Kristen
If you’re shopping online and not using Rakuten, you’re leaving points on the table. Rakuten is a free browser extension that pays you rewards every time you shop at thousands of participating retailers — and the key is making sure those rewards come back as Amex Membership Rewards points (or Bilt Points, which we will cover in another post) instead of cash back.
Why does that matter? Because Membership Rewards points are worth significantly more than cash when redeemed for travel. A point that Rakuten might value at 1 cent in cash back could be worth 2 cents or many more when transferred to an airline partner. Over time that difference adds up to free flights and hotel stays.
This guide walks you through the exact steps to link your Rakuten account to your Amex card so every qualifying purchase automatically earns you points toward your next trip.
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. 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:
- 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.
- Once you’re logged in, find Account Settings under your username in the upper right corner.
- Under “How you’re getting paid,” select Membership Rewards points.
- Click Get Started, then sign into your American Express online account.
- Verify your account with the code sent to your email.
- Once your accounts are linked, you’ll see a green checkmark and the word “Selected” — you’re good to go!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Rakuten work with all Amex cards? No — you need an Amex card that earns Membership Rewards points. This includes cards like the Amex Gold, Amex Platinum, and Amex Green. Co-branded cards like the Delta SkyMiles Amex or Hilton Honors Amex do not earn Membership Rewards and cannot be linked to Rakuten for points.
How long does it take for Rakuten points to appear in my Amex account? Rakuten pays out quarterly — in February, May, August, and November. This means you could wait up to three months to see your points land in your Membership Rewards account. This is different from some other shopping portals that pay out faster, so patience is required.
Can I switch from cash back to Membership Rewards points? Yes — you can change your payment method at any time in your Rakuten account settings. However the change only applies to future purchases, not ones already completed under your previous setting.
What if my Rakuten points don’t show up? Save all your receipts and screenshots of your Rakuten activation pop-ups. If points don’t appear after the quarterly payout, you can submit a missing cash back claim through Rakuten’s help center. We’ll cover this in detail in a separate post.
Can I use Rakuten with other credit cards besides Amex? Yes — Rakuten works with any credit card for cash back. But to earn Membership Rewards points specifically you must have a qualifying Amex card linked to your account.
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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[…] If you want help setting up Rakuten to earn points, see this post. […]
[…] 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 account. This tutorial covers the BILT Rewards setup — if you would prefer to link Rakuten to AMEX, please read this post. […]