# Marriott Points TRANSFERED to another Marriott Rewards Member



## flexible (Jan 9, 2013)

1) Is there a *limitation* on the amount of Marriott Reward Points be transferred into our account from another Marriott Rewards member?

2) Can Platinum status still be achieved or maintained by spending perhaps 100+ nights in a Marriott timeshare? If yes, we will try to include Marriott Resorts in Europe (Marbella in Spain, France etc) in our Summer 2013 plans.

If I understand correctly we can take a "Platinum Challenge" to achieve 25% of the required nights BUT those nights MUST be PAID nights at Marriott.

*FUTURE TRAVEL PLANS:*
We are planning to spend about a month in *Washington, DC*.

We originally thought Wyndham's Old Town Alexandria with a metro stop nearby was ideal.
It was suggested that staying at a Marriott (14th Street in DC was suggested) would be much easier since we could walk out the door, use the http://www.dccirculator.com for $1 to nearly any tourist attraction would avoid stairs/escalators that might not be working etc in the Metro.



LAX Mom said:


> _*Washington DC*_ - I've stayed there on points and it was convenient. But most of the hotels in good locations are category 6 or 7 (30,000 or 35,000 per night). I value my points at $.01 per point so that would be about $300 - $350 per night. It would take a lot of points to stay in DC for a month at Marriott hotels. There are locations in lesser categories, but you'll be distance from the attractions.



*NOTES:*
- Replies below indicate that we will receive the benefits of our *Marriott STATUS - Platinum/Gold/Silver:* reqardless of how our reservation was made. (with our MR points, a a "guest" of another MR member, priceline etc.-My 86 year old husband has AMD/low vision so while we often use metro/subway systems the http://www.dccirculator.com/ makes a lot of sense. 

-We reached Marriott Platinum status in 2010. We currently have Marriott Gold status. We received many Marriott points as a sign on bonus & alternative to using Marriott Breckenridge resort week. Our Marriott Rewards account is getting low even though we get points from our Chase Marriott credit cards and other promotions. 

REVISIONS from informative replies below:



LAX Mom said:


> Marriott allows you to transfer to/from a spouses account, but you must have a reservation confirmed. You can purchase *50,000 points per year *fo*r .0125 per point*. So a couple *can get 100,000 points per year *by purchasing from Marriott.






Saintsfanfl said:


> Reward terms and conditions: "Points are not transferable to another person for any other reason, including divorce or inheritance. Any Points which Marriott Rewards deems in its sole discretion to have been transferred in violation of Rewards Program Terms and Conditions may be confiscated."





Saintsfanfl said:


> I do not believe there are any issues with making a rewards reservation in someone elses name. While the terms do state that rewards points and certificates cannot be bartered or sold, I think that is just standard reward/rebate language and it has to do with legal and federal tax issues. It also states in the same section that "Reward Certificates are valid only for the use by the individual noted on the Reward Certificate and are not transferable, although, if requested at the time of issuance, they may be *made out to a third party*".
> 
> Your status is your status so I am pretty sure that even if you booked on a non-commissionable rate like Priceline name your own price, you would still have your status and the associated benefits. I know that for me I always receive the correct reward level benefit % on additional dollars spent even if the booking is non-commissionable.


----------



## LAX Mom (Jan 9, 2013)

Marriott allows you to transfer to/from a spouses account, but you must have a reservation confirmed. 

For example we make a reservation for 3 nights in San Diego (90,000 MR points) in husband's account, but he doesn't have enough points. I call Marriott and ask them to transfer the points from my account. They will prepare a form that lists the reservation info and the points required. Husband and I both sign the form and send it back to Marriott. They will switch the points from my account to his.

Technically you are only allowed to do this between spouses. However, it's possible you could get them to transfer points to you from a friend or family member.

You can purchase 50,000 points per year for .0125 per point. So a couple can get 100,000 points per year by purchasing from Marriott.


----------



## Saintsfanfl (Jan 9, 2013)

LAX Mom said:


> However, it's possible you could get them to transfer points to you from a friend or family member.



Exactly how would this be possible? Marriott strictly forbids transferring any reward points to a friend or family member with the exception that you already mentioned.

Reward terms and conditions:

"Points are not transferable to another person for any other reason, including divorce or inheritance. Any Points which Marriott Rewards deems in its sole discretion to have been transferred in violation of Rewards Program Terms and Conditions may be confiscated."


