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Another Mlife ExpressComp question

Discussion in 'Comps' started by easystreet57, May 13, 2017.

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  1. easystreet57

    easystreet57 Low-Roller

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    I tried to do the research myself, but just can't get a clear handle on Mlife ExpressComps, how they work and what are the options in redeeming them. Next trip, we'll be heading to Vegas with approx. 13-15,000 express comps in our account...how much actual $ value does that number of comps contain...? can we use them before we arrive in town to order show tickets in advance?...can you only exchange them at the Mlife desk in the casino or can you use them at the "point of purchase" at bars and resturants or box offices?
    I don't know why, but for some reason the Mlife comp system seem so much more confusing or secretive then TR program. Maybe its just me, but I sure could use some help getting on track to understanding these comps better. Thanks
     
  2. DaiLun

    DaiLun R.C., L.C., and A.A.N.G.

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    ".how much actual $ value does that number of comps contain...? "

    If you Log in to the mLife website, it shows you the dollar amount Of your Express Comps

    Image2.jpg

    I don't know a verified answer to your last questions, but I have successfully used Express Comps at Restaurants and eateries in mLife casino, by presenting my mLife card and ID. The receipt will show the dollar amount used.
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2017
  3. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    Actually, it is very simple, and similar to the TR program with one big exception - no retail at all.

    If I am reading your post right, you have $130-$150 in Express Comps. (big assumption at this point). You can use them at any mlife bar, restaurants, spa, and room cost. You can just charge things to the room and they will apply the $130+ to your balance.

    You can not use them for advance show tickets.

    Again, other than the retail thing, they seem to work just like Total Rewards. Someone correct me if I missed something.
     
  4. easystreet57

    easystreet57 Low-Roller

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    Thanks so much for responding to my post. The information for redeeming the comps was helpful and the post showing the account summery targeted my confusion. When I checked our account it shows nearly 12,000 points but all of the following columns (express comps, freeplay and Holiday points) are all zeros. So perhaps I got it wrong in confusing "points" with "express comp". It must be the case...we're hardly good enough customers to earn $130 in free anything. I'll keep trying to get smarter but in the mean time, thanks again for your input. When we do earn express comps, I'll know what to do with them.
     
  5. MiamiDave

    MiamiDave You Can't Handle the Truth

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    You can ask the mlife desk to convert the points (if they're unused) to express comps, and yes they will be worth $120 if it's 12,000 points. I would also recommend that you consider signing up for the mlife discover rewards card and spend $1,000 in total within the first 3 months for a 10,000 point bonus (equivalent to $100 in express comps as well). You can just get that bonus and never use the card again and it would be worth it. Additionally, while the credit card is open, you have automatic pearl status (free parking and buffet fast pass) as well as priority check-in at MGM resorts.

    It probably doesn't take as much as you think to earn $120 in comps/points. Even if they're only giving you 30% of your expected loss for those comps/points, that means on average your play would have given the casino $400 of your losses. You can do that in a few short hours depending on what you're playing and how much you're betting (obviously you could do that much faster than a few hours, but it doesn't sound like you're a High Roller by any means).
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2017
  6. easystreet57

    easystreet57 Low-Roller

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    Yes, thats how we got the 12,000 points. Took them up on their offer via the CC and have been running money thur the card to build points since Feb.. Now that we have them we're hoping to put them to use in Vegas. We'll just have to wait to get there and do the conversion. $120 would be great, Thanks for the input.
     
  7. smithipedia

    smithipedia Tourist

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    upload_2017-5-14_1-7-17.png

    At the top you have Tier Credits: those just show where you are for your tier - they really don't mean much since Mlife's tier value is limited.

    Points: These can be used for play on Slots or used on your final bill for your room.

    Express Comps: These can be used for just about everything at any M life resort except Retail (you can use it a bit for retail at non Vegas properties)

    Freeplay: Free Slot play

    Gift Shoppe Points: Points earned throughout the year for the end of year gift shop deal that is in December I think (I never make it for that; too busy at work).

    NOTE: Express comps max out at $5,000 (I think $10,000 for NOIR).
     
  8. Chuck2009x

    Chuck2009x VIP Whale

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    Just because we're mixing definitions of "points" here - I assume it's correct that on the MLife player's club web page, credit card points will not show up in the "Points" column - those are only points earned from gaming. Once you convert credit card points to Freeplay or Express Comps, then they should show up on the website in the appropriate columns.
     
