Estate planning as a Marriott Bonvoy account holder
Marriott International allows points to transfer directly to family members
OverviewWhen someone dies
Marriott Bonvoy is the loyalty program for Marriott International, the world's largest hotel company with 30+ brands including Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, and St. Regis. Points can be redeemed for free nights, room upgrades, experiences, and transfers to 40+ airline partners. Marriott offers a documented estate transfer process: upon death, unredeemed points may be transferred to a single active Bonvoy member at Marriott's discretion, provided required documentation is submitted. Elite status, night credits, and awards do not transfer.
When a Marriott Bonvoy account holder dies, their points can be transferred to family members at no charge.
Marriott Bonvoy allows members to transfer points to other program members during their lifetime, typically for a fee. This is a practical way to share value without a formal estate transfer.
What happens at death
In the event of a member's death, Marriott may, in its sole discretion, allow a one-time transfer of unredeemed points from the deceased member's account to a single recipient who must be either the legal spouse or named in the deceased member's will as the intended recipient of the loyalty program points. No split transfers are permitted. The transfer is processed upon Marriott's receipt and review of required documentation including a death certificate and proof of executor status. Awards, hotel stays, Elite Membership Status, Lifetime Elite Status, Elite Night Credits, and related benefits do not transfer. The recipient must have an active Marriott Bonvoy account (accounts less than 30 days old cannot receive transfers).
How to protect your Marriott Bonvoy points
While Marriott International does allow post-death transfer of points, lifetime planning gives the account holder more control over how points are shared and used.
Marriott Bonvoy supports member-to-member transfer of points during the account holder's lifetime. Fees may be charged, but the transfer is immediate and does not depend on any post-death process.
6 lifetime planning steps for your Marriott Bonvoy points:
1
Transfer up to 100,000 points per calendar year (sending limit) to family members' Bonvoy accounts during your lifetime. Transfers are free, processed online, and limited to 2 per calendar month and 6 per calendar year. A recipient account can receive up to 500,000 points per calendar year.
2
Redeem points during your lifetime for maximum value:
- •Book free nights at 8,000+ Marriott properties worldwide
- •Transfer points to airline partner frequent flyer programs (3:1 ratio, with bonus on most partners)
- •Use points for room upgrades and Marriott Bonvoy Moments experiences
3
Name your intended points recipient explicitly in your will. Marriott requires the recipient to be either the legal spouse or named in the will as the intended recipient of loyalty program points. Note that transfers to any other heir (including children or siblings not named in the will) are not permitted.
4
Keep your account active to prevent point expiration. Marriott Bonvoy points expire after 24 months of account inactivity. Qualifying activity includes earning, redeeming, or purchasing points (member-to-member transfers do not reset the 24-month clock). Lifetime Elite accounts are exempt from the 24-month expiration.
5
Inform your executor about the Deceased Member Account Support process at help.marriott.com/s/article/marriott-deceased-member-account and the documents Marriott requires (will, death certificate, marriage certificate if spouse, two IDs).
6
Ensure your intended recipient has an active Marriott Bonvoy account. New accounts must be at least 30 days old to receive transferred points.
Family sharing
Marriott Bonvoy allows living members to transfer points to any other Bonvoy member (not limited to family or household). Transfers are free and processed online. Minimum transfer: 1,000 points, in 1,000-point increments. Sending cap: 100,000 points per calendar year. Receiving cap: 500,000 points per calendar year. Members are limited to 2 transfers per calendar month and 6 per calendar year (updated in April 2024). Both accounts must have been active for at least 30 days with qualifying activity or 90 days without qualifying activity. Points can also be purchased as gifts for other members. Points transfer to airline partners at a 3:1 ratio (3 Bonvoy points = 1 airline mile). A 5,000-mile bonus is awarded for every 60,000 points transferred to most partners; United MileagePlus offers a 10,000-mile bonus instead. The transfer bonus does not apply to American AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, Avianca LifeMiles, or Air New Zealand Airpoints. Airline transfers are irreversible.
When someone dies
Handling Marriott Bonvoy points after a death
Points can be transferred to family members, 6-step process, and 6 required documents.
View details →Marriott Bonvoy does not support beneficiary designations. Unlike bank accounts or investment accounts, there is no way to formally name a beneficiary on this type of account.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. You can transfer up to 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per calendar year to any other Bonvoy member for free. The minimum transfer is 1,000 points, in 1,000-point increments. As of April 2024, members are limited to 2 transfers per calendar month and 6 per calendar year, and a recipient account can receive up to 500,000 points per calendar year. Both accounts must have been active for at least 30 days with qualifying activity (or 90 days without). Transfers can take up to 24 hours to process.
Yes. Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to airline partners at a 3:1 ratio (3 Bonvoy points = 1 airline mile). A 5,000-mile bonus is awarded for every 60,000 points transferred to most partners; United MileagePlus offers a 10,000-mile bonus instead. The transfer bonus does not apply to American AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, Avianca LifeMiles, or Air New Zealand Airpoints. Minimum transfer is 3,000 points in 1,000-point increments. Airline transfers are irreversible.
Marriott Bonvoy points expire after 24 consecutive months of account inactivity. Qualifying activity includes earning, redeeming, or purchasing points; member-to-member transfers do NOT count as qualifying activity and do not reset the clock. Hotel stays, Marriott Bonvoy credit card spend, and partner transactions all qualify. Lifetime Elite members are exempt from the 24-month expiration.
Sources
Data sourced from Marriott International primary sources (8 pages reviewed). How we research.