----------



## LAX Mom (Jan 9, 2013)

Just saw your edited post with the questions about gold/platinum status and accommodations in Washington DC.

You can take a platinum challenge, but I'm not sure what the requirements are currently. You're correct about only paid stays qualifying towards the platinum challenge. Timeshare stays (II exchanges, getaways, rentals from an owner, etc.) count towards elite nights credit, but not towards a challenge.

There really isn't that much difference between gold & plat. With plat you get a welcome amenity, usually a beverage & fruit (or ice cream or nuts) delivered to your room. Plats also get 50% bonus MR points on what you spend at the hotel, golds get 25%. 

If you have gold status I wouldn't worry about a platinum challenge. You really won't notice much difference at Marriott hotel stays.

Washington DC - I've stayed there on points and it was convenient. But most of the hotels in good locations are category 6 or 7 (30,000 or 35,000 per night). I value my points at $.01 per point so that would be about $300 - $350 per night. It would take a lot of points to stay in DC for a month at Marriott hotels. There are locations in lesser categories, but you'll be distance from the attractions.


----------



## LAX Mom (Jan 9, 2013)

Saintsfanfl said:


> Exactly how would this be possible? Marriott strictly forbids transferring any reward points to a friend or family member with the exception that you already mentioned.
> 
> Reward terms and conditions:
> 
> "Points are not transferable to another person for any other reason, including divorce or inheritance. Any Points which Marriott Rewards deems in its sole discretion to have been transferred in violation of Rewards Program Terms and Conditions may be confiscated."



I know it's against the terms and conditions. However, I've had a Marriott Rewards rep offer to transfer points from a brother-in-law's account to mine. We made other arrangements that trip so I'm not sure if it would have worked. Perhaps it was a new rep and they didn't realize the restrictions on transfers.


----------



## flexible (Jan 9, 2013)

Thanks for quoting the rules. We have no desire to violate terms & conditions of any company we do business with.

However, I have used my points to reserve a Marriott hotel for a fellow passenger on a cruise because she was so stressed out about the cost to stay in a hotel near Heathrow airport. I did not charge her but I am uncertain if that would have been a violation of Marriott's T & C.

A fellow guest at the resort we are currently staying mentioned he has nearly 2M Marriott points because he purchased 2 Marriott timeshares as "points generators" years ago. He was unaware that Marriott Rewards accounts can not be willed etc.


----------



## Saintsfanfl (Jan 9, 2013)

I do not believe there are any issues with making a rewards reservation in someone elses name. While the terms do state that rewards points and certificates cannot be bartered or sold, I think that is just standard reward/rebate language and it has to do with legal and federal tax issues. It also states in the same section that "Reward Certificates are valid only for the use by the individual noted on the Reward Certificate and are not transferable, although, if requested at the time of issuance, they may be *made out to a third party*".

Your status is your status so I am pretty sure that even if you booked on a non-commissionable rate like Priceline name your own price, you would still have your status and the associated benefits. I know that for me I always receive the correct reward level benefit % on additional dollars spent even if the booking is non-commissionable.



flexible said:


> Thanks for quoting the rules.
> We have no desire to violate terms & conditions of any company we do business with.
> 
> However, I have used my points to reserve a Marriott hotel for a fellow passenger on a cruise because she was so stressed out about the cost to stay in a hotel near Heathrow airport. I did not charge her but I am not sure if that would have been a violation of Marriott's T &C.
> ...


----------



## LAX Mom (Jan 9, 2013)

flexible said:


> Thanks for quoting the rules.
> We have no desire to violate terms & conditions of any company we do business with.
> 
> However, I have used my points to reserve a Marriott hotel for a fellow passenger on a cruise because she was so stressed out about the cost to stay in a hotel near Heathrow airport. I did not charge her but I am not sure if that would have been a violation of Marriott's T &C.
> ...



Nothing wrong with providing the reservation near Heathrow (extremely generous of you!!). Marriott allows you to make reservations with your points and allow others to use them. I've done this often with my sons. I make a points reservation and then call Marriott to add their name. They all have the same last name as mine, but it shouldn't matter. I've also added other family members to Marriott reservations.

Your friend with 2 million points could do the same thing. Make a reservation and then add your name.

You would be entitled to gold benefits when you stay at a Marriott property, it doesn't matter if the reservation was made in someone else's account. Just make sure to let the front desk know when you check in and carry your MR card with you.


