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What if the school shoes, the birthday gifts, and the holiday list could help pay for your next family trip?
That's exactly what Rakuten does!
If you've heard me mention Rakuten and thought, "Okay, but what IS it?"… this post is for you. I'm going to walk you through everything, step by step!
Here's the short version: Rakuten is free to join, and when you shop online at stores you know and love, you get Cash Back (or points!) on your purchases at participating stores.
And right now, when you join through my link, you can earn 5,000 Points or a $50 bonus after you make $50 in qualifying purchases within 90 days of becoming a member!
👉🏼 Join Rakuten and get 5,000 Points or a $50 bonus here!
What Is Rakuten, Exactly?
Rakuten (it's pronounced "RACK-uh-ten") is a free Cash Back site.
You start your shopping at Rakuten, click over to the store, and buy what you need like normal. Then Rakuten gives you a percentage of what you spent back as Cash Back or points.
In plain English: if you spend $100 at a store offering 5% Cash Back, you earn $5 back. (That's Rakuten's own example, and it's the easiest way to picture it.)
As of October 2026, Rakuten says it offers Cash Back at 3,500+ stores, so there's a really good chance the stores you know and love are on there!
For our family, some big ones are booking excursions on Viator for our vacations, stocking up on makeup at Ulta Beauty during Black Friday, and Old Navy for my kids' clothes.
How Does Rakuten Make Money? (Is There a Catch?)
This is the first question almost everyone asks me… and it's a good one!
Stores pay Rakuten to send shoppers their way. Rakuten then passes part of that money back to you as Cash Back or points.
That's the whole business model.
You don't pay a fee to join, and you don't pay more for your stuff. The store pays Rakuten for sending them a customer, and Rakuten splits it with you.
So no, there's no catch!
How Do I Sign Up for Rakuten?
Signing up takes just a few minutes. Here's how:
👉🏼 Click my referral link. This is the link that gets you the welcome offer: 5,000 Points or a $50 bonus.
Create your free account. Enter your email and create a password.
Tip: If you think you might want Bilt Points later, use the same email address you use (or will use) for your Bilt account. Bilt only links accounts when the emails match. (More on Bilt below!)
Choose how you want to get paid. You can pick a check, PayPal, American Express Membership Rewards® points, or Bilt Points. Don't stress about this step! You can change it later in your Account Settings.
Pick how you'll shop. Download the app, add the browser extension, or both. (I'll explain each one next!)
Make your first purchase(s). Make $50 in qualifying purchases at participating stores within 90 days to earn 5,000 Points or your $50 bonus. Rakuten's fine print says the bonus is for new members located in the 50 United States or D.C.
That's it. You're in! 🎉
What Are the Three Ways to Shop With Rakuten?
There are three easy ways to shop with Rakuten. You can use one, two, or all three. They all earn the same way.
1. The Rakuten Website
Go to Rakuten.com, sign in, and look up the store you want.
Click through to the store from Rakuten, then shop and check out like you normally would. Rakuten tracks your purchase and adds the Cash Back to your account.
2. The Rakuten App
The app works the same way, just on your phone.
3. The Browser Extension (My Favorite!)
Okay, this is the one I really love.
Call me a millennial, but I like to shop on my computer. 😆 I just think the extension is more user-friendly!
The Rakuten browser extension lives right in your web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari). When you visit a participating store's website, it pops up to tell you Cash Back is available.
All you do is click Activate, then shop normally.
That's it! And if I forget to click through Rakuten when I'm shopping, the extension prompts me to activate my Cash Back or points. It does the remembering for me!
One important tip: Click Activate before you start shopping, not right before you pay. If you skip it, you may miss the Cash Back or points on that order.
Shopping on your phone instead? On an iPhone, the Rakuten app comes with a Safari extension built in. Turn it on in Safari under Manage Extensions, and you can activate Cash Back right on the store's site. On Android, there's no mobile extension yet, but the Rakuten app can send you a reminder to activate Cash Back or points when you shop in Chrome. (Look for Cash Back Activation Alerts in the app's Settings.)
👉🏼 Sign up for Rakuten and grab 5,000 Points or a $50 bonus here!
How Do I Get Paid?
Rakuten pays you every three months.
As of October 2026, there are four ways to get paid:
Big Fat Check: a check mailed to you
PayPal: sent to your PayPal account
American Express Membership Rewards points: if you have an eligible American Express card
Bilt Points: if you have a Bilt account
Here's when payments go out: by February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15.
Here's the minimum: you need at least $5.01 in confirmed Cash Back before the payment date. If you have $5.00 or less, don't worry. It carries over to the next payment.
If you pick a check or PayPal, Rakuten needs your mailing address. If you pick Membership Rewards points or Bilt, you don't need to add an address.
