How to set up Rakuten to earn AMEX Membership Rewards

Rakuten is one of our favorite tools in the Points & Miles toolbox — and honestly, it’s a great one even if you’re just getting started. Most of the magic happens with online shopping, but you can also earn rewards for in-store shopping and dining, which we’ll cover in a separate post.

Cash back or points? Choose wisely.

When you sign up, Rakuten will ask how you want to get paid. You can take a “Big Fat Check” (their words — it’s cash back), or you can earn American Express Membership Rewards points or BILT points. We will always steer you toward points over cash back — the redemption value is almost always significantly higher. To earn Membership Rewards you’ll need an AMEX consumer card, and for BILT points you’ll need a BILT card. This tutorial covers the AMEX Membership Rewards setup — we’ll write separate guides for BILT and for in-store and dining rewards.

Once you’re set up and have the browser extension installed, earning points becomes almost automatic. One thing to know upfront: unlike some other shopping portals, Rakuten pays out quarterly, so it will be a little while before you see points land in your reward account. Worth the wait, though!

Here’s how to get set up:

1. Create your account using this link. You’ll earn a sign-up bonus — and so will we, as a referral — as long as you complete a qualifying purchase within 90 days. The qualifying purchase amount is typically equal to the bonus amount.
2. Once you’re logged in, find Account Settings under your username in the upper right corner.
3. Under “How you’re getting paid,” select Membership Rewards points.
4. Click Get Started, then sign into your American Express online account.
5. Verify your account with the code sent to your email.
6. Once your accounts are linked, you’ll see a green checkmark and the word “Selected” — you’re good to go!
7. Head to the Google Chrome Store and download the Rakuten extension— this is the step that makes everything automatic. You can start at Rakuten.com and click through to each store manually, but the extension eliminates the risk of forgetting entirely. When you visit a participating site, it does the work for you.
8. Now just shop online like you normally would. When you visit a participating site, a pop-up will appear on the right side of your screen prompting you to activate your reward. It may say “cash back” even if you’ve selected Membership Rewards — that’s normal, just activate it.
9. Before you check out, take a moment to read the terms and exclusions on that screen. There are often important conditions worth knowing — certain items or categories are sometimes excluded.
10. After your purchase, you can review your shopping trips anytime under your username. I like to add any purchases to a spreadsheet so I can track my point earnings. Sometimes your points may not show up and we will do a post that explains how to retrieve them. It is important to remember to save your receipts for this purpose. I keep them in a separate email folder so I can quickly find what I need.

We’ll be sharing lots of Rakuten tips here on the blog — follow the Rakuten category tag to see all our posts on the topic. And if you have questions, ask them here — we’re happy to help!

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