Cashback, Miles & Points Shopping Portal Offers [2021]

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UPDATE: Rakuten is currently offering $127.50 cash back or 12,750 Amex Membership Rewards (MR) points if your Rakuten account is set to earn Amex points vs. cash back. 

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    If you are new to cashback shopping portal, it is a way to earn extra “cash back” when you do online shopping at your favorite online stores such as Amazon.com, DELL, Orbitz Travel, IHG Hotels and Resorts, HILTON, etc. Some even offers linking your credit card so that when you shop in store or dine at a participating restaurant, you also get to earn cash back on top of your credit card’s rewards on what you spend. 
    Cashback shopping portal is a great way to save some money by doing things that you already love doing. The way it works is that, you go to the merchant website by clicking on the merchant’s link via a cashback website. If your purchase is eligible, the cashback site will give you a percentage cashback of the total money that you spend. They hold the “cash” for a certain period of time and then release it to you. It does not seem a lot at first but it certainly can add up, especially if you enjoy shopping and booking travels online. 
    In a nutshell:
    • You earn cash back on shopping. 
    • You still earn rewards with your favorite stores. 
    • You still earn rewards with your credit card’s bonus category. 
    • You can stack cash back with any Amex Offers, Chase Offers, etc. 
    • You must go to the merchant’s website via the cashback shopping portal site in order to earn qualifying cash back. Each merchant’s cashback offer has its terms and conditions on what type of transaction is qualified. 

    Cashback Shopping Portal Sign-Up Offers

    Signing up for a cashback shopping portal is really easy and completely FREE. Some cashback portal sites even offer you bonus cash for simply signing up. 
    There are so many cashback shopping portal sites out there. Below are my favorite ones: 
    • Rakuten/Ebates:
      • Join for free and spend $20, you will receive additional $20 bonus. 
      • Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) also has ability to switch earning cashback to American Express Membership Rewards (MR) points if you have an eligible Amex MR earning card. See “How To Convert Your Cash Ebates/Rakuten Account to Earn Amex Membership Rewards Points?” section below. 
      • Direct Link to the Offer
    • Mr. Rebates
      • No purchase necessary. After joining, you will receive $5 bonus to get you started. It does not say that on the sign-up page, but as long as you apply through our referral link below, you will receive the bonus. 
      • Direct Link to the Offer
    • Giving Assistant
      • No purchase necessary. After joining via the offer link below, you will receive $5 bonus. The sign-up page does not say that, but as long as you apply through our referral link below, you will receive the bonus. 
      • Direct Link to the Offer
    • TopCashBack
      • This one does not offer any sign-up bonus, but I like using it because from time to time, they do offer good cashback on Orbitz Travel, IHG Hotels and Resorts, HILTON bookings when other cashback shopping portal sites offer lower cashback. 
      • Direct Link to the Offer
    If you’d like to compare which cashback shopping portal has the highest cashback or miles and points offers, use Cashback Monitor site to compare. 

    Earn $127.50 Cash Back Or 12,750 Amex Membership Rewards Points With Rakuten Betterment Checking Account

    Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) is offering $127.50 cash back or 12,750 Amex MR points

    Offer Terms: Cash Back is only earned for a funded Betterment Checking, Cash Reserve or Investing account of at least $1.00 for checking products and $10.00 for Cash Reserve and investing products, and is not available for other Betterment products or current Betterment customers.

    To simplify this offer, I recommend that you signup for the Betterment Checking account and there’s no hard credit pull on your credit report either. 

    Here’s how you would do it:

    • Search for Betterment on Rakuten website and click Shop Now
    • You create an account with Betterment first. 
    • Once the account is created, you click on Add new on the left hand side menu and go through some financial information along with your address and SSN. This is a typical safe standard process in order to allow you to add the checking account. 
    • Once that is completed, you should be taken back to the main screen again. Click on Add new on the left hand side menu again and you should be able to open the Checking account. 
    • Go through the verification process and add fund to your Betterment checking account at least $1 with a debit card or another bank. I did instant bank verification and transfer $1 only from my U.S. Bank account. 
    In your Rakuten account now under “Shopping Trips” should show Betterment transaction. Allow some time for the transferred fund to hit your Betterment checking account and then you can check Rakuten for your bonus. 

    How To Convert Your Cash Ebates/Rakuten Account to Earn Amex Membership Rewards Points?

    • Sign into your Ebates/Rakuten account. 
    • Go to My Account.
    • Click on Account Settings. 
    • Under How would like to you get paid? Click on Switch to Membership Rewards points. 

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