To change how you get paid: On the website, go to Account Settings. In the app, go to Account, then Choose How You Get Paid.
How Do I Earn Amex Membership Rewards Points Instead of Cash Back?
If you already have an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points, this is a really easy way to add more points to that balance.
Instead of getting a check, your Cash Back turns into Membership Rewards points.
First, make sure you're eligible:
✔️ You need an American Express card enrolled in the US Membership Rewards program. Eligible cards include the American Express® Gold Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express, the American Express® Business Gold Card, and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. (Rakuten keeps the full list of eligible cards on its help page.)
✔️ The card can't be cancelled or past due.
✔️ Corporate cards and some other American Express cards aren't eligible.
If you're NEW to Rakuten:
Sign up for your free Rakuten account using 👉🏼 my link.
When you're prompted, enter your Membership Rewards username and password (the login you use with American Express).
Once your account is connected, you'll start earning Membership Rewards points when you shop through Rakuten.
ALREADY a Rakuten member?
Sign in to Rakuten and go to Account Settings.
Switch how you get paid to Membership Rewards points.
Connect your Membership Rewards account.
You're all set!
(Mine looks just like the Choose How You Get Paid screenshot above, with Membership Rewards points selected.)
What about Cash Back you already earned? Any confirmed Cash Back you earned before switching gets converted to points and sent by the next transfer date.
How many points do I get? 10% Cash Back = 10X points.
That means $10 in Cash Back = 1,000 Membership Rewards points. (and 1,000 points is a lot more valuable to me than $10!)
Is there a minimum? Yes. You need at least 501 confirmed points before the transfer date. If you have 500 or less, they carry over to the next one.
Switching from Bilt? If you’re having trouble switching straight from Bilt Points to Membership Rewards points (or the other way around). Change your payment method to PayPal or Big Fat Check first, then pick Membership Rewards points.
Don’t have an eligible Amex card yet? The American Express® Gold Card is the one I recommend starting with! 👇🏼
How Do I Earn Bilt Points Instead of Cash Back?
Bilt is another great option, especially if you're already earning Bilt Points on rent or in your neighborhood.
Here's the big difference from the Amex option: you link Rakuten from inside your Bilt account (on Bilt's app or website), not from Rakuten.
Before you start:
✔️ You need a Bilt account. Bilt's terms say the Rakuten program is open to eligible Bilt Rewards members.
✔️ Your Rakuten email and your Bilt email have to match, or the accounts won't link.
New to Bilt? Create your account first:
Enter your email (ideally the same one you used for Rakuten!), confirm your info, and enter the 5-digit code Bilt texts to your phone.
To link Rakuten and get paid in Bilt Points:
Join Rakuten through my link first so you can get the $50 or 5k point referral offer using the same email as your Bilt account.
Open the Bilt app or 👉🏼 the Bilt website and go to the Everyday Rewards tab.
Follow the account linking steps using your existing Rakuten account info.
Once the accounts connect, your Rakuten payment method is set to Bilt Points automatically.
Double-check it! In Rakuten, go to Account Settings (or Account > Choose How You Get Paid in the app) and make sure it says Bilt Points.
Then just shop like normal! Use the Rakuten website, app, or browser extension (or shop through Bilt's app or website). If you're using the extension, remember to click Activate before you shop.
How many Bilt Points do I get? As of October 2026, it depends on your Bilt status on the payout date:
Blue members: 50 Bilt Points per $1 in Cash Back
Silver status and up (Silver, Gold, Platinum): 100 Bilt Points per $1 in Cash Back
That’s $10 in Cash Back = 500 Bilt Points for Blue members, or 1,000 Bilt Points for Silver and up.
Bilt says limited-time promotions can change your rate, so check the Rakuten tab in your Bilt account to see what you'll get.
Also good to know: Bilt Points that come from Rakuten don't count toward Bilt status.
What about Cash Back you already earned? Confirmed Cash Back that hasn't been paid out yet gets sent as Bilt Points by the next payment date.
When do the points show up? Bilt Points come on the same Rakuten schedule: by February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15.
Want more on Bilt? 👉🏼 Read my Beginner's Guide to Bilt here
Should I Pick Cash Back or Points?
Honestly? It depends on your family and your goals.
There's no wrong answer here. Here's how I'd think about it:
Go with Cash Back (a check or PayPal) when:
You want it simple.
You don't have an eligible American Express card or a Bilt Silver status or up.
You'd rather put the money toward groceries, gas, etc
Pick Membership Rewards points if:
You already have an eligible American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points.
You're saving points for a specific trip and want them all in one place.
You want to stretch your Cash Back into flights and hotels that are worth more than the Cash Back value!
Want to start earning Membership Rewards points? The American Express® Gold Card is my top pick!
