Earlier this year, Marriott Rewards stopped offering the ability for members to earn points by shopping via an online portal. But now, a new Marriott Rewards shopping portal has been made available.
ShopMyWay Mall used to be one of my favorite online shopping portals. It was a great way to earn incremental Marriott Rewards points, and I’d use it often for buying everyday items from the defunct drugstore.com. I accumulated quite a few points this way, so I was sad to see this benefit go. Yes, you can earn a large number of points through the Chase UltimateRewards portal too, but it was nice to have options. So I was ecstatic when I found out that Marriott has a new online shopping portal.
Marriott Rewards MORE
The new portal, Marriott Rewards MORE, is similar to the old one. You’ll still need to navigate to the portal website and log in to your Marriott Rewards account.
What I immediately noticed about the new site is how much it looks like Chase’s Ultimate Rewards portal. But the other thing I noticed quickly was the diminutive size of the retailer collection. There are a total of just 19 shops on the site, including:
- Amazon.com
- Ann Taylor
- Anthropologie
- Apple
- Barnes & Noble
- Best Buy
- JomaShop
- LOFT
- Macy’s
- Marriott
- MR PORTER
- NET-A-PORTER
- Petco
- QVC
- Ralph Lauren
- Saks Fifth Avenue
- Sephora
- Sunglass Hut
- Wayfair
So I’m hoping that this collection will grow with time, but seeing Amazon on there is pleasantly surprising!
Another difference I noticed, though, happens when you install the site’s browser extension (which, according to the site’s FAQ, you have to install). When you’re shopping on the merchant’s website through the portal, you’ll see a dialogue from Marriott Rewards MORE. Apparently, you can now earn or redeem points when shopping.
I wouldn’t suggest using points to shop, though, as it looks like the value of said points comes down to just $0.0037 each. The number of points you earn appear to be very dynamic, too, as earlier in the day, Amazon was earning at 1pt/$1. A few hours later, though, that changed to 3pts/$1. So if you see an excellent earning rate, you better jump on it fast, as it may not last long.
Oh, and apparently there’s a mobile app for iOS and Android too. But I haven’t downloaded it yet. However, it appears that all shopping will happen within that app when you use it.
Current Promotions
Marriott Rewards MORE does have a couple of promotions running as well. Currently, members making their first purchase will earn 1,000 bonus Marriott Rewards points. Further, if you use your Marriott Rewards Visa from Chase, you’ll receive a further 25% bonus.
This bonus is separate from the card itself and will credit directly to your Marriott Rewards account. So I’m assuming this means a bonus on the actual points you earn through the portal and not on credit card spend, which would be nice!
New Marriott Rewards Shopping Portal, Final Thoughts
While Marriott Rewards may not be the most valuable points currency out there, having more earning options is never a bad thing. So I’m glad to have a Marriott Rewards shopping portal once again, and I know it’ll especially help those really infrequent travelers retain their Marriott Rewards points. And, hey, if Amazon stays on Marriott Rewards MORE, that’s already a win! There aren’t too many portals that have Amazon as an option since it such a popular site as is!