What is the 2nd best option to redeem MR points?

[vikramsrit]

Hello everyone,
I understand MR to Marriott Bonvoy points gives the best value (specially with 30% bonus in Q4).
But, for family bookings of 4 (2 Adults + 2 kids less than 7), I see pathetic returns and minimal hotel options for all destinations.
So, what is the 2nd best option to redeem MR points? Are there any airline partners that give good returns and do they have bonus points promotions in the year?
I have approx 3 Lac MR points with me.

Thanks in advance.

 

[vikramsrit]

This is ridiculous! you are valuing marriott point at 3 times of vistara?
So if Vistara Mile is 90 paisa, you mean the Marriott point is Rs. 2.70 ???

Even the biggest Marriott fans and Amex fans would be laughing

Dude, like seriously. Let’s agree that you are right. I never said VISTARA Mile is 90 paisa. When you burn 3 MR points you get 1 CV point. And if you burn 3 MR points, you get 3 Marriott points. I hope you’ll do the math here.

 

[drsel]

Transfer Marriott points to 39 partners
Best is Marriott to United airlines 60000 : 30000 or 2:1 ratio.
Other airline partners are 60000 : 20000+5000 or 2.4 : 1 ratio

 

[Lobogris]

Marriott points are worth about 30 to 35 Paisa when used for booking city centre Marriott hotels in the main tourist destinations.

But you can get more value than that for Marriott hotels in non tourist destinations, off the beaten path

We have to look at it realistically. If I am going to Banglore or Hyderabad, I am looking to spend around 3 to 5k for a mid range hotel and maybe 5 to 7k max for a 4 to 5 star property. On this, I would get a 33% discount via Infinia. So my acceptable price for a hotel in Bangalore or Hyderabad is 3 to 4k for 3 star and 4 to 6k for 4 to 5 star. We can add 1k to 2k extra for places like Bombay and for peak times. MB points are not free. They are like a currency I have earned after a lot of spending. So paying 80k per day just to claim I am getting a 1.7 value per point is silly. I wouldn't be willing to pay 50k for a hotel room normally and thus even with points, which are as valuable as money to me, it is unacceptable. So we should only assume a value of 30 paise and even that isn't always possible. Like a Fairfield by Marriott might be 15k points at best and 6k in cash but if we are getting a similar Best Western or Ramada for 4k then we should calculate from that threshold. This doesn't even include the 33% Infinia cashback.
People who are willing to spend 1 lakh plus per day on some ultra luxury resort shouldn't be worrying about reward points.

 

[drsel]

What are the category exclusions and MCC exclusions for
MRCC
Gold charge
Platinum travel

 

[drsel]

I guess it must be very difficult for any regular Amex card holder to get more than 48000 Amex points ( platinum travel rewards for 4 lac target ).

Unless you get a lot of referral points, which is what the YouTube influencers are getting everyday

 

[SSV]

What are the category exclusions and MCC exclusions for
MRCC
Gold charge
Platinum travel

This is not ..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
No need to be worried about the MCC exclusions unlike where MCC exlcusion list is like never ending and extremely dynamic ...

And most imporatntly this simple list of Amex exclusion list is fairly standard and static and haven't changed a lot for last so many YEARS ( except for one or two minor ones)..

Please dont compare any Bank with as far as MCC exclusions list is concerned...

For example

for Plat travel:



You will not earn Membership Rewards Points on your American Express Card for all your spending on fuel, insurance and utility (electricity, water and gas bills) payments. Fuel includes petrol, diesel, CNG from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). Utility services includes providers of household/domestic electricity, gas and water. These providers can be government departments and agencies including local, state, municipal organizations, public housing societies and apartment associations.

Beginning 3 May, 2022, the Membership Rewards Points that have been accrued onto your American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card will no longer expire till the card is active and in good standing . In the event of Card cancellation, initiated by either the Cardmember or American Express, the Membership Rewards Points will get forfeited within 30 days of the cancellation.

Effective March 15, 2020, you will not earn Membership Rewards Points on any EMI option selected from a merchant’s website e.g. online shopping with Amazon or Flipkart etc. and on any EMI option selected at Merchant’s terminal e.g. a Chip and PIN transaction at Croma retail store etc. At the same time, you will continue to earn Membership Rewards Points on all EMI transactions through American Express® SafeKey and on all EMI conversions done post purchase.




For Gold, it is even better..

1. With effect from 1 July 2021, Cardmembers will earn 1 Membership Rewards® Points on every ₹50 Spent on Utility (electricity, water and gas bills) payments capped at 10,000 Membership Rewards® points in a calendar month. Cardmembers will also earn 1 Membership Rewards® point on every ₹50 Spent on Fuel payments including petrol, diesel, CNG from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) capped at 5,000 Membership Rewards® points in a calendar month. Utility services include providers of household/domestic electricity, gas and water. These providers can be government departments and/or agencies including local, state, municipal organizations, public housing societies and/or apartment associations.
You will not earn any Membership reward points on Insurance and Cash Withdrawals. Telecommunications includes providers of landline phones, mobile phones, internet services, cable, and other pay TV services, and calling cards.

2. 0% for HPCL transaction less than INR 5,000,1% fee per transaction is applicable for all HPCL transactions on and above INR 5,000, 1% of the transaction value subject to a minimum of INR 10 + applicable taxes, will be charged as convenience fee at fuel stations operated by the Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies BPCL and IOCL, 2.5% of the transaction value subject to a minimum of INR 10 + applicable taxes, will be charged as convenience fee at fuel stations of all other Oil Marketing Companies (except HPCL, BPCL and IOCL).