Pick Bilt Points if:
You already earn Bilt Points and want to add to that balance.
You have Bilt Silver status or higher, so you get the full 100 points per $1.
Quick tip: If you're a Bilt Blue member AND you have an eligible Amex card, the same $10 in Cash Back gets you 500 Bilt Points or 1,000 Membership Rewards points. I recommend going with membership rewards if you only have Bilt Blue status!
Points can stretch further than cash when you use them for travel, but how far depends on how you redeem them.
Me? I usually pick points! I don't have Bilt status, so I go with Membership Rewards points.
If you want a card that earns Membership Rewards points, my #1 recommendation is the American Express® Gold Card!
My Favorite Ways to Earn More With Rakuten
Once you're set up, here's where it gets fun! These are the ways I get the most out of Rakuten.
1. Booking Travel Excursions on Viator ✈️
We travel a LOT, and excursions can be one of the bigger costs of a trip. So I book them on Viator through Rakuten.
Viator's Cash Back rate changes often, and I've seen it climb to 10% (that's 10X points) or higher. That's when I like to book! I also watch for Rakuten's category bonuses, when a whole category gets extra Cash Back, so my earnings stack up even more.
I use Viator a lot! We've done a night bike tour in Washington, DC, e-bike tours in Paris, Rome, Berlin, and Athens, a manta ray snorkel on the Big Island, whitewater rafting in Jackson Hole, a day tour in Moorea, and a reef tour in Bora Bora.
Good to know: Rakuten's Viator terms say Cash Back only counts on completed tours, so expect it to stay pending until after your trip. Book on Viator's website in one visit (bookings that hop over to the Viator app don't count), skip promo codes that aren't listed on Rakuten, and know that theme park tickets don't earn Cash Back.
Here are a few of my favorite tours we've done:
2. Earning Extra on the Other Trip Costs
My main advice hasn't changed: use points for your hotels and flights! But Rakuten's travel section can earn you extra Cash Back or points on a lot of the other travel costs.
Vrbo is one I use. It's usually not super high, but if you're going to be spending money anyway, might as well! You'll also find Expedia, airport parking at The Parking Spot, and rental cars from Hertz, Avis, and Budget. Rates change all the time, so check the store's page on Rakuten before you book.
3. Stacking Cash Back or points on Top of Big Sales
When stores run their biggest sales, Rakuten often bumps up the Cash Back or points too. That means you get the store's sale price AND extra Cash Back or points on top!
Big summer sales and Black Friday are the best examples.
My tip: if something is on your family's list anyway (hello, holiday gifts 🎁), see if it can wait for one of these big sale weeks. And turn on notifications in the Rakuten app so you hear about extra Cash Back while it's happening.
4. Everyday Shopping at Stores I Know and Love
This one doesn't have to be travel at all! It's the money we're spending on our family anyway… and it turns into Cash Back or points that help pay for our next trip. 🙌🏻
A few of the stores I know and love that are on Rakuten:
✅ Old Navy and Gap (hello, kids' clothes that get outgrown every season 😅)
✅ Ulta Beauty and Sephora
✅ Macy's
✅ Best Buy
Cash Back rates at each store change all the time, so check the store's page on Rakuten (or let the extension pop up) before you check out.
Rakuten FAQ
Is Rakuten free? Yes! Rakuten is free to join, and none of the payout methods cost anything.
When do I get paid? Every three months: by February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15.
Is there a minimum payout? Yes. You need at least $5.01 in confirmed Cash Back (or 501 confirmed points for Membership Rewards). Anything under that carries over to the next payment.
Why does my Cash Back say "pending"? Stores need time to confirm your order in case of returns or exchanges. Rakuten says online and in-store Cash Back typically takes 3 to 14 weeks to be confirmed. Only confirmed Cash Back is included in your payment.
Can I change how I get paid later? Yes, any time in Account Settings (or Account > Choose How You Get Paid in the app). Just remember: to switch between Bilt Points and Membership Rewards points, you might have to pick PayPal or Big Fat Check first.
Ready to Start Earning?
Honestly? I can't think of an easier way to get Cash Back (or points!) at the stores you know and love.
It's free. It takes a few minutes. And with the browser extension, it does the remembering for you!
If you've been on the fence, this is your sign. 😊
👉🏼 Join Rakuten with my link and get 5,000 Points or a $50 bonus!
(That's after you make $50 in qualifying purchases within 90 days of joining.)
And if you want to earn Membership Rewards points with Rakuten, my #1 recommended Amex card is the American Express® Gold Card!
Want more easy ways to earn travel like this? Join my newsletter for more points and miles updates! 💌
Thanks a million for using my links! Some links in this post, including my Rakuten referral link and the credit card affiliate links support my small business at no extra cost to you.
The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.