Rakuten Boosts Rewards at Popular Merchants This Labor Day Weekend

Rakuten is kicking off Labor Day weekend with a major rewards boost, giving shoppers the chance to earn elevated cash-back or Membership Rewards points across a wide range of travel, fashion, and lifestyle brands.

Let’s take a look at these deals.

Maximize Cash-Back and Points With Rakuten’s 3-Day Labor Day Promo

From August 30 through September 1, 2025, shoppers can earn elevated rewards by making purchases through Rakuten.

This includes a number of popular travel brands:

• Hotel Collection: 22.5% cash-back or 22.5 Amex points per $1
• Tripadvisor: up to 12% cash-back or 12 Amex points per $1
• Sixt: 12% cash-back or 12 Amex points per $1
• Choice Hotels: 10.5% cash-back or 10.5 Amex points per $1
• InterContinental Hotels Group: 9% cash-back or 9 Amex points per $1
• Samsonite: 7.5% cash-back or 7.5 Amex points per $1
• Viator: 6% cash-back or 6 Amex points per $1

The promotion also extends beyond travel. Beauty enthusiasts can score extra rewards at Tatcha, Fenty Beauty, and ELF Cosmetics, while fashion lovers can take advantage at The North Face, Converse, Hollister, Nike, and Birkenstock. Lifestyle purchases at Brooklinen, PetSmart, Temu, and Petco also qualify.

It’s worth checking Rakuten during this promotional window to see if any retailers you were already planning to shop with are offering elevated rewards.

Maximizing Your Purchases

As mentioned previously, you can earn Membership Rewards points instead of cash-back for your purchases made through Rakuten. At our 2.2-cents-per-point valuation of Amex points, earning 10 points per $1 spent (instead of 10% cash-back) is worth about 22 cents per $1 spent in travel value. That’s more than double the return you’d get from choosing cash-back.

You’ll need a valid Amex credit card that earns Membership Rewards, and you’ll need to switch your earning preferences to Membership Rewards in your Rakuten online account.

Additionally, pairing Rakuten purchases with Amex Offers or credit card statement credits can increase your value. For example, booking a Choice Hotel stay through Rakuten with a travel rewards credit card could net you thousands of Membership Rewards points, a potential statement credit from your card issuer, and the usual hotel points you’d earn on the stay.

Final Thoughts

Rakuten’s Labor Day promotion is a smart opportunity to earn extra cash-back or Membership Rewards points on both travel and everyday purchases. Whether you’re planning a getaway or buying necessary items that suit your lifestyle, taking advantage of this short-term boost can add significant value to your spending.