Qualifying Charges for Marriott Bonvoy
Marriott Bonvoy does not award points on every dollar of a hotel bill. Only “qualifying charges” earn points. Which charges qualify depends on the brand, how you booked, whether you stayed in a guest room, and who paid.
Two charges that look alike can earn very different results. For example, a dinner charged to your room usually earns points, but the parking fee on the same bill does not. This article covers which charges count, which do not, and how Elite Night Credits are handled.
Base Points Depend on the Hotel Brand
Members earn base points per U.S. dollar of qualifying charges. Charges in other currencies are converted to the U.S. dollar equivalent. Most brands earn 10 points per dollar. Extended-stay, apartment, and some economy brands earn less.
| Brand group | Base points per $1 | Elite Night Credit per night |
|---|---|---|
| Most brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels, JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Courtyard, Fairfield, Aloft, Moxy, citizenM, and Marriott Vacation Club | 10 | 1 |
| Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Element, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy | 5 | 1 |
| Marriott Executive Apartments | 5 (on qualifying rates only) | 1 |
| Protea Hotels, City Express, Four Points Flex | 5 | 0.5 |
| Series by Marriott in the U.S., Canada, and Greater China | 10 | 1 |
| Series by Marriott in all other locations | 5 | 0.5 |
| StudioRes | 4 | None |
The table has a few details that are easy to miss:
- Marriott Executive Apartments: Points are earned only on the room rate. Dining and other charges on the bill do not earn points.
- Half-night credits: Your account summary shows only whole numbers. A half credit does not appear until a second half credit completes it.
- Greater China for Series by Marriott: This covers Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
- StudioRes: Stays earn points but no Elite Night Credits.
Elite members also earn bonus points on top of base points. The bonus ranges from 10% to 75%, depending on elite tier. Because the bonus is calculated on base points, a stay that earns fewer base points also earns a smaller bonus.
Charges That Earn Points During a Stay
When you stay in a guest room as the registered guest, these charges on your folio earn points:
- Room rate: Only if it is a qualifying rate (covered in the next section).
- Food and beverages: Meals and drinks at the hotel’s restaurants, bars, and room service. Alcohol and tobacco are excluded only where local law prohibits earning on them. Outlets the hotel does not manage or operate may be excluded.
- Phone and fax: Direct-dial phone and fax charges from the room.
- Entertainment: In-room movies and video games.
Marriott also awards 10 points per dollar spent at participating Marriott golf resorts and spas.
Three conditions apply to all of these charges. You must give your member number when you book or at check-in. You must stay in one of the reserved rooms as a registered guest. You must pay the charges yourself.
Earning on Up to Three Rooms
You can earn points on charges for your own room plus up to two additional rooms. All rooms must have the same check-in and check-out dates. You must stay in one of the rooms and pay a qualifying rate, or use points, for all of them. A fourth room does not earn points, even if it is on your bill.
Qualifying Rates vs. Nonqualifying Rates
The room rate is usually the largest part of the bill, so the booking channel matters. Qualifying rates include most business and leisure rates, including:
- Public rates: Rates on Marriott.com booked without a discount code, including standard and premium retail rates.
- Prepaid rates: Advance purchase and prepay rates.
- Negotiated rates: Corporate negotiated rates and national, regional, or local government rates.
Nonqualifying rates earn no points or Elite Night Credits. Elite benefits also do not apply. The main examples:
- OTA bookings: Rooms booked through Expedia, Booking.com, Hotwire, Priceline, Orbitz, Travelocity, or other third-party channels.
- Group rates: Rooms booked at a group rate for an event, meeting, conference, or organized tour.
- Packages: Tour operator, wholesaler, or crew rates and package bookings.
- Free rooms: Complimentary rooms and rooms paid with vouchers or third-party awards.
If points and elite credit matter to you, compare the hotel’s own rate with the OTA price before you book. The savings on an OTA may be smaller than the points you give up.
Charges That Do Not Earn Points
Some charges never earn points, even when they appear on the same bill as eligible spending:
- Free items: Complimentary services.
- Award stays: Free night awards, including the cash part of a Points + Cash booking.
- Events: Banquets, meetings, and other functions. The only exception is points earned under a qualifying Marriott Bonvoy Events agreement.
- Other on-site spending: Parking, business center charges, retail stores, and third-party services.
