Earn up to 15X Membership Rewards points (or 15% cash back) at hundreds of stores this week
If you're not registered with Rakuten, you ignore one of the easiest (and most effective) tools for earning bonus rewards on everyday purchases.
Rakuten is an online shopping portal that gives you the option to earn either Amex points or cash back. More than 3,500 merchants offer bonus rewards through Rakuten; just begin your online shopping trip on the Rakuten website, search for the store at which you plan to shop, and you'll be redirected to the actual merchant website. After you make your purchase, Rakuten will dump bonus rewards into your online account.
From May 9-16, Rakuten is running its annual "Big Give Week" promotion, offering up to 15% cash back or 15 American Express Membership Rewards points per dollar at hundreds of popular stores. There's even an increased bonus for new members.
Better yet, you can also earn a $40 (or 4,000 Membership Rewards) bonus when you spend $40 through Rakuten if you're a new member.
Here's what you need to know about this deal.
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Earn 15X on everyday purchases with Rakuten
The ability to earn 15% cash back is certainly newsworthy. Online shopping portals are rarely so generous.
But the ability to earn 15 Amex Membership Rewards points per dollar is the real story. TPG valuations peg Amex points at 2 cents each, on average, when used toward travel. That means you'll get an effective return of 30% toward travel when making purchases during this promotion. If you're buffing and polishing your credit cards in preparation for summer purchases, this is the deal for you.
Related: How to use Rakuten to earn bonus cash back or Amex points on your purchases
Hundreds of stores are participating in this promotion, including:
- Blue Apron.
- Boll & Branch.
- Crocs.
- Finish Line.
- Forever 21.
- PetSmart.
- Purple.
- Ray-Ban.
- The Container Store.
- Vivid Seats.
- Vrbo.
If you've got any big purchases on the horizon, these bonus rewards could single-handedly fund your next vacation. After all, with Amex points you can do things like:
- Fly one-way from Chicago to Dublin by transferring 13,000 points to Aer Lingus — requiring $867 in purchases during this promo.
- Fly United Airlines from Washington, D.C., to Honolulu by transferring 17,500 points to Singapore Airlines — requiring $1,167 in purchases during this promo.
- Fly on ANA to Japan by transferring 22,500 points to Virgin Atlantic — requiring $1,500 in purchases during this promo.
Related: How to redeem American Express Membership Rewards for maximum value
And consider this — because travel brands like Vrbo qualify for this deal, you can pay for your upcoming vacation and earn tens of thousands of points toward a later vacation.
Also, Rakuten has increased its referral bonus during this promotion. The normal bonus is $30, but both you and your friends will now get $40 (or 4,000 Amex points). So if you don't have a Rakuten account yet, now is the perfect time to sign up.
Related: Best credit cards for online shopping
Bottom line
Rakuten's Big Give Week is back, and it's allowing members to earn up to 15% cash back — or even better, 15 Amex points per dollar.
Between this excellent earning rate and the increased $40 (4,000-Amex point) refer-a-friend bonus, you could conceivably earn enough points for free flights to your next vacation spot with surprisingly little effort.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees