Yes. Marriott Bonvoy points can expire. Under Marriott’s current U.S. English program terms, an account that has no qualifying activity for 24 consecutive months forfeits all accumulated points. Earning points or miles, redeeming points, purchasing points, and converting points and miles are listed as qualifying activity. Giving points away, transferring points, or receiving a transfer does not keep the account active.
Points held in a Lifetime Elite Membership Account are currently exempt, although Marriott reserves the right to introduce an expiration policy for those accounts later. For ordinary accounts, forfeited points cannot be reinstated, and an account without active status for five consecutive years may be deactivated.
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The Marriott Bonvoy expiration rule in plain English
Marriott measures activity at the account level, not by how many points you have or how often you stay at a particular hotel. If 24 consecutive months pass without a qualifying transaction, Marriott says the member account forfeits all accumulated points. The rule applies to the entire balance, not just points that are older than two years.
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| Rule | What it means for your account |
|---|---|
| Inactivity period | Twenty-four consecutive months without qualifying activity |
| Result of inactivity | All accumulated points are forfeited |
| After forfeiture | Marriott says the points cannot be reinstated |
| Longer inactivity | An account that has not remained active for five consecutive years may be deactivated |
| Current special exception | Points in a Lifetime Elite Membership Account are currently exempt, subject to Marriott’s right to change the policy |
What counts as qualifying activity
Marriott’s terms identify several transaction types that can keep an account active. The important test is whether the transaction falls into one of these categories under the program rules, not whether it merely changes the number displayed in your account.
Earning points or miles
Earning points or miles is qualifying activity. When an eligible transaction results in points or miles being credited to the account, it is one of the activity types Marriott lists for maintaining active status. Keep the account’s transaction history so you can identify when the activity was recorded if you need to check the 24-month window.
Redeeming points
Redeeming points also counts. A redemption uses points for an award and is expressly included among the actions that maintain active status. The terms do not require the redemption to be for a particular award category in the general rule; the relevant point is that it is a qualifying redemption under the program.
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Purchasing points is another listed way to remain active. That makes a purchase a rule-recognized activity, but it does not establish that buying points is the best financial choice for every member. Consider the price, your travel plans, and the value you expect to receive rather than buying solely to avoid expiration.
Converting points and miles
Marriott’s rules state that converting points to miles or miles to points counts as activity. The terms also refer to conversions to or from designated partners. Because partner eligibility and conversion arrangements can change, check the current program terms before relying on a particular conversion.
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Transactions that do not protect your balance
Marriott expressly excludes giving or transferring points from the activity definition. Sending points to another member does not reset the sender’s inactivity period. Receiving a gift or transfer does not reset the recipient’s period either.
This exclusion matters when members try to create activity by moving a small number of points between accounts. A transfer can change ownership of points, but it is not a qualifying earning, redemption, purchase, or conversion transaction for expiration purposes. Do not treat a gift or transfer as a substitute for one of the activity types Marriott lists.
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The clock runs through consecutive months in which Marriott records no qualifying activity. Each qualifying action starts a new period for the account under the program’s activity rules. If no qualifying action occurs before that period ends, the account forfeits the accumulated balance.
- Find your latest qualifying transaction. Review the activity history in your Marriott Bonvoy account and identify the most recent entry that fits Marriott’s qualifying categories.
- Measure the next 24 consecutive months. Treat that transaction as the reference point for monitoring inactivity. The terms use a 24-month period, so do not assume that an occasional login, profile change, or transfer extends it.
- Choose an activity that fits your plans. An earning transaction, an eligible redemption, a points purchase, or a points-to-miles or miles-to-points conversion can serve this purpose when completed under the current rules.
- Confirm the transaction appears in your account. Save the confirmation and check the activity history. A personal record is useful if the account later shows an unexpected expiration date.
Marriott’s published terms do not establish a guaranteed advance-warning schedule before forfeiture. Set your own calendar reminder well before the 24-month point so you are not relying on an email or notification that may not arrive.
Lifetime Elite is a narrow exception
Marriott currently says points in a Lifetime Elite Membership Account are not affected by the ordinary expiration rule. This is a specific exception for the account type named in the terms. It should not be generalized to ordinary Elite status, annual elite qualification, or any other membership label.
The same rule reserves Marriott’s right to apply an expiration policy to Lifetime Elite accounts in the future. If you rely on the exception, review the current terms periodically rather than assuming the exemption is permanent. Your account’s designation should also be checked directly, because ordinary elite status does not by itself establish the Lifetime Elite exception.
