If you want to do some pre-holiday shopping or even stock up on essentials, the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping period is an opportunity to maximize your spending. There are plenty of discounts, deals, and promotions to rack up the savings, including 15% or more back on items already discounted through Rakuten.
Rakuten is one of the most popular online shopping sites that gives cash back on online purchases, and has increased earning rates at popular retailers to the tune of 15% (or more) across a variety of popular online stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, PetSmart, Neiman Marcus, Uggs and more, and many other stores sit just below that mark with a 12% decline.
With Rakuten, you can earn American Express Membership Rewards points instead of cash back if you want. So instead of earning up to 15% cash back in the examples below, you could earn 15 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent; This can lead to significantly more overall value if you maximize points with travel partners.
Those new to Rakuten can get an even better deal right now and pick up a cape $40 bonus (or 4,000 points) for the first $40 spent at an eligible retailer.
Here’s what you need to know about greater cash back opportunities with Rakuten.
Higher cash back with Rakuten
To earn cash back rewards or membership rewards when shopping online, start your shopping journey at the Rakuten website. Once there, find the store you want and click to be redirected to the retailer’s website. After you make a qualifying purchase, Rakuten will track your transaction and add additional rewards to your account, usually within a day or two.
These are some of the stores we see with higher cash back right now. Each of these retailers is offering between 12% and 20% cash back through Rakuten today:
- Saks Fifth Avenue
- Bloomingdale’s
- lululemon
- Disney Store
- Macy’s
- Dick’s
- adidas
- Marco Neiman
- Nike
- Dermstore
- CVS
- smart pet
The best credit cards to buy online
Rakuten users will earn cash back and any earnings on the rewards credit card they use at select retailers. At most merchants that participate in these promotions, you will want to pay with a credit card that earn bonus points and miles on everyday purchases, as:
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- Chase Freedom Flex®: Earn 5% back on up to $1,500 in quarterly rotating categories (which you must activate to benefit), including paying via PayPal this quarter, which is really easy through many major online stores.
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Earn 3% cash back on online purchases at US retailers (on the first $6,000 spent in each category during a calendar year, then 1% cash back until the following year). Cash back is received as reward dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits or payment at Amazon.com.
- Citi Double Cash® Card: Earn 2% cash back on all purchases: 1% cash back when you shop, plus an extra 1% when you pay for those purchases (see rates and rates).
For additional options, see Our favorite cards for online purchases.
Or use one where you have added a Chase either Amex Offer for that retailer to build up their savings.
In a nutshell
The holiday bargain shopping season is right around the corner. Even if you’re just using this time of year to get better deals on things you’d buy anyway, the biggest cash back opportunities are in full effect. To ensure you choose the right option with the best rewards for your planned purchase, compare all the different cash back sites before purchasing, as Rakuten is not always the best option.
remember that new Rakuten buyers can earn a $40 cash bonus when they spend at least $40 on a qualifying purchase within the first 90 days.
Many merchants eligible for these promotions also participate in commercial credit card offers. Therefore, it is smart to check if a merchant has an offer through Amex Offers, Chase Offers, Citi Trade Offers and American Airlines AAdvantage SimplyMiles program before making your purchase.
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