Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to buy Marriott Bonvoy points: caps and limits
Marriott Bonvoy is the loyalty programme of Marriott International, and members can buy Bonvoy points directly for themselves or for another member, up to 100,000 points per calendar year. [2] [3] Those purchases sit alongside award redemptions that Marriott advertises from 12,000 points a night, so whether buying is worth it depends on the particular night you want. [4]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- A Marriott Bonvoy member may purchase up to 100,000 points per calendar year, either for themselves or for another member. [3]
- Purchasing points is listed as Qualifying Activity, the activity that stops accumulated points, awards and other benefits from being forfeited after 24 months without account activity. [2]
- Buying points adds to a balance but is not a stay: an Elite Night Credit is earned only for a night during a Qualifying Stay. [2]
- Free Night Awards carry varying point values by property, which is why the useful comparison is always against one specific night rather than an average. [4]
How do you buy Marriott Bonvoy points?
Marriott lists two direct purchase options in the member account: "Buy Points for Me", described as a way to reach your rewards goals, and "Gift Points", described as buying points to give to someone. [4] The programme rules describe points and awards as having no cash value and as something that may not be sold, bartered, transferred, assigned, exchanged or purchased except as expressly permitted in those rules. [2]
The annual cap. Marriott's points-to-miles page states that a member may purchase up to 100,000 points per calendar year for themselves or another member. [3] The allowance is expressed per calendar year, so it resets with the calendar rather than with the membership year. [3] Because the same figure covers purchases made for someone else, a gift purchase draws on that allowance too. [3]
Purchase offers inside the account. The Redeem Points page also lists "Multiply My Points", aimed at members with a recent stay and described as buying up to 4X the points, for less. [4] Offers of that kind sit inside the member account and are separate from the standard Buy Points and Gift Points entries. [4]
Taxes. Under the programme rules, members are responsible for any taxes, duties, disclosures or permissions associated with earning, receiving, redeeming, transferring, converting or using points, miles, awards and other programme value. [2]
How do you compare a purchase with a specific award night?
Start with the number of points the night actually needs. Free Night Awards are redeemable at thousands of properties worldwide with varying point values, and Marriott advertises free-night redemptions starting at 12,000 points per night. [4] Averages or headline starting rates therefore say little about a particular hotel on a particular date. [4]
Two booking options can change that number at participating hotels. PointSavers rates are advertised as up to 20% off, found by selecting "Use Points/Awards" in a hotel search and choosing a hotel that displays a PointSavers rate. [4] Cash + Points lets a member combine cash and points, again at hotels that display those rates when the search is run with "Use Points/Awards". [4]
With the points figure settled, the comparison has three parts. First, the total cash you would hand over to buy exactly the points that night needs, measured against the cash price of the same room on the same dates. Second, the charges an award night does not absorb: at Atlantis, Paradise Island, a non-branded property with limited participation, award redemption stays include the standard room rate and room tax only, and extra-person charges, resort fees, service charges and other property charges stay with the member. [2] Third, the cancellation terms, covered below. A background read on the wider trade-off is in hotel points vs cash.
The annual allowance also shapes the plan: 100,000 points per calendar year is the ceiling on purchases [3], so a single large redemption cannot be funded entirely by buying in one year if it needs more than that.
Does buying points keep a Marriott Bonvoy account active?
Yes, on the programme's own wording. Members must have Qualifying Activity at least once every 24 months to retain accumulated points, awards and other benefits, and Qualifying Activity includes earning or redeeming points or miles, purchasing points, completing a Qualifying Stay, and converting points or miles with designated partners. [2] Gifting, transferring or receiving points from another member does not count. [2]
The consequence of missing the window is severe: if an account has no Qualifying Activity for 24 consecutive months, all accumulated points, awards and other benefits are forfeited and cannot be reinstated, and an account left inactive for five consecutive years may be deactivated. [2] Awards redeemed before point forfeiture remain valid unless they are cancelled after the points expiration date; if an award is cancelled after that date and no Qualifying Activity has extended it, the points used for the award expire. [2] An award booked with bought points therefore keeps the same expiry logic as any other award. [2]
What limits and exceptions apply?
- No elite night credit. An Elite Night Credit is earned only for a night during a Qualifying Stay, so a points purchase adds to the balance without adding nights toward Elite Status. [2]
- Ownership and resale. Points, awards, Elite Status and Elite Night Credits are the property of the Company, not of members, and may not be sold, bartered, transferred, assigned, exchanged or purchased except as expressly permitted. [2]
- Property charges. The Atlantis, Paradise Island terms show how far an award night reaches: standard room rate and room tax, with resort fees, service charges, extra-person charges and other property charges left to the member. [2]
- Participating hotels only. PointSavers and Cash + Points appear only at hotels that display those rates in a "Use Points/Awards" search. [4]
- Account cancellation. If a member cancels their account, unredeemed points, awards and benefits are forfeited immediately and may not be reinstated or transferred, except as the Company permits or the law requires. [2]
Frequently asked questions
How many Marriott Bonvoy points can you buy in a year?
Up to 100,000 points per calendar year, for yourself or another member. [3]
Can you buy Bonvoy points for someone else?
Yes. Marriott's Redeem Points page lists a "Gift Points" option described as buying points to give to someone, and the 100,000-point annual allowance covers purchases made for yourself or another member. [3] [4]
Does buying points count as Qualifying Activity?
Purchasing points is listed among the qualifying activities that keep accumulated points and awards alive every 24 months, while gifting, transferring or receiving points from another member does not count. [2]
Do bought points earn Elite Night Credits?
Elite Night Credits are earned only for a night during a Qualifying Stay, so a purchase adds to the points balance rather than to nights stayed. [2]
How many points does an award night need?
It varies by property: Marriott advertises free-night redemptions starting at 12,000 points per night, and PointSavers rates at participating hotels are advertised as up to 20% off. [4]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Only Marriott Bonvoy is covered here; other hotel programmes, including Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt and IHG One Rewards, are not covered.
- Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions, checked 18 October 2026
- Marriott Bonvoy points-to-miles page (purchase allowance), checked 18 October 2026
- Redeem Marriott Bonvoy Points, checked 18 October 2026