Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.

You Can Now Turn Marriott Points Into Starbucks Stars. Here’s Why You Shouldn’t.

Ryan Smith's image
Ryan Smith
Ryan Smith's image

Ryan Smith

News Managing Editor

273 Published Articles 269 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 197U.S. States Visited: 50

Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and now plans to let his wife choose their destinations. Over the years, he’s written about award travel for publicat...
Edited by: Keri Stooksbury
Keri Stooksbury's image

Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

49 Published Articles 3413 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 50U.S. States Visited: 28

With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now editor-in-chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Generally, we get excited when there are new ways to use our points. However, not every use of your points is as valuable as the others. That’s likely the case with a new option to turn your Marriott Bonvoy points into Starbucks Stars.

How To Transfer Your Marriott Points to Starbucks

The partnership between Marriott and Starbucks isn’t new, to be clear. With this partnership, you can earn double Starbucks Stars during stays at Marriott hotels and resorts.

You’ll need to link your Starbucks Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy accounts to take advantage of these perks. And you’ll also need to link your accounts to use the new points transfer feature.

An unannounced update to the terms of the Marriott Bonvoy program included this new feature, as first reported by AwardWallet. If you’ve previously linked your accounts, you can start your transfer here.

Transfer Marriott points to Starbucks Rewards
A sample transfer of 1,000 Marriott points. Image Credit: Marriott

The maximum transfer is 50,000 Marriott points per day. The transfer ratio is 10:1, and transfers aren’t possible in reverse (from Starbucks to Marriott). You must transfer at least 1,000 Marriott points, and they must be transferred in blocks of 10.

Once you turn your Marriott points into Starbucks Stars, the Stars expiry policy will apply.

Hot Tip:

Through October 18, 2024, you can get 1,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points if you join Marriott Bonvoy or Starbucks Rewards as a new member and then link your accounts.

Is It Worth It?

Before you move all of your Marriott Bonvoy points to Starbucks Rewards, let’s consider the values available in these programs.

We value Marriott points at 0.7 cents apiece. That means 1,000 Marriott points are worth $7 on average.

With Starbucks Rewards, the number of Stars you need for a redemption depends on what you want to purchase. Redemptions start at 25 Stars for a drink customization. You’ll need 100 Stars for a regular coffee or 200 Stars for a handcrafted drink like a latte. Depending on what you’re buying, the value can change, but Stars are generally worth around 2 cents each.

If 1,000 Marriott points become 100 Starbucks Stars, you’re trading $7 worth of hotel points for $2 worth of Starbucks Stars. That’s not a very good trade.

Bottom Line:

It’s entirely possible to maximize redemptions and make poor redemptions in either program. However, the average numbers represent the value obtainable by the typical customer. Using those numbers, this is a poor use of Marriott points.

Final Thoughts

There’s a new way to use your Marriott points, offering transfers to Starbucks Rewards at a 10:1 ratio. If you’re sitting on a mountain of Marriott points and could never spend them all in a lifetime, this might make sense. Otherwise, most people should avoid these transfers.

Ryan Smith's image

About Ryan Smith

Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and now plans to let his wife choose their destinations. Over the years, he’s written about award travel for publications including AwardWallet, The Points Guy, USA Today Blueprint, CNBC Select, Tripadvisor, and Forbes Advisor.

INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse

Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts...

Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.

We respect your privacy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy  and terms of service  apply.

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse
DMCA.com Protection Status