Total Rewards Visa Card

Quote: TigerWu

...Is it only the reward credits that would rollover, and my tier credits would still reset to 0 unless I was actually gambling in a casino?

Yes. Your TCs will reset annually, no matter what you do. You'd rollover only your 350 RCs, which are good for $3.50 (three-dollars and fifty-cents) of comps. Bon appetit.

Quote: TigerWu

Right now I have 350 tier credits that will reset on 1/1/2018, and 350 reward credits that expire on 11/20/17.

I don't travel to Vegas that often so I was thinking of getting this card just so I could make a purchase every few months to keep my reward credits from expiring, and maybe build up a little more in the process. Would this card be worth it for that? I never carry a credit card balance. Is it only the reward credits that would rollover, and my tier credits would still reset to 0 unless I was actually gambling in a casino?

Your tier credits never carry over, except on a specific promotion they did last year where you got tier credits for the end of one year and duplicate credits to start your new year during December or Fall or some limited time. TCs reset after each Dec 31 for everybody.

Your RCs are the ones that you can keep alive thru periodic earning indefinitely.

I like to shop around for credit cards and take advantage of promotions. You should be getting at least $75-$100 in upfront cash value for each card you open, and be earning 1.5%-5% cash value back for every purchase.

The TR credit card is O-K. If you get it I would only use it for purchases made at CET properties, as you earn 5TC/$1 as opposed to 1TC/$1. A single TC is worth $0.01 in comps, or less in free play depending on your tier. Careful as the comps are worth half in several establishments. It's 2:1 for some restaurants, outlets at the LINQ Promenade, Gift Cards, and In-room movies.

Rewards credits can be converted to free play in increments of 200/$1 for gold/platinum, 175/$1 for Diamond, and 125/$1 for 7stars.

So 10k rewards credits is $100/$50 comp dollars or $50/$57/$80 free play. You also get 2 free buffet passes which carries some value, but not much. Instant platinum status also has some value if you aren't planning on earning Diamond.

I'm sure the interest rate is garbage, as pretty much any branded/store card is 20%+, but you shouldn't carry a balance anyway unless it's 0%.

There's certainly better cards out there, but the only downside to opening a TR card is the hit to your credit. I opened 2 cards in the last 3 months and my score went from 800 down to nearly 700.

Biggest factors for determining your score are:

1) Payments made on time
2) Average account age
3) Percentage of available credit used
4) # of recent inquiries/new accounts

Opening a new account lowers the average age of your accounts, and usually adds an inquiry, which is the reason your score takes a hit at first, then goes back up over time.

Underwriters for car/house loans care more about your income and assets than your credit score, and will usually not care about a lower score as long as it's caused by new accounts rather than lack of payment.

Quote: gamerfreak

I like to shop around for credit cards and take advantage of promotions. You should be getting at least $75-$100 in upfront cash value for each card you open, and be earning 1.5%-5% cash value back for every purchase.

I have two 5 % cards.

One is capped at $ 500 earnings per year, BUT it has to be used for the purchase of a new GM vehicle. I can accumulate up to 7 years worth. I like GM cars. I love making my best deal and then informing the sales guy to call the 1-800 # and take off another couple of grand off the invoice.

The second one is for gasoline. 5 % day in, day out, any brand.

I'm not getting rich off of either card, but it doesn't hurt because there is no annual fee on either one.

Okay, I applied for the Total Rewards Visa and it's supposedly in the mail right now. Hopefully I'll be hitting Vegas again later this year or early next year and I'll be able to see if the benefits are worth it.

I just got a mailer with an offer code to increase the RC for opening the Visa to 20,000 as long as I spend $750 in 3 months. I'm considering taking them up on that.

Quote: gamerfreak

I just got a mailer with an offer code to increase the RC for opening the Visa to 20,000 as long as I spend $750 in 3 months. I'm considering taking them up on that.

Damn! That's a good deal. I only got the 10,000 credits for hitting $750. They were pretty quick to get it into my account, though. Still waiting on the Platinum upgrade, but I think that takes a billing cycle or so before it goes through.

Platinum status lets you park for free, and skip some lines. The two buffets are worth almost $100.
My only problem with the TR card is the bank they chose to use. Its not very consumer friendly.

Quote: billryan

Platinum status lets you park for free, and skip some lines. The two buffets are worth almost $100.
My only problem with the TR card is the bank they chose to use. Its not very consumer friendly.

If you put in even a little bit of play, you shouldn't have to pay full price for a buffet.

The other option is high roller tickets. How much are those normally? Do Diamond members get any discounts on them?

Like I mentioned, I'd only ever use a TR Visa at CET properties. Otherwise, you can get much better cash back offers with other cards.

Unless they changed it, the card gets you two 24 hour buffet passes, not something you earn with a little amount of play.

Quote: billryan

Unless they changed it, the card gets you two 24 hour buffet passes, not something you earn with a little amount of play.

They usually just give them to me if I ask. And small amounts of play always yields BOGO buffet offers. I realize that's the list price, but I wouldn't value 2 passes anywhere near $100.

Quote: billryan

Unless they changed it, the card gets you two 24 hour buffet passes, not something you earn with a little amount of play.

You can get two buffet passes, two High Roller tickets, a free night's stay, or two show tickets. When you are approved for the card they send you a voucher with those options on it, and you just take it to a Total Rewards desk at a casino and tell them which one you want.

Quote: gamerfreak

They usually just give them to me if I ask. And small amounts of play always yields BOGO buffet offers. I realize that's the list price, but I wouldn't value 2 passes anywhere near $100.

They give you two Buffet of Buffet passes just for asking? I think you are talking about something else.

