Last edit by: rrgg
If you need to cancel a reservation booked using a free night certificate, follow the process in this post before cancelling to avoid potentially losing your certificate. If the certificate is lost it should be re-enstatable by Marriott customer service, but it may take a while and require some extra work on your part.
Certificate “top-off” is available as of April 30th: and discussed in a separate thread. Marriott has announced that starting “in early 2022,” members will be able to combine free-night certs with up to 15,000 points when making redemptions. See the FT thread discussing the 10/26/21 announcements and Marriott’s FAQ for current info.
EXTENDING AN EXPIRING CERTIFICATE:
Before 18 Aug 2018, Chase issued certificates good for specific categories of hotels. Post 18 Aug 2018, all certificates have been converted or will be issued at a specific level of points. SPG AMEX and Ritz Carlton credit cards have also begun to issue certs.
25K points - lower level certificates
35K points - higher level certificates
50K points - luxury level certificates
Marriott will introduce peak and non peak levels for hotels after 1 Jan 2019. Certificates will be capped at the points level where they can be redeemed rather than for a specific category of hotel. Thus, if a hotel is 25K at the non peak level and the peak level is higher, it cannot be booked in the peak level window.
Nine co-branded credit cards offer an annual free night worth up to 85,000 points:
NEW EXTENSION OF CERTIFICATES announced in October 2021:
The expiration date on certificates this year is pushed to 1/31/21.
Certificate “top-off” is available as of April 30th: and discussed in a separate thread. Marriott has announced that starting “in early 2022,” members will be able to combine free-night certs with up to 15,000 points when making redemptions. See the FT thread discussing the 10/26/21 announcements and Marriott’s FAQ for current info.
EXTENDING AN EXPIRING CERTIFICATE:
- A blogger reported that as of 12/7/2023 Marriott removed the internal tool to extend an FNA, so it may or may not still be possible.
- Your best chance for an extension is to call Marriott within 1 month of the expiration and consider having a specific property and date in mind to book. It's not necessary but even without one in mind, pick something you might use and change it later. 1-800-MARRIOT
- Most importantly, have a good reason for needing the extension, like illness or injury.
- If granted, the new expiration date is 1 year from the date of the request. You cannot get a 2nd extension on the same certificate, meaning the maximum life of a certificate is 2 years.
- If not granted, some have luck by calling later a few times.
- In 2022, Marriott seemed to deny all extension requests except a few exceptions such as here, here, and here. They may be allowing some again in 2023.
Before 18 Aug 2018, Chase issued certificates good for specific categories of hotels. Post 18 Aug 2018, all certificates have been converted or will be issued at a specific level of points. SPG AMEX and Ritz Carlton credit cards have also begun to issue certs.
25K points - lower level certificates
35K points - higher level certificates
50K points - luxury level certificates
Marriott will introduce peak and non peak levels for hotels after 1 Jan 2019. Certificates will be capped at the points level where they can be redeemed rather than for a specific category of hotel. Thus, if a hotel is 25K at the non peak level and the peak level is higher, it cannot be booked in the peak level window.
Nine co-branded credit cards offer an annual free night worth up to 85,000 points:
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card (formerly Starwood Preferred Guest Luxury Credit Card from American Express) - up to 85K (Second with $60k spend)
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless (formerly Rewards Premier Plus) Credit Card - up to 35K
- Marriott Bonvoy Premier (formerly Rewards Premier) - up to 25K
- Marriott Bonvoy from American Express (formerly Preferred Guest) - up to 35K
- Marriott Bonvoy Business from American Express (formerly Preferred Guest Business) - up to 35K
- Marriott Rewards Business Premier Plus Credit Card - up to 35K
- Ritz Carlton Rewards - up to 85K
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy - up to 50k (with $15k spend)
- Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful - up to 50k (with $15k spend)
- Amex credit card free night certificates are issued 2 months after the anniversary date of the credit card. For example if the Brilliant fee posts 7/1, the certificate is available in your Marriott account on 9/1. Chase FNA certificates can appear much sooner, within 1 week.
- The certificate expires one year after it is issued. You must complete your stay by the expiration date.
- Can NOT be combined with a 3-night award to get a "Stay for 5, Pay for 4" award.
- Can be used for a standard room only
- Cannot be used for "redemption with cash upgrade" or any points and cash combination
- According to Marriott's terms, points reservations can be gifted to another person but certificates earned from a credit card cannot. This means the certificate owner (cardholder) must check-in even if someone else is listed as a guest on the reservation. In some cases a property has given leeway and allowed just the guest to check-in anyway without the certificate owner present, but it is risky to depend on this.
- If you use "top-off" with a certificate and the room price later decreases, you can modify the reservation to rebook the same date and recover the difference in top-off points.
- If you made a reservation with a FNA and want to know its expiration date, you can find it by editing the reservation as described at this link.
- If you downgrade the Amex Brilliant to the $95 Amex Bonvoy card, you can still get your anniversary FNA.
