Marriott’s referral program allows you to earn points when you refer others to the hotel’s loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, or to its credit cards.

Marriott Bonvoy members can earn up to 50,000 bonus points each year by referring friends and family to the program. However, it’s not as simple as just getting them to sign up for the program — they have to actually complete stays at a Marriott before you earn any points.

You need to be a cardholder to refer friends and family to Marriott credit cards. The bonus offers fluctuate, but can be as high as 200,000 points per year. So if you hold a Marriott card, referrals can be a smart way to earn extra points.

In a nutshell, there’s some strategy to maximizing the Marriott Bonvoy referral program.

Refer a friend to Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy members can earn up to 50,000 bonus Bonvoy points each year by referring friends and family. The reward is 2,000 bonus points for each stay that your referral makes in the first 365 days after enrolling, up to five stays. For each person you refer, you can earn 10,000 points.

Each Bonvoy member can refer up to five new members per calendar year, resulting in a potential of 50,000 points earned.

If you’ll want to refer more than five travelers in a calendar year, you should focus on the five who will actually complete the most stays. If you sponsor five new members and each stays only once in the first year, you’ll earn 10,000 bonus points from those members. You would come out ahead by referring just two new members that each stay three times (12,000 bonus points).