Quote: billryan

They give you two Buffet of Buffet passes just for asking? I think you are talking about something else.

Sorry I thought they were just generic buffet passes.

Quote: billryan

They give you two Buffet of Buffet passes just for asking? I think you are talking about something else.

Quote: gamerfreak

Sorry I thought they were just generic buffet passes.

And I was correct =P

9 Receive two buffet passes, excluding any taxes and state fees per approved Visa Card. Passes have no cash value, cannot be reused or transferred. Both passes must be redeemed at the same time. Blackout periods and holiday periods are excluded. Upgrade fee applies to the Bacchanal® Buffet at Caesars Palace. Excludes the Buffet of Buffets®. Buffet passes can be picked up at any Total Rewards Center in Las Vegas. Harrah's Philadelphia, Horseshoe Baltimore and Caesars Windsor are excluded from this offer.*
https://www.totalrewards.com/content/cet-tr/en/earn-and-redeem/with-tr-alliances/tr-visa.html

Quote: billryan

They give you two Buffet of Buffet passes just for asking? I think you are talking about something else.

Quote: gamerfreak

Sorry I thought they were just generic buffet passes.

And I was correct =P

9 Receive two buffet passes, excluding any taxes and state fees per approved Visa Card. Passes have no cash value, cannot be reused or transferred. Both passes must be redeemed at the same time. Blackout periods and holiday periods are excluded. Upgrade fee applies to the Bacchanal® Buffet at Caesars Palace. Excludes the Buffet of Buffets®. Buffet passes can be picked up at any Total Rewards Center in Las Vegas. Harrah's Philadelphia, Horseshoe Baltimore and Caesars Windsor are excluded from this offer.*
https://www.totalrewards.com/content/cet-tr/en/earn-and-redeem/with-tr-alliances/tr-visa.html

I have had my total rewards visa for several years.
Been pretty happy with the benefits
I use it a lot and pay off the balance every month so I score about 150.00 a year to spend on food and or a show.
Now MGM has a credit card and their reward look more flexible. The TR visa rewards, pretty much food or shows. MGM master, food and shows but also room and gambling
I am switching

Quote: gamerfreak

And I was correct =P

9 Receive two buffet passes, excluding any taxes and state fees per approved Visa Card. Passes have no cash value, cannot be reused or transferred. Both passes must be redeemed at the same time. Blackout periods and holiday periods are excluded. Upgrade fee applies to the Bacchanal® Buffet at Caesars Palace. Excludes the Buffet of Buffets®. Buffet passes can be picked up at any Total Rewards Center in Las Vegas. Harrah's Philadelphia, Horseshoe Baltimore and Caesars Windsor are excluded from this offer.*
https://www.totalrewards.com/content/cet-tr/en/earn-and-redeem/with-tr-alliances/tr-visa.html

It was a Buffet of Buffets when I got it a few years ago. I hadn't used my TR card for several years and they dropped my credit limit to $200.

Quote: terapined

I have had my total rewards visa for several years.
Been pretty happy with the benefits
I use it a lot and pay off the balance every month so I score about 150.00 a year to spend on food and or a show.
Now MGM has a credit card and their reward look more flexible. The TR visa rewards, pretty much food or shows. MGM master, food and shows but also room and gambling
I am switching

I have both (among other things, MLife is MasterCard, while TR is Visa; buying too many things in a short amount of time online on one card tends to generate "Did you really purchase all of these?" phone calls).

Does the MLife card give you a percentage back on your overall spending (presumably in MLife hotels "credit"), the way TR does?

Quote: ThatDonGuy

Does the MLife card give you a percentage back on your overall spending (presumably in MLife hotels "credit"), the way TR does?

I am assuming so
but I didn't check all the fine print
I will see how much I earn over a year to see if its worth it

I have the Mlife credit card and the TR credit card.
I use these cards for all my purchases
I pay off the balance every month
I mostly use the Mlife and sometimes the TR
Just hit Vegas to see how much I earned over the year.
TR 82.00. Can use for food, rooms and entertainment. Can also use as freeplay but cut in half, 41.00
MLife 240.00 same deal as TR except they credit the whole amount for freeplay
Planning on running the whole 240.00 through VP once and hopefully have around 200 bucks.
Probably do the same for TR since afraid of restaurants and shows due to virus. Sucks they only give half for freeplay.

The only problem I have had with the Caesars Rewards (the new name of TR) card is, their security is a little too tight on occasion. I have had my card declined twice in the past year or so because somebody looked at the charges and thought the number may have been stolen. One of these was because I tried to use it at a Costco that was different from the one where I had used it in the past; the "old" one is right next to where I work, and the new one is much closer to where I live (and telework).

I think the main difference in the two when trying to cash in the rewards is, Caesar's will let you just hand the card to the desk clerk/server and tell them to use points, while MLife makes you arrange for the purchase in advance, which is hard to do when you're going to a restaurant that's not prix fixe like a buffet.

Quote: ThatDonGuy

I think the main difference in the two when trying to cash in the rewards is, Caesar's will let you just hand the card to the desk clerk/server and tell them to use points, while MLife makes you arrange for the purchase in advance, which is hard to do when you're going to a restaurant that's not prix fixe like a buffet.

I think Mlife fixed that.
Have to set up a pin number
When I asked how to redeem, they said show the card and use the pin
Also easy to access freeplay with just card and pin
I did a test playing 25 cent 5 coin VP
Did 40.00 free play.
It slowly adds 1.25 every deal and makes a sound similar to winning. Kind of weird as the machine makes noises on every single deal because I either get a win sound or a free 1.25 deposit sound