Link: Sign-up for a Rakuten account with a best-ever $40 bonus
Online shopping portals can be a great way to pick up bonus points for purchases you’d make anyway. Just for following a specific link, you can earn bonus points or cash back in addition to the rewards you’d earn for credit card spending.
Rakuten is my favorite online shopping portal, given that you can earn Amex Membership Rewards points with it at a favorable rate. For a limited time, Rakuten has brought back its best-ever bonus for new members. I wanted to post a reminder of this, as this is the ideal time to register, and the clock is ticking.
This is an incredible deal, so if you’re not yet a Rakuten member, signing up is truly a no-brainer, even if you’re not someone who usually uses online shopping portals.
In this post:
Sign-up for Rakuten with $40 bonus
Through Monday, December 16, 2024, Rakuten is offering a generous elevated refer-a-friend bonus. Specifically, if you refer a friend to Rakuten and they spend $40, then both the person referring and the person being referred receive $40 (you’ll want to make sure that the link you use shows that bonus, since not all members may be able to refer others with this offer).
This is a very good deal:
- Rakuten is giving out $80 total for a $40 purchase
- For the person being referred, they’re essentially getting a $40 credit on a $40 purchase — that’s like $40 of “free” spending!
- There are easy ways to unlock the $40 bonus, including simply purchasing a $40 gift card (this is so easy — you can pick up a $40 gift card with a variety of retailers, and then you’ll receive $40 in cash)
- You can then refer friends and family members, and earn an unlimited number of referral bonuses (OMAAT readers are welcome to leave their referral links in the comments section below)
- Long term you can potentially get even more value with Rakuten, as rewards can be converted into Amex points
Convert Rakuten cash back into Amex points
The reason that Rakuten is my favorite shopping portal is because Rakuten rewards can be converted into Amex Membership Rewards points.
This can be done at the rate of one cent per point. Personally I value Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents each. To me that increases the value of the rewards by 70%. For those wondering why I value Amex points so much more, it’s because of all the ways there are to redeem the points for first & business class international travel, while getting outsized value.
The ability to earn Amex points with Rakuten is a game changer for me when it comes to online shopping portals. See this post for everything you need to know about earning Amex points with Rakuten, as you just need to adjust one easy setting in your account.
Bottom line
Rakuten is my favorite online shopping portal, and the company is currently offering its best-ever new member bonus. Through December 16, 2024, there’s a $40 referral bonus to both the person referring and the person being referred. This is a great bonus, and it’s exclusively available if you’re referred by another member.
Since only a $40 purchase is required, that’s like getting $40 worth of stuff more or less for free. Then long term you can even earn Amex Membership Rewards points in place of cash back, which I value significantly more.
If you don’t yet have a Rakuten account, this is the time to sign up.
Howdy, haven't referred anyone else before if anyone's feeling generous :)
https://www.rakuten.com/r/CJWENT7
Rakuten seems to be a bit of a scam to me. Referred someone who bought something. Rakuten made that bonus ineligible with no explanation. I got the $40 boost when I signed up and bought a bunch of stuff. That bonus became ineligible, again with no explanation.
I bought a bunch of stuff and all those purchases are still showing pending after 60 days even after it shipped and I already received it. I also...
Rakuten seems to be a bit of a scam to me. Referred someone who bought something. Rakuten made that bonus ineligible with no explanation. I got the $40 boost when I signed up and bought a bunch of stuff. That bonus became ineligible, again with no explanation.
I bought a bunch of stuff and all those purchases are still showing pending after 60 days even after it shipped and I already received it. I also purchase a bunch of travel with Tripadvior, excursions on a cruise in the next 3 months, and Rakuten would not record those cashback transactions. I inquired that they should at least show those as pending as I already charged my credit card, but they said to check back with them middle of next year in 2025. So I have to go through the trouble of documenting all the purchases and charges, the amount % of the cashback, the purchase I made and somehow document that I did the trip.
Just way too much work. That is why I think they are a scam. I have spend close to $10K as I was trying to hit a spend on a new credit card, through their site and got back $20 in cash back to date. Everything is either pending, ineligible or just not showing up as a transaction. They make it very difficult to get your cashback.
https://www.rakuten.com/referral/default.do#
Thank you
I am totally new to this. Please educate me. Do I need to purchase at CERTAIN STORES? USE a CERTAIN credit card like American Express? How does it work please
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Use my link please.
https://www.rakuten.com/r/SAMKIM163
Would love the referral if anyone would be so kind.
www.rakuten.com/r/EVANRI67?eeid=28187
Thanks!
