The Best Ways To Use 10,000 (or Fewer) Marriott Bonvoy Points

Key Takeaways

• With 10,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, you can book free nights at midrange properties in smaller cities or use Points + Cash for nicer properties.
• Marriott Bonvoy points can be transferred to various airline partner programs such as Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and American Airlines AAdvantage.
• Points can also be redeemed for gift cards, merchandise, or on-property purchases at Marriott hotels, though hotel stays typically offer the best value.

Marriott Bonvoy is arguably the Swiss Army knife of hotel rewards currencies. If you’ve only ever used it to book hotel stays within the Marriott portfolio, you might be satisfied but not necessarily thrilled. It’s notoriously hard to climb up Marriott Bonvoy tiers, and we value the currency at an average 0.7 cents per point.

But where the program really shines is in its utility outside of its primary use. Marriott Bonvoy is one of the most flexible and versatile hotel rewards currencies available. This is a case where you buy the knife for the corkscrew, not the blade.

You have a ton of ways to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points, even if you have just a few thousand points in your account. In this article, we discuss all the ways to redeem 10,000 or fewer Marriott Bonvoy points so that you realize maximum value.

Just note that 10,000 Marriott Bonvoy points aren’t a ton of points, so don’t expect to book your honeymoon or once-in-a-lifetime trips to the world’s most exotic destinations. Regardless, these options are better than letting orphaned Marriott Bonvoy points expire or otherwise not be used since it’s so easy to find something to do with them.

How To Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points

For an in-depth Marriott Bonvoy balance, see our full guide that covers the best ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points.

Without a doubt, though, one of the best ways to accrue a lot of Marriott Bonvoy points is to open a Marriott co-branded credit card. You’ll find several options below (including some cards that should be in every Marriott loyalist’s wallet):

Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A great option for Marriott hotel fans who want a no annual fee card and automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card

A great option for Marriott hotel fans who want a no annual fee card and automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 Bonus Points plus 1 Free Night Award after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Free Night valued at 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.

60,000 points + 1 Free Night Award

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$770

Annual Fee

$0

APR

20.99% - 27.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

Casual travelers who like to frequent properties that are part of the Marriott Bonvoy collection of brands may want to consider the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card.

The Marriott Bold card rewards cardholders for Marriott stays and gives them a boost towards Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Up to 14x points per $1 on Marriott purchases
• 2x points at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services
• 5 Elite Night Credits each year

Cons

• Lower point earn rate than other Marriott Bonvoy cards
• Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status is the lowest status tier

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.99% - 27.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual Free Night Award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card

Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual Free Night Award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.

Welcome Offer

Earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening.

125,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$875

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.99% - 27.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

If you’re a frequent traveler and a Marriott loyalist, there’s a lot to love about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card. The card comes packed with several great benefits like a free hotel night once a year, automatic Silver Elite status (with a fast-track to Gold Elite status), and multiple options for redeeming points.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Earn big when you use your card at thousands of participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
• Earn big at grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
• Automatic Silver Elite Status

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• Marriott Silver Elite Status is the lowest status tier

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 125,000 bonus points after qualifying purchases - our best points offer!
• Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
• Earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
• 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
• Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Card.
• Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, automatic Silver Elite status, and path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees. Your points don't expire as long as you make purchases on your card every 24 months.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.99% - 27.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.

Welcome Offer

Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you spend $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

85,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$595

Annual Fee

$250

APR

20.24%-29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card, the latest mid-tier offering in the Marriott Bonvoy lineup of cards, offers cardholders automatic elite status and ways to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on each of their stays and daily purchases.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 6x points per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
• 4x points per $1 at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per calendar year, then 2x points)
• 2x points per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $250 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Free Night Award certificate is not an automatic benefit

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy^® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
• Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2X points).
• Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ Card.
• Marriott Bonvoy 1K Bonus Points Per Stay: Earn 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott for properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
• With complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elites status, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy^® on eligible hotel purchases with the 25% Bonus Points on stays benefit, available for Qualifying Rates.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Free Night Award: Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points) at a hotel participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• 15 Elite Night Credits: Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express Card^® you can receive 15 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy^® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
• Plan It^® is a payment option that lets you split up purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee. Plus, you'll still earn rewards the way you usually do.
• $250 Annual Fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.24%-29.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card

A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

95,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$665

Annual Fee

$650

APR

20.24%-29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card is a premium card designed with road warriors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalists in mind.

So is the card a worthwhile addition to your wallet?

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 6x points per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy program
• 3x points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines and restaurants worldwide
• 2x points per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• Steep annual fee of $650 (rates & fees)
• 6x points per $1 is the same earn rate offered with lower annual fee alternatives like the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card at restaurants worldwide.
• With Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
• Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy^® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®. Earn 3X Marriott Bonvoy^® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X Marriott Bonvoy^® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card.
• Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
• $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton^® or St. Regis^® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
• Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck^® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy^® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.
• Enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
• With Cell Phone Protection, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month's wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
• $650 Annual Fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.24%-29.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

With that, let’s take a look at some of the best ways to earn 10,000 or fewer Marriott Bonvoy points.

Top Up Airline Mileage Balances

Marriott Bonvoy has numerous airline transfer partners, most of which transfer at a 3:1 ratio. This isn’t as good of a transfer ratio as other transferable points currencies like American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, or Citi ThankYou Points, but the program has some unique transfer partners not found anywhere else.

