How I Use Viator To Earn Triple Travel Rewards on Discounted Experiences

Booking organized experiences has become my new normal. As many of my travels are solo and short duration, I’ve gradually added organized experiences to my itinerary to maximize my destination time.

I like knowing I won’t miss any key sights or activities, and I can look forward to meeting other travelers.

These priorities led me to discover the experience booking site Viator, which has become my go-to for booking excursions wherever I travel.

Finding and booking an experience is just the beginning, though. I must find a way to earn rewards for my purchase. Fortunately, this is an easy objective.

These are the steps I follow to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards, Membership Rewards points, and Viator Rewards simultaneously on the same transaction.

1. Visit the Rakuten Site

Rakuten is a shopping portal that gives you cash-back or Membership Rewards points for purchases with participating merchants. The amount you receive varies by merchant and date.

I have the Rakuten browser extension on my desktop and it pops up whenever I visit a site participating in the rewards program. Alternatively, I can visit the Rakuten site and click on the merchant link (as depicted above).

I’ve been a member for years (it’s free) and have received hundreds of dollars in cash-back and Membership Rewards points.

When I’m ready to visit the Viator site from Rakuten, I can click the Shop Now icon and be directed to the Viator site. I can then select and book my preferred experience. The transaction is registered with Rakuten and confirmed once the purchase is completed.

Earning Membership Rewards

When I signed up for Rakuten years ago, only cash-back was available. Fortunately, now I can select which type of rewards I prefer, cash-back or Amex Membership Rewards points. I prefer Membership Rewards points as we value these at ~2.2 cents each due to their flexibility at redemption time.

Rewards default in the form of cash-back. I must actively select to receive my rewards as Membership Rewards points, calculated based on 1 point for each cent of cash-back. For example, $12 in cash-back equals 1,200 Membership Rewards points.

Rewards stay pending until the booked activity is completed, then move to earned status. Once a quarter, the Membership Rewards points are forwarded to my Membership Rewards account on file.

2. Book and Pay for the Experience

Viator is not a tour company but a site consolidating tour/activity/transport options for local service providers. Pricing has been consistent with the tour operators I’ve compared — Viator has never been more than $5 higher. I find it’s worth booking through Viator to avoid dealing with multiple providers, potential language barriers, and different communication methods.

After selecting an experience, I book and pay for the purchase. Of course, I pay with a card that earns well on travel purchases. Upon making a booking, I can message the tour operator, receive notifications, and access my digital tickets.

Use a Rewards-Earning Credit Card

I use my Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card to pay for Viator purchases as the card earns 2x Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel.

It’s my favorite card for traveling abroad. I use it for all my transit and dining expenses to earn bonus points, as the card does not charge foreign transaction fees.

BEST BEGINNER CARD

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 28.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
• 2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
• 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 28.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

I can also confirm that Viator codes as a travel purchase for Chase and American Express.

Once I’ve paid for my purchase, I receive an email from Rakuten confirming my rewards are in progress.

Additionally, I can confirm the transaction was recorded by checking the activity in my Rakuten account.

3. Earn Viator Rewards for Future Experiences

Viator has a rewards program that earns 5% on purchases. I apply rewards to purchases at checkout when I book my next Viator experience. Then, I pay the balance using my rewards credit card.

How Much Did I Earn in Rewards?

I’ve used the Rakuten shopping portal to earn Membership Rewards points, paid for the purchase with my Chase Sapphire Reserve card to earn Ultimate Rewards points, and earned Viator Rewards for future purchases.

Let’s review the stats and see how I did on my TranzAlpine day trip purchase with Viator.

Because I used the Rakuten portal when the cash-back offer was just 5%, I received 1,200 Membership Rewards points worth ~$26.40 (1,200 x 2.2 cents each based on our valuations).

Using my Chase Sapphire Reserve card for the purchase, I earned 720 Ultimate Rewards points worth ~$14.40 in value ($240 x 3x points = 720 Ultimate Rewards points x 2 cents each based on our valuations).

Plus, I earned $12 in Rakuten Rewards which I can use toward my next experience.

That’s a total of $52.80 in value on a $240 purchase (22%). I could have had greater earnings had I utilized Viator during a Rakuten promotion, but I’m happy with the results.

Final Thoughts

I’ve found many ways to double dip, even triple dip, when making travel purchases, and so have our team members. Next up, check out this informative article on double-dipping rewards on the same purchase using Chase Offers, shopping portals, bonus earning categories, and Rakuten.

It’s worth noting that I used Viator as an example because it’s a site I use often. There are many ways to book experiences using rewards-earning cards. You’ll want to check out our article on the best credit cards for booking experiences.