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We are fast approaching the end of the calendar year. And that means the deadline for earning elite status for most airline and hotel programs is coming up soon. If your Marriott Elite Night Credits aren't as high as you'd hope they'd be by now and you want to avoid taking advantage of Marriott's soft landing policy, the good news is that you have options for boosting your Marriott elite status by year's end.
Several Marriott Bonvoy credit cards offer elite status boosts. Plus, you can earn additional Elite Night Credits by reaching spending thresholds on one Marriott card. And now, you can even get Marriott Platinum Elite status without stepping foot in a hotel.
Let's review how you can boost your Marriott Elite Night Credits — aside from the old-fashioned way of actually staying at a Marriott hotel.
Page Contents
- Marriott Credit Cards Offer 15 Elite Night Credits
- Consider Whether You Qualify as a Small Business Owner
- Spend on the Marriott Boundless Card To Earn More Marriott Elite Night Credits
- Enroll To Get Gold Elite via The Platinum Card® from American Express
- Get the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- Upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card for Extra Marriott Elite Night Credits
- Burn an Annual Choice Benefit for 5 Elite Night Credits
- One-Card Strategies for Marriott Elite Status
- Bottom Line
Marriott Credit Cards Offer 15 Elite Night Credits
Most co-branded Marriott credit cards offer cardholders 15 Elite Night Credits. Just like that, you'll have enough night credits for Marriott Silver Elite status — or a boost toward an even higher elite status. That means the easiest way to boost your Marriott Bonvoy night credits for the year is simply to get a co-branded Marriott credit card if you don't already have one.
The following Marriott cards offer cardholders 15 Elite Night Credits annually:
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card — offers automatic Silver Elite status
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card — offers automatic Gold Elite status
- Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card — offers automatic Gold Elite status
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card — offers automatic Gold Elite status
- Earn up to 135,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points. Earn 85,000 points after you spend $5,000 and an extra 50,000 points after you spend an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your 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.
- 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 Elite Status, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy® on eligible hotel purchases with the 25% Bonus Points on stays benefit.
- 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.
- 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.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6X points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
- 4X points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
Note that you can't stack the Elite Night Credits by having more than one card on this list — with one exception.
Consider Whether You Qualify as a Small Business Owner
The 15 Elite Night Credits that small business owners get through the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card work just like the Marriott consumer cards — with one powerful exception.
Although you can't stack night credits by getting multiple consumer cards, you can stack the Elite Night Credits from one consumer card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card to earn 30 Elite Night Credits each year.
You can bump that up to 40 Elite Night Credits if you hold the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, because it offers 25 Elite Night Credits annually.
Amex spells this out in excruciating detail in the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card‘s terms:
“To be eligible to receive the 15 Elite Night Credits with this Card, you must be the Basic Card Member, and you must have an active Marriott Bonvoy Member Account linked to your Card Account. A maximum of 15 Elite Night Credits will be provided per Marriott Bonvoy Member Account, unless you have both an open Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card account and an open Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card account; or, you have both an open Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card account and an open Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card account. Then, you may receive a combined maximum of 30 Elite Night Credits (15 per Card account). If you have both an open Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card account and an open Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card account, you may receive a combined maximum of 40 Elite Night Credits (15 Elite Night Credits as a benefit of an eligible Marriott Bonvoy Business Card account plus 25 Elite Night Credits as a benefit of an eligible Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card account). This benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.”
The TL;DR [too long; didn't read] is to consider whether you're eligible for a small business card if you're looking for a Marriott Elite Night Credit boost but already have a Marriott consumer card.
By holding both a consumer (personal) card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, you'll get (at least) 30 Elite Night Credits each calendar year. That's enough for Gold Elite status on its own.
- WELCOME OFFER: Earn 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Each Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply.
- Receive a 7% discount on eligible bookings as a benefit of being both a Marriott Bonvoy® member & a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Member when you book directly with Marriott through an eligible channel for a participating property under the Amex Business Card Rate.
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.
- Terms apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping
- 2x Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Spend on the Marriott Boundless Card To Earn More Marriott Elite Night Credits
Marriott credit cards generally aren't the best credit cards for everyday spending. However, you may consider spending a little extra on your Marriott Boundless this winter. That's because cardholders earn 1 Elite Night Credit per $5,000 in spending each year.
