Rakuten (formerly Ebates) adds Amex Membership Rewards earning to all accounts
One of the fundamental The Points Guy principles is to click through a shopping portal before making any online purchase, whether its buying clothing or booking hotels. For years, online shoppers had to decide between earning miles through an airline shopping portal or earning cash back through a cash-back portal.
In February 2019, Rakuten — formerly known as Ebates — shook up the market. Instead of limiting members to only earning cash back, new members could elect to earn American Express Membership Rewards points when they signed up for a new account through a special landing page.
As of today, Oct. 30, Rakuten and American Express are expanding this partnership to allow all existing accounts to opt into earning Amex Membership Rewards points instead of cash back.
To be eligible, you'll need to be a U.S. American Express card member with a card enrolled in the Membership Rewards program. To opt in, you'll need to link that card to a new or existing Rakuten account and select in your account settings to earn Membership Rewards points.
Back in February, this new earning opportunity was good enough for a number of existing Rakuten members to abandon their old accounts and sign up for a new account, and I was one of them. While earning cash back is great, the ability to earn Membership Rewards points — which TPG values at 2 cents each — instead of cash back meant I was doubling my return.
In discussing this expanded partnership with Rakuten, I asked if members like me will be able to combine duplicate accounts. Unfortunately, the answer is no. So, if you set up a new MR-earning account since February, you won't be able to merge that account into an existing account.
Rakuten also confirmed that members that have an accumulated balance in their non-Membership Rewards earning account won't be able to convert that balance to Membership Rewards. Members will be able to opt into earning MR points on future transactions, but any accumulated cash back earnings will pay out by PayPal or check -- based on your current earning preference.
If you're unfamiliar with Rakuten, now's a good time to learn about this way of double-dipping on the earnings from your online shopping. Members earn cash back or Amex Membership Rewards points for making a purchases online at one of over 3,500 online retailers after clicking through a Rakuten affiliate link.
The earnings rate depends on the merchant and whether or not Rakuten is running a promotion. We've written about Rakuten a few times during especially good deals — such as:
- Earn up to 20% cash back or 15 Amex points per dollar shopping online at hundreds of retailers
- Earn 12x Amex Membership Rewards points on hotel bookings
- Earn 10x Amex points per dollar shopping at big name retailers
- Earn 5% back (or 5x Amex MR) at restaurants through Rakuten Dining
At the end of each calendar quarter, members get paid their accumulated earnings for the quarter — by check for those that earn cash back or by automatic transfer to Membership Rewards for those who've elected to earn points. Note that you'll need to have earned at least $5 or 500 points to get a payout. Otherwise, your balance will roll forward to the next quarter.
If you want to make sure not to miss out on earning points, miles or cash back on future purchases, Rakuten and a number of airline shopping portals — including Alaska, American Airlines, Southwest and United — have browser extensions. You can install these in certain browsers to be reminded to use the portal whenever you're shopping at a participating retailer website.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.