article.
Thanks
@Lucky, is that a picture of your house? It is very beautiful!
From the T&C in the email I got from Chase on Thursday:
You will earn a total of 6 points for each $1 spent on up to $5,000 in total purchases made in the grocery store category from 5/1/20 to 7/31/20. For Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™, Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier Plus Business, and The Ritz- Carlton™ Credit Cardmembers that's 4 points on top of the 2 points you already earn on grocery purchases with your card. For...
From the T&C in the email I got from Chase on Thursday:
You will earn a total of 6 points for each $1 spent on up to $5,000 in total purchases made in the grocery store category from 5/1/20 to 7/31/20. For Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™, Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier Plus Business, and The Ritz- Carlton™ Credit Cardmembers that's 4 points on top of the 2 points you already earn on grocery purchases with your card. For Marriott Bonvoy Bold™, Marriott Bonvoy™, Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier, and Marriott Bonvoy Business™ Credit Cardmembers that's 5 points on top of the 1 point you already earn on grocery purchases with your card.
The Chase Marriott Premier Plus Business is included. Just received the email. Surprised the my did it for a business card.
You folks are lucky, as of yet nothing has been mentioned in Canada, though my wife and I use our Bonvoy Amex for all our groceries. Just makes sense to accumulate points for the thousands of dollars we spend on groceries on a yearly basis.
I’m going to be very close to maximize Chase grocery bonus for this quarter, we spend a lot on groceries and usually use AmexGold. Once I hit the threshold on chase will split a bit of spending to the bonvoy card to top up account and shift some spending from gold since they have 2 different billing cycle and due date.
So why does Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex get excluded?
The higher $125 fee isn't enough?
It's not a Chase thing since Amex got it too and it's not a personal vs business thing since every Chase Marriott card got it. Even the legacy Ritz Carlton got it, according to T&C.
Would think about it...then I saw the Biz Amex was excluded. So as usual I will spend $0 on this card (after years of close to $100K annually w/Starwood)...piss off Marriott.
I got my email from Chase shortly after 5 p.m. (EDT). It confirmed 6x points and only up to $5,000 in spend. Also, no activation or anything required to start.
Ben: how would you compare the 6x for the Marriott card compared to the 6x for the Hilton card?
Haha I only have the old Amex SPG business.
But prefer Amex MR with Everyday Pfd at 4.5x and Gold 4x on groceries anyway
Ben your articles have such nice pictures of great properties, like in this case. Is it possible to put a line under the pictures that tells us which properties they are? Unless you're reviewing a particular property, I'm left hanging.
Yup, like most others i will be using all 3 of our freedoms this quarter.
Hi Ben, do you know if this includes groceries internationally, outside of the US?
Agreed with @tef0306 above about maximizing the spend rebate with Chase Freedom first, and then ...
Unless you need to accumulate Marriott points, the AMEX Everyday Preferred offers a better deal at X4.5 AMEX points provided you make any 30 purchase transactions within a billing period (someone said chewing gum!). Otherwise, it's 3X at grocery stores. With 1.5 CPP (my personal valuation for AMEX points) that's 4.5X1.5 = 6.75% return.
This is targeted. Not everyone is getting this (I'm not).
@ Larry -- It's not targeted, it's open to everyone. Just give it a while, because some emails are only going out tomorrow (when the promo launches).
Gotta give them credit for trying but I'll be sticking with my Amex Gold for my groceries.
Is there a limit? On the first $5k, right?
You should be using Freedom 2Q bonus spend up to $1,500 limit to earn 5x UR points through June 30. Only then should you shift grocery spend to a Marriott card -- either once you've hit the 1,500 ceiling or beginning July 1. Whichever comes first.
Does that include freshdirect?