Caesars Rewards Card Review: Deal for Some, No Deal for Most

Give to Caesar what is Caesar's -- that, in a nutshell, is the purpose of the Caesars Rewards® Visa® Credit Card. Indeed, though it's packed with bonuses and rewards, you need to be a higher spender at establishments within the Caesar Entertainment group to make this card worth choosing over other travel credit cards. If that sounds like you, let's break down what it offers and see if it deserves a place in your wallet.

This credit card is a good fit for: Caesar loyalists who play frequently at its casinos, stay at its hotels or resorts, and have a large annual spending there.

Top perks

For those who play or stay frequently at Caesar resorts and casinos, this credit card has a few bonuses for you. Here's how the perks break down.

Rewards program built for Caesar loyalists

It's no secret: the Caesars Rewards® Visa® Credit Card will reward you most when you use it to cover spending at Caesar establishments. Here's how the earning rates break down.

• 5x Rewards Credits per $1 spent at Caesars Rewards resorts and casinos
• 4x Rewards Credits per $1 at participating Caesar Rewards Dining restaurants
• 2x Rewards Credits per $1 spent on restaurants, travel, and entertainment
• 1x Reward Credit per $1 spent everywhere else
• 1x Reward Credit per $1 spent on cash advances

That last rate is unique. Most rewards credit cards don't earn extra rewards on cash advances. While we don't encourage cash advances on credit cards (more on that below), earning rewards could offset some of the costs if you absolutely must use your credit card to withdraw cash.

Multiple welcome bonuses

The Caesars Rewards® Visa® Credit Card offers new cardholders two distinct bonuses.

• Earn 10,000 Reward Credits® and 2,500 Tier Credits when you spend $1,000 outside of Caesars Rewards destinations within the first first 90 days of getting approved for the card.
• Earn 2,500 Tier Credits and Upgrade to Platinum Status when you use your card once outside of Caesar Rewards destinations within 90 days of getting approval. Platinum Status comes with complimentary valet service and 15% off at participating casino gift shops.

Ongoing annual bonuses

In addition to the welcome bonus, this card also has two bonuses available to cardholders annually.

• 5,000 Tier Credits when you spend $5,000 within a calendar year. This would automatically give you Platinum Status.
• 15,000 Rewards Credits when you spend $50,000 within a calendar year.

What could be improved

Despite its perks, this card falls short in several key areas.

Ridiculously low bonuses

For a card that's built for high rollers, its bonuses are a little wimpy. In fact, among other travel credit cards we've reviewed, this card's welcome bonus is about as low as you can get.

The value of your Rewards Credits will depend on how you use them, but you'll typically get $1 in value for every 100 to 300 RCs you redeem. That means, your 10,000 RC bonus could bring you about $33.33 to $100. That's nothing special, especially when compared with the rewards on other hotel credit cards.

Rewards you for cash advances

As mentioned above, this card will give you 1 RC for every $1 you withdraw on a cash advance. While it's unusual for credit cards to earn rewards in this way, the perk isn't so glamorous when you consider the card's egregious APR for cash advances, which can be as high as 33.24%. This is the interest you'll pay from the moment you withdraw cash with your card (there's no grace period) and could easily wipe out any rewards you earn.

On top of that, you'll also pay a cash advance fee equal to $5 or 3% of the amount withdrawn, whichever is greater.

It's important to keep this in mind, using your credit card to withdraw cash can be expensive and is generally unwise. Weigh the cons carefully before you use a credit card to get cash, as it could leave you with more debt than rewards.

Tier credits reset each year

The card may give you automatic Platinum Status when you spend $0.01 within the first 90 days. But keep in mind that your status resets on Jan. 1 of every year. The best way to maximize your Platinum Status, then, would be to apply for this card at the beginning of a calendar year.

Rewards Credits expire

To keep your Rewards Credits fresh, you have to use your Caesars Rewards® Visa® Credit Card at least once every six months. If you don't, your entire RC balance will be erased.

Foreign transaction fee

If you use this card outside the U.S., you'll pay a foreign transaction fee equal to 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.

You should aim to have good credit (or a FICO® Score of at least 670) if you want a chance at getting the Caesars Rewards® Visa® Credit Card. That said, approval isn't based solely on your credit score. Your full credit profile and income will also be analyzed. So even if you have excellent credit -- but have had multiple hard inquiries recently -- there's still a slight chance you could be denied.

• You play or stay frequently at Caesar casinos or resorts.
• You would rather earn Rewards Credits on your spending than cash back or miles.

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.