[Expired] Rakuten Launches Big Give Week [15% Cash-back at 500+ Stores]

- UPDATED: May 17, 2022

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Update: The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available.

Rakuten, one of our favorite shopping portals, has launched a weeklong sale featuring extra cash-back. The sale includes hundreds of stores and offers cash-back of up to 95% — but you’ll want to jump on this quickly.

Let’s dive into all the details!

Offer Details

For the unfamiliar, Rakuten acts as a sort of “middleman” when shopping. You’ll begin your shopping excursion on Rakuten’s website and click through to your desired store. Once the purchase has been made, Rakuten automatically tracks it and awards you cash-back. That’s it!

Here’s some important information you should know:

The offer is valid from May 9, 2022, to May 16, 2022.
Thousands of stores are participating.
You can earn either cash-back or American Express Membership Rewards points.
You must be a Rakuten member to take advantage.

Notable Retailers

It’s always worth going through a shopping portal when making online purchases, and websites such as Cashback Monitor can help you find the best returns for your spending. In this case, Rakuten is offering up to 95% back on your purchases. There are also several travel-related sites where you’ll receive increased cash-back:

95% at LifeLock
20% at Best Western
15% at Caesars
15% at Groupon
15% at Saks 5th Avenue
15% at SIXT
15% at The Strat Hotel, Casino, and SkyPod
15% at Tripadvisor
15% at Viator
$15 at Vrbo
$20 at OneTravel
$25 at CheapOair

Hot Tip: Combine Rakuten’s 15% cash-back offer at Saks with your Saks credit from The Platinum Card® from American Express!

Maximizing Your Returns

Getting a 15% discount is significant on a purchase, and choosing to earn Amex points rather than cash-back can more than double your return. This is because we value Amex points at 2.2 cents each — far more than the single cent you’d receive in cash-back.

But what does this look like in practice?

Let’s say you’re booking a 2-night hotel stay in Las Vegas in October. It’s mid-week, so rates at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino are already pretty low. You’ve signed up for Caesars Rewards, which is free, and allows you access to the preferred rates Caesars offers its members:

Caesars Planet Hollywood cash price — Image Credit: Caesars

You also hold the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Card, which means you’ve successfully matched over to Caesars Diamond elite status, and resort fees for your stay are waived. As a result, your total out-of-pocket cost comes to just $43.08:

Caesars Planet Hollywood 2 night cash rate — Image Credit: Caesars

However, by taking advantage of Rakuten’s offer, you’ll earn 15% back on your booking — a total of $6.46, or 6,462 Amex points. According to our valuations, 6,642 Amex points are worth $9.69, which means the total cost of your booking drops to just $33.39 for a 2-night stay. It doesn’t get much cheaper than that!

Final Thoughts

If you aren’t doing your online shopping through a shopping portal, you’re leaving money on the table.

Rakuten has launched a weeklong sale on hundreds of different stores, offering 15%+ cash-back for many popular sites. There are a fair number of travel sites included in the sale, so go take a look and book before this promotion expires!

The information regarding the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.