Just was offered 500 Rewards points to complete an online survey concerning possible changes to the Marriott Visa. The survey basically was trying to guage interest in potential changes to the card.

Some of them were EXTREMELY interesting, including the following:

1. Offering 4 or 5 points for every dollar spent at Marriott.
2. Offering to redeem rewards points for airline miles at a 3-for-1 ratio.
3. Double points for gas, groceries and airline purchases.
4. Free nights or a 10,000 point bonus for annual spending in excess of $25,000
5. An anniversary bonus of 5,000 points or a free night in categories one through five properties.
6. The usual automatic upgrade to silver status, PLUS a 30 percent reduction in the number of nights required for gold (35 instead of 50).


Now, obviously all of these are just ideas. They were offering different scenarios and asking how much they appealed.

For instance, one scenario was five points for every $1 spent at Marriott locations, 2 points for every $1 spent on airline and dining and one point for all other purchases, 5 percent discount when you redeem points if you spent more than 25k annually, automatic upgrade to silver and 30 percent discount for gold, 5,000 points as an annual bonus, $80 annual fee.

Then they askedwhich statement best describes how likely you are to trade your current card for this one:

Definitely would?
Probably would?
Might or might not?
Probably would not?
Definitely would not?
Does not apply

I've currently shifted most of my credit card spending to my airline miles card, because I think it gives me more bang for the buck, but if Marriott were to make these changes, I'd probably shift back.

As someone who's frequently complained that there needs to be an elite level that offers more real rewards than silver, but is easier to attain than gold, the 30 percent discount would also be appealing to me.

I expect this is in direct response to the newly enhanced AMEX HHonors credit card which also has a number of welcome enhancements.

Thanks for posting the above.

Those were my thoughts, too. Ain't competition great?

Now if they'd drop the fee to be in line with the HH AMEX...

I'd like the card to be free annually too...but honestly...I average about 5000 points a month...the fee is a small price to pay...IMHO.

ChazDawg

$80 per year would be well out of line with other hotel cards, and the other hotel cards are already far superior to the Marriott Visa in terms of overall rewards.

If Marriott wants to get serious about putting their Visa card on a level playing field with HH, they need to go to 2 pts/$ everywhere and 4 pts at the hotels. That's comparable with HH's 3 & 5. To get onto a playing field with Starwood, they gotta go 3 pts/$ everywhere - we can keep dreaming for that. I'd be happy with a good competitor to the HH card.

As for the other stuff...
- Offer to swap 3 MR for 1 FF: there are already ways to move out MR points at a better rate than that via the travel packages.
- Double points for gas, groceries, etc. Don't waste time and marketing dollars trying to sell me a perk with a miniscule impact over time.
- Reducing Gold to 35 nights. OK, no complaints with that.
- Threshold bonuses. OK, no complaints, but they still have to change the basic earning structure. With the proposed 10k bonus, if I spend $25,000 in a year, my rewards options are 25k SPG, 75k HH, or 35k MR. Marriott is still dead last by a mile.
- Anniversary bonus: Now we're talking! This would be an area where Marriott could gain a competitive advantage over the other two. How about 1 free weekend night at a Cat 1-5 per year? Yes, that's worth more than the $30 annual fee, but it's a little bone to throw considering the rest of the card benefits lag HH and SPG. I wouldn't care if they cut it down to Cat 1-4 or 1-3 as long as it's a no-bull free night.

Just an FYI that $80 fee was only one of the options.

They also asked opinions of other mixes with lower fees. Here's another menu they floated:

1. Four points for every $1 you spent at Marriott
2. Two points for every $1 on gas and groceries
3. 1 Marriott Reward point converts to 1 airline mile
4. 10 percent discount when you redeem points for Rewards if you spend $40,000 annually on the card
5. Automatic upgrade to silver, plus 30 percent discount on gold (35 nights instead of 50)
6. 5,000 points on the card anniversary
7. 10,000 bonus points when you spent 25k annually.

Just to note, they also asked for opinions of options that were mostly mediocre (although mostly better than the present card).

Here's one of the lesser options:

1. Four points for every $1 you spent at Marriott
2. Two points for every $1 on airline and rental car purchases
3. 10 percent discount when you redeem points for Rewards if you spend $40,000 annually on the card
4. Automatic upgrade to silver
6. Free night in a category 1-5 hotel on your anniversary
7. $65 annual fee.

Actually, I like the 2nd menu better.

Basically, none of the spending-based rewards are anywhere near good enough to pull any of my volume out of Starwood.

Therefore, Menu 1 boils down to a unique option to move MR points into FF miles in small batches (a la SPG), plus 5,000 anniversary points, plus 4 pts/$ at hotels.

Menu 2 boils down to 4 pts/$ and one free Cat 5 night.

The reality is that I tend to keep hotel points in hotel programs and use for free nights, so moving out to FF miles isn't as attractive, even though 1:1 is generous. Nice perk, and it would benefit many, just not me...

As long as the Free Night was available by the same capacity controls of a regular award stay, I'd get real value from that: call it a conservative $100 in value. So it would actually be worth the increased annual fee...

Major changes coming to Marriott Visa?

Let's hope they do not bring with them increases in the number of points needed for an award (category revisions, additions etc. etc.).

Many thanks to Pinniped!

I did not even see that little item re an $80 fee!

Here this Marriott Big Wigs!! You have made some extremely good changes to the program, what with having more meanigful bonus promotions and now automating the EEO certs, as well, of course, of bringing Chris to this forum.

But if you think that an $80 annual fee (or even a $65 one) will fly with yours truly, when the Starwood Amex is $35 year (and provides more bang for the buck, incidentally when using the card at non-hotel merchants), and the HHonors AMEX and Visa cards are fee free, you are crocked!!! The fee for the present card is already inflated for what it actually delivers, so if you raise it, my use of same is history!

Have to say I disagree.

I'd happily pay $80 for a card that gives me a 5 points for every dollar spent on Marriott stays, a 30 percent discount on gold status, and a free night every yearr. Sure, I'd prefer it were less, but I'd pay it.

CHACUN A SON GOUT!

I believe this should be directed to the folks over at JP Morgan Chase

A survey has also been floated to Canadian members asking a lot of similar questions as they would relate to a potential Canadian card. This would be most welcome - especially since the demise of the Amex MR relationship.

I'm right there with you! To be competitive, the Marriott VISA needs to go to 2 pts/$ everywhere and at least maintain the 3 pts at the hotels (if not go to 4 pts), as well as drop the annual fee. That is just to match the HHonors AMEX basic benefits. They would still need to add the other features provided by HHonors AMEX to be truly competitive. Frankly, I don't see it happening.

My renewal, this month, is still $30. Is the rate due to increase, or was that just a typo?