Total Rewards Visa - a few questions

Total Rewards Visa question

Hey all, So I have the TR Visa and I put my plane tickets on there for us and a friend, I have close to 12000 rewards point, my question, what do I do with them? I called to make a reservation for PH and they said the only thing I qualify for is no resort fees, So what are the points for??
Thanks!

(I usually stay at Gold Coast when we go, haven't payed for a room since our first trip to Vegas, I was hoping with this CC I would get something from CET as in free rooms?)

 

The card doesn't entitle you to free rooms (only your play would determine that) and I don't really know much about CET properties as I stay and play mainly at MGM Resort properties. I got the card because it does have some good perks, and MGM did away with their credit card a while back.

However I know the reward points can be used to purchase other things like food and retail items (I have gone to the Total Rewards desk at Paris and gotten vouchers from my points to use at Mon Ami Gabi). You can also use Reward Credits for free play.

Here is a link with some information that might be helpful:

https://www.totalrewards.com/TotalRewards/RewardsAndBenefits.do?page=trBenefits

 

If I understand it correctly, 12000 rewards points equates to $120.00 of food/beverage/retail at CET properties. Enjoy!

 

Thanks for the responses! Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but $120 will take care of our food for sure!

 

This is exactly right. You can either hand them your card whenever you buy food and drinks and CET properties (I do this all the time; just be warned, when you are using Visa earned TC, you sometimes have to get them to swipe the card twice to use these points). If you are staying at a CET hotel, just charge stuff to your room and use your TC to pay for it at checkout. I think I recall paying for a room at Ballys a few years ago with TC I earned through the old Visa promotion. I just got my new card last week and assume it still works the same

 

Have you gone to the CET web site and checked the prices of rooms. Type in your user name and password. Go to reservations and check rates for dates you want to go. As a Platinum player you should get reduced rates. When you check out use your reward points($120) to pay for room.

 

If you charge anything to the room and then use your points at checkout to pay for it, you will have to pay tax on it ..... so, it's best (i.e. cheaper) to pay for it using your points at the time of purchase (i.e. at the gift shop, restaurant, etc). When you pay, you'll need your Total Rewards player's card and your id (driver's license, etc).

 

Good to know. I've never encountered that in the past. Is it a resort tax of some sort (like they charge for rooms)? Because I know I already pay sales tax when I use my credits at the point of sale. if its a resort tax, I had no idea they could tack that onto anything besides the cost of a room

 

Sales tax is what I am talking about .... i.e. when you eat at a restaurant/buffet and use your points there to pay for it, you pay no sales tax but, if you charge it to the room, the entire bill including sales tax is charged to your account. Then when you checkout and pay using points you are paying the sales tax.

Since it's been quite a while since I used points at a gift shop, I'm not 100% sure, but I seem to remember the same .... if I pay with points there I only pay the amount of the items I purchase and no sales tax but, if I charge to the room, the amount charged to the room is the full amount with sales tax included.

 

Interesting. I always thought I was paying sales tax when I use a players card to buy something at a restaurant or bar. But I never looked that closely. I don't see how they can charge sales tax if you comp it at the back end of a trip as opposed to at the point of purchase

 

I know for sure that is the way it works concerning tax. I was there last week and used Total Reward points at HHAG , Spice Market Buffet and the Burger place at Paris and was not charged tax when using points. At Ramsey's Steakhouse they were having a problem using the points so I charged it to the room and used points at check out and was charged the tax.
Mark

 

Wow. I still cannot discern why one is taxed and the other is not. Well, I almost never stay at CET anymore, but I am certainly going to pay more attention the next time I use reward points at the point of purchase.

 

I think there's been a recent argument with the state regarding whether they should be collecting sales tax on comps rendered. Not sure of the resolution.

 

Hi all. First some background: We have a trip planned for July 6 for 4 nights, so just about a month away. My husband and I each have our own TR account, and since we have a friend going with us, I booked two rooms at Bally's. One under my account for $13/comp/comp/comp, and one under his account (for our friend) at $40/comp/comp/comp, all plus stupid resort fees.

We are both gold level, and while I feel like we play quite a bit, we are no where close to the point where our play alone would nudge us to Platinum.

I'm considering getting the TR Visa. We'd get auto Platinum which should mean no resort fees. We pay any credit card charges on our existing cards in full each month, so I figure we could charge a few things and pay them off to get the RC's they are offering.