  9. MiamiDave

    MiamiDave You Can't Handle the Truth

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    I believe the CC reward points are converted to Points on your mlife profile summary after every billing cycle, so you should see them fairly consistently reflected in your Points balance. When I got the 10,000 bonus points for opening the card, they showed in that column, of which I currently have 12,000 points. smithipedia did a more thorough summary than I did as far as using those points. Tier credits are basically a running total of your earned points and how they affect your current status level. Your tier credits might equal your Points if you've never used any of the Points yet. However, the mlife rep told me that the Points you receive for getting the mlife Discover card do not get added to your Tier Points. They're already giving you pearl status so I guess they don't want to give you another 10,000 Tier Points in addition to the Points (which are a better reward anyway, when you consider their value of $100).

    Going off on a tangent, here: if you have good credit and got the mlife Discover rewards card, I wouldn't recommend using it past the 10,000 Point bonus. It's really not a great rewards card compared to most of them out there. Consider getting an American Express Blue Cash or, if you put a lot on your credit card every month, Blue Cash Preferred. The rewards are way better. By using the mlife Discover card instead of Blue Cash, or an equivalent card, you're paying quite a bit of money for Points/Tier Points and I can't see how it's worth it. Pearl Status and priority check-in is plenty. Just make sure that whether it's the mlife Discover or Amex Blue Cash or some other reward card like Chase Freedom, that you are never carrying a CC balance, because with the exorbitant interest rates on rewards cards, the amount of interest on carrying a balance for even one month can easily erase the benefits of the rewards themselves.

    If you're really insistent on using the mlife card to try to help your tier status, the only time it's really financially viable to use it is when you're actually on an mlife property, since you get like 3x rewards or something. It's still costing you money over using a better rewards card but at least you're getting accelerated tier points for it at that point. I can't remember if you also get accelerated Points when on an mlife property, though. If you do, that could make it financially viable.
     
  10. Chuck2009x

    Chuck2009x VIP Whale

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    I don't have the credit card, so I'm not saying you're incorrect, but:

    If your Points column represents only points earned from gaming, then they are worth $0.01 convertible to Freeplay. If they were to include credit card points, it would be a hybrid. Some of your points would be convertible to Freeplay only and some would be convertible to FP or Express Comps.


    You get 10 Tier Credits for every point from gaming and 25 for every $1 of hotel spend.
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2017
  11. MiamiDave

    MiamiDave You Can't Handle the Truth

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    I don't think you're actually stating anything different there. The CC rewards increase your PointPlay (or Points as it shows on your mlife summary). 10 points for $0.01 as you stated. The slot play giving you both PointPlay and Express Comps is believable. I rarely play slots, so I don't even pay attention to how those get allocated. If you say they're double I believe you.

    I don't see how both the CC points and gaming points being compined into PointPlay (Points) would become worthless. They're both worth $.01 no matter which way you slice it. The Express Comps you said you also get for slot play is added to the Express Comp balance, so you would still get the double benefit.
     
  12. Chuck2009x

    Chuck2009x VIP Whale

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    I think I must have edited my post after you originally read it. I cleaned it up a bit.

    What I meant was not that the points themselves would be worthless, but if the website is showing a single number that represents a combined number of credit card and gaming points, some of which you have two options with, and some of which you have only one option with, that's less useful as information. You have to go to a secondary source to determine the split.

    Of course, if you're only generating points from gaming, it's not an issue. If I was getting both types of points, I'd want to see it broken out.

    Cosmo's in the same boat with the way their Identity Points display currently. It's a mix of slot points (convertible to slot play or resort credit) and points from hotel spend (NOT to be confused with MLife tier credits) which can only be used as resort credit.
     
  13. MiamiDave

    MiamiDave You Can't Handle the Truth

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    Fair enough, that sounds like a reasonable complaint about their system.

    I'm thinking there's probably a way on your mlife Discover credit card statements to determine how many rewards points you earned. I'm sure you could accomplish what you're asking by calling mlife though, as they were able to advise me about specific point accumulations when I called them a few months ago after I had begun using the card. They told me exactly how many Points were transferred into my balance and what date it occured on. I had called them because I was concerned when my Tier Credit points didn't increase by 10,000 from the mlife Discover signup spending bonus. That's when I found out that they only give you Points for the 10,000 point initial CC bonus and not Tier Credits.

