Confused ever since Marriott got involved

[elizfield]

The dashboard says this is what I own in 2026. 67,000 points expire end of 2026. Does this mean I could hypothetically use 363,300 points this year. I must have banked more than I thought because my daughter just used the bigger half of the 2br for a week, hence the odd amount. Is my only option for the 67,000 to use it as staroptions. Which of these can I put into the Marriott program? If I put points in the Marriott program (not bonvoy points) how long do I have to book something. I was barely smart enough before Marriott got involved.

I’ve also read here mixed comments on whether transferring to the Marriott side is a good deal.

 

[Eric B]

It looks like you can hypothetically use all of the SOs this year.

You can’t put any of the listed SOs in Abound, the Marriott Vacation Club option. To do that, you have to “elect” that usage as an option in the year prior to the usage. The deadline depends on your ownership benefit level, with the latest one being October 31, 2026, for the 2027 usage year for Chairman’s Club.

Once elected to Abound, the points are good for that calendar year but can be banked with the same limitations and benefits as banking SOs depending on your ownership benefit benefit level.

 

[dioxide45]

You must have banked the 67,100+ from 2024 and the 148.100 were from 2025. You probably also have 148,100 StarOptions from 2026 for your week this year. Currently StarOptions are being banked for one year in the system even though the rules dictate otherwise.

 

[chinh9]

My understanding was you can’t convert banked staroptions to abound club points at all. So if the question is what can you convert it would only be this year and next years regular unbanked points?

If you could that would be a way to extend unused points but they don’t allow that. someone correct me if I’m wrong.

 

[dioxide45]

My understanding was you can’t convert banked staroptions to abound club points at all. So if the question is what can you convert it would only be this year and next years regular unbanked points?

If you could that would be a way to extend unused points but they don’t allow that. someone correct me if I’m wrong.

You can't elect any amount of StarOptions to Club Points. You can only elect Club Points from a deeded week or HomeOptions from one of the flex programs. StarOptions are used to make reservations in VSN. If you've used some amount of StarOptions in from a VIO from the the next use year, you can't elect the remainder of the points in that same VOI for Club Points. The deadline to elect points is often September 30th of the year prior to use year. So it is too late to now elect Club Points from 2026 VOIs.

Right now the OP can only elect Club Points for their 2027 contract/VOI at WKORV. They may also be able to elect 2028 to borrow the Club Points forward to 2027 for a reservation. They can't elect Club Points from any of those banked (expiring 12/31/2027) StarOptions since they are StarOptions.

 

[daviator]

You can't elect any amount of StarOptions to Club Points. You can only elect Club Points from a deeded week or HomeOptions from one of the flex programs. StarOptions are used to make reservations in VSN. If you've used some amount of StarOptions in from a VIO from the the next use year, you can't elect the remainder of the points in that same VOI for Club Points. The deadline to elect points is often September 30th of the year prior to use year. So it is too late to now elect Club Points from 2026 VOIs.

Right now the OP can only elect Club Points for their 2027 contract/VOI at WKORV. They may also be able to elect 2028 to borrow the Club Points forward to 2027 for a reservation. They can't elect Club Points from any of those banked (expiring 12/31/2027) StarOptions since they are StarOptions.

@dioxide45 is correct as usual. More than twenty years in, people are still confused about StarOptions. They are not a currency you can buy or own, and they are not a currency that you can exchange (except for Interval International, sort of, but not really – you're really exchanging HomeOptions or a deeded week that you didn't use.) They are really just a VSN exchange currency for reservations made inside of 8 months from check-in and nothing else. They are derived from whatever you actually DO own and they don't exist independent of that. If I had a dollar for every post claiming that they had purchased StarOptions (which isn't possible), I'd have Starbucks for a year.

 

[chinh9]

Yeah I think I was just saying I didn’t think you could convert anything banked into club points. And yes it’s semantics that are important in this case!