UPDATE: This offer has expired.
Last week I wrote about two different Marriott credit card offers that were available:
- Offer #1: 80,000 points after spending $3,000 on the card within the first 3 months from account opening. $85 annual fee not waived the first year.
- Offer #2: 70,000 points after spending $2,000 on the card within the first 3 months from account opening + free night certificate for a category 1-4 hotel. $85 annual fee waived the first year.
The better offer really comes down to how you redeem your points. I personally think 10,000 extra points for $100 is a wash. And the category 1-4 free night can sometimes be difficult to use. Regardless, this morning a reader pointed out that the 70,000 point offer is no longer available and the only option is the 80,000 point offer. This is a limited time offer and will only be available through August 31, 2015.
**There is also a business version of this card with the same sign up offer but it has a $99 annual fee.
My Favorite Card Benefits
With the Premier card, you’ll get a free night annually that can be used at any category 1-5 hotel. This is one of the best perks of the card in my opinion. The certificate is good for 6 months from your card renewal date, although many years I’ve been able to get Marriott to extend the expiration date. I typically use my free night at a hotel that would cost me $150-$200/night. This covers the $85 annual fee plus more.
Additionally, the card comes with 15 nights a year towards status. This will guarantee you silver status, but can also help you earn Gold or Platinum. These 15 nights get added to your account when you apply for the card and then every 12 months thereafter. You can also earn 1 night towards status for every $3,000 spend on the card. If you are interested in credit cards that will help you towards status, make sure to check out this post.
The card (along with many other Chase cards) also come with travel insurance/reimbursement. I personally ONLY use a Chase credit card when booking my flights due to these benefits.
- Trip cancellation insurance — Reimbursement of non-refundable passenger fare due to covered cancellations and emergencies when tickets are purchased with your card (for both silver and premier card)
- Trip delay reimbursement — If your trip is delayed by more than 12 hours due to a covered event, you can be reimbursed for reasonable expenses, like meals and lodging (for both silver and premier card
My Take on the Marriott Premier Credit Card
I personally have had the premier version of for the past 10 years. It is actually the first points earning credit card I ever applied for! At that time I was staying at Marriott hotels 100+ nights a year and it was a great card to use to get 5 points per dollar spent on all my stays. Even though I do not use the Marriott card often anymore (my travel habits have also changed), it is still one that I keep in my wallet as I feel as though I get more out of this card than the $85 annual fee (for the personal version). You can read more about hotel credit cards where the benefits outweigh the annual fee here.
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