Best Marriott Credit Cards

Marriott points expire after 24 months of inactivity. That means two consecutive years without earning or redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points will result in the loss of any unredeemed points.

You can check to see when your Marriott points will expire by signing into your Marriott Bonvoy account and looking up Account Activity. Clicking on “Latest Activity” will tell you the date of your last qualifying transaction. Just add two years to that date to find your Marriott points expiration date.

Once points have expired, they cannot be reinstated. But Marriott rewards members can earn new points after losing some to expiration.

To keep your Bonvoy points from expiring, you only need one qualifying activity every two years. Fortunately, there are many qualifying activities that require minimal effort or cost. Read on to learn more about how you can keep your Marriott Bonvoy account active and make sure you don't lost your hard-earned points.

Here are some ways to keep Marriott Bonvoy points from expiring:

• Stay at any Marriott hotel. Earning or redeeming points at a Marriott hotel is one of the most straightforward ways to keep your account active.
• Make a purchase with a Marriott co-branded credit card at least once every 24 months.
• Transfer points to airline miles. Converting your points to miles or converting miles to points with any of Marriott's 40+ airline partners will count as a qualifying activity.
• Earn Marriott points with program partners like Hertz or Cruises Only.
• Book an activity through Marriott, such as a culinary experience or tour.
• Book a qualifying event or meeting through the Rewarding Events Program.
• Donate points to eligible charitable organizations.
• Purchase points.

While it is fairly easy to keep your Marriott account active through these qualifying activities, there are a few activities that will not reset your points expiration date. These activities include gifting or transferring points to other Marriott members, receiving points as a transfer or gift, and earning points through social media programs/promotions, such as #BonvoyPoints.

You should get a Hilton credit card, rather than a Marriott credit card, but not just any will do. Out of all the Marriott and Hilton credit cards, the best offer is the Hilton Honors Aspire Credit Card because it gives a bonus of 150,000 points to new cardholders who spend $4,000 in the first 3 months, $250 in credits annually for incidental charges from airlines, and $250 annually for eligible Hilton Resorts purchases. Plus, signing up will get you a free weekend night at a Hilton property. You'll also get complimentary Diamond Status in the Hilton Honors loyalty program, which gives your 5th night free when you book with rewards points, free breakfast, executive lounge access, and more. The annual fee is $450.

Between these 2 massive hotel brands, there are 8 co-branded credit cards available: 4 for each hotel, and 5 total for consumers. They're all for good credit or better, but not all of them have the hefty annual fee of the Hilton Aspire Credit Card, and all offer different levels of hotel perks. Each brand has a card with no annual fee, too.

The Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card is the best of the Marriott cards because its sign-up bonus of 75,000 points after spending $3,000 in 3 months, which is worth up to 250,000 points. Plus, you get a free night after each account anniversary. You'll also get Silver Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, which comes with late check-out, extra point-earning potential, and more. The annual fee is only $95.

If you're not keen on paying for your hotel loyalty, the Hilton Honors American Express card and the Marriott Bonvoy Bold card are these hotel brands' no-annual-fee options. Each gives complimentary Silver-level status in the corresponding loyalty program, and both give good signup bonuses and points-earning potential. The Hilton Honors Amex Card comes with the famed 5th Award Night Free perk, too.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless rental car insurance works when you use it to pay for your rental and decline the insurance offered by the rental company.

It covers theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad, reasonable towing charges and valid loss-of-use charges. Keep in mind, though, that in the U.S. the coverage is secondary to your personal insurance.

To file a claim, call 1-888-320-9656 or click here.

Yes, a Marriott credit card is worth getting if you're a frequent traveler who mainly uses Marriott hotels as accommodation. These cards offer the highest rewards rate for Marriott stays and their points are worth more when they are redeemed for Marriott reservations.

If you're not a frequent Marriott guest, though, you can apply for a good overall travel rewards credit card instead.

Marriott points are worth 1 cent each, on average. That means 10,000 Marriott points have a value of about $100. Plus, Marriott points are worth about the same amount as the average hotel points, which are worth roughly 0.95 cents each.

It's important to remember that the value of Marriott points depends on how they are redeemed. They have the most value when used for Marriott Bonvoy hotel reservations. You can easily calculate the value of Marriott points for any redemption method, though.

How to Earn More Marriott Points

One of the best ways to increase the number of Marriott points that you earn is to apply for a Marriott credit card. That can also help you reach a higher status tier in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, further boosting your earning potential.

Marriott Points vs. The Competition

How to Calculate the Value of Marriott Points

The easiest way to calculate the value of Marriott points is to determine the dollar value of what you're redeeming for, minus any taxes and fees that you'll still have to pay, and then divide that amount by the number of points you're required to redeem. For your convenience, here's the formula:

Dollar Value of Redemption Item / Number of Marriott Points Needed = Marriott Point Value