Vacationcard/giftcard on prepaid rates?
 

I have tried using giftcard to reserve a room with prepaid rate, and I tried to use the gift card as a credit card to pay during reservation process. The funny thing was that I wasn't actually charged until I checked out, which didn't match the rate rules.

Now that the GC are no longer used as Visa, I wonder if anyone has tried to use it on prepaid rates?

Also I was thinking about buying some vacationcards through DL in Dec. this year (if there is no other offer at that time). I'm wondering if the vacationcards are also good to use for prepaid rates.

Thanks.

Marriott Gift Card on Top of Other Bonuses?
 

Hi,

I visit these Forums from time to time when I have a free second, unfortunately I don't visit it enough because I think I could be earning significantly more points on my stays than I already do...but oh well.

Basically, I have an upcoming stay where I will be booking a room for myself and another couple. I saw a recent promo from Southwest to buy $100 Marriott Gift Cards and get 1200 Southwest Points....so my question is, if I use these gift cards to stay at a Springhill Suites will I also earn my normal Marriott Rewards points as well? I am currently signed up for the "Marriott Rewards® More Stays, More Miles-Earn up to 30,000 bonus miles with any participating frequent flyer program* beginning with your second stay" promotion and was wondering if I use the gift cards if I won't be earning my bonus points on Southwest as well?

The thing that concerned me about using both the gift card and expecting my normal rewards was the "Terms and Conditions" of the Gift Card Purchase:
"Marriott Rewards members can redeem the Gift Card to earn up to 2 points per US dollar spent (on all qualifying charges) at participating: Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Marriott Vacation Club International properties, but not at Ritz-Carlton; and 1 point per US dollar spent (room rate only) at Courtyard, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, SpringHill Suites, and Fairfield Inn® by Marriott properties worldwide. Gift Cards cannot be redeemed towards a vacation ownership purchase at Marriott Vacation Club International. Gift Cards can be redeemed towards rental stays at Marriott Vacation Club International properties."


Also, will have two rooms booked at the same hotel for one night count as two stays?

Thanks for the help...just trying to maximize points here and make sure I'm not wasting my time.

I have always earned my normal Marriott Points when using giftcards. Using giftcards should not affect your promotion as long as there isn't a requirement to use a specific card for the promotion (such as Visa).

The two rooms on the same night will only count as 1 stay I believe.

the only times I have not earned correct points is when the invoice does not reflect the payment using the card............. I' now ask the front desk checking me out to correct the invoice (but I had to learn the hard way after my stays never posted)

Imo the availability of gift card promos is one of Marriott best attributes.
I would say over 50% of my stays have been paid with gcs.
It is easy to pick up a min of 10% in rebates from these, plus you can earn 4% cashback on both the gift card purchase and the stay itself. Between the cashback and the southwest gc promo you basically get a 28% rebate in addition to points and the megabonus.

There's a more detailed thread about this promotion in the Southwest Rapid Rewards forum:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/south...purchases.html

I would say there are a few other posts adding up to a consensus that the use of Marriott gift cards (even if purchased in promotions) has not impacted the posting of the normal number of base Marriott Reward points and elite bonus points. But here is specifically my posting on that topic, in regards to the gift cards received from this specific promotion.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/17079543-post74.html

Any experience at the Prague Marriott?
 

I am thinking of using a Marriott gift card at the Prague Marriott. Has anyone used one there?

Marriott gift cards not accepted at Marriott Executive Apartments?
 

I was told by Mayfair Marriott Executive that they do not accept gift cards. They say that they called Marriott CS, who verified this.

Has anyone else had this experience? I've searched, but did not find any related threads.

The gift card FAQ says this:

“Q. Can a Marriott GiftCard be used at any Marriott property?
A. Yes, Marriott GiftCards can be used at all participating Marriott properties worldwide, regardless of the design.”

The word "yes" seems to make it pretty clear. I suppose the word "participating" could be taken to imply that some properties can opt out. But Marriott seems to routinely use the word "participating" in this sense to mean all "Marriott" properties. There's no explicit mention that hotels can opt out, nor any list of non-participating properties or brands.

I use Marriott gift cards frequently, and have not, to this date, been rejected at any of the brands.

The T&C's on the gift cheques specifically exclude Executive Apartments and ExecuStay properties - I wonder if the gift cards are the same.

I think that msuroo just explained what happened - they were using the gift cheque rules to reject a gift card.

The Marriott gift cheques do indeed rule out Marriott Executive: "This Cheque is NOT VALID at Marriott ExecuStay® or Marriott Executive Apartments®."

But the gift card T&C don't explicitly state the same exclusion:
"Marriott GiftCards may be used at participating JW Marriott®, EDITION℠, Autograph Collection®, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott® Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard® by Marriott, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Fairfield Inn & Suites® by Marriott, SpringHill Suites® by Marriott, Residence Inn® by Marriott, TownePlace Suites® by Marriott and Marriott Vacation ClubSM and participating hotel outlets: retail, spa, golf and food and beverage. Card carries no value until activated. Card is a prepaid card, not a credit card or debit card, and is the property of and issued by MI Fulfillment Services, LLC. There is no expiration date for card. Card is not redeemable for cash, in any amount except when otherwise required by applicable law. Card becomes inactive upon use of all card value. Card may not be used to secure or confirm a reservation..."

I'm going to push back and this one and I'll let you know what they say.

Yes, but that was in 2009 (when they ran them through the VISA system).

I wouldn't think you'd have a problem with the new system. I've used Gift Cards in Germany and in other countries since the change-over without problem. A few times they had to get out a "how to" notebook, but it all worked in the end.

I had an interesting thing happen. I had (3) $100 Marriott gift cards. I stayed at a Marriott on one night, a Courtyard on the 2nd night, and a Residence Inn on the 3rd night. At checkin, I presented my Visa card for hotel charges. At checkout, I applied one $100 Marriott gift card, with the rest of the balance staying on the Visa.

I received the normal 1 point per dollar + 25% Gold bonus points at the Marriott and the Courtyard for the entire balance (including the balance paid by the gift card). However, at the Residence Inn, I only received 1 point per dollar + 25 % Gold bonus on the amount that was charged to the Visa. I never received any points for the $100 that was put on the gift card.

I should also note that the first two hotels were able to swipe my gift card and apply it without problems. The front desk clerk at the 3rd hotel (the Residence Inn), however, had problems swiping it and entered the gift card # manually on their keyboard.

The Marriott Visa MegaBonus promo shows that all 3 of these stays counted, and I received one free night cert already.

Anyone have any possible explanation for the points discrepancy? Should I contact Marriott Rewards, or will they try to take away any of my points that I received for redeeming gift cards at the previous two hotels?

I think I may have answered my own question. Based on the info at https://www.marriott.com/rewards/earn-points/points.mi , we only earn 5 points per dollar at Residence Inn, while we earn 10 points per dollar at Courtyard and Marriott brand hotels (among some others). Oh well....I'll keep that in mind for the future. The Residence Inn was the most expensive of the 3 hotels I stayed at, and yet it earned points at half the rate of the other hotels that I stayed at.

Marriott Gift Card
 

I'm unsure if i'm posting this in the correct forum but I need to know if you can cash out a Marriott gc. I won a 300.00 Marriott gc online in the Chevron Love The Road Phase III Sweepstakes and i'll never use it so i'm trying to see what i can do with it..is there a Marriott store online? also do the gc expire? tks


Mary