- Search for a points booking at an eligible hotel and the option to use the certificate a replacement for some of the required points should appear during the booking process
- Some have had trouble booking certificates from the 2020 credit card offer to get 5 free nights. In that case, try this website for booking: https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/red...free-nights.mi
- Officially Marriott allows gifting of points awards but not gifting of free night certificates from credit cards. For the latter, your name will still need to be the reservation. Whether the property requires you to be present for check-in may depend on the hotel.
- If you have 2 certificates of different value and try to redeem one, the Marriott website offers the one expiring first. If that's not what you want, work around this issue by making a dummy booking with that certificate. Then book the real reservation with the desired certificate. Then cancel the dummy. Be sure to pay attention to any cancellation terms since a few properties are more strict than others.
NEW EXTENSION OF CERTIFICATES announced in October 2021:
- Free night awards, Suite night awards, and travel certificates will be given a new expiration date of June 30, 2022
- The Marriott Bonvoy app shows the original issue date of your free night certificates. Go to Account -> Free Night Certificates to find the issue date in small print above each certificate. It's unlikely you have a certificate that won't be extended. If you don't see the issue date in the app, you'll have to wait for the actual extension to happen to check the new expiration.
- Expiration of points is paused through December 31, 2022. At that time, your points will only expire if your account has been inactive for at least 24 months
- In March 2022, Marriott will eliminate hotel categories and use variable point pricing for awards. Only a small number will be affected at first, so you won't see an immediate sweep of all properties at once.
- "Starting May 6, members who had a FNA with an original expiration date in 2020, or which will expire before January 2, 2022, as part of their Cobrand Credit Card Benefit, Annual Choice Benefit, promotions or travel package will be able to redeem it through January 3, 2022.
- Please note that FNAs with an original expiration date before 2020 will not be eligible for the additional extension. Members do not need to take any action because the system will automatically update their account with these extensions on May 6, 2021."
The expiration date on certificates this year is pushed to 1/31/21.
- “...Members who currently have an active Free Night Award (FNA) expiring in 2020 as part of their credit card benefit, annual choice benefit, promotions or travel package will be able to use it through January 31, 2021.”
- Expiration dates will be updated by the end of April, giving priority to those expiring soonest.
- If yours will expire within just a couple days, contact a Marriott representative here by private message.
Marriott Branded Credit Cards Free Night Certificate FNA Discussion Thread
#76
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 625
That would royally suck... when I booked the Cat 5 award night many months ago (pre-Aug merger), my cert was technically good for Cat 1-5. The reservation was actually a month past the expiration of the certificate, so I was going to call it in for them to extend it so I could apply it. I initially held off because there was possibly another trip that I was going to use for January but wound up not needing it.
But now at 25K (old Cat 5) it means it's no longer valid.
But now at 25K (old Cat 5) it means it's no longer valid.
#77
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
That would royally suck... when I booked the Cat 5 award night many months ago (pre-Aug merger), my cert was technically good for Cat 1-5. The reservation was actually a month past the expiration of the certificate, so I was going to call it in for them to extend it so I could apply it. I initially held off because there was possibly another trip that I was going to use for January but wound up not needing it.
But now at 25K (old Cat 5) it means it's no longer valid.
But now at 25K (old Cat 5) it means it's no longer valid.
Can you identify the property? I have a spreadsheet of the old/new redemption levels.
#78
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 248
Marriott Annual Certificates Bookable?
Hi All,
We're expecting to receive our annual free certificates (3) sometime in March or April (we'll reach our 2 years with the SPG cards in March). A couple of questions due to Marriott's IT fiasco:
1) Will we be able to combine the 3 certs. into a single stay (my wife has 2 and I have 1)?
2) Has anyone redeemed annual free cert. at the Sheraton Lisboa Hotel & Spa before? Just wondering if the certs. could be used here.
Any inputs will be appreciated, thanks!
We're expecting to receive our annual free certificates (3) sometime in March or April (we'll reach our 2 years with the SPG cards in March). A couple of questions due to Marriott's IT fiasco:
1) Will we be able to combine the 3 certs. into a single stay (my wife has 2 and I have 1)?
2) Has anyone redeemed annual free cert. at the Sheraton Lisboa Hotel & Spa before? Just wondering if the certs. could be used here.
Any inputs will be appreciated, thanks!
#79
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 625
Hi All,
We're expecting to receive our annual free certificates (3) sometime in March or April (we'll reach our 2 years with the SPG cards in March). A couple of questions due to Marriott's IT fiasco:
1) Will we be able to combine the 3 certs. into a single stay (my wife has 2 and I have 1)?
2) Has anyone redeemed annual free cert. at the Sheraton Lisboa Hotel & Spa before? Just wondering if the certs. could be used here.
Any inputs will be appreciated, thanks!
We're expecting to receive our annual free certificates (3) sometime in March or April (we'll reach our 2 years with the SPG cards in March). A couple of questions due to Marriott's IT fiasco:
1) Will we be able to combine the 3 certs. into a single stay (my wife has 2 and I have 1)?
