New & Improved Marriott Rewards VISA

[floyddl]

5 points for Marriott purchases and 2 points for food, rental car and airline purchases plus some other nice perks.

New Card Offers a Free Night Certificate Every Year and More Points Per Dollars Spent


WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Marriott Rewards, Marriott International, Inc.'s (NYSE: MAR - News) award-winning hotel loyalty program, and Chase (NYSE: JPM - News) introduced the Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Signature Card, which gives cardmembers more benefits and faster ways to get to their dream vacations.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060228/DCTH034 )

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030605/MARRIOTTLOGO )

Cardmembers earn five Marriott Rewards points for every dollar spent on the card at any of the 2,600 participating properties worldwide including Marriott, JW Marriott Renaissance, Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites hotels. In addition, cardmembers earn two Marriott Rewards points for every dollar spent on qualified dining, airline and rental car card purchases, and one Marriott Rewards point for all other card purchases made at more than 30 million retail locations worldwide.

Cardmembers can use their Marriott Rewards points for over 250 redemption options including vacation packages, luxury cruises, theme park tickets, state-of-the art electronics and much more.


Premier cardmembers receive:
* 15,000 bonus points after their first card purchase

* A free night certificate valid at category 1 - 4 hotels, which is
awarded upon account approval

* A two-for-one golf certificate for use at participating Marriott
managed golf courses, which is awarded upon account approval

* A free-night certificate valid at category 1 - 5 hotels every year on
their account anniversary date

* 15 nights toward Elite status every year, which makes every cardmember
a Silver Elite member and also gives more frequent travelers a lift
towards Gold or Platinum Elite status

"We want our members to be able to maximize their point earning potential. This card not only allows members to earn more Marriott Rewards points, and it also gives them many benefits such as a free-night certificate yearly, and 15 nights towards Elite status," said Ed French, senior vice president, customer relationship management for Marriott International.

"The Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Signature Card is a great way for consumers to make their vacation dreams come alive more quickly," said Hugh Bleemer, executive vice president, Chase Card Services. "With a variety of redemption options and extra perks just for being a cardmember, consumers can reap rewards for using the card for all their purchases."

The Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Signature Card is only available to residents of the United States. To apply for the card or to obtain more information, log onto http://www.marriottrewards.com/premiervisa.

 

[MarTN]

Cardmembers earn five Marriott Rewards points for every dollar spent on the card at any of the 2,600 participating properties worldwide including Marriott, JW Marriott Renaissance, Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites hotels.[/url].

Didn't it use to be 10 points per dollar at most Marriott hotels?

Did it mention the annual fee?

 

[Dave M]

No, you are confusing points earned for staying at a Marriott with points earned for charges to the card.

When staying at a Marriott, a Marriott Rewards member earns 10 points per qualifying dollar spent. Depending on elite status, up to an additional 5 points per dollar can be earned.

Separately, if the stay is charged to an existing Marriott credit card, the charge earns 3 points per dollar. It's those points, along with other Marriott purchases (such as a timeshare purchase!) that would be increased with the new card.

Also, the 2 points per dollar for selected other charges is double the current rate of 1 point per dollar.

The annual fee for the new card is $65.

 

[pwrshift]

Don't Marriott owners automatically get Silver Elite status?

* 15 nights toward Elite status every year, which makes every cardmember
a Silver Elite member and also gives more frequent travelers a lift
towards Gold or Platinum Elite status

[/url].

I thought all Marriott timeshare owners were automatically silver elite? I aways stay more than the required number of nights anyways, but thought it was automatic even if you didn't meet the requirement?

Also...does anyone know if Canadians can get the new card? I had to get the Starwood MasterCard a couple of years back because the Marriott VISA wasn't available to Canadians. It was a great move with nice bonuses and got me into using Starwood hotels which I now consider a rung above Marriott. Marriott's loss was Starwood's gain in Canada.

Brian

 

[ZCar]

Fine Print from Web Site, paragraph 2:

"Existing Marriott Rewards Visa Cardmembers are not eligible".

This drives my wife 'up-a-wall' when it comes to offering NEW customers more than existing, loyal, customers.
Especially apparent with salons, etc. She usually mentions it and they give-in.

 

[Dave M]

Brian -

Yes, you are correct. Marriott owners are automatically silver, if they have the card. Non-owners are not. However, giving credit for 15 nights towards the next level of elite status is an enhancement not available with the existing card.

I'm guessing that you will not be eligible for the card. As I recall, the issue with the existing card is that Marriott would not allow Canadians to get the card until or unless it issued a card through a Canadian bank. This new card, like the existing one, is through Chase.

 

[Dave M]

"Existing Marriott Rewards Visa Cardmembers are not eligible".

That restriction applies only to the 15,000 bonus points, not to the entire offer. Thus, we can get the new card, but - presumably because most of us qualified for some type of bonus points offer when we got our existing card - we won't be eligible for the sign-up bonus points.

 

[JimC]

I wonder if they will just upgrade our current cards. I don't fancy having to get new numbers set up and all of that.

 

[14th Med.Det]

Dave, I'm confused, I just got a Marriott Visa card about a month ago. Today I recieved the Marriott Sliver Reward card. I am not a owner. The way I read the previous post I am not eligible for it???