A couple questions for anyone who has gotten this new card from them:

1. Is a month enough time to have the upgrade to Platinum register on my account?

2. Normally if we get a new CC, I get two cards, one for each of us. In this case, would it make more sense for us to each apply separately, linking to our separate TR accounts, so that we'd both get the Plat upgrade and therefore the resort fees waived on both rooms?

3. Is there a certain amount one can spend each year to have the Plat upgrade carry over, or is it a one time, for one year only thing?

4. Any other considerations I may be overlooking that would influence my decision on this?

FWIW, we have excellent credit, aren't about to try to buy a car or house or anything, and we go to Vegas 2-3 times per year. This upcoming trip is our 4th in the past 12 months, but that's unusual for us.

 

1. Is a month enough time to have the upgrade to Platinum register on my account?

YES but do it now, activate immediately, and do some charges immediately!

2. Normally if we get a new CC, I get two cards, one for each of us. In this case, would it make more sense for us to each apply separately, linking to our separate TR accounts, so that we'd both get the Plat upgrade and therefore the resort fees waived on both rooms?

YES but do it now, activate immediately, and do some charges immediately!

3. Is there a certain amount one can spend each year to have the Plat upgrade carry over, or is it a one time, for one year only thing?

NO? I don't think so (but it's not totally clear yet). Per other postings, it's a 1 year Platinum status then you have to earn it the old fashioned way (bummer!).

4. Any other considerations I may be overlooking that would influence my decision on this?

My wife and I didn't get Platinum status until after we each charged $250 on our cards but we did that quickly (i.e. within two days of receiving our credit cards) so it may have just been coincidence. We got Platinum status, the points for our charges, and the 5000 point bonus for charging the first $250 to each credit card .... all on our first posting to Total Rewards .... cool!

Unlike most credit cards, you don't have to wait until your statement posts for your points. The points seem to post to your Total Rewards account within a couple days of the charges showing up (on-line) on your card but (for us) it took almost a week (5 business days) after we did the original charges for them to show on our credit card accounts and another 2-3 days before the points and Platinum status showed up in our Total Rewards accounts.

So .... ACT QUICKLY!

 

Thanks for the quick reply and info!! It's much appreciated.

 

Actually you do not have to spend a dime to become Platinum - I became Platinum IMMEDIATELY after getting approved for the card - even before the card arrived. It is a perk of the card. You become Platinum automatically - you do not have to spend any amount of money (but I also think it is a one time only upgrade to Platinum - you do have to earn Platinum the old fashioned way once the upgraded status expires).

You also get the free Buffet of Buffets offer for two just for getting the card, but it must be used within 6 months of the month that your card arrived - and you need your credit card to redeem it. That is why you should apply now and get the card because you will need to show it in Vegas to get this offer.

The only perk you get for spending money is if you spend $250 within 90 days you get 5,000 Tier Credits and if you spend up to $750 in those 90 days you get another 5,000 tier credits for a total of 10,000. I spent $250 and the tier credits were almost instantly added to my account.

I agree that you should act quickly, because you want to have the physical card in your hand when you are in Vegas in order to reap the benefit of the buffet etc

 

Agree with all the replies above..took me a week or less to get the card and as soon as activated It showed me as Platinum on the TR website.
I believe that status gave me an addtional night (Friday) comped and $85 w/tax at the Rio for Saturday in September.Never had that before on a weekend..(Over many years as the Rio is home away from home)..

My only concern is the comenity bank website that issues the card..Seems a bit strange that it is a .net and not .com and you need to add TotalRewards to the address etc..
I plan on using it for my airfare /Rio stay and that's that.Get the $50 in RC's by using it.
Pay it off and probably never use it again..

 

I wonder if this has something to do with the problems I am having. When I click on "Apply Now", I keep getting a syntax error message.

ETA - Never mind, just got it to work and submitted my app.

ETAA - Done!! Thanks again for the info.

 

I'm waiting for my card as we speak. I am going back to Vegas in August comped but would like to have the resort fee waived as i'm currently Gold.
One question i have that seems no one has an answer for, i plan on spending at least $250 before August, but less than $750 for 90 days (i am also going to Vegas in Nov) but it will be after the 90 days is up). If the new card takes you to 1 year, lets say from June, as Platinum, what happens on the second year and beyond?
June 2014 to June 2015, would that mean that i would have to start over for the 5000 credits? I plan on using my new card, hopefully this week, as my main card, but i'm confused about remaining Platinum for the following year/years. If i no longer use the card after reaching Platinum (which i won't do but heard other people may do), do i get downgraded back to Gold?