Rakuten, one of TPG’s favorite online shopping portals, is offering an alternative to Amazon Prime Day with bonus rewards at hundreds of retailers this week. Plus, Rakuten will reveal more deals every Wednesday this summer.
We love Rakuten because it helps users earn easy cash back on everyday purchases (in the form of a mailed check or a deposit in your PayPal account every quarter) and because you can opt to earn valuable American Express Membership Rewards points instead of cash back.
Here’s what you need to know about Rakuten’s summer deals.
Rakuten summer deals
From now to July 11, Rakuten’s Big Stack promotion is offering 10% cash back (or 10 Amex points per dollar spent) at hundreds of participating merchants, including Dell, Lego, KitchenAid, Macy’s, PetSmart, Ray-Ban and Walgreens. Several travel merchants, such as Expedia, Hotels.com, Tripadvisor and Viator, are also included.
Since many retailers are also running Prime Day alternative sales, you can stack these sales with Rakuten’s bonus rewards to save even more.
Plus, with its summer-long Big Deal Reveal, Rakuten will unveil a new bonus offer each Wednesday. There’s no specific deal today (during the Big Stack event), but the next one is a lucrative 15% cash back (or 15 Amex points per dollar spent) at Dell.
How to use Rakuten
Using Rakuten and other shopping portals is a great way to earn rewards on everyday purchases, but you can also leverage them to save on your next trip. Rakuten partners with several travel brands, like Priceline and Travelocity; there’s also Rakuten Travel, a booking platform for hotels in Japan.
With travel costs rising and exchange rates falling, booking hotels and activities through shopping portals that offer cash back can help recoup some of your travel budget.
Just be sure to read the fine print before shopping through Rakuten with any merchant, as earning rates often vary by category and exclusions may apply. For instance, Expedia is offering 10% cash back right now on hotel bookings only; you’ll get 3% back on activities and vacation rentals and only 1% back on car rentals.
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And remember to only use coupon codes found on the shopping portal, as others can void your rewards.
Lastly, Rakuten is offering unlimited $30 referral bonuses from now through Sept. 30. If you already use Rakuten, have your friends sign up with your referral link. That way, you’ll both earn $30 after they make $30 in qualifying purchases in the first 90 days.
Bottom line
If you don’t use a shopping portal for your online purchases, you’re leaving valuable rewards on the table. Some portals offer cash back, while others let you earn airline miles or valuable transferable points.
We recommend using a shopping portal aggregator to make sure you’re getting the best return on your purchase.