 

[Bob B]

What is the annual charge for the card?

As an existing Marriott Visa cardholder, do we have to do anything to get the new benefits, or will it apply to us automatically?

 

[galambo]

The Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Signature Card is only available to residents of the United States. To apply for the card or to obtain more information, log onto http://www.marriottrewards.com/premiervisa.

to bad they still ahven't come up with a CANADIAN visa card (unlike starwood)

 

[Sunbum]

When we bought Aruba a few years ago, they told us they had a VISA card coming for Canadians soon........still waiting.

 

[Dave M]

Bob - This is a new card. Thus, you won't qualify for the new benefits unless you apply for and obtain the new card. Anyone can apply, whether or not the applicant already has a Marriott visa card. The annual fee is $65.

14th Med - Everyone is eligible to apply for the new card. The only limitation for existing cardholders is that they are not eligible for the 15,000 bonus points for signing up for the new card.

Jim - No upgrade to current cards. You have to apply if you want the new card. Then (separately) cancel the old one or keep it, as you choose. I went through that this afternoon when I applied for the new card.

 

[pointhound]

Switching from Signature to Premiere

Bob - This is a new card. Thus, you won't qualify for the new benefits unless you apply for and obtain the new card. Anyone can apply, whether or not the applicant already has a Marriott visa card. The annual fee is $65.

14th Med - Everyone is eligible to apply for the new card. The only limitation for existing cardholders is that they are not eligible for the 15,000 bonus points for signing up for the new card.

Jim - No upgrade to current cards. You have to apply if you want the new card. Then (separately) cancel the old one or keep it, as you choose. I went through that this afternoon when I applied for the new card.

Dave, Do existing signature card holders who apply for the card get the other (not 15k) new card benefits such as free night certificate, 2 for 1 golf coupon etc.? Are there any benefits to lose or equity to lose by getting the premiere card and cancelling the signature card?

 

[Dave M]

Yes, the terms and consditions and the small print seem clear that the only announced benefit not available to existing cardholders is the 15,000 sign-up bonus.

As far as I can tell, the new card has all of the benefits of the old card, plus more.

For those that carry balances, there is a low introductory interest rate of 3.XX% that goes to 17.XX% after (I think) six months.

 

[LisaH]

15 EQN (if there is such a term) would be enough to bump me from Gold to Platinum this year. Do they waive the first year fee as the old one? I think I might be enticed...

 

[pointhound]

No Waiver

15 EQN (if there is such a term) would be enough to bump me from Gold to Platinum this year. Do they waive the first year fee as the old one? I think I might be enticed...

As I read the terms, there is no waiver of the first year fee for the premiere card.

 

[pointhound]

Spouses

Yes, the terms and consditions and the small print seem clear that the only announced benefit not available to existing cardholders is the 15,000 sign-up bonus.

As far as I can tell, the new card has all of the benefits of the old card, plus more.

For those that carry balances, there is a low introductory interest rate of 3.XX% that goes to 17.XX% after (I think) six months.

I assume a spouse who is not the main but the "second card holder" on an existing signature account could apply as the main holder on the premiere card and get the 15k points in his/her own Marriott account. Any confirmation or thoughts?

 

[lweverett]

Someone, I believe on Flier Talk, once said that at the aniversery of his card he would call Visa and theaten to cancel the card, wait a month and get a new one with the 15,ooo points. They would just give him the points on his old card. Never tried this myself.

 

[jazzeaw]

We cancelled our old one in jan (due to the marriott snafu with the tapes) and we got a new one and we did not get ANY of the new benefits. Did this just start?

 

[Dave M]

The "new" benefits apply only to a new card - the Premier Visa Signature card. The new card was just introduced a few days ago.

What you likely have, as I currently have, is the Signature card. Thus, you'll have to apply for the new card if you want those benefits.

 

[kathleenpeyer]

annual fee:

I believe, I am only paying about $25 a year for my Marriott Visa (silver elite as we are TS owners) and no additional fee for our 2 secondary card holders. How does that compare with the benefits afforded by the new card at $65 per year. Is it worth the additional charge for the benefits offered if we are not eligible for the bonus points?

 

[sandesurf]

I assume a spouse who is not the main but the "second card holder" on an existing signature account could apply as the main holder on the premiere card and get the 15k points in his/her own Marriott account. Any confirmation or thoughts?

Yes, I, as the spouse and secondary card holder, was able to get my own account with the bonus points. I even cancelled the card once and re-opened the account, within a year, and received all benefits again! I recently cancelled that card and was offered 10,000 points to keep it open!

 

[bwenzel]

FYI fellow Tuggers. I have the currently rewards visa card and applied earlier this week for the new one. Last night, I received via email a marriott certificate for the free night, so I must be approved already. The initial free night is good for a category 1-4 room, but the annual free night cert is good for a category 1-5 room.

 

[Dave M]

Is it worth the additional charge for the benefits offered if we are not eligible for the bonus points?

Assuming you can use them, the initial and annual free-stay certificates, as described in the OP and by bwenzel, should easily justify the additional $40.

That doesn't count the additional points earned with this card!