----------



## BocaBoy (Jan 9, 2013)

flexible said:


> He was unaware that Marriott Rewards accounts can not be willed.....


Many airlines also have a prohibition against transfer of their miles upon death, but most allow it in practice upon request.  I have always assumed Marriott would do the same.  Does anyone have any experience with such a transfer upon death being denied?  If not, I suspect they would allow it in practice.  

I think the main reason for this type of restrictive language is to maintain the technical legal position that the points/miles are not the member's own property.  Actual practice would likely differ (I hope).


----------



## LAX Mom (Jan 9, 2013)

BocaBoy said:


> Many airlines also have a prohibition against transfer of their miles upon death, but most allow it in practice upon request.  I have always assumed Marriott would do the same.  Does anyone have any experience with such a transfer upon death being denied?  If not, I suspect they would allow it in practice.
> 
> I think the main reason for this type of restrictive language is to maintain the technical legal position that the points/miles are not the member's own property.  Actual practice would likely differ (I hope).



I recall reading something on flyertalk about Marriott now allowing you to leave your points to a surviving spouse. I just looked quickly at the terms & conditions on the Marriott site and couldn't find anything pertinent.


----------



## Saintsfanfl (Jan 9, 2013)

LAX Mom said:


> I recall reading something on flyertalk about Marriott now allowing you to leave your points to a surviving spouse. I just looked quickly at the terms & conditions on the Marriott site and couldn't find anything pertinent.



Their current terms do specifically allow the transfer to a spouse or domestic partner upon death.


----------



## pwrshift (Jan 9, 2013)

I have known about the 'death grab' Marriott can do and hope that the rules are just legal words and not something they would do.  If not, I think it is terrible that Marriott feels they can grab a members MR points when he/she dies.  But, i wonder if, legally, they can refuse to give your heirs points that you purchased (such as paying your MF and trading your week for points).  That IMO is theft.  While they might be able to take back points they 'gave' you for staying at a hotel, I suggest the outcome might be different for points you bought.  Divorced members might have a fight on their hands...not a nice thing for Marriott to do to those in mourning.

The airlines have similar legal words in their rules, but I was told by a UA rep that your executor can pay a transfer fee $150 to put them into an heir's account...same for Amex and others.  They seem to have more compassion than does Marriott...although I've never heard of anyone on TUG or FT saying Marriott actually did the theft.

There are a few things you might do, and I'm sure there are more:  1. Get married or find a common law spouse.  2. Put it in your will.  3. In a memorandum with your will, advise your heirs to not tell Marriott you've passed until they've spent all the MR points in your account.


----------



## KathyPet (Jan 9, 2013)

THe last time I transferred points between DH's account and my account you were only allowed to transfer enough points to cover a existing reservation that was in the other person's name.  YOu can use existing points already in your account to make a reservation in someone else's name but you cannot transfer points between MR accounts except to cover a reservation that the other person does not have enough points to cover.


----------



## Saintsfanfl (Jan 10, 2013)

You make a very good point. The following statement looks like it applies to accrued points only.

"Accrued Points and Miles do not constitute property of the Member. Points accrued by a Rewards Program Member are for the Member's benefit only and may not be transferred to anyone except as provided below." (Spouse or domestic partner)

Accrued points are a rebate and not property. Points acquired through trading your week or direct purchase cannot be defined as "accrued" and are definitely not a rebate. I think Marriott would lose on that one but I like your idea of an heir exhausting the account instead of possibly wasting lawyer money on fighting for a transfer. 



pwrshift said:


> I have known about the 'death grab' Marriott can do and hope that the rules are just legal words and not something they would do.  If not, I think it is terrible that Marriott feels they can grab a members MR points when he/she dies.  But, i wonder if, legally, they can refuse to give your heirs points that you purchased (such as paying your MF and trading your week for points).  That IMO is theft.  While they might be able to take back points they 'gave' you for staying at a hotel, I suggest the outcome might be different for points you bought.  Divorced members might have a fight on their hands...not a nice thing for Marriott to do to those in mourning.
> 
> The airlines have similar legal words in their rules, but I was told by a UA rep that your executor can pay a transfer fee $150 to put them into an heir's account...same for Amex and others.  They seem to have more compassion than does Marriott...although I've never heard of anyone on TUG or FT saying Marriott actually did the theft.
> 
> There are a few things you might do, and I'm sure there are more:  1. Get married or find a common law spouse.  2. Put it in your will.  3. In a memorandum with your will, advise your heirs to not tell Marriott you've passed until they've spent all the MR points in your account.