    But yes, it would be nice if you could click your PointPlay balance and find out when/how they were accumulated. I'm guessing they have reason they don't want to do it, although I'm not sure if it's a good one considering they can disclose that info to you over the phone.
     
  14. MiamiDave

    MiamiDave You Can't Handle the Truth

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    Another thing to add: the reward on the CC is 3x Points AND Tier Points per $1 spent when you use the card at Mlife destinations which is an excellent return on investment compared to other rewards cards out there. When you're not at an Mlife destination the card isn't worth using unless you want to essentially pay money for Tier Points (since you can earn better rewards on other credit cards).

    You won't be able to spend those points while you're on the trip you're accumulating them on since they don't apply until your statement, but if you're sure you're coming back to Vegas before they have a chance to expire then it's probably worthwhile.
     
  15. easystreet57

    easystreet57 Low-Roller

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    Been following along with the mlife point discussion...the only thing that I think I can add at this point that I am sure that CC reward points are posted to the "points" column after each billing cycle. We have not been in a Mlife property since July '16 and were shooting all zeros on our account summery(s). Now that we have gotten the card and filled the offer we have 12,000 points listed in the point column, all other columns are still zero. The cards are issued to my wife's account so she was upgraded to Pearl, only her, even though the accounts are joined or connected. Oddly we each have Tier Credits of 3,186. The exact number on each account. When we get to Vegas in a couple of months we'll go to the mlife desk and get all the in and outs of the program. Will be better able to discuss it thanks to your input. Thanks
     
  16. Hundley Fan

    Hundley Fan Low-Roller

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    Not quite true. You also earn 2X Points and 2X Tier Credits for gas station and supermarket purchases. I got the Mlife MasterCard because of the automatic upgrade to Pearl status for free self-parking and the 10,000 bonus points, but I use it to pay for gas and at the grocery store. Double points is double points. The only times I don't use it for gas is during the quarters that my Discover Card offers 5X points on gas.

    You are correct. Points earned on the M life MasterCard each month show up in the Points column. I just had points transferred to Express Comps at the M life desk at Aria two weeks ago to use on the buffet. The minimum amount to have transferred to Express Comps is 1,000 points. One thousand points = $10 in Express Comps. You may also convert points to free play yourself at the slot machines.

    If you'll have a car during your next trip and will be using self-parking, after your wife gets her new M life Pearl slot card, insert the Pearl card into the ticket machine when entering the parking structure instead of pressing the button to get a ticket. I had trouble exiting the parking structure at Mandalay Bay (I pressed the button to get the ticket). I did the same thing at Aria the next day, but there was an attendant at the exit gate. I handed her my ticket and my Pearl card, and she told me I should use my Pearl card to enter and exit and not take a ticket at all. She inserted my Pearl card first, then the ticket.
     
  17. MiamiDave

    MiamiDave You Can't Handle the Truth

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    Actually it's quite true. There are many cards out there that give you better rewards than 2x points for gas and supermarkets. You may want to consider using more than 1 card. I keep 3 cards and I'm always getting between 3x and 5x points for gas and at least 3x for supermarkets. If you're using the mlife card you're paying for tier points in the long run. I'm not going to say it's a substantial amount of money that you're "losing" but I'm very efficient when it comes to getting free money from my CCs.
     
  18. h0llywood

    h0llywood VIP Whale

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    It was easier for me to pull a ticket (cameras print out the license plate of your car on the ticket) then "pay" at the pay station before heading out. When you approach the exit gate, they automatically open for you as the cameras know you paid a few moments earlier. No need to pull your card out again. This is how it worked at the Mirage and NYNY on Saturday for me.
     
  19. Hundley Fan

    Hundley Fan Low-Roller

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    Good to know! The first time I went to Mandalay Bay last year to get my Pearl card, I had a heck of a time trying to validate the ticket at the pay station. The machine just would not take my Pearl card. I ended up using the button on the machine to talk to an employee, who told me to just drive to the exit and insert the ticket first, followed by my Pearl card. It worked that first time, which is why I pulled a ticket during my recent trip.
     
  20. Hundley Fan

    Hundley Fan Low-Roller

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    Curious as to why you equate using the M life MC for purchases, even gas and groceries at 2X points, with "paying for tier points in the long run."
     
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