Earn Bonus Cash-back or Points on Best Western, IHG, & Marriott Stays With Rakuten [Up to 10%]

- UPDATED: July 12, 2022

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Rakuten is offering some great cash-back opportunities to celebrate the summer of travel.

For a limited time, users can earn 10% cash-back at Best Western, 4% at Marriott, 3% at IHG, and more!

A discount of up to 10% off on your next hotel stay is a great deal — but Rakuten allows users to earn cash-back in the form of American Express Membership Rewards, which is a nice option that many prefer over cash-back. This means that with this offer, you could earn up to 10x Amex points instead of up to 10% cash-back.

Let’s take a look at the details of this latest Rakuten promo!

Rakuten’s Big Stack Promo

Rakuten Big Stack — Image Credit: Rakuten

Rakuten has doubled the cash-back rewards for many travel companies.

The most interesting travel providers offering increased cash-back — in descending order — are:

Best Western Hotels & Resorts: 10%
Groupon: Up to 10%
Tripadvisor: 10%
CheapOair: Up to $25
OneTravel: Up to $15
Marriott: 4%
IHG Hotels & Resorts: 3%

It’s worth noting that there is no published end date for this promotion, so if you’re considering booking a trip, it’s best to do so sooner rather than later.

You can see all of the participating retailers on the Rakuten travel landing page.

Cash-back vs. Amex Membership Rewards Points

Choosing between cash-back and Amex Membership Rewards points is a personal choice, and there is no wrong answer.

If you like to earn and burn Amex Membership Rewards points, acquiring them through Rakuten is often a very inexpensive way of doing so.

For example, if you’re planning on booking a $300 stay at a Best Western property, you’d earn $30 back with this cash-back promotion — not a bad deal at all.

However, there’s another option. You could choose to skip the cash-back and earn points instead. That same $300 stay would earn you 3,000 American Express Membership Rewards points, which we value at $66, according to our latest valuations. This is more than double the value of the cash-back you’d receive for the same hotel stay if you use the points for maximum value.

Hot Tip: If you refer a friend to Rakuten you’ll both earn $30 — or 3,000 Membership Rewards points!

Final Thoughts

Rakuten is offering solid bonuses for its Big Stack promo, but with no published end date, it’s best to book quickly if you want to take advantage of the offer.

Overall, we rate this a solid deal for anyone who’s been eyeing a Best Western, IHG, or Marriott stay in the near future.

As always, you’ll want to choose the option that’s best for you and your situation, but earning American Express Membership Rewards points can make a lot of sense — especially with 10x promotions like this!