Marriott Rewards MORE Provides a New Way to Earn Points while Shopping

Online shopping portals have long been one of the best ways to boost the number of miles and points you earn through frequent travel programs. In the past a lot of these were outsourced to third-party white label providers, like Cartera. However, I think for the last couple years we’ve been seeing a bit of a renaissance as more companies begin thinking about how to bring more of the product in-house and improve the customer experience. Take a look at United’s MileagePlus X app and the new Southwest browser plug-in for examples.

Today, Marriott launched their own foray with Marriott Rewards MORE. Purchases through the portal will earn points that will be immediately available for future redemptions, including hotel stays and other purchases. According to David Flueck, SVP of Global Loyalty:

Just in time for the holiday travel season, Marriott Rewards MORE enhances the entire trip experience for our members. Through MORE, we’ve gathered the retailers and brands members love most, so they check off items on their packing list and be rewarded with points for future use.

You can learn more about Marriott Rewards MORE and download the toolbar on their webpage. If you’re reading this on a phone, you can also download Marriott Rewards MORE for iOS or Android. Although designed for Marriott members only, SPG members could also enroll with their linked Marriott account and transfer points between the two programs.

I was able to quickly install the Chrome toolbar and log into my Marriott Rewards account before testing it with an Amazon purchase. One benefit of a toolbar, as I mentioned when Southwest Airlines released theirs, is that it can help remind you of the opportunity to earn points if you find yourself on a retailer’s website, even if you forgot to click through from the shopping portal.

As part of the launch, customers will earn 1,000 bonus Marriott Rewards points with their first purchase of $25 or more. Those who use a Marriott Rewards credit card to pay can also earn a 25% bonus on all purchases. If you feel like you already have too many points, there’s an option to redeem points instead of cash or to use a mix of cash and points. (But I urge you to reconsider, as redeeming points for merchandise usually returns less value than a hotel stay.)

The service is available in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom at launch and includes over two dozen U.S. retailers, most importantly Amazon.