Marriott Credit Cards Offering 6x Points On Groceries

Marriott Credit Cards Offering 6x Points On Groceries

27

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.

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 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?

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?

Conversations (27)
The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.
Type your response here.

If you'd like to participate in the discussion, please adhere to our commenting guidelines. Anyone can comment, and your email address will not be published. Register to save your unique username and earn special OMAAT reputation perks!

  1. Charles Guest

    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.

  2. KK13 Diamond

    My Hilton Amex card has been paying 6X for the past 2 years..

  3. M.S. Guest

    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/

  4. UA-NYC Diamond

    6x on these cards for groceries or 5x on the CSR...tough call lol

  5. MACH81 Member

    Offer seems targeted In The limits of spend for the 6x pts, mine is $7500, I’ve read others at $5k.

  6. GSBEWR Guest

    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.

  7. MACH81 Member

    @greta & m.s that looks like the property not far form heathers in the British countryside he’s been to recently.

  8. m.s. Guest

    HI Can you please tell me which Marriott Hotel in top of this article.

    Thanks

  9. Greta Guest

    @Lucky, is that a picture of your house? It is very beautiful!

  10. GSBEWR Guest

    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.

  11. Mark Guest

    The Chase Marriott Premier Plus Business is included. Just received the email. Surprised the my did it for a business card.

  12. Carlos Rodrigues Guest

    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.

  13. MACH81 Member

    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.

  14. Eskimo Guest

    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.

  15. UA-NYC Diamond

    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.

  16. GSBEWR Guest

    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?

  17. david Member

    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

  18. rogbre New Member

    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.

  19. Points Pinnacle Guest

    Yup, like most others i will be using all 3 of our freedoms this quarter.

  20. CP Guest

    Hi Ben, do you know if this includes groceries internationally, outside of the US?

  21. Kalboz Member

    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.

  22. Larry Guest

    This is targeted. Not everyone is getting this (I'm not).

    1. Ben (Lucky) OMAAT

      @ 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).

  23. Luis Diamond

    Gotta give them credit for trying but I'll be sticking with my Amex Gold for my groceries.

  24. AJ Member

    Is there a limit? On the first $5k, right?

  25. tef0306 Guest

    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.

  26. Peter S Kim Guest

    Does that include freshdirect?

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Charles Guest

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.

0
KK13 Diamond

My Hilton Amex card has been paying 6X for the past 2 years..

0
M.S. Guest

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/

0
Meet Ben Schlappig, OMAAT Founder
5,163,247 Miles Traveled

32,614,600 Words Written

35,045 Posts Published