Marriott Bonvoy Points Advance: Discontinued (What to Do Instead)

Marriott Bonvoy Points Advance no longer exists. Marriott stopped accepting new Points Advance reservations on March 27, 2023. If you’re trying to lock in an award stay and don’t have all the points yet, you now have three options instead — buy points, use Cash + Points, or wait and book later. Here’s how each one works, plus how far in advance you can actually book.

What Points Advance was

Points Advance let you book an award reservation before you had enough points, as long as the points landed in your account within 60 days of booking, or 14 days before arrival, whichever came first. It was useful for locking in a hard-to-get room while you earned or transferred the points. Marriott retired it in 2023, saying members should buy points or use Cash + Points instead.

Option 1: Buy the points you’re short

Marriott sells points at $12.50 per 1,000 ($0.0125 each). That’s a poor rate at face value, but Marriott runs a “buy points” bonus of 25–60% several times a year. During a good promo the effective cost drops to around $0.008–$0.009 per point, which beats the cash rate at plenty of hotels.

• Only buy the exact shortfall — don’t speculatively stockpile.
• Check the value first: divide the cash room rate by the points cost. If you’re getting more than ~0.9 cents per point, buying makes sense.
• The normal annual purchase cap is 100,000 points, often raised during promotions.

Option 2: Cash + Points

Many Marriott properties let you cover part of an award night with points and part with cash. If you’re a few thousand points short, this is often cheaper than buying points outright and it’s built into the booking flow — look for the Cash + Points toggle on the rate screen. Availability varies by hotel and date.

Option 3: Wait and book later

Award space at most Marriott hotels isn’t especially scarce, so unless you’re chasing a peak date at a top-tier resort, it’s usually fine to earn or transfer the points first and book when you’re ready. Marriott points transfer in from Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1, though the ratio and timing are worth confirming before you rely on it).

Option	Upfront cost	Best when
Buy the points you’re short	List price $12.50 per 1,000; roughly $8–9 per 1,000 during a 40%+ buy-points bonus	The cash rate is high and a purchase promo is running
Cash + Points	Part points, part cash — the split is set by the hotel	You’re only a few thousand points short
Wait and book later	$0 — earn or transfer the points first	Award space isn’t scarce for your hotel and dates

How far ahead can you book a Marriott award stay?

50 weeks — about 350 days — in advance, the same window as a paid reservation. If a specific hotel and date matter to you, set a reminder for when the calendar opens and book the moment it does. You’ll need the points in hand at that point, since Points Advance is no longer there to hold it for you.

If you have an old Points Advance reservation

Reservations booked before March 28, 2023 are still honored under the original terms: you need enough points in your account within 60 days of the original booking, or 14 days before arrival, whichever comes first. Log in, open the reservation, and choose “modify” to confirm it once the points are there. Miss the window and the hold is canceled.

FAQ

Can I still start a Points Advance booking?
No. It ended March 27, 2023 for new reservations.

Is buying points ever worth it?
During a 40%+ bonus, for a stay where the cash rate is high, yes. Run the cents-per-point math before you buy.

Do Marriott points expire?
Only after 24 months of no account activity. Any earning, redeeming, or transferring resets the clock.

Can I transfer points in from a credit card to cover a booking?
Yes — Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards both transfer to Marriott. Confirm the current ratio and transfer speed before counting on it for a time-sensitive booking.