 

[drsel]

This is not ..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
No need to be worried about the MCC exclusions unlike where MCC exlcusion list is like never ending and extremely dynamic ...

And most imporatntly this simple list of Amex exclusion list is fairly standard and static and haven't changed a lot for last so many YEARS ( except for one or two minor ones)..

Please dont compare any Bank with as far as MCC exclusions list is concerned...

For example

for Plat travel:



You will not earn Membership Rewards Points on your American Express Card for all your spending on fuel, insurance and utility (electricity, water and gas bills) payments. Fuel includes petrol, diesel, CNG from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). Utility services includes providers of household/domestic electricity, gas and water. These providers can be government departments and agencies including local, state, municipal organizations, public housing societies and apartment associations.

Beginning 3 May, 2022, the Membership Rewards Points that have been accrued onto your American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card will no longer expire till the card is active and in good standing . In the event of Card cancellation, initiated by either the Cardmember or American Express, the Membership Rewards Points will get forfeited within 30 days of the cancellation.

Effective March 15, 2020, you will not earn Membership Rewards Points on any EMI option selected from a merchant’s website e.g. online shopping with Amazon or Flipkart etc. and on any EMI option selected at Merchant’s terminal e.g. a Chip and PIN transaction at Croma retail store etc. At the same time, you will continue to earn Membership Rewards Points on all EMI transactions through American Express® SafeKey and on all EMI conversions done post purchase.




For Gold, it is even better..

1. With effect from 1 July 2021, Cardmembers will earn 1 Membership Rewards® Points on every ₹50 Spent on Utility (electricity, water and gas bills) payments capped at 10,000 Membership Rewards® points in a calendar month. Cardmembers will also earn 1 Membership Rewards® point on every ₹50 Spent on Fuel payments including petrol, diesel, CNG from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) capped at 5,000 Membership Rewards® points in a calendar month. Utility services include providers of household/domestic electricity, gas and water. These providers can be government departments and/or agencies including local, state, municipal organizations, public housing societies and/or apartment associations.
You will not earn any Membership reward points on Insurance and Cash Withdrawals. Telecommunications includes providers of landline phones, mobile phones, internet services, cable, and other pay TV services, and calling cards.

2. 0% for HPCL transaction less than INR 5,000,1% fee per transaction is applicable for all HPCL transactions on and above INR 5,000, 1% of the transaction value subject to a minimum of INR 10 + applicable taxes, will be charged as convenience fee at fuel stations operated by the Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies BPCL and IOCL, 2.5% of the transaction value subject to a minimum of INR 10 + applicable taxes, will be charged as convenience fee at fuel stations of all other Oil Marketing Companies (except HPCL, BPCL and IOCL).

Thanks, so how does one accumulate more than 2 lakh points, because a 1 night stay in Marriott is at least 25000 points (after 1:1 conversion from amex points)

 

[aakashgupta]

This is not ..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
No need to be worried about the MCC exclusions unlike where MCC exlcusion list is like never ending and extremely dynamic ...

And most imporatntly this simple list of Amex exclusion list is fairly standard and static and haven't changed a lot for last so many YEARS ( except for one or two minor ones)..

Please dont compare any Bank with as far as MCC exclusions list is concerned...

For example

for Plat travel:



You will not earn Membership Rewards Points on your American Express Card for all your spending on fuel, insurance and utility (electricity, water and gas bills) payments. Fuel includes petrol, diesel, CNG from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). Utility services includes providers of household/domestic electricity, gas and water. These providers can be government departments and agencies including local, state, municipal organizations, public housing societies and apartment associations.

Beginning 3 May, 2022, the Membership Rewards Points that have been accrued onto your American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card will no longer expire till the card is active and in good standing . In the event of Card cancellation, initiated by either the Cardmember or American Express, the Membership Rewards Points will get forfeited within 30 days of the cancellation.

Effective March 15, 2020, you will not earn Membership Rewards Points on any EMI option selected from a merchant’s website e.g. online shopping with Amazon or Flipkart etc. and on any EMI option selected at Merchant’s terminal e.g. a Chip and PIN transaction at Croma retail store etc. At the same time, you will continue to earn Membership Rewards Points on all EMI transactions through American Express® SafeKey and on all EMI conversions done post purchase.




For Gold, it is even better..

1. With effect from 1 July 2021, Cardmembers will earn 1 Membership Rewards® Points on every ₹50 Spent on Utility (electricity, water and gas bills) payments capped at 10,000 Membership Rewards® points in a calendar month. Cardmembers will also earn 1 Membership Rewards® point on every ₹50 Spent on Fuel payments including petrol, diesel, CNG from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) capped at 5,000 Membership Rewards® points in a calendar month. Utility services include providers of household/domestic electricity, gas and water. These providers can be government departments and/or agencies including local, state, municipal organizations, public housing societies and/or apartment associations.
You will not earn any Membership reward points on Insurance and Cash Withdrawals. Telecommunications includes providers of landline phones, mobile phones, internet services, cable, and other pay TV services, and calling cards.

2. 0% for HPCL transaction less than INR 5,000,1% fee per transaction is applicable for all HPCL transactions on and above INR 5,000, 1% of the transaction value subject to a minimum of INR 10 + applicable taxes, will be charged as convenience fee at fuel stations operated by the Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies BPCL and IOCL, 2.5% of the transaction value subject to a minimum of INR 10 + applicable taxes, will be charged as convenience fee at fuel stations of all other Oil Marketing Companies (except HPCL, BPCL and IOCL).

which card is the best for insurance payments? do we get points for insurance payments on amex platinum charge?