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Earning Marriott Bonvoy points doesn’t always require a stay or a big credit card bonus. In fact, you can earn bonus Marriott points without any spending. The trick: Marriott's refer-a-friend programs. Bonvoy members can earn points by inviting friends, family, or coworkers to join the Bonvoy program and/or sign up for a Marriott cobranded credit card.
While each referral might not seem like a huge win on its own, the totals can add up quickly. If you maximize both, you can earn up to 250,000 bonus points per year.
Here’s how these referral programs work — and how to maximize the points you can earn.
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Marriott Refer a Friend Program for Bonvoy Points
The Marriott Refer a Friend referral program allows members to refer friends or colleagues to Marriott Bonvoy. Both parties receive bonus points on stays after registration.
The program is simple. Every person you invite will earn 2,000 bonus points on their first five stays (up to 10,000 bonus points), and you also earn 2,000 bonus points per stay on the first five stays your friend makes after signing up. Thus, both members will earn 10,000 bonus points if the new member completes five stays.
For either party to earn the bonus points, the new member must select and keep Bonvoy points as their earning preference — at least until completing their first five stays.
But it gets better. You can earn points with up to five new members a year. That's potentially up to 50,000 bonus Bonvoy points. For perspective, AwardWallet users typically redeem Marriott points for 0.93¢ apiece.
When signing up, new members must provide their sponsor's name and Marriott Bonvoy account number. After that, new members must complete all five qualifying stays within 365 days of joining.
You can use this link to send invites. You won't get bonus points if you refer people who are current or past Bonvoy members.
Note that you only earn bonus points for the first five members in a calendar year you invite, and only if they complete stays. As such, consider referring friends you know will complete up to five stays within 365 days after they join to maximize the rewards for both parties. Of course, if you want to invite more than five friends a year, get the friends most likely to complete stays to join first.
Terms and conditions
- Members are limited to bonus points from referring five friends per calendar year.
- Both the sponsor and new member will earn 2,000 bonus points per stay on up to five stays within 365 days of joining. New members can earn up to 10,000 bonus points, and sponsors can earn up to 50,000 bonus points (five new members staying five times each).
- Qualifying stays can be any number of nights, but only paid stays qualify for the bonus points.
- New members must designate Marriott Bonvoy points as their earning preference. Choosing miles will exclude them from this promotion.
- The sponsor must be in good standing and can only sponsor friends or colleagues who aren't members already.
- This program is not retroactive, so people must provide their information as the sponsor at the time of registration.
- See full terms and conditions here.
Marriott Credit Cards Referral Programs
Chase Marriott cards referral bonus
Beyond the 50,000 bonus points Bonvoy members can earn when inviting friends to the program, members can earn up to 200,000 points when referring friends to get a Marriott Bonvoy credit card. Marriott is just one of 10 refer-a-friend programs Chase offers for credit cards.
Earning points when signing up new Marriott Bonvoy cardholders is straightforward. Both Chase and American Express offer a refer-a-friend bonus, although only Chase gives a flat bonus. Amex gives a different, targeted bonus for each cardholder, although you have to log in to see what your bonus is.
To refer a friend to a Chase Marriott Bonvoy card, enter your card details here to generate your referral link. You can enter your friend's details so they can receive a personal invite. Note that you must already hold one of the three Chase Marriott Bonvoy cards yourself to invite another to get either card:
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card
$95Rates & Fees
- 6X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
- 3X points for every $1 spent on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases annually on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
- 3X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
- 2X points for every $1 spent at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services
- 1X point on all other purchases
$250
- 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
After a successful application, you will receive 40,000 bonus Bonvoy points per friend up to five total friends — for a maximum of 200,000 bonus points. Members will receive the bonus points up to eight weeks after a successful application.
Amex Marriott cards referral bonus
For American Express, use this link to refer a friend. Previously, Amex cardholders could hold any Amex card and generate a referral from it. Now, you can only choose from the same card family — such as Delta cards, Hilton cards, Marriott cards, etc.
You'll refer a friend to get your card, but they can select any card of their choice on the application page. Upon approval and reaching a spending threshold, you and your friend will both receive the bonus points outlined on the referral page.
In the past, we've seen a standard offer of at least 9,000 bonus points per friend you refer. But you could earn more with a targeted special offer. Unfortunately, Amex recently updated its terms to limit to five referrals per calendar year.
Our Take
Marriott’s refer-a-friend programs shine as a low-effort way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points alongside your existing strategy.
If you have friends, family, or coworkers who are likely to sign up and actually complete stays, the Bonvoy referral program can quietly deliver a steady stream of points throughout the year. Layer in credit card referrals, and the earning potential becomes much more meaningful.
The key is to focus on high-probability referrals — people who will engage with the program — rather than casting a wide net. Done right, it’s an easy way to turn everyday conversations into future award stays.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
