The easiest way to earn a $40 sign-up bonus this holiday season is to shop through Rakuten
Savvy shoppers and cashback lovers, rejoice! Rakuten – a shopping portal that offers varying cashback amounts to tons of retailers, both online and brick-and-mortar – is currently bursting with exciting deals.
If you’re new to Rakuten, go for it this referral link to sign up—you’ll get a $40 bonus when you spend $40, which is a solid deal considering Rakuten’s usual referral bonus gives you $30 instead of $40 .
Once you’ve created your account, you can refer friends and family and receive unlimited referral bonuses for each subscriber.
Recent deals we saw on Rakuten
Typically, you’ll see cashback rates ranging between 2% and 8% — while these rewards rates are solid, what you really want to pay attention to are double-digit cashback rates (especially is when they reach 20% or more).
Recently, Rakuten launched many great deals including:
- 20% back on Ulta purchases (Mondays only)
- 20% cashback on PetSmart purchases (only applicable on Tuesdays)
- 20% cashback on LG products (applicable on Wednesdays only)
Check back often as deals change hourly and daily. Currently, there are 10% cash back offers from many retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue, Disney, and Expedia.
I have two puppies at home so I always scan the return rates of pet retailers like PetSmart and Chewy. In fact, I previously netted over $30 in cash back on a PetSmart transaction when Rakuten offered a whopping 25% cash back rate.
My current Rakuten lifetime cash back earnings are only about $300 — and that’s for just one year of membership. If you are not using this portal when shopping online, you are missing out on the opportunity to make money.
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Plus, the rewards don’t stop there. Depending on the payment method you choose, you also have the opportunity to earn credit card points, airline miles or cash back on top the amount of Rakuten cash back you earn with each purchase.
And if you’re looking to improve American Express Membership Rewards points balance, Rakuten allows you to earn this type of bonus instead of cash back if that better suits your needs. So instead of getting 15% cash back, you can earn 15 Membership Rewards points for every dollar spent. That can result in significantly higher overall value if you maximize points with travel partners.
It was one of TPG Summer Hull’s employees favorite way Use Rakuten.
Best credit cards for Rakuten purchases
Rakuten users will receive refunds in addition to any earnings from the credit cards they swipe. At most merchants participating in these promotions, you’ll want to pay with a credit card to earn reward points or miles on everyday purchases, such as:
- Chasing Flex® Freedom: Earn 5% back on up to 1,500 USD in quarterly rotating categories (you must activate to benefit from it)
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Earn 3% cash back on online purchases from US retailers (on the first $6,000 spent in a calendar year, then 1% back through the following year). Cashback is received in the form of reward dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits or checkout on amazon.com.
- Citi Double Cash® Card: Get 2% cash back on all purchases — 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% when you pay for those purchases (see exchange rates and fees).
One thing to note is that you can’t make Amazon purchases through Rakuten – although you can optimize your Amazon purchases when you use Premium visa at checkout.
For more options, see Favorite card for online shopping.
Bottom line
Rakuten truly is the gift that keeps on giving — in addition to attractive sign-up bonuses, members also have access to countless cashback offers from a variety of retailers, including travel booking sites calendars, restaurants and stores like Nordstrom Rack, Lowe’s, Macy’s and North Side.
Whether you’re looking for outfits for your next date, camping gear, skin care products, pet treats, cleaning supplies, electronics, flower delivery services, or toys, Maybe Rakuten partners with a retailer that has exactly what you need.
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