Increased offer: Earn a $40 bonus by joining Rakuten and shopping online at thousands of retailers

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

One of TPG’s favorite online shopping portals is offering a great money-saving deal for new members.

If you join Rakuten through a referral link by May 12 and then spend at least $40 at eligible retailers within your first 90 days, both you and your referrer will take home a one-time bonus of $40. If you aren’t familiar with Rakuten, you can start your online shopping there and then continue on to many popular merchants, such as Walmart, Target, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lowe’s, just to name a few.

Joining without a referral usually only gets you a one-time bonus of $10, so it’s worth using a referral link to access a larger bonus to get started. The common referral bonus is $30, so it usually only jumps up to this current $40 level a handful of times per year.

Plus, Rakuten’s Big Give Week sale is coming up in May, offering an impressive 15% cash back or 15 Amex points per dollar at many popular brands, which makes now a great time to get started earning rewards for your online shopping.

Read more: How to earn bonus cash back or Amex points on your online shopping purchases with Rakuten

Overview of Rakuten

In case you’re unfamiliar with the site, Rakuten is an online shopping portal that partners with hundreds of online retailers, from household brands like Target and Nike to smaller merchants like Gorjana.

By starting your purchase at Rakuten and clicking through to the merchant from there, you’ll take home cash back or Amex points on every eligible purchase you make — in addition to earnings on the rewards credit card you use for the purchase.

You can even download the Rakuten plug-in to make things easier. Once this is installed, you can just go directly to the merchant’s site. The browser extension will then notify you if there’s cash back available, like in the below example at Macy’s (the cash-back rate may have changed since the time of this screenshot):

This friendly reminder simplifies earning more rewards for your online shopping.

You may wonder how all of this is possible. Rakuten makes marketing agreements with individual retailers, which pay the site commissions on purchases that begin there. Rakuten then passes a portion of those commissions on to the customer. The retailer gets additional business, and you and Rakuten enjoy a cut of those purchases — a win-win for all parties.

To join as a new member with that $40 bonus up for grabs, visit this link and complete the online prompts.

If you are a member who wants to refer a friend, simply login to your Rakuten account and click the “Refer & Earn” button on the top row. You can choose to send your friend an email or share your referral link by another route.

Related: Get free points and miles for referring friends to loyalty programs and credit cards

How to make the most of Rakuten

While Rakuten is advertised as a cash-back portal, you can take your rewards to the next level by switching your earning preference to American Express Membership Rewards points.

In the above example, you’d take home 5 Amex points for every dollar you spend at Macy’s. Since our April 2025 valuations peg Amex points at 2 cents apiece (thanks to the array of transfer partners and valuable redemption options), this option could offer an even higher return for your online purchases.

However, the bonus for new members who join via a referral link is usually only available as cash back. You can link your Membership Rewards account after joining, but the one-time bonus will be paid in cash (after qualifying purchases). That said, if a friend or family member joins through your referral link (and completes the spending requirements) after you switch your earning preference to Amex points, you’ll earn bonus points instead of cash back based on whatever referral offer is available at the time.

Note that going through Rakuten for your online purchases may mean sacrificing higher rewards than you would earn through something like an airline shopping portal — especially if there are any bonus offers through those sites. It’s always a good idea to compare earning rates using a shopping portal aggregator.

During Big Give Week, May 5 to May 12, Rakuten plans to award a lucrative 15% cash back or 15 Amex points per dollar at various popular brands like Adidas, Hotels.com, KitchenAid, LG, Petsmart, Ulta and many more. Check this page to see how you can maximize your spring purchases.

Related: How I earned almost 30,000 Amex Membership Rewards points with help from Rakuten

Which credit card should I use?

If you’re making purchases online, pay close attention to any potential bonus categories. However, your best bet may be to use a card that offers solid value for everyday purchases, such as:

• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Minimum of 2 Capital One miles per dollar spent on all purchases
• Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees): 2% cash back on all purchases (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay your bill), with the option to combine your rewards with Citi ThankYou Rewards points-earning cards for even more value
• The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on eligible business purchases (on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar); terms apply
• Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees): Minimum of 1.5% cash back on all purchases that can be transferred to a Chase Ultimate Rewards points-earning card

Remember that any cash back or Amex points you’d take home through Rakuten come in addition to the earnings on your credit card. You may even be able to stack an Amex Offer or Chase Offer at select merchants, so be sure to check those first to avoid leaving money on the table.

For example, holders of The Platinum Card® from American Express enjoy up to $100 in statement credits at Saks Fifth Avenue every calendar year (up to $50 from January through June and another up to $50 from July through December; enrollment is required).

Since Amex applies these credits on the back end — as opposed to via a promo code at the time of purchase — you should still earn the cash back or bonus Amex points on the full subtotal of your purchase by starting at Rakuten and clicking through to Saks.

Related: Airline and hotel dining rewards programs: Which is best for you?

Bottom line

This referral offer is simple, and anyone can use it. So don’t miss out on an easy $40 for online shopping. Sign up for Rakuten or refer your friends and family members by May 12, and start reaping more rewards on your online purchases.

And don’t forget about Big Give Week, coming up May 5 to 12. It could be worth timing a big purchase during this promotion, or stocking up on essentials like pet supplies, to earn some extra rewards.