Marriott free-night certificate PointSavers glitch soon to be fixed
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
With the introduction of Marriott's peak and off-peak pricing in September, we've seen a variety of changes. While most of them don't seem great, these new rates have opened up some really interesting redemptions with PointSavers hotels. Why? Take a look at Marriott's award chart:
Off-peak rates occur during the low season, as determined by Marriott's newest algorithm. PointSavers rates discount the points required for a free night even further. Take, for example, the Marriott Grand Cayman Beach Resort, a Category 6 hotel which would normally cost 50,000 points per night. During off-peak times the rate drops to just 40,000 points per night.
With PointSavers, the total amount needed for a single night is a stunning 35,000 points, which puts this Category 6 hotel firmly within reach of the annual free night certificate (up to 35,000 points) offered by the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.
Related: Which Marriott Bonvoy credit card is right for you?
However, something interesting happens when you actually go to redeem your free night certificates on Marriott's website.
Note how the option to redeem your free night certificate doesn't appear, unlike when you try to book a Category 5 hotel, like at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort & the Royal Beach Casino:
Unfortunately, when TPG editor Jasmin Baron tried to take advantage of one of these off-peak PointSavers rates and called to apply her certificate to her reservation, she was told by two separate Marriott representatives that her booking was considered a promotional rate and thus not eligible for the free-night certificate. When a detailed investigation of Marriott's terms and conditions failed to yield further information, we reached out to Marriott for comment.
Related: How to use a Marriott 35,000-point certificate
Luckily for cardholders everywhere, Marriott has confirmed that free-night certificates are usable with PointSavers hotels, and that they're actively working to correct these issues with booking. This opens up some phenomenal uses of the 35k Marriott certificate, letting members redeem their free nights for hotels up to Category 6 when they're priced off-peak combined with PointSavers. While we've written about Marriott PointSavers discounts, keep in mind that Marriott's published list isn't comprehensive — you can find deals on tons of different destinations simply by searching. In the meantime, let's hope that Marriott is quick to fix this glitch.
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 6X | 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. |
| 4X | 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. |
| 2X | 2x points on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a stacked card with a rewards rate that will help you earn bonus points on everyday and business-related purchases. You'll earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year, and receive automatic Gold elite status. Finally, the free night award certificate with a redemption level of 35,000 points or less can get you hundreds of dollars in potential value each year.Pros
- 6x points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
- 4x points at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. shipping
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases
- Earn a free-night award each card renewal month (up to 35,000 points)
- Receive 15 elite night credits to jump-start status
- Transfer Marriott points to 40+ airlines
Cons
- Airline points transfer ratios are poor
- Must spend $60,000 in a year for second free-night award
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer expires 11/2/22.
- 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. Terms and Conditions Apply.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card.
- Terms apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Rewards Rate
| 6X | 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. |
| 4X | 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. |
| 2X | 2x points on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer expires 11/2/22.Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 points75,000 pointsAnnual Fee
$125Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent/Good
Why We Chose It
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a stacked card with a rewards rate that will help you earn bonus points on everyday and business-related purchases. You'll earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year, and receive automatic Gold elite status. Finally, the free night award certificate with a redemption level of 35,000 points or less can get you hundreds of dollars in potential value each year.Pros
- 6x points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
- 4x points at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. shipping
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases
- Earn a free-night award each card renewal month (up to 35,000 points)
- Receive 15 elite night credits to jump-start status
- Transfer Marriott points to 40+ airlines
Cons
- Airline points transfer ratios are poor
- Must spend $60,000 in a year for second free-night award
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer expires 11/2/22.
- 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. Terms and Conditions Apply.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card.
- Terms apply.
- See Rates & Fees