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Don’t want to miss out on earning bonus points? There’s an extension for that
JT Genter
Contributor
JT is a location-independent digital nomad traveling 250,000+ miles each year with his wife Katie.
May 11, 2022
•
6 min read
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Editor's Note
This guide has been updated with the latest information.
Shopping portals are such an important aspect of the points and miles hobby. While you can learn all about them in our TPG beginners guide, we realize it’s easy to forget about this method of double dipping on your online purchases.
If you haven’t built up the habit of clicking through a shopping portal — and don’t want to have to worry about remembering — technology is happy to come to the rescue. There are a number of extensions that you can add to your web browser to remind you anytime you’re shopping on a website where you can earn bonus points, miles or cash back.
Doing this ensures you never lose out on valuable points and miles when you shop online — let's take a closer look.
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Airline shopping portals
If you’re looking for the highest payout at a particular time, going through an aggregator (more on those later) will help you find the best option. However, if you’re looking to earn miles toward a particular redemption or a perk such as the Southwest Companion Pass, you might want to be loyal to just one airline’s shopping portal.
Airline shopping portal promotions come and go. However, they tend to offer new-member bonuses and spending bonuses throughout the year. Here are the details on each:
- Alaska Airlines (Chrome extension): Alaska Airlines has one of the most valuable airline currencies and incredible partners, making it a great choice for going all-in on accumulating bonus miles.
- American Airlines (Chrome extension): The AA portal generally offers some solid earning rates, particularly during promotions. Plus, you can earn Loyalty Points to inch closer to American elite status when shopping online.
- Delta Air Lines (Chrome extension): In addition to one of the least-valuable major airline currencies, Delta SkyMiles Shopping seems to have consistently lower rates than the other airline portals. So, I’d only recommend it if you really need extra Delta miles.
- JetBlue (Firefox add-on): ShopTrue Notify is JetBlue’s own browser extension. Versions for other browsers seem like they have disappeared, but the Firefox version is still available. It will automatically notify you if you are on a site where you can earn TrueBlue points.
- Southwest Airlines (Chrome extension): This was one of the first airlines to launch a shopping portal browser extension back in October 2017. And yes, bonus points earned through the shopping portal go toward Companion Pass qualification.
- United Airlines (Chrome extension): United launched its browser extension in March 2018 and has since racked up an impressive 70,000 users.
Related: Why I’m focusing on the American Airlines shopping portal this year
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Cash-back portals
While you can get a lot of value from airline miles, cash back is still king for a lot of shoppers. Here are some of my favorite cash-back portals with browser extensions:
- Rakuten — formerly Ebates (Chrome extension, Firefox add-on): Rakuten quickly became my favorite cash-back portal in February 2019 when new members could start earning Membership Rewards points instead of just cash back. Then, it later let all members opt into earning points instead of cash. Plus, Rakuten consistently runs some of the best promotions.
- TopCashback (Chrome extension, Firefox add-on): This portal has an extensive list of over 4,000 partner stores where you can earn cash back and has a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox.
- Mr. Rebates (Chrome extension, Firefox add-on): The website looks like it hails from the early 2000s, but it typically offers solid everyday cash-back earnings. And despite its older look, it has extensions to help remind you when you can be earning cash back on a website.
- Ibotta (Chrome extension, Firefox add-on): Ibotta provides cash back when you shop at hundreds of stores through its app. Ibotta also has an app that allows you to shop in-store. The minimum amount to redeem rewards is $20.
- Honey (Chrome extension, Firefox add-on): This is a popular cash-back portal that is also part of the PayPal network. Honey will automatically search for coupons and apply them when it's time for you to check out.
- Amazon Assistant (Chrome extension, Firefox add-on): This will send you notifications for the deal of the day and new deals on Amazon, plus compare prices as you shop online. It will also show you the best price available on Amazon and recommend similar products.
Other cash-back portals include:
- BeFrugal: Chrome extension and Firefox add-on.
- GoCashBack: Chrome extension.
- Lemoney: Chrome extension.
- RebatesMe: Chrome extension.
Aggregators
Aggregators are a great place to look if you just want the best return, regardless of whether it's cash back, airline miles or credit card portal points.
Cashback Monitor: This is my go-to for figuring out which airline, bank or cash-back portal is paying out the highest rate when I’m ready to buy something online. While it doesn’t have an extension, Cashback Monitor has a handy JavaScript link that Chrome, Firefox and Safari users can bookmark to manually check the payout rates for a particular website.
Bottom line
Shopping portals are an easy way to save money. Using portals with browser extensions is great if you want to take the hassle out of searching for rewards or frequently forget to search for them.
Related: Use online shopping portals to maximize your online shopping
Additional reporting by Jordyn Fields and Ryan Smith.
Featured image by Getty Images/Westend61
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
TPG featured card
Best for dining at restaurants
Apply for American Express® Gold Card
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Rewards
1 - 4X points
| 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Annual Fee
$325
Recommended Credit
Excellent to Good
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
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 $6,000 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.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
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 $6,000 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.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.