- Taxes and fees: Room taxes, service charges, gratuities, resort or destination fees, and other mandatory charges.
- Penalty fees: Late cancellation fees and no-show fees, even when the reservation was fully prepaid.
- Homes & Villas fees: Certain charges at Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy.
In some limited cases, taxes, service charges, or gratuities on other incidentals billed to the room may earn points. Room rate taxes and mandatory fees, however, do not.
All-Inclusive Resorts Use Different Rules
All-inclusive properties earn 10 base points per dollar on qualifying charges. Because meals and activities are bundled into the rate, the list of qualifying charges is different:
- Package rate: The qualifying rate for the stay.
- Premium dining: Food and drinks bought in addition to the package, with the same alcohol restriction where law prohibits it.
- Extra guests: Extra-person charges on paid stays at a qualifying rate. On award stays, these charges do not earn points.
- Resort activities: Spa, golf, and other activities managed by the resort.
- Package taxes: Taxes, service charges, and gratuities that are part of the qualifying package rate.
Charges at restaurants run by a third party may not earn points. Charges at outlets outside the resort never do. Early departure fees are also listed as nonqualifying.
One difference helps if you forget: at all-inclusive resorts, you can add your member number at booking, at check-in, or before the end of your stay.
Earning Points Without a Hotel Stay
You can earn points at participating restaurants, bars, and other outlets at certain Marriott hotels without staying overnight. The rules differ from stay-based earning:
- Earning rate: 5 base points per dollar on the total bill after discounts and exclusions.
- Identification: Give your member number when paying, or pay with a card linked to your account, depending on the outlet. You may need to show a photo ID that matches your account name.
- Linked cards: In some markets, if one card is linked to several accounts, only the most recently linked account earns points.
- Elite bonus: Elite bonus points may or may not be awarded, depending on how the outlet processes payments.
- Exclusions: Alcohol where prohibited by law, event-related charges, third-party outlets, and outlets outside the hotel.
- Miles preference: Members who earn airline miles on stays receive points, not miles, for these purchases.
Points can take up to 10 days to post. If they are still missing after 10 days, contact Marriott Bonvoy Member Support. The list of participating outlets can change at any time, so check it before you go.
Elite Night Credit Rules Are Stricter
Points and Elite Night Credits do not always go together. When you pay for several rooms, all of them can earn points, but you only earn Elite Night Credit for the room you pay for and stay in.
A stay billed directly to your company still earns Elite Night Credit, as long as it is not tied to a convention or group meeting. Stays at nonqualifying rates earn no Elite Night Credit.
If two members share a room, only one of them receives the points and Elite Night Credit. You also cannot earn on charges paid by another person.
Example: How One Bill Breaks Down
Take a three-night stay at a Sheraton booked on Marriott.com at $180 per night. The bill includes:
- Room rate: $540
- Dinner at the hotel restaurant, charged to the room: $75
- In-room movie: $15
- Room taxes: $70
- Parking: $120
- Destination fee: $75
The qualifying charges are the room rate, dinner, and movie, for a total of $630. That earns 6,300 base points, plus any elite bonus. The taxes, parking, and destination fee add $265 to the bill but earn nothing.
The same spending at an Element would earn 3,150 base points. If the room had been booked on an OTA, the room rate would earn nothing, and you would get no Elite Night Credits.
Steps to Make Sure Your Charges Count
- Book direct: Use Marriott.com, the Marriott Bonvoy app, or the hotel and avoid discount codes that create nonqualifying rates.
- Add your number early: Include your member number in the reservation, and confirm it at check-in.
- Charge to the room: Sign hotel restaurant and bar bills to your room so they appear on your folio.
- Keep dates aligned: For extra rooms, use the same check-in and check-out dates and book no more than three rooms in total.
- Check the folio: Review your bill at checkout. Separate qualifying charges from taxes and fees so you know what points to expect.
- Follow up on missing points: For purchases without a stay, wait 10 days and then contact Member Support.
Key Takeaways
Points come from the room rate and on-site spending such as dining, golf, and spas. Taxes, fees, parking, and third-party services do not earn points. The brand sets your earning rate, from 10 points per dollar at most hotels down to 4 at StudioRes.
Booking channel and room count matter as much as spending. Book a qualifying rate directly, link your member number before check-in, and charge eligible purchases to your room. Remember that Elite Night Credits only apply to the one room you stay in and pay for.
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