If you use my link-
Thank you and Happy $40 Savings!
If you don’t use my link-
Thank you and Happy-pay-full-price-no-discount-lose-$40 savings! J/K but please do use my link.
http://www.rakuten.com/r/NGUYEN9317?eeid=28187
Never really referred anyone on Rakuten so I'd love to get on the train!
https://www.rakuten.com/r/JVCHAN12?eeid=45830
Thanks :)
Using Rakuten since a few years. The usual rebates, like 1% at Target are pretty...yawn, but they have some good ones. Got NordVPN last year Black Friday for 26 months, The sale was already 75% off, and Rakuten offered 69% cash back, I thought :'Oh sure!', but a few days later the money was in my account, so I actually paid $ 1.37/month. This year the discount was 90%, so you could get a VPN...
Using Rakuten since a few years. The usual rebates, like 1% at Target are pretty...yawn, but they have some good ones. Got NordVPN last year Black Friday for 26 months, The sale was already 75% off, and Rakuten offered 69% cash back, I thought :'Oh sure!', but a few days later the money was in my account, so I actually paid $ 1.37/month. This year the discount was 90%, so you could get a VPN for 37c/month. Also bough a new laptop, 17", just for basics for travel, reduced from $ 859 to $329, and I got 18% from Rakuten. So my laptop was $ 270, LOL.
Similar to JB - I used your referral link Ben as a thanks for the content you have been providing.
https://www.rakuten.com/r/ESPINO444?eeid=44749
Ben, I used your referral link as a Thank You for all of the free content you post on this blog, which has helped me tremendously! You most definetly don't need it, but I'd like to offer a small token of gratitude from myself.
There is one condition though. That $40 credit you get from me can't be used for your own shopping. My one condition is that it MUST be used to buy something for Miles!
Very late to this but would appreciate if you use my code www.rakuten.com/r/FBPWAN?eeid=28187
My experience with the website so far has been great—clean and simple interface. I was initially worried about pop-ups or ads pushing purchases, but haven’t encountered any. The 10% back on Saks pairs nicely with the Amex Saks credit.
Wishing you a wonderful day from the Midwest!
If any Swedes on the board, would love if you can use my referral. Tack! Spend $40, get $40 back.
www.rakuten.com/r/HEATHH305?eeid=28187
Late to the party but here is mine
https://www.rakuten.com/r/ADG545?eeid=45830
You can use my referral link.
https://www.rakuten.com/r/SAMKIM163?eeid=44753
Please and Thank you for using my link. $40
www.rakuten.com/r/NGUYEN9317?eeid=28187
Please use my referral
www.rakuten.com/r/GWMW122?eeid=28187
For Canadian fellows: https://www.rakuten.ca/r/vpower
I've got the link from this post, so now sharing mine as well :)
Those who are still looking for a referral link, please use mine!
www.rakuten.com/r/WENTJU?eeid=28187
Thank you
https://www.rakuten.com/r/CSTEPH231?eeid=44971
For those looking to sign up, would greatly appreciate if you consider using my referral link:
www.rakuten.com/r/PENTIU61?eeid=28187
Great bonus, and Rakuten has some great rates right now. I stocked up on pet supplies at 20% at PetSmart. If anyone would like to use my referral, it's www.rakuten.com/r/KIMMEY28?eeid=28187
Thanks Kim, I used your code and made a purchase so you should be getting $40 at some point (I know these things take time). Much obliged!
https://www.rakuten.com/r/HAMZAG67?eeid=44753
Thank you for your support
Thanks for using my referral link: www.rakuten.com/r/PENTIU61?eeid=28187
refered to from my friend but how does she get her $40
Thank you for using my link
https://www.rakuten.com/r/THFANG2?eeid=44749
Thank you
www.rakuten.com/r/SEANKL6?eeid=28187
Would love a referral :). My link: www.rakuten.com/r/ADRIKH3?eeid=28187
For anybody who needs a referral!
www.rakuten.com/r/SHJAFR2?eeid=28187
Get $40: www.rakuten.com/r/ANDREW61137?eeid=28187 (USA)
Thank you for helping this college student!
For any fellow Canadians, you can get CAD 30 from Rakuten Canada here: https://www.rakuten.ca/r/AndrewCanada?src=Link
Thanks!
Very much appreciate any referrals. Here's my link: www.rakuten.com/r/AUNGTH49?eeid=28187
Would love a referral. You spend $40, get $40 back!
www.rakuten.com/r/EVANRI67?eeid=28187
Thanks everyone!