30% Transfer Bonus from Amex MR to Marriott Bonvoy

American Express Canada has just launched a 30% transfer bonus from American Express Membership Rewards to Marriott Bonvoy – its first for 2024. 

If you have reason to transfer Amex MR points to Marriott Bonvoy, this is a great opportunity to squeeze some extra value out of your points to book aspirational hotels, or to transfer points to airline programs. 

This time, the transfer bonus event is set to run until April 30, 2024, so be sure to initiate your transfer before then if you wish to take advantage. 

Amex MR 30% Transfer Bonus to Marriott Bonvoy

As a reminder, the standard transfer ratio from Canadian-issued American Express Membership Rewards to Marriott Bonvoy is 1:1.2: for every 1,000 MR points transferred, you’d receive 1,200 Marriott Bonvoy points.

On the American Express website, this is the ratio displayed when you go to initiate a transfer, even during the current transfer bonus event.

However, under the Product Information tab, it displays that the transfer bonus is in effect.

With a 30% bonus, this transfer ratio has been bumped up to an effective 1:1.56 ratio: 1,000 MR points will earn you 1,560 Marriott Bonvoy points. 

After you’ve made a transfer, the bonus points typically come in a separate chunk from the standard transfer amount.

Transfers to Marriott Bonvoy are officially slated to take two business days to complete; however, in practise it happens almost instantly.

The name and address should match between your Amex MR and Marriott Bonvoy accounts to prevent any delays.

Keep in mind that Marriott Bonvoy members can send up to 100,000 points per calendar year to another member, and can receive up to 500,000 points per calendar year cumulatively from other members.

Is Transferring Amex MR to Marriott Bonvoy a Good Deal?

Converting Amex MR points into Marriott Bonvoy points represents one of the many potential valuable uses, although even with the 30% transfer bonus in play, it may not necessarily be the best use of MR points.

That’s because MR points can be transferred to airline frequent flyer programs as well (notably Aeroplan or British Airways Executive Club at a 1:1 ratio, or Air France KLM Flying Blue at a 1:0.75 ratio), which typically provide better value when redeemed for flights in premium cabins, compared to the average hotel redemption via Marriott Bonvoy.

However, if…