What happens when points are forfeited
Marriott says reinstatement is not available
Once points are forfeited under the inactivity rule, Marriott says they cannot be reinstated. That makes prevention more important than trying to recover a balance after the deadline. A later qualifying transaction may allow you to earn new points if the account is still open, but it does not restore the forfeited balance.
An account may eventually be deactivated
Forfeiture and deactivation are separate consequences. Marriott states that an account that has not remained active for five consecutive years may be deactivated. The five-year provision is longer than the 24-month points-expiration period, so an account can lose its points well before Marriott deactivates it.
Previously redeemed awards can remain valid
Award redemptions made before forfeiture remain valid even if the stay or other award takes place later. Booking an award in advance therefore does not automatically mean the reservation will be canceled just because the account later reaches the expiration point.
The future-award cancellation trap
There is an important qualification for a future booking. If you redeem points for an award before forfeiture, then cancel that redemption after the expiration date, the returned points remain subject to forfeiture unless you completed qualifying activity that extended the account’s active status.
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In practical terms, a reservation can preserve the award while it remains booked, but it is not a blanket extension of the account’s expiration date. Before canceling a points booking near the 24-month deadline, check whether the account has had another qualifying transaction and review the current cancellation and expiration terms.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Examples of activity decisions
You earn points during the period
An account records a qualifying earning transaction before 24 consecutive inactive months have elapsed. That earning activity is one of Marriott’s listed ways to maintain active status, so the member should retain the transaction record and monitor the next 24-month period.
You redeem a small amount
A member uses points for an eligible redemption instead of allowing the account to sit untouched. Redemption is expressly listed as qualifying activity. The amount redeemed is not presented in the terms as a minimum threshold, so the relevant question is whether the transaction qualifies under the program rules.
You send points to a family member
The sender transfers points and the recipient receives them. Neither side has used a transaction Marriott identifies as qualifying activity for expiration purposes. The transfer therefore should not be used as the account’s protection strategy.
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You convert points to miles
A member completes a points-to-miles conversion covered by Marriott’s rules. Conversion is listed as qualifying activity, subject to the applicable designated-partner and program requirements. Keep the conversion confirmation with the account records.
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You hold Lifetime Elite status
If the points are held in a Lifetime Elite Membership Account, Marriott’s current terms say the ordinary expiration rule does not apply. The exception is tied to that account classification, and Marriott may change the policy later.
A practical checklist for protecting Marriott points
- Open your Marriott Bonvoy activity history and locate the most recent qualifying entry.
- Record the date and transaction description in a personal calendar or account file.
- Before 24 consecutive inactive months pass, select an activity you genuinely need or can justify financially.
- Use earning, redeeming, purchasing, or an eligible points-and-miles conversion; do not rely on gifting or transferring.
- After the transaction, verify that Marriott recorded it in the account history.
- Keep confirmations, especially when the transaction involves a partner or a conversion.
- If you have Lifetime Elite, confirm that the points are in the Lifetime Elite Membership Account rather than assuming any elite designation receives the exception.
- If an award is booked for a future date, understand what would happen if you cancel it after the account’s expiration date.
- Review the current Marriott terms periodically because the program can change and no guaranteed warning schedule is published.
What to do if your points already disappeared
First, compare the account activity history with the 24-month rule and identify the last transaction that Marriott would treat as qualifying. Check whether the missing balance followed a transfer, gift, or canceled award, because those situations are handled differently from ordinary earning or redemption activity.
If the account appears to have had qualifying activity within the relevant period, gather the confirmation numbers, dates, and account statements before contacting Marriott. Explain the specific transaction and ask for an account review. If the points were correctly forfeited under the terms, Marriott’s published rule says they cannot be reinstated, so a support request is not a guaranteed recovery route.
Which Marriott source controls?
The U.S. English Loyalty Program Terms and Conditions provide the detailed rule used here, including the 24-month period, qualifying and excluded activities, the Lifetime Elite language, and the consequences of forfeiture. Marriott’s Spanish FAQ independently confirms the 24-month inactivity concept, but the U.S. English terms are the controlling reference for the detailed provisions discussed in this article.
Because Marriott’s rules are changeable, check the current terms and your own transaction history when making a time-sensitive decision. The terms page used for this explanation was marked updated September 2026.
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