With travel still at a standstill, Marriott is throwing us a new credit card bonus. For a limited time, earn 6x Marriott points at grocery stores – which is a substantial bonus for those of us still carrying the old card.
Earn 6x Marriott Points at Grocery Stores
Yesterday, I got an email from Chase notifying me of a special offer – 6x points on groceries using my Marriott Bonvoy card. Apparently, though, this bonus applies to all versions of the card issued by both Chase and Amex. This includes all cards that are no longer being issued, including the Bonvoy Premier and Ritz-Carlton Rewards cards. And that’s a good thing for me, as both my Chase and Amex cards are legacy versions.
Anyway, this bonus applies to all grocery store purchases up to a $5,000 per card between May 1 and July 31, 2020. That’s an earnings potential of 30,000 points per card. And, in the case of my Bonvoy Premier card from Chase, an additional 5x points per dollar spent. Plus, that card still earns you one EQN per $3,000 spent.
Is It Worth It?
Honestly? Probably not. Unless you’re short some Marriott points for an award redemption you’re looking at doing soon, you’re better off using another card. For example, the Chase Freedom currently offers 5x points on groceries – and Ultimate Rewards points are far more useful that Marriott Bonvoy points. Using your Amex Gold card to earn 4x points on groceries is probably a better use too.
Personally, I’m likely to keep putting grocery spend on my Freedom card through the end of June. Then, I may switch over to my Bonvoy Premier. Yeah, I know, Ultimate Rewards are worth more. But, earning Bonvoy points (and EQNs) works for my needs right now.
Earn 6x Marriott Points at Grocery Stores, Final Thoughts
It’s nice to see Marriott throwing us a bone like this during these uncertain times. Especially since they’re giving us the bonus on such a relevant category. But, you know what would’ve been even better? Postponing the award chart changes to next year. Or, barring that, letting us rebooking existing award stays at the rate we originally booked them at.