Rakuten is one of the absolute best online shopping portals out there – an easy way to earn extra cashback (or valuable Amex Membership Rewards points!) on your online shopping. If you want a huge bonus, you'll want to shop using Rakuten today.
Thanks to its annual “Big Give Week” promotion, you can currently earn 15% (or more) cash back at 500-plus online retailers, from Dell to Nike to Uniqlo and even many travel companies like Tripadvisor and Viator. That's just a small sample – take a look at the full list of shops and stores offering 15% cash back.
Read our full guide to using Rakuten … and why it's a must-have for all travelers!
Haven't used Rakuten before? It gets even better: Sign up through us and you'll get another 10% cashback bonus in your first seven days (for a total of up to $50) on top of that 15% at your store of choice. That's right: You can get up to 25% cashback
If you have a Membership Rewards-earning credit card like *amex platinum* or the *amex gold*, you could earn 15x to a whopping 25x points for every dollar you spend at these retailers. That's an amazing return.
These bigger bonuses are available through Monday, May 13. That means you've got just under a week to take advantage and get the biggest cashback (or Amex points) bonus.
Thrifty Tip: Add the Rakuten browser plugin to Google Chrome and Rakuten will alert you when you can earn cashback on your purchase through that retailer!
Taking advantage of these huge bonuses is as simple as navigating to Rakuten.com, clicking through to the retailer, and making your purchase.
How Rakuten Works
Getting in on these cashback bonuses is easy.
First, sign up for Rakuten if you haven’t already. New users get an additional 10% cashback (for a total of up to a $50 bonus) on their purchases via Rakuten within the first seven days of signing up. Full disclosure: We also get a bonus, so we appreciate it if you use our link!
Whether you’re shopping at Amazon and Target or buying a Blue Apron subscription, you’ll get a percentage of your purchase price back from hundreds of stores. You’ll get paid every three months through a paper check or a PayPal transfer, whichever you select. If you opt to earn Amex points instead, those will also hit your account on a quarterly basis.
Here's an example of just how powerful stacking these bonuses can be. Let's say you've been thinking about buying a fancy Dyson vacuum like the $569.99 cordless Dyson V11. Lucky you, Dyson is currently offering 15% cashback (or 15x Amex points). Here's what you'd want to do:
- First things first, sign up for Rakuten if you haven't already
- Click through from Rakuten over to Dyson, then make your purchase as normal
- You'll earn 15% cash back on that $569 purchase: over $85 – or 8,549 Amex Membership Rewards points
- You'll also earn another $50 cashback (or 5,000 Amex points) with that extra 10% bonus for signing up and making a purchase within seven days
Add it up and that's $135.50, reducing your net cost to roughly $434 before tax and shipping. Or, if you decide to earn points instead, you're getting 13,550 valuable Amex points on the purchase.
Read more: Use Online Shopping Portals to Earn More Points & Miles!
Bottom Line
Rakuten is one of the best ways to get more out of your online shopping. With a 15% bonus at 500-plus stores – plus an extra 10% for Rakuten first-timers – it's a fantastic deal and a no-brainer for any shopping you need to get done.
But you'll want to pull the trigger on those purchases soon. These elevated 15% cashback offers end next Monday, May 13.