+1.

I think you may be confusing the Bonus Bucks with the free night certificate. It's the free night certificate that you get as a Marriott black Visa card holder every year, and there are occasional promotions where you can get free nights for a specified number of stays (or nights, depending on the promotion).

Agree - BB has ,(IME) always been tied to a specific room rate, weekend promo, etc.

So unless I stay at a Marriott with a Bonus Buck promotion, I can't purchase any Bonus Bucks like I used to do on ebay?

Newman

Considering I get a $100 BB in the mail and not a free night certificate, I know I am not confusing them. I already got one this year.

I have the black Marriott Visa card and have never gotten a Bonus Bucks coupon in the mail, although I have gotten the Cat 1-4 certificate. Are you sure you haven't gotten the Bonus Bucks for another reason? Maybe a promotion for using the card for a specific purpose? If so, please share so that others can get it, too.

Maybe it's based on spend level or something, but I have gotten a $100 BB at least once a year for the last few years and it is tied to the card. The last one I got expired unused because I forgot I had it until it was too late. They seem to arrive around the anniversary date of the card, so maybe it's annual spending. I have never asked - they just show up in the mail from time to time.

To answer my original post the Marriott East Side in NYC did honor the Bonus Bucks in conjunction with the Senior discount without question. I really don't know why I received the coupon. It came with a letter but I discarded that long ago. It did arrive right about the time of my Marriott Chase CC anniversary. I stay about 50-60 paid nights in their hotels and TS's each year and I charge everything possible on the CC so maybe that had something to do with it. Next time I get one I'll post back with the reason they sent it.

Perhaps off-topic, but do you know why eBay doesn't allow them to be sold anymore? I know eBay enforces local law where its servers are located (for example, they've taken down marijuana auctions even when it may have been a lawful transaction where the buyer and seller were located), but I don't see how these Bonus Bucks would run afoul of anything like that.

I know Marriott bristles at the sale of BB's (just like other airlines and hotels), but why does eBay care?

So does Marriott care if we give them away? Mine expire every year and I have one now that will go to waste after 2/2011.

..East Side did the right thing, as they have no reason to disallow BB usage with Sr Rates (as long as you quality for the Sr Rate)

BB exclude membership rates. Marriott Senior rates do not require any membership (age based), therefore senior rates qualify for BB usage. [If Marriott had AARP rates rather than SR rates, then AARP rates would not qualify for BB usage]

You can give them away for sure, I have givem them away and received them for free or exchanged them. Since they are not registered to you there is no way for the hotel to find out anyway.

I have used them with all sorts of rates and never had any issues.

I hope Marriott Concierge will confirm your rationale. My experience has been that the property will point to the "must show ID at check-in" language in the confirmation (to show you're qualified for the "Senior Rate") as a disqualification from using Bonus Bucks.

Have you run this rationale past the reservation people at the toll-free reservations number on the BB certificates?

Perhaps you received some special offer for applying for the card that offers a BB annually instead of an annual free night certificate?

Personally, I think a free night is worth more than a Bonus Buck, except that with a BB you get "nights" and points credit for the nights stayed, while with the "free night" certificate you don't. I suppose if you're using it on a rate of $100 per night or less, the BB may be preferable.

It's not a rationale, age isn't a membership.

You're always supposed to show ID at checkin - Sr Rate or Rack Rate.

Booked BOGO certs via the dedicated 800 # that has similar membership language without an issue (well, once an agent had to be encouraged to reread the T&C's but then agreed that age is not a membership)