Shopping portals are among the best ways to supercharge your earnings for online purchases. You'll earn bonus points, miles, or cash back just by clicking through a shopping portal before making a purchase.<\/p>\n
Page Contents<\/p>
- What Is Rakuten?<\/a><\/li>
- Rakuten Increased $50\/5,000-Point Referral Bonus for New Members<\/a><\/li>
- Earn Amex or Bilt Points Through Rakuten Instead of Cash Back<\/a>
- How to earn Amex or Bilt points through Rakuten<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- How Does Rakuten Work?<\/a><\/li>
- Earn More Points or Cash Back by Stacking Offers<\/a>
- Stacking credit card earnings<\/a><\/li>
- Rakuten and dining programs can't be stacked<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n
What Is Rakuten?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Originally founded in the late 1990s, Ebates was one of the very first online shopping portals<\/a>. In 2014, it was acquired by Rakuten (pronounced RACK-uh-ten) \u2014 a Japanese e-commerce and online retail company founded around the same time.<\/p>\n
Like any shopping portal, Rakuten earns a commission for referring customers to its affiliated merchants. This commission is then shared in part with its members as cash back. These sites are free for consumers to use; the ability to earn extra rewards while shopping online (and do so without a cost) means you should always use portals when shopping online.<\/p>\n
Rakuten Increased $50\/5,000-Point Referral Bonus for New Members<\/span><\/h2>\n
If you aren't a Rakuten member yet, it's a great time to sign up. New members who sign up through a referral link by June 30, 2026<\/strong>, can now score $50 cash back (or 5,000 Amex or Bilt Points) after spending $50 on shopping trips within the first three months of joining.<\/p>\n
To earn your Rakuten sign-up bonus, all you need to do is sign up for Rakuten through a referral link (if you need a referral, here's mine<\/a>). Then, spend at least $50 on Rakuten shopping trips within 90 days of opening your account. And that's it.<\/p>\n
![\"Rakuten](\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\")
Credit: Rakuten<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Your referral bonus will appear under the “Earnings Balance<\/a>” section of your Rakuten account within a couple of days of completing eligible purchases.<\/p>\n
But point maximizers may want to opt to earn American Express Membership Rewards<\/a> or Bilt Rewards Points instead. If you select either currency as your earning preference, the Rakuten referral bonus will be paid in the form of 5,000 Membership Rewards or Bilt Points instead of cash-back rewards.<\/a><\/p>\n
Earn Amex or Bilt Points Through Rakuten Instead of Cash Back<\/span><\/h2>\n
Through Rakuten's partnership with American Express<\/a> or Rakuten's partnership with Bilt<\/a>, you can earn Membership Rewards points instead of cash back. The cash-back percentages listed for a vendor are equivalent to how many Bilt or Amex points you'll earn for every dollar spent. So, if a vendor lists an offer of 15% cash back, you can earn 15X points from your purchase instead.<\/p>\n
How to earn Amex or Bilt points through Rakuten<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
If you'd like to change your payment option from cash back to Membership Rewards or Bilt Points, start by adding a qualifying Membership Rewards-earning card to the My Wallet<\/a> section in your account settings — or linking your Bilt Rewards account to Rakuten<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Then, the Membership Rewards or Bilt Points options should appear in the main section of your Rakuten account settings<\/a>, found under the “How would you like to get paid?” heading. You can toggle between payment methods, but note that your selected payment method will apply to all future purchases \u2014 not to purchases you've already made.<\/p>\n
Credit: Rakuten<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n How Does Rakuten Work?<\/span><\/h2>\n
To earn cash back, start by navigating to Rakuten's website. After confirming that you're logged into your account, search for your desired store.<\/p>\n
If the store is eligible for cash back, you'll see the percentage displayed with its name. Simply use Rakuten's link to navigate to the store and complete your purchase as usual. Once the store has notified Rakuten of your purchase, you'll see the earnings appear in your account. And once per quarter<\/a>, Rakuten will deposit your rewards into your Amex, Bilt, or PayPal account or mail you a check.<\/p>\n
Credit: Rakuten<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Earn More Points or Cash Back by Stacking Offers<\/span><\/h2>\n
