Rakuten is one of the absolute best shopping portals out there: an easy way to earn extra cash back – or better yet, valuable Amex Membership Rewards points or even Bilt Rewards points – on your online shopping. And there's never been a better time to get started.

First-timers can also earn a $50 referral bonus to new members who sign up and make a purchase of $50 or more. That's right: Sign up, spend $50, and get at least $50 straight back. That's the biggest Rakuten bonus we've ever seen, and reason enough to start doing some online shopping through Rakuten. But act fast: This elevated bonus only runs through Tuesday, March 31!

Beyond that first-time bonus, Rakuten offers solid cashback (or points) returns at thousands of online stores … and they regularly roll out bigger bonuses of 10% to 15% at select retailers, sometimes more. They're changing all the time, which makes checking Rakuten.com before making any online purchase a no-brainer.

 

rakuten store bonuses with store logos

 

Want points to fund your future travels instead? This is why we really love Rakuten: It allows you to convert your cash back to American Express Membership Rewards points and, most recently, Bilt points, too! You get 1 point for every cent of cash back you earn, so a $50 cash back bonus could be 5,000 Amex or Bilt points instead.

No matter which route you take, it's worth checking Rakuten before making any online purchase. Rakuten is perhaps the easiest online shopping portal out there – and this bonus for signing up and making your first purchase, combined with standard cash back bonuses, can add up quickly.

Thrifty Tip: Add the Rakuten browser plugin to Google Chrome, and Rakuten will alert you when you can earn cash back on your purchase through that retailer!

 

How Rakuten Works

Taking advantage of these huge bonuses is as simple as navigating to Rakuten.com, clicking through to the retailer, and making your purchase.

First things first, sign up for Rakuten if you haven’t already. First-time users will earn an additional $50 bonus after completing their first purchase of at least $50 in the first 90 days. Full disclosure: We also get a bonus, so we appreciate it if you use our link!

Whether you’re shopping at Walgreens and Chewy or buying a Blue Apron subscription, you’ll get a percentage of your purchase price back from hundreds of stores. You’ll get paid every three months, through either a paper check or a PayPal transfer (or a deposit of points in your Amex or Bilt account).

Here's an example of just how powerful stacking these bonuses can be. Let's say you're planning a trip to Europe and want to book a $200 food tour for two in Amsterdam. Book through Viator, and you'll get 12% back via Rakuten as of publication.

  1. First things first, sign up for Rakuten
  2. Click through from Rakuten over to Viator, then make your purchase as normal
  3. You'll earn up to 12% cash back on that $200 purchase: $24 – or 2,400 Amex or Bilt points
  4. You'll also earn $50 cash back (or 5,000 points) for your first purchase of $50 or more

Add it up, and that's $74 back in your pocket, reducing your net cost to roughly $126! Or, you're earning 7,400 valuable points on a purchase you were going to make anyhow.

Read more: No Bonus, No Problem: How to Keep Earning Points Without a Welcome Offer

 

Bottom Line

Rakuten is one of the best online shopping portals out there – and the easiest to use, too. With these elevated cashback rates and a $50 Rakuten bonus after making your first purchase, it's a no-brainer way to do your online shopping. No shopping portal is easier to use, and these big bonuses make it even more rewarding.

Sign up for Rakuten today to start earning rewards on your online shopping. And be sure to take advantage of the $50 referral bonus for new members … ASAP: It ends this Tuesday, March 31!