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Earlier this year, the long-awaited integration of MGM and Marriott Bonvoy took center stage. In addition to making 16 MGM properties bookable (starting at just 5,000 Bonvoy points!), the Marriott-MGM tie-up offers resort goers tier-match opportunities, reciprocal elite benefits, and more. The “and more” grew today as Marriott and MGM finally made good on a benefit proposed many months ago. Here's why that matters.
Marriott and MGM Points Transfer Rates
This morning, an update to the Marriott Bonvoy terms and conditions unveiled that Marriott Bonvoy is rolling out two-way points transfers with MGM Rewards. You can now transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to MGM Rewards and vice versa. It's an interesting proposition if you're sitting on a stack of either currency and need a new way to cash in.
Before you can transfer points, you must link your MGM and Marriott accounts. Once you're all systems go, you can make conversions. Unfortunately, the transfer ratio isn't 1:1, but it's pretty close. You'll receive:
- 10 Marriott Bonvoy points => 8 MGM Rewards points
- 10 MGM Rewards points => 8 Marriott Bonvoy points
The minimum number of points you can transfer per transaction is 1,000. You can convert up to a maximum of 30,000 points in a calendar year.
Related: The Complete Guide to the Marriott Bonvoy Program
Should you transfer points between MGM Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy?
Generally speaking, program-to-program conversions are worth avoiding. Unless you're transferring from a bank rewards program to a hotel or airline loyalty program, the conversion ratios usually mean a loss in value. That loss of value isn't much with these MGM-Marriott transfer rates though.
On average, Marriott points are worth 0.94¢ apiece. That's nearly on par with the fixed 1¢ apiece that MGM Rewards points are worth when redeemed towards travel, slot dollars, and more. So, converting points between the programs means a loss of around 20% no matter which direction you're going.
Here's how the math breaks down:
- Transfer ten Marriott points (worth ~9.4¢) to MGM, and get eight MGM Rewards points (worth 8¢).
- Transfer ten MGM Rewards points (worth 10¢) to Marriott and get eight Marriott Bonvoy points (worth ~7.5¢).
On paper, you're potentially losing value either way. However, don't write off this transfer option entirely.
Since MGM offers a fixed redemption rate of one cent per point, this effectively sets a value floor for Marriott points. Transferring Marriott points to MGM yields 0.8 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point. Transferring points to MGM looks appealing if you can't get more value from your Bonvoy points on award stays.
Likewise, you can opt to transfer MGM Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy points when booking a particularly high-value stay. If you can yield more than 1.25 cents per Bonvoy point on a booking, transfer MGM points to Bonvoy points to get more than the fixed redemption rate of one cent per point. And there are plenty of opportunities to redeem Bonvoy points for that much value, both at luxury Marriott hotels and for low-cost Marriott redemptions.
How to Transfer Points Between MGM Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy
At the same time as these terms and conditions changed, Marriott and MGM launched the ability to transfer points. Unfortunately, there are two different processes for transferring points, depending on which way you want to transfer your points.
Transferring Marriott Bonvoy points to MGM Rewards
To transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to MGM Rewards, log into your Marriott Bonvoy account and browse to this page. Select “MGM Rewards” from the dropdown menu and enter your MGM Rewards account number. Then, enter the number of Bonvoy points you'd like to transfer. Note that you can transfer points in increments of 10 points with a 1,000-point minimum transfer.
Scroll down and click continue. On the next page, Marriott will recap the transfer request for confirmation. If everything looks good, click “transfer points now” to initiate the points transfer.
Transferring MGM Rewards points to Marriott
To transfer your MGM Rewards points to Marriott, log into your MGM Rewards account and browse to this page. Enter the number of MGM Rewards points you wish to transfer. If you have enough points to make a transfer, the website should show how many Marriott Bonvoy points you'll receive.
As a security measure, you must enter your Marriott Bonvoy account number. Then, accept the terms and conditions to continue with the transfer.
Final Thoughts
Marriott and MGM finally rolled out two-way transfers, and the combination of transfer rates and fixed vs. variable redemption rates make this new (but long-awaited) perk worth a look.
There's a limit on how many points you can move between the programs per calendar year. But if you're sitting on points you can't use, you now have a new way to redeem them. Plus, this new transfer opportunity effectively sets a new minimum redemption value for Marriott Bonvoy points — as long as your travel style involves MGM resorts.
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