Using shopping portals is one of the easiest methods of maximizing your online purchases by “stacking” points earned on a purchase. Navigating through a link is all that's required to use Rakuten. Thus, you can use the same purchase for several other cash-back or point-earning strategies, including:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Meeting a minimum spend requirement<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Taking advantage of a rebate or bonus points, such as Chase Offers<\/a>.<\/a><\/li>\n
- Utilizing a card-specific credit (such as the $100 annual Saks credit<\/a> offered on the American Express Platinum Card\u00ae<\/sup><\/a>). Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.<\/li>\n
- Earn bonus points from promotions if any overlap.<\/li>\n
- Using a credit card with a related bonus category<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Stacking credit card earnings<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
To maximize your earnings, you need to choose the right card for the purchase. For Rakuten, this means narrowing down your choice to one of three categories:<\/p>\n
- \n
- <\/b>Great everyday spending card: <\/b>These are cards that earn a solid return on everyday spending<\/a>, like The Blue Business\u00ae<\/sup> Plus Credit Card from American Express<\/a>, Citi Double Cash\u00ae<\/sup> Card<\/a>, or Chase Freedom Unlimited\u00ae<\/sup><\/a>.<\/li>\n
- <\/b>Applicable rotating category: <\/b>Certain credit cards earn a bonus based on quarterly rotating categories<\/a>. For example, the Chase Freedom Flex\u2120<\/a> or Chase Freedom\u00ae<\/sup><\/a> earn 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories each quarter.<\/li>\n
- <\/b>Cards with elevated earnings for eligible online shopping:<\/b> Some cards specify (or give you the ability to specify) online shopping as a bonus category<\/a>. A couple of examples include the Bank of America\u00ae<\/sup> Customized Cash Rewards credit card<\/a> and Blue Cash Everyday\u00ae<\/sup> Card from American Express<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n\n\nCiti Double Cash\u00ae<\/sup> Card<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Apply Now<\/a><\/div>\nRates & Fees<\/a><\/span><\/div>\nWelcome Offer<\/strong>\r\nEarn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou\u00ae<\/sup> Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n Citi Double Cash\u00ae<\/sup> Card<\/strong>\nWelcome Offer<\/strong>\r\nEarn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou\u00ae<\/sup> Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. <\/div>\nAnnual Fee:<\/strong>$0<\/b><\/div>\nShow more<\/a>Why We Like It<\/a>Highlights<\/a>Earning Rates<\/a>The Citi Double Cash is a dynamic, no-annual-fee cash-back rewards card that allows you to earn 2% traditional cash back, or convert your rewards to ThankYou Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio (2x ThankYou points per $1). When paired with a premium ThankYou Rewards earning card, the Citi Double Cash is now the best card available for everyday, non-bonus purchases.\r\n
\r\n
\r\nIf you're looking to pay down debt or finance a larger purchase, this card also comes with one of the best available introductory APR offers on balance transfers.<\/div>- \r\n
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou\u00ae<\/sup> Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.<\/li>\r\n
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.\r\n
\r\nPlus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.<\/li>\r\n- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 17.49% - 27.49%, based on your creditworthiness.<\/li>\r\n
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.<\/li>\r\n
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.<\/li>\r\n
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/div>
- \r\n
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.\r\n
\r\nPlus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.\r\n
- <\/b>Applicable rotating category: <\/b>Certain credit cards earn a bonus based on quarterly rotating categories<\/a>. For example, the Chase Freedom Flex\u2120<\/a> or Chase Freedom\u00ae<\/sup><\/a> earn 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories each quarter.<\/li>\n
- Taking advantage of a rebate or bonus points, such as Chase Offers<\/a>.<\/a><\/li>\n
- Rakuten and dining programs can't be stacked<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- How Does Rakuten Work?<\/a><\/li>
- Rakuten Increased $50\/5,000-Point Referral Bonus for New Members<\/a><\/li>
![\"Rakuten](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Rakuten-50.png\")
![\"Rakuten](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Rakuten-Payout.png\")
![\"Rakuten](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Rakuten-Earning-Email.png\")
![\"Citi](\"https:\/\/cdn.nextinsure.com\/imaging\/opt\/12d797ee-967a-492c-afac-48873b260ebb.jpg\")
<\/div>\n