Would you like a check-in with that take-out?
Did you know that Marriott Bonvoy members can earn points towards free nights when they order from, or ride with, Uber? The partnership was announced in an email to members in April 2021. In case you missed that email, we’ll walk you through the program, and how to set it up. It is easy to get started and, after that, the points are automatic. You have both apps right on your smartphone, so you might as well let them work together to get you some points, whether on vacay or staycay!
Updated October 2024
Photo: Marriott
Eat, ride and stay your way to vacay.
Sounds enticing, right? We admit; we stole that line straight from the email we got from Marriott Bonvoy, the hotel chain’s loyalty program. It’s the perfect one-line summary of this new program!
Here is how it works: once you link your Marriott Bonvoy account with your Uber and/or Uber Eats app, you are set to earn extra points whenever you:
- Ride with Uber XL, Uber Black, Uber SUV, or Uber Comfort, or
- Place an order through Uber Eats that’s at least $25 after any discounts or promotions, but before taxes, fees, and tips.
Simple, right? Yes, there are a few provisos. The offer is only available in the United States, and you have to be registered in the United States, as well. Points will take four to six weeks to post to your account. You have to be a Marriott Bonvoy member (duh!), and your Uber app has to be associated with a mobile number in the United States. If you are a fan of legalese, you can check out the updated Terms & Conditions.
How Many Points?
Ah, that is the magic question, innit? It all depends, of course, on how much you spend. As of 14 October 2024, that’s where some substantial changes have been put into place. Here’s a basic summary of what you can earn now:
- 3 Points per dollar spent on rides with UberXL, Uber Black, Uber SUV and Uber Comfort.<.li>
- 2 Points per dollar on UberX Reserve rides.
- 2 Points per dollar spent on Uber Eats deliveries of restaurant or grocery orders to a Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, or Element locations.
- 1 Point per dollar spent on eligible Uber Eats orders.
- UberXL from PHL to the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Philadelphia earned us 245 Marriott Bonvoy points ($81.57 x 3 points per dollar).
- Using Uber Eats to order dinner from the highly recommended restaurant Vietnam, delivered to the hotel, earned us 456 Marriott Bonvoy points ($76.01, before tips and fees x 6 points per dollar).
- Uber XL from the hotel to the Philadelphia Museum of Art the next morning added another 37 Marriott Bonvoy points ($12.34 x 3 points per dollar).
- Open your Uber app, and hit the Menu button in the upper right corner
- From the list, select Settings
- In Account Settings, scroll down and select Marriott Bonvoy under Rewards
- Tap on Link account to add your Marriott Bonvoy username or number, and your password
- You are done! Under Rewards, it should now say ”You’re earning points on rides and food”
- Open your Uber Eats app, and tap on Account at the bottom right
- Scroll down the list until you see Marriott Bonvoy, and tap on that
- Add your Marriott Bonvoy username or number, and your password
- And you are done! Under Marriott Bonvoy, it may say ”Earn points on food and rides.” If you tap there, you should get a message that you’re already enrolled.
There are a lot of provisos involved, so be sure to check those T&Cs for rundown on what’s eligible to earn points, and what’s not. For example, the amount must be $40 before any promotions or discounts, and does not include taxes, fees, mandatory additional charges…and we’ve lost you already, haven’t we?
A Real Life Example
We have to point out that our experience was at the launch of the Marriott + Uber partnership, and point values were higher than they are today.
During a summer trip to Philadelphia, we racked up 738 Marriott Bonvoy points in less than 24 hours with this pairing!
If we linked our Uber and Uber Eats apps with a Marriott-partnered credit card, we could have earned even more points for the spend. (We linked to our American Airlines-affiliated card to pad that balance instead.) On top of that, we earned Marriott Bonvoy points for our stay, and Uber Rewards points, too.
The nice thing is that we can earn towards our next getaway even while we are definitely not getting away. Staying in for a streaming binge and Thai food delivered by Uber Eats added to our points balance, too. Since we do this far more often than we should, those points add up pretty quickly.
Photo: Uber Eats
How to Link Uber and Marriott Bonvoy
Let’s say you “accidentally” deleted that email without even opening it. (Hey, it happens!) Don’t worry, it’s easy to link your Marriott Bonvoy account with your Uber or Uber Eats app. Once it’s linked, you don’t have to do it again; set it and forget it, as they say.
What You’ll Need
Before you begin, make sure you know your Marriott Bonvoy username or account number, and password. Obviously, you’ll need your Uber or Uber Eats app also, so grab your smartphone, and let’s get going!
If you have both an Uber and Uber Eats app, you only have to set up the Uber app. It will add the Marriott Bonvoy information to your account, so it will be in both apps. (If you only have an Uber Eats app, scroll down to that section.)
Uber App
Uber Eats App
If you already set up your Uber app, you do not need to set up Uber Eats, too. If you only have Uber Eats, adding your Marriott Bonvoy account information works in a similar fashion, but with fewer screens:
By the way, if you find you do still have that email, it’s even easier to set up. Just follow the link, and scroll down the page it takes you to. You will see a QR code that you can scan, and that takes you right to the section of the Uber app where you can add your Marriott Bonvoy information.
Don’t have an Uber Eats account?
We can help with that, too. You can start an account just by downloading the Uber Eats app from the App Store or the Google Play Store. If you want to save $20 off your first order or $25 or more, you can use our code eats-robertg45840ui during set up. Don’t forget to link up your Marriott Bonvoy account before you order!
Points Delivered
Now you are set to earn some extra Marriott Bonvoy points with your Uber rides and Uber Eats deliveries. Two points per dollar may not seem like much, but think of it as a bonus. A bonus for things you are probably already doing. You might be surprised just how quickly those bonus points add up!
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