If you're close to hitting the next $5,000 threshold, consider spending enough to get yourself another night closer to that next tier of Marriott Bonvoy elite status.
- Earn 6X Bonvoy points per $1 spent participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining, and 2X points per $1 on all other purchases
- Earn 3 Marriott Bonvoy® points for every $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on gas stations, grocery stores, and dining
- Earn 2X Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: Marriott Boundless Card Review
Enroll To Get Gold Elite via The Platinum Card® from American Express
Alternatively, you may consider just applying for The Platinum Card® from American Express. Cardmembers can enroll to receive Marriott Gold Elite status just as a perk of being a cardmember. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
This isn't the cheapest way of getting Marriott Bonvoy elite status, as you'll need to pay the card's $695 annual fee (Rates & Fees). However, it's worth considering if the other perks of the card make it worth it for you. The same benefit applies to The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
With that said, if you're looking to pay to get Marriott elite status outright, you may want to invest your $695 a bit differently by…
Related: Earn Elite Status in Multiple Programs With 1 Credit Card
Get the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Marriott Platinum Elite status is a sweet spot in the Bonvoy program. Platinum Elite members get free breakfast (at most brands), guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout (at most properties), and room upgrades — including standard suites. And you can get Platinum Elite status without even staying a single night in a Marriott.
Amex and Marriott refreshed the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card in 2022 to offer all cardmembers Platinum Elite status. No spending required. No stays required. Just Platinum Elite status for holding the card.
The catch? The card's annual fee is $650 (Rates & Fees). That means it's not a cheap card to hold, but it comes loaded with other perks that might make it worth it for you.
- Earn up to 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points. Earn 100,000 points after you spend $6,000 and an extra 50,000 points after you spend an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your 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 the stay is booked with a Qualifying Rate at hotels that participate in Marriott Bonvoy, subject to availability upon check-in.
- 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 Brilliant 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.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6X points on purchases at Marriott Properties
- 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
Related: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card Review
Upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card for Extra Marriott Elite Night Credits
Already have Platinum Elite status and looking for more? Marriott Titanium Elite isn't that much better than Platinum Elite status. However, Titanium Elites do get another Marriott Annual Choice Benefit that could provide a Free Night Award worth up to 40,000 points, Nightly Upgrade Awards, or additional Elite Night Credits.
If you already have a personal Marriott credit card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, you still have options to boost your Marriott Elite Night Credits before the year-end.
If you upgrade to (or apply for) the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card by year's end, you would qualify for the 25 Elite Night Credits. If you already earned 15 nights from a different personal card, then you would get 10 more to make up the difference.
Related: Credit Cards That Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points
Burn an Annual Choice Benefit for 5 Elite Night Credits
The last method to consider is using an Annual Choice Benefit to get a few more Marriott Elite Night Credits. However, considering the other options you're giving up, this should be a last-resort method for topping off your elite nights.
Marriott Bonvoy members earn an Annual Choice Benefit upon hitting 50 Elite Night Credits and again at 75 Elite Night Credits. At each level, you can select to get 5 Elite Night Credits. There are only two times that this makes sense:
- If you'll end the year with between 70-74 nights, selecting 5 Elite Night Credits can push you over the top to get Titanium Elite.
- If you'll end the year with between 90-99 nights and you've spent $23,000 in eligible spending this year, selecting 5 (or 10) Elite Night Credits will help you earn Ambassador Elite status.
One-Card Strategies for Marriott Elite Status
Here are the ways to get each Marriott elite status tier through just one credit card.
Get Silver Elite status by holding:
Get Gold Elite status by holding:
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
- The Platinum Card® from American Express (enrollment required)
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (enrollment required)
There's just one card that provides Platinum Elite status from carrying the card:
Bottom Line
The end of the year is quickly approaching. If you're short of your Marriott elite status goals, you have plenty of options for boosting your status. Whether it's applying for a new Marriott card, spending on the Marriott Boundless, or upgrading to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, you can earn extra Elite Night Credits without staying more nights in a Marriott hotel.
Related: Should You Get the No-Annual-Fee Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card?
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
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