Marriott Bonvoy Points Expiring? Here's What to Do
Your Marriott Bonvoy points have a ticking clock. After 24 months of account inactivity, your entire balance disappears permanently. Here's how to check your expiration date and the best ways to preserve your points' value before it's too late.
Marriott Bonvoy is the world's largest hotel loyalty program with 200+ million members. But many Canadians don't realize their hard-earned points can vanish without warning. Unlike airline miles that often have no expiration, Marriott Bonvoy enforces a strict 24-month inactivity policy. If you haven't earned or redeemed a single point in two years, your entire balance — whether it's 10,000 or 500,000 points — is permanently forfeited.
Critical Warning:
Marriott Bonvoy points expire after 24 months of account inactivity. Once expired, they cannot be recovered. If you haven't earned or redeemed points recently, check your account immediately.
Understanding Marriott's Expiration Policy
Marriott's expiration rule is straightforward but unforgiving. Here's exactly how it works:
The 24-Month Rule
Your points expire if your account has no qualifying activity for 24 consecutive months. Qualifying activity means earning or redeeming at least one Marriott Bonvoy point. Simply logging into your account or browsing rates does not count.
Full Balance Reset
Any single qualifying activity resets the clock for your entire point balance. If you have 200,000 points and earn 1 point from a credit card purchase, all 200,000 points get a fresh 24-month window.
No Warning Emails Guaranteed
While Marriott may send reminders, they're not obligated to and emails can be missed or filtered to spam. Don't rely on Marriott to warn you. Set your own calendar reminder 3 months before the 24-month mark.
How to Check When Your Points Expire
Follow these steps to determine your expiration date:
- 1
Log into marriott.com
Go to marriott.com and sign in to your Marriott Bonvoy account.
- 2
Navigate to Activity
Click on your name/account, then go to "Activity" or "Points Activity" to see your transaction history.
- 3
Find your last qualifying activity
Look for the most recent point earn or redeem. Add 24 months to that date — that's your expiration deadline.
- 4
Set a calendar reminder
Set a reminder 3 months and 1 month before expiration so you have time to act.
Tip: You can also call Marriott Bonvoy at 1-800-228-9290 and ask a representative for your exact expiration date.
5 Ways to Prevent Your Marriott Points from Expiring
Any of these options will reset the 24-month clock and protect your entire point balance:
Make One Credit Card Purchase
If you have a Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit card, even a $5 purchase earns Bonvoy points and resets your expiration clock. This is the easiest method if you already hold the card.
Effort level: Minimal. Just use the card once every 24 months.
Book a Hotel Stay
Any qualifying stay at a Marriott property earns points and resets the clock. Even a single night at a Fairfield Inn or Courtyard counts. You don't need to redeem points — a paid cash stay works.
Effort level: Moderate. Useful if you have travel planned anyway.
Transfer Points to an Airline
Transferring even a small number of points (minimum 3,000) to an airline partner counts as qualifying activity. However, the 3:1 conversion ratio makes this a poor value option unless you need airline miles for a specific booking.
Effort level: Easy but costly in terms of value. Only do this if you need airline miles anyway.
Purchase a Small Amount of Points
Marriott allows members to purchase points directly. Buying even the minimum amount (1,000 points for ~$12.50 USD) counts as account activity and resets the full 24-month clock. This is a cheap insurance policy for your balance.
Effort level: Easy. Costs ~$17 CAD but protects potentially thousands in point value.
Sell Your Points for Cash
If you don't plan to use Marriott hotels and don't want to keep resetting the clock every two years, selling converts your points to guaranteed cash. At $0.004-$0.007 per point, 100,000 points becomes $400-$700 CAD deposited directly to your bank.
Best for: People who have left the Marriott ecosystem and want guaranteed value rather than ongoing maintenance.
Why Selling Is Often the Best Choice for Expiring Points
While the other options keep your points alive, they don't solve the underlying problem: you have points you're not using. Here's why selling often makes the most sense:
Ends the maintenance cycle
Resetting the clock every 24 months means remembering to take action indefinitely. If you've already gone months without thinking about your Marriott account, the same will likely happen again. Selling eliminates the ongoing risk.
Guaranteed value vs. speculative redemption
Points sitting in your account earning 0% return. Cash in your bank earns interest, pays bills, or covers emergencies. At $0.005/point, 100,000 idle points become $500 in immediate liquidity.
Protection against devaluation
Marriott has increased point costs for hotel stays multiple times. The points you're saving for a future stay may be worth fewer nights by the time you use them. Selling locks in today's cash value.
Any amount above 25,000 qualifies
Our minimum is 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, worth $100-$175 in cash. Even modest balances can be converted to meaningful amounts.
How Much Time Do You Need?
If your points are close to expiring, here's the timeline for different actions:
| Action | Time Needed | Cash Value |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card purchase | 1-2 billing cycles to post | $0 (just resets clock) |
| Purchase points | Same day | Costs ~$17 CAD |
| Hotel stay | 2-4 weeks (booking + stay) | $0 (resets clock) |
| Sell to broker | 3-5 business days | $0.004-0.007/point |
Start at least 2-3 weeks before expiration
If you're selling, the process takes 3-5 business days. Add time for quote response (24 hours), your decision, and the transfer posting period. Starting with 2-3 weeks of buffer ensures a smooth process without panic.
Don't Let Your Points Expire — Sell for Cash
If your Marriott Bonvoy points are at risk of expiring and you don't have hotel stays planned, selling is the smartest way to preserve their value:
- • Current rates: $0.004 - $0.007 CAD per point
- • Minimum: 25,000 points ($100-$175 cash)
- • Payment within 24-48 hours via Interac e-Transfer
- • Process takes 3-5 business days total
- • No fees or hidden costs
Frequently Asked Questions
How long before Marriott Bonvoy points expire?
Marriott Bonvoy points expire after 24 months (2 years) of account inactivity. Any qualifying activity — earning or redeeming at least one point — resets the clock for your entire balance. This includes hotel stays, credit card spending, partner transactions, or selling points.
How do I check when my Marriott points expire?
Log into your Marriott Bonvoy account at marriott.com and navigate to your Activity page. Look for the date of your last qualifying activity. Your points will expire 24 months after that date if no new activity occurs. You can also call Marriott Bonvoy member services for your exact expiration date.
Can I extend my Marriott points expiration without staying at a hotel?
Yes. Several activities reset the expiration clock without requiring a hotel stay: using a Marriott co-branded credit card for any purchase, transferring points to an airline partner, purchasing points through Marriott, or selling points through a broker. Even a single qualifying transaction resets the full 24-month clock.
What happens if my Marriott Bonvoy points expire?
Once expired, Marriott Bonvoy points are permanently forfeited and cannot be recovered. There is no grace period and no way to reinstate expired points. This is why it's critical to act before the 24-month deadline — even selling at a modest rate is infinitely better than losing your entire balance.
Can I sell Marriott Bonvoy points that are about to expire?
Yes, and we recommend starting the process at least 2-3 weeks before your expiration date. Selling takes 3-5 business days from quote to payment. Contact Mega Miles Broker with your point balance and we'll provide a quote within 24 hours. Current rates: $0.004-$0.007 per point.
Mega Miles Broker Team
Points Brokerage Specialists
Canadian loyalty points specialists. PIPEDA compliant, Toronto-based.