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I know some of you are just here for the referral link to get some extra $$ just for signing up, so let’s get that out of the way first.
Get $50 with my Rakuten link. Remember: you get the $50 once you spend $50 through Rakuten in your first 90 days.
…..but what is Rakuten?
I remember the first time someone told me I could “earn money just for shopping online.” I honestly thought they were tricked into some kind of scam because there’s usually a catch to anything like that.
But then one night, I gave it a shot because I wanted the free $50 they were offering as a sign up bonus through a referral link. What I didn’t expect: after I set my earning on autopilot (because who needs one more thing to remember?), I checked my Rakuten account and saw a lot more money than the $50.
Not points, although I could switch them to that (spoiler alert, I did).
That was the moment I realized not all things that seem too good to be true are.
If you’re brand new to stacking points and cash back in a way that actually leads to free trips, my Beginner’s Guide is the easiest place to start.
What Is Rakuten?
Rakuten is a shopping portal. Here’s how it works:
All that means is you start your online shopping trip through Rakuten instead of going directly to the store website.
It’s actually so easy to use. You download Rakuten, click where you want to shop, and your cash back is automatically applied once you checkout! You can learn how to set it on autopilot so you don’t have to think about it here, but this is what it looks like in the app store if you want to get started:
Stores pay Rakuten a referral fee for sending customers to their sites. Rakuten simply shares that money with you.
You won’t have another subscription or membership to deal with, and there’s no weird loopholes either.
You just click Rakuten first, pick your store, and shop like normal. It’s just a matter of making it a habit.
Helpful hint: Rove Miles is a shopping portal that earns airline miles instead of cash. Sign up with my link and you get 1,500 bonus miles (it’s only 500 if you sign up on your own). Capital One Shopping is a free browser add-on that finds coupon codes and lower prices and earns gift card rewards. (Affiliate links.)
Who Runs Rakuten?
Rakuten is owned by Rakuten Group, a massive international tech company based in Japan.
In the U.S., Rakuten used to be called Ebates; you might remember that name. Rakuten bought Ebates years ago and rebranded it, but the system stayed exactly the same.
It’s important you know who runs Rakuten so you know this is NOT a scam! This is not a startup in someone’s basement. I know it sounds too good to be true, but I promise it’s not!
Rakuten processes billions in purchases every year and has partnerships with thousands of retailers.
How You Get Paid
Rakuten pays you in a few different ways that you can choose:
Getting paid
Your Payout Options
- PayPal
- A check in the mail
- 40+ brands
- Delivered on demand once your cash back clears
- Amex Membership Rewards (with an eligible Amex card)
- Bilt points
Most payouts go out quarterly, but some gift cards are instant once your cash back clears.
No fees, and no minimum spend to start earning.
The Big Update: Rakuten + Bilt Rewards
This is where Rakuten really leveled up.
Rakuten now lets you convert your shopping rewards into Bilt Points instead of cash.
This matters because BILT points are notoriously difficult to earn, and transfer to virtually every high value transfer partner that EVERYONE wants points for (Hyatt, Southwest, Alaska airlines). Heads up: Bilt transfers to Hyatt are 1:1 through December 31, 2026, then drop to 4:3 starting January 1, 2027. If you have a Hyatt stay in mind, transfer before then. PS- You can find a cheat sheet on where which banks transfer to HERE.
Rakuten also converts to American Express Membership rewards points (you need an Amex card that earns Membership Rewards)- which are especially valuable during transfer bonuses.
If American Express is more your flavor- you can find a full guide to that here: How to Earn American Express Membership Rewards Points with Rakuten
If you choose Bilt, you need at least Silver status to convert 1:1 (Blue members get 50 Bilt points per $1 instead of 100). You can get status through spend or holding specific credit cards.
You can also switch back and forth depending on your needs. But regardless of which option you choose, if travel is your long-term goal, I’ll always say this: Points are usually more powerful than cash.
How I Find the Best Rakuten Deals (Without Adding Another Task to My Life)
Rakuten has thousands of stores, but not every deal is amazing.
How I use it
My Simple Rakuten Strategy
Four habits that keep the cash back coming without adding one more thing to my plate.
Check Rakuten first
If it’s going into my cart, I check Rakuten before I click buy. Every time.
Use the browser extension
Rakuten pops up on its own when a store offers cash back, so there’s nothing to remember.
Shop on boosted days
Rates jump around the holidays, back-to-school and Black Friday.
Favorite your stores to get alertsStack it
Store sales still count, and so do the coupon codes Rakuten lists. Add a card offer and you’re earning three ways.
If you’re curious how Rakuten compares to other shopping tools, I broke that down in Shopping Portals: Rakuten vs. Capital One.
Cash Back in Stores, Too
Rakuten isn’t only for online shopping. Link your Visa, Mastercard or Amex card in the app, add the in-store offer before you go, and pay with that card at the register. The cash back shows up in your account like any other purchase.
(Two things that trip people up: offers expire after 75 days, so you have to add them again, and Apple Pay doesn’t always track. Use the actual card.)
Using Rakuten for Black Friday and Christmas
This is the time of year Rakuten pays the most. Stores bump their rates for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the weeks before Christmas, and a store that usually pays 3% can jump to 10% or more for a day. A few things I do every year:
- Favorite the stores on your gift list in the app so you get an alert when their rate goes up.
- Open Rakuten first, every time, even if items are already in your cart.
- Skip gift cards. Most stores don’t pay cash back on them.
- Keep your receipts until the cash back confirms, because returns take it back out.
How Rakuten Fits Into the Way I Travel
Rakuten is purely a shopping portal, so it doesn’t book flights or hotels.
But what it CAN do:
• Cover a flight fee
• Offset a hotel stay
• Pay for luggage
• Earn points toward a bigger redemption
And when you start pairing Rakuten with flexible travel cards and airline strategies?
That’s when trips start happening that felt impossible before.
If you want to understand how I stretch points further, these are great next reads:
How to Transfer Credit Card Points to Travel Partners and Why It’s Worth It
The Simple Way to Start Using Points and Miles for Travel
My Honest Take
Rakuten isn’t going to change your life in a week, but especially with credit card welcome offer rules tightening up, it’s a HUGE part of my strategy.
Even if you’re only using the cash back option- it’s more than worth your time for a couple of clicks. A little bit adds up fast.
And once you link Rakuten to points instead of cash?
You start seeing vacations inside your online shopping cart!
Common Questions About Rakuten
Yes. Rakuten used to be called Ebates, and it’s owned by Rakuten Group, a large Japanese company. Stores pay Rakuten for sending them shoppers, and Rakuten shares part of that with you as cash back or points.
Only use the codes Rakuten lists for that store. A code from another site or a coupon browser extension can cancel your cash back. Store sales and your store rewards still count.
It shows as pending right away and usually confirms in about 3 to 14 weeks (travel takes longer). Rakuten pays every three months, on February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15, once you have at least $5 in confirmed cash back. Amex and Bilt points go out on the same schedule.
Want to Start Turning Shopping Into Free Travel?
Use my referral link and get $50 once you spend $50 through Rakuten in your first 90 days: Get $50 with my Rakuten link
If you’re ready to go beyond “cash back” and actually build toward trips your family can afford, start with my Free Beginner’s Guide.
And if you want help choosing the right cards to stack with Rakuten and shopping portals, I keep my favorites here.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
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