----------



## BocaBoy (Jan 10, 2013)

Saintsfanfl said:


> You make a very good point. The following statement looks like it applies to accrued points only.
> 
> "Accrued Points and Miles do not constitute property of the Member. Points accrued by a Rewards Program Member are for the Member's benefit only and may not be transferred to anyone except as provided below." (Spouse or domestic partner)
> 
> Accrued points are a rebate and not property. Points acquired through trading your week or direct purchase cannot be defined as "accrued" and are definitely not a rebate. I think Marriott would lose on that one but I like your idea of an heir exhausting the account instead of possibly wasting lawyer money on fighting for a transfer.



All points in your account are accrued points.  Accrued simply means that the points have already been earned (by whatever method).  One can argue legal niceties or what is fair, but trying to claim that some points in your account are not accrued is not going to persuade a judge or anyone you might need to convince.  Other arguments might work.


----------



## Saintsfanfl (Jan 10, 2013)

BocaBoy said:


> All points in your account are accrued points.  Accrued simply means that the points have already been earned (by whatever method).  One can argue legal niceties or what is fair, but trying to claim that some points in your account are not accrued is not going to persuade a judge or anyone you might need to convince.  Other arguments might work.



I can sure buy your definition of accrued but what is tough to debate is points bought or traded for are property of Marriott. A rebate is always the property of the giver. That is a standard. But when you actually pay for points when push comes to shove I don't think they can just take them. They would at least have to refund the ones paid for if they didn't transfer them. At least if push came to shove but in most cases why bother.


----------



## dioxide45 (Jan 10, 2013)

The thing is, when you opt to trade your week for points, you understand that the use of your MRPs will be governed by the T&C of the Marriott Rewards Program. So it doesn't really matter how they got in there. The use of those points is based on the T&C that apply to them.


----------



## Saintsfanfl (Jan 11, 2013)

dioxide45 said:


> The thing is, when you opt to trade your week for points, you understand that the use of your MRPs will be governed by the T&C of the Marriott Rewards Program. So it doesn't really matter how they got in there. The use of those points is based on the T&C that apply to them.



That's a good point. Even purchasing points outright would be no different than buying anything else where a return & exchange policy is completely up to whatever terms the seller sets forth. Or for example buying a $1,000 gift card where a monthly service fee applies which eventually takes that value to zero. The points are not an asset but more of a "right to use".


----------



## flexible (Jan 12, 2013)

*how often Marriott has offered the UNLIMITED .01 per Marriott Reward Point sale*

Using SEARCH within TUG Marriott Forum for: "Marriott Reward Points" 
http://tugbbs.com/forums/search.php?searchid=5165589

I am looking for how often Marriott has offered the UNLIMITED .01 per Marriott Reward Point sale. Sounds like that would be a GREAT opportunity to "refill" our account.

NOTES:
MR points bonus with Gift cards thread:
http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180520&highlight=marriott+reward+points

*Marriott FRIENDSHARE*:
IF someone submits our name does that allow us a discount at a Marriott Vacation Club regardless of requirement to go on a MVC presentation?

great information in:
http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=181075&highlight=marriott+reward+points
Would we qualify for submission because of age: 86 & 56?

*MR Travel Packages:*
http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179253&highlight=marriott+reward+points


----------



## dioxide45 (Jan 12, 2013)

flexible said:


> Using SEARCH within TUG Marriott Forum for: "Marriott Reward Points"
> http://tugbbs.com/forums/search.php?searchid=5165589
> 
> I am looking for how often Marriott has offered the UNLIMITED .01 per Marriott Reward Point sale. Sounds like that would be a GREAT opportunity to "refill" our account.



I don't think it is that they offer a .01 pp sale. The price perhaps went up several years ago from .01 to .0125.


----------



## LAX Mom (Jan 12, 2013)

I think the unlimited points at $.01 per point was increased in early 2008 at the same time they started to limit an individual to 50,000 per year. They announced this ahead of time and lots of people stocked up on MR points. I haven't seen this price offered since this increase.

I remember when it happened because my son was engaged and was planning a honeymoon. I purchased an additional $2,000 worth of points and we used a travel package for the honeymoon. I had plenty of points without the purchase but couldn't pass up the chance for some extra points at this price when they announced the increase. Hmm.....clever marketing. They got me!


----------

