Last Christmas I bought a $1,200 MacBook for my sister. I clicked through a shopping portal first, chose the Amex points option, and three months later 24,000 Membership Rewards points showed up in my account – enough for a round-trip flight to Europe. That single purchase paid for an entire vacation. Moments like that are why, years later, I still reflexively reach for the same portal before almost any online purchase.
The portal I’m talking about is Rakuten, and in 2025 it’s still one of the most powerful (and strangely underrated) tools in the rewards game. Let me walk you through everything that’s changed, what still works brilliantly, and the few things that drive me absolutely crazy.
Why Rakuten Still Deserves a Spot in Your Bookmark Bar in 2025
Most people think of credit cards when they hear “rewards.” Fair enough – cards are sexy. But shopping portals are the quiet compound interest of the points world. You’re already buying the stuff; you might as well get paid twice for it.
Rakuten stands out because it lets you choose how you get paid: cold hard cash via PayPal, a paper check if you’re old-school, American Express Membership Rewards points, or (newer option) Bilt Rewards points. That flexibility is borderline unfair.
How Dead-Simple It Actually Is
Getting started takes about 43 seconds:
- Sign up with an email and password
- Install the browser extension (do this, trust me)
- Shop like you normally do
The extension pops up a little notification whenever you land on a partner site. One click activates the offer. That’s literally it. If you forget, you can always search for the store inside Rakuten and click through manually, but the extension removes 99 % of the friction.
I’ll be honest – the first time the extension saved me when I completely forgot, I felt like I’d hired a tiny personal assistant who works for free.
The Rewards: Cash, Amex Points, or Bilt Points?
Here’s where Rakuten went from “nice little cashback site” to “must-use tool.”
Most portals lock you into their own currency or straight cash. Rakuten lets you switch your earning preference any time before the payout:
- Cash – PayPal or check (minimum $5)
- American Express Membership Rewards – 1:1 conversion if you have an Amex card that earns MR points
- Bilt Rewards – Usually 1 cent = 1 Bilt point, sometimes higher with status
Choosing Amex points is the nuclear option for a lot of us. Turning $100 cashback into 10,000 Membership Rewards points is often worth $180–$220+ depending on transfer partners. That’s effectively a 80-120 % bonus on your original spend.
I ran the math on my last quarter: $412 in cashback became 41,200 MR points. Transferred to Virgin Atlantic and booked two business-class seats to London for 85,000 points total. The whole family still talks about that trip.
Welcome Bonus & Referral Game
New members usually get $10 after spending $25. Sometimes it jumps to $30 or $40 during promotional windows. Even better: if an existing member refers you, both of you can pocket $30–$50 each. I’ve had friends send me screenshots of $50 bonuses this year – it still happens, you just have to watch for it.
Pro tip: Google “Rakuten referral” before signing up. Someone out there will have the elevated offer.
The Store Network – 3,500+ and Counting
Pretty much every major retailer except Amazon (mostly) and Costco. Some highlights:
- Apple – often 1–3 % (still adds up on a $1,500 laptop)
- Nike – 8–15 % multiple times per year
- Macy’s, Sephora, Ulta – routinely 8–12 %
- Walmart – grocery pickup orders sometimes hit 5–10 %
- Hotels.com, Booking.com – stackable with credit card offers
Double Cash Back events are where it gets silly. I’ve seen Nike at 20 %, Lenovo at 18 %, Dell at 16 %. Those are “buy it now even if you kind of don’t need it” rates.
In-Store Offers Are Legit Now
Add your cards once in the app, and certain in-store purchases trigger cashback automatically. Think Macy’s, Petco, even some restaurants. It’s not every store yet, but when it works it feels like magic.
The Parts That Still Annoy Me
No tool is perfect. Here are the honest drawbacks in 2025:
- Quarterly payouts – You wait until February, May, August, November. If you’re impatient, this hurts.
- Amazon is mostly excluded – Prime Day deals almost never track.
- Coupons can void cashback – Always add coupons after clicking through Rakuten.
- Tracking issues happen – Maybe 3–5 % of purchases need a ticket. Annoying but usually resolved.
Still, the pros crush the cons for me.
Stacking Strategy – This Is Where Serious Money Lives
The real wizards combine four or five earning layers. Example from last month:
- Lenovo through Rakuten at 12 % → 12,000 Amex points
- Paid with Amex Gold → 4x points at electronics retailers during targeted offer
- Used Rakuten Amex card for extra 3 % as Amex points
- Hit Amex Offer for $200 back on $1,000
That $2,000 laptop effectively cost me around $1,200 after everything posted. That’s the game.
Is Rakuten Still Worth It in 2025?
Short answer: more than ever.
The addition of Bilt Rewards gives renters another angle, the Amex partnership keeps getting stronger, and the store list keeps growing. If you’re already spending the money anyway, skipping Rakuten is literally leaving hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on the table every year.
I still get a little rush every time that quarterly email lands. Call it childish, but watching free money appear because I remembered to click one extra button never gets old.
If you’re not using it yet, do yourself a favor: sign up, install the extension, and thank me when your first “Big Fat Check” (or 50,000-point transfer) shows up.
Quick reminder: Rates and bonuses change. The current new-member offer and referral amounts fluctuate – check the site or ask a friend for the best deal available today.
