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Get a 50% bonus when you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott: But is it a good deal?

Andrew Kunesh
Articles
Andrew Kunesh is a former senior editor at The Points Guy covering loyalty programs. He's been a miles and points fanatic since 2014 and previously wrote for Upgraded Points and Credit Karma. Outside of the travel world, Andrew is a cyclist, craft coffee aficionado and — despite now living in NYC — a Chicagoan at heart.
July 06, 2021
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5 min read
The Lodge at Sonoma Resort, Autograph Collection_marriott
Get a 50% bonus when you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott: But is it a good deal?
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Here's some good news if you're looking to give your Marriott account a boost: Through Aug. 31, 2021, you'll get a 50% bonus when transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy. This means you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards in increments of 1,000 points and get 1,500 Marriott points.

This offer is not targeted – all Chase cardholders with an eligible Chase Ultimate Rewards earning credit card can take advantage of the transfer bonus.

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You can transfer Chase points to Marriott on the "Transfer points to travel partners" page on the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. Scroll to the bottom of the page, where you'll see Marriott Bonvoy listed as a hotel transfer option.

Click the Transfer Points button and enter your Marriott Bonvoy number if you haven't already linked your accounts. Once that's done, you can transfer points to Marriott with a 50% bonus. Note that Chase transfers to Marriott take roughly 39 hours to process, according to tests performed by TPG.

(Screenshot courtesy of chase.com)

This bonus isn’t hard-coded into the transfer ratio on the Chase Ultimate Rewards website. Like with past transfer bonuses, the bonus will instead appear in your Marriott Bonvoy account after Chase processes your points transfer.

Related: The best ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points

Is this transfer bonus a good deal?

Marriott Bonvoy is one of the few remaining hotel loyalty programs that stick to a (mostly) standard award chart. You'll pay slightly less on off-peak dates and more during peak. However, there is a cap on redemption rates listed on Marriott's award chart.

TPG values Marriott points at 0.8 cents per point and Chase points at 2 cents per point. With the bonus, you will get 1.2 cents per point in value for each Chase point you transfer to Marriott. You're theoretically losing 0.8 cents per point in value with the transfer bonus as opposed to 1.2 cents.

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Of course, the actual value you get from your points depends on how you redeem them. You'll usually get the most value by redeeming Marriott points at low category hotels or higher-end hotels. You can also stretch the value of your Marriott points by taking advantage of the program's fifth-night free benefit on award stays. This lets you book a five-night stay for the cost of a four-night stay.

For example, say you want to spend five nights at The Westin Paris Vendôme over New Year's Eve – one of the most expensive times to travel. Due to peak pricing, you'll spend between 50,000 and 70,000 points per night for a total of 270,000 points and roughly $17 in taxes for the entire stay.

(Screenshot courtesy of marriott.com)

This same stay costs roughly $2,040. This redemption results in just 0.75 cents per point in value, less than half of what we value Chase points.

(Screenshot courtesy of marriott.com)

You'll likely want to skip this transfer bonus unless you're able to find a stellar redemption value. Instead, consider transferring your Chase points to World of Hyatt for hotel stays. Hyatt's award chart has lower prices than Marriott's award chart, and there's no peak pricing to worry about yet. For example, a one-night stay at the Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme costs 30,000 points or $955 in late December. In turn, you get 3.18 cents per point in value.

(Screenshot courtesy of hyatt.com)

Another option is booking through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal. Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders can redeem at a set value of 1.5 cents per point through the portal and those with a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card can redeem at 1.25 cents per point. This is still lower than what we value Chase points but can be a better deal in many cases. Just note you usually cannot use hotel elite status benefits on hotel rooms booked through this portal.

Related: The best ways to book hotels through online travel agencies and bank portals

Should I speculatively transfer my points?

We rarely recommend transferring points before you have a specific redemption in mind. This leaves your points open to devaluation and gives you less flexibility for redeeming your points in the future. Keep this in mind for this transfer bonus and others you come across in the future.

Related: Current transfer bonuses

Bottom line

While it's great to see Chase offer another transfer bonus, most cardholders should steer clear of this one. Marriott points can be incredibly valuable, but this bonus still results in a loss in value in most cases. It might make sense to transfer a small number of points if you're short on an award stay. As always, do the math to see if any points transfer makes sense for your particular redemption.

Featured image by The Lodge at Sonoma Resort, Autograph Collection (Photo courtesy of Marriott)
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.