Some of these unique partners include JAL Mileage Bank, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, and American Airlines AAdvantage. These programs do not transfer in from other points programs, making them tough to earn without either flying their specific metal or opening a co-branded credit card.

Hot Tip:

Marriott points transfers often take 24 or more hours to process. Make sure to transfer your points as soon as you have a redemption in mind so you can secure your award ticket before it sells out.

We recommend transferring a small balance of Marriott Bonvoy points to one of these hard-to-earn airline programs when short on points for a specific redemption. However, we do not recommend preemptively transferring points without a specific purpose, as this makes the points less flexible and can leave them vulnerable to devaluation.

Book a Night at a Cheap Points Hotel

Marriott Bonvoy members can redeem as few as 7,500 points for a 1-night stay during standard times in the Marriott brands portfolio. While 7,500-point hotels are generally midrange properties in smaller cities, they can be a particularly good deal when booking during peak travel times or at the last minute.

Further, there are deals to be had among these properties. For example, Four Points by Sheraton Fargo Medical Center is a cheap hotel in the medical district of Fargo, North Dakota. When you book enough in advance, a 1-night stay costs $124. A redemption, on the other hand, could cost as little as 8,000 points. This gives travelers a point value of 1.55 cents each!

With this in mind, make sure to do your research before booking Marriott stays with points. It can often be a better deal to pay cash for these hotel stays and save the points for a more lucrative redemption in the future.

Book a Cash + Points Stay

Can’t find any cheap hotels that fit your travel schedule? Consider booking a Cash + Points redemption instead.

These redemptions let travelers use a mixture of cash and Marriott Bonvoy points to stay at a nicer hotel. It’s important to note that these redemptions can have varying value, similar to booking the cheapest award nights with points above.

Again, make sure to do your math before booking a Cash + Points award. These have the potential to give you good value but sometimes fall short when a hotel is already low-priced to begin with.

Additionally, note that not all stays are eligible for Cash + Points redemptions. You can find them by checking the Use Points button when searching for a Marriott hotel — when available, Cash + Points redemptions are displayed above the hotel’s standard points cost.

Transfer Your Points to Another Marriott Bonvoy Member

One of the nice things about the Marriott Bonvoy program is that you can transfer your points to other Marriott Bonvoy members for free.

Marriott Bonvoy members can transfer up to 100,000 points per calendar year to another member and receive up to 500,000 from other members. However, both the sending and receiving accounts must be in good standing and have been open for at least 60 days.

This can be helpful if you have a friend or family member who needs to top up their balance before making a large redemption or if you want to take advantage of a travel companion’s elite status.

To transfer points, call Marriott Bonvoy at 801-468-4000 with both account numbers ready.

Donate Your Marriott Bonvoy Points to Charity

Alternatively, you can use Marriott Bonvoy points for a charitable donation to one of Marriott’s charity partners. Currently, Marriott has relationships with a number of different charities and foundations, including:

• American Red Cross
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
• Marriott Disaster Relief Fund

These are the current redemption rates available:

Donating Marriott Bonvoy points to charity lets travelers have a real impact on these organizations and the people they help support. Visit Marriott’s donation page for more information and instructions on how to donate points to charity.

Redeem Your Marriott Bonvoy Points for Merchandise

You can also use your Marriott Bonvoy points to purchase gift cards and other merchandise in Marriott’s online store. Marriott even has a special section of this store that’s dedicated to redemptions of 10,000 or fewer points.

However, whether you should redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for gift cards or merchandise is another matter.

We looked through the Marriott web store and found that most of these redemptions give travelers far less value than redeeming for a cheap hotel or Points + Cash redemption.

On the gift card side, a $10 Sephora gift card costs 5,000 points at the web store. This yields a value of just 0.2 cents per point — 1.23 cents per point less than the Fargo hotel redemption we mentioned earlier.

Merchandise redemptions can be even worse. A Melissa & Doug USA National Parks Floor Puzzle is 10,000 points on Marriott’s store. This same jigsaw puzzle is $11.99 on Amazon, giving you a redemption value of less than 0.12 cents per point.

Bottom Line:

To get reasonable value from your points, steer clear of merchandise and gift card redemptions and focus on travel rewards instead.

Use Marriott Bonvoy Points for Instant Redemptions at Hotels

Finally, Marriott Bonvoy points can be used to cover spa treatments, dining expenses, bar tabs, and other on-property purchases made during stays at a participating Marriott hotel.

To do this, simply charge an on-property expense to your room and ask to use points to cover the charge at checkout.

You can redeem points at the following rates:

Generally speaking, these redemptions do not make for a good deal. Redeeming 5,000 points for a $20 credit gives a value of just 0.4 cents per point. Though this is better than a merchandise redemption, it’s still noticeably less valuable than a free night at the cheapest Marriott hotels.

Final Thoughts

In this article, we’ve looked at the best ways to redeem 10,000 or fewer Marriott Bonvoy points. There aren’t a ton of options available, but we’ve highlighted ideas that could provide relatively good value for such a limited number of points.

Stick with booking free cheap nights if possible. Generally speaking, these provide the best deal and can save you a decent chunk of change if you’re traveling during peak seasons or booking at the last minute.