All About Shopping Portals: Rakuten vs. Capital One
Rakuten vs. Capital One Offers: Which is Best for Your Family’s Online Shopping?
Shopping online has become a huge part of our daily lives, whether we’re stocking up on groceries, buying clothes for the kids, or splurging on that much-needed family vacation. However, if you just shop directly through Amazon or Target online, you are doing yourself a disservice in the points and miles world. With so many shopping portals available, it’s important to know which one provides the best benefits for your family. Two of the best ways to earn extra points on everyday spending are Rakuten and Capital One Offers—but they work differently. If your goal is to maximize travel rewards, here’s what you need to know.
Quick Answer: Use Both to Maximize Your Points
Want to earn more Amex points? → Use Rakuten and select Membership Rewards points instead of cash back.
Want to earn more Capital One Miles? → Use Capital One Offers if you have an eligible Capital One credit card.
Bonus Tip: If a store is available on both portals, compare the payout rates and choose the one offering more points.
👉 Related: Guide to Capital One Miles
What Are Rakuten and Capital One Shopping?
Both Rakuten and Capital One Offers are shopping portals that reward you for purchases you’re already making. The key difference? Which points you can earn and how they’re redeemed.
Rakuten: Lets you earn Amex Membership Rewards points (or cash back) when shopping through its portal.
Capital One Offers: Lets you earn Capital One Miles or cash back, but only if you have an eligible Capital One credit card.
🚨 Important Note: Capital One Shopping is NOT the same as Capital One Offers. Capital One Shopping is a coupon and price comparison tool that anyone can use, but it does not earn Capital One Miles. Capital One Offers, on the other hand, is only available to Capital One cardholders and allows you to earn Capital One Miles or cash back at select retailers.
Now, let’s break down how Rakuten and Capital One Offers can help you earn more points for travel.
How Rakuten Works
Rakuten partners with thousands of retailers to give you a percentage of your purchase back in the form of cash back or AMEX Membership Rewards points. Below is a brief summary of how it works, but if you want more detail, read this blog post.
Sign up for free on Rakuten’s website or app.
Choose how you want to be rewarded (cash back via PayPal/check or AmEx points).
Click through Rakuten before making a purchase at your favorite stores.
Earn cash back or points, which are paid out quarterly.
Best Cards to Use with Rakuten:
Use a card that earns bonus points on shopping to stack rewards. Here’s my favorite credit cards for shopping portals:
👉 Best Cards for Shopping Portals
Best for families who:
✔ Love earning real cash back to offset household expenses.
✔ Prefer earning travel rewards (AmEx Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for flights, hotels, and more).
✔ Frequently shop online for everything from groceries to clothing to electronics.
How Capital One Offers Works
If you have a Capital One credit card, you can access Capital One Offers, a card-linked program that lets you earn Capital One Miles or cash back when shopping at select merchants.
How to Use Capital One Offers to Earn Miles:
Log in to your Capital One account and select your credit card.
Check the "Shopping Offers" section to see available deals.
Activate the offer before making a purchase.
Earn Capital One Miles or cash back automatically when you shop.
New Feature Alert! Capital One Offers now lets you choose between earning miles or cash back—making it even easier to build your travel rewards balance.
Best Cards to Use with Capital One Offers:
Not all Capital One cards earn Capital One Miles, so make sure you’re using the right one! Here’s a list of my favorite business cards:
👉 Best Business Cards for Earning Miles
Best for Families Who:
✔ Have a Capital One credit card and want to earn Capital One Miles on purchases.
✔ Prefer earning miles over cash back to use for flights and hotels.
✔ Like stacking rewards—Capital One Offers works on top of the miles you already earn from your credit card.
Rakuten vs. Capital One Shopping: Which One Wins for Families?
Both Rakuten and Capital One Offers are great tools for earning more travel rewards, but here’s how they compare:
| Feature | Rakuten | Capital One Offers |
|---|---|---|
| Points Earned | Amex Membership Rewards® points (or cash back) | Capital One Miles (or cash back) |
| Best For | Earning Amex points for travel | Earning Capital One Miles with a Capital One card |
| Who Can Use It? | Anyone | Capital One cardholders only |
| Payout Timing | Quarterly | Miles post automatically |
| Bonus Stacking? | Yes, stacks with your credit card rewards | Yes, stacks with Capital One card earnings |
Final Thoughts: Maximize Your Earnings by Using Both
If you only use Rakuten or Capital One Offers, you’re missing out on easy points.
Use Rakuten for Amex points, Capital One Offers for Capital One Miles, and compare both for the best payout!
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