Amex to Marriott 35% Transfer Bonus: Still Under One Cent a Point

Through December 10, 2026, every 1,000 Amex Membership Rewards points moved to Marriott Bonvoy becomes 1,350 Bonvoy points. A 35% bonus sounds generous, and it is at the high end of what these two programs usually offer. But under One Mile at a Time’s valuations, a transferred Amex point still comes out worth under one cent, against 1.7 cents left in Membership Rewards. For most travelers holding Amex points, the right move is to skip it.

What Happened

As One Mile at a Time reports, the US Membership Rewards program is running a 35% bonus on Marriott Bonvoy transfers from October 20 to December 10, 2026. The normal ratio is 1:1. The bonus is built into the transfer ratio, so members can use it as many times as they like during the window, and Amex-to-Marriott transfers are generally instant.

OMAAT says bonuses between these two programs show up around twice a year, usually in the 20% to 35% range. This one beats the 20% bonus offered earlier in 2026.

Why It Matters

The ratio is only half of the math. The other half is what each point is worth. OMAAT values Bonvoy points at about 0.7 cents each and Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents, per its points valuations guide. At those values:

That’s roughly 0.95 cents per Amex point after the transfer, which is why OMAAT calls the bonus not much of a deal. Without a bonus, OMAAT finds a transfer loses more than half of the points’ value.

Valuations vary. OMAAT notes that people who value Bonvoy points more highly may see this differently, and it points out there’s no great way to earn Marriott points through everyday credit card spending anymore.

What This Means for Points Collectors

The bonus makes sense for a narrow set of people. One is a member a few thousand points short of a specific Marriott award, who can top up an account. Another is someone with a redemption in mind where Bonvoy points stretch further than the 0.7-cent baseline. OMAAT’s view is that transfer bonuses are usually the best way to maximize transferable points, but only when a plain 1:1 transfer would already be reasonable, and Amex to Marriott doesn’t meet that bar.

Stack Archive’s look at Capital One’s 30% Japan Airlines transfer bonus applied the same test: a bonus is only as good as what the points buy at the other end. Bonvoy’s value has its own pressures too, covered in our piece on Marriott Platinum elite inflation.

Source: One Mile at a Time

Content created with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.