2) Has anyone redeemed annual free cert. at the Sheraton Lisboa Hotel & Spa before? Just wondering if the certs. could be used here.
Any inputs will be appreciated, thanks!
#80
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Silver, AA, WN, DL
Posts: 4,091
#81
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
You'll have to make a minimum of 2 reservations - one for yourself and one for your wife No way to make one reservation and combine all 3 certificates But talking to the front desk usually allows you to keep the same room, even if you may have to recheck in for the new stay
So 3 consecutive reservations and just email the hotel to alert them or put in the note space to link the ressie together.
I have yet to see any property not able to keep you in same room with consecutive nights reservations as we ALWAYS make single night reservation for multi-nights stay to preserve the flexibility. The only exception would be the 5th night free reservation that in order to get the 5th night free you need 5 nights made in one single reservation. Else, all of our reservations are consisted with single nights.
Properties either combine the reservations at check in or asked you to reprogram the room keys the next morning. It is routine practice to all properties. Not anything unusual.
#82
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
If you still hold the respective credit card, generally you can get an extension of the expiring FN cert. Those certs now go by the point value as Up To. It is just a different way to define the same thing.
#83
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
https://loyaltylobby.com/wp-content/...r-changes.xlsx
If I'm not mistaken, 40K pts was an old cat 8, 35K pts is a new cat 5. Can someone confirm?
Also, there is no way to upgrade a certificate. You will just have to use points for the booking and save the cert for another reservation.
#84
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 625
No, you can apply more than one certificate to a reservation - you can even do it online without calling in. I've done it a few times in the past. But you are correct in that you can't apply 5th night free and the certificates.
#85
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
Thanks for the correction. I most likely confuse it with Hyatt FNs.
#86
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 31
Is it possible to book with Pts then swith w/free night certs??
Hi All,
New to the Marriott's program. Between my wife and I, we will have 4 free night certs by July with 1 coming in next month, 2 in April & the last in July. We are planning a trip to Europe in mid Sept. and was wondering if it's possible to book the rooms for 4 nights now with points and then switch over the same reservations with the free night certificates when we get them (so to secure the room for the 4 nights). Is this possible? If so, how do we switch over the reservations--is this something simple we can do online or must call Marriott to make that switch? Any helpful info would be much appreciated! Thanks!
New to the Marriott's program. Between my wife and I, we will have 4 free night certs by July with 1 coming in next month, 2 in April & the last in July. We are planning a trip to Europe in mid Sept. and was wondering if it's possible to book the rooms for 4 nights now with points and then switch over the same reservations with the free night certificates when we get them (so to secure the room for the 4 nights). Is this possible? If so, how do we switch over the reservations--is this something simple we can do online or must call Marriott to make that switch? Any helpful info would be much appreciated! Thanks!
#87
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
Hi All,
New to the Marriott's program. Between my wife and I, we will have 4 free night certs by July with 1 coming in next month, 2 in April & the last in July. We are planning a trip to Europe in mid Sept. and was wondering if it's possible to book the rooms for 4 nights now with points and then switch over the same reservations with the free night certificates when we get them (so to secure the room for the 4 nights). Is this possible? If so, how do we switch over the reservations--is this something simple we can do online or must call Marriott to make that switch? Any helpful info would be much appreciated! Thanks!
New to the Marriott's program. Between my wife and I, we will have 4 free night certs by July with 1 coming in next month, 2 in April & the last in July. We are planning a trip to Europe in mid Sept. and was wondering if it's possible to book the rooms for 4 nights now with points and then switch over the same reservations with the free night certificates when we get them (so to secure the room for the 4 nights). Is this possible? If so, how do we switch over the reservations--is this something simple we can do online or must call Marriott to make that switch? Any helpful info would be much appreciated! Thanks!
#88
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: ua mm, aa plat, starriott LTPP, ihg plat, hh gold.
Posts: 13,017
quick data point (inadvertently cross posted in the old marriott forum): i was able to extend a visa 25,000 expiring cert until next year. made a quick call and helpful agent took care of it. she did caution me the expiration date would be a year from today, not a year from feb 13 when cert actually expires, so if it matters the closer to the actual date of expiration, the better.
#89
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CT/ Germany - Ich spreche deutsch
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy LTTE, HH Dia, HY Expl
Posts: 4,657
If I have a regular points award night booked at a 35k property can I somehow change the points reservation to a reservation using one of my Amex 35k free credit card certificates? Normally I would just book a new reservation using the certificate and cancel the points award reservation but the hotel is not showing any availability now for the night I need.
Last edited by christianj; Feb 13, 2019 at 9:15 am
#90
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: Marriott Platinum, HH Diamond, BW Diamond Select
Posts: 469
quick data point (inadvertently cross posted in the old marriott forum): i was able to extend a visa 25,000 expiring cert until next year. made a quick call and helpful agent took care of it. she did caution me the expiration date would be a year from today, not a year from feb 13 when cert actually expires, so if it matters the closer to the actual date of expiration, the better.