Travel Cheaper With Rakuten

Tired of high travel costs? What if you could save on every booking?

Did you know you can use Rakuten, the popular cash-back shopping portal, to save money on travel bookings? Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a month-long adventure, Rakuten can help you stretch your budget further.

If you’ve already downloaded my free travel planning checklist then you’ll know there’s a lot of ways you can use Rakuten to save money on your trips.

And if you haven’t grabbed my free money saving trip planning checklist, now is a fantastic time to do it.

Imagine exploring new destinations without the constant worry of overspending. With Rakuten you get a portion of your money back on every flight, hotel, rental car, day tour, and more.

It’s a no brainer for any savvy traveler.

I love using Rakuten and talk about it a lot here because it’s a game-changer. Personally, I use it to get cash back on many of my travel bookings, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Bonus $30 Cash Back

To make things even better, I have a bonus offer just for you. Get an extra $30 cash back on your first purchase or travel booking made through Rakuten!

Ready to learn how to travel cheaper with Rakuten and make the most of your travel budget? Let’s dive in!

How Does It Work?

If you’re new to Rakuten, here’s a quick overview of how it works. Essentially, it’s a cash-back portal that partners with thousands of retailers and travel companies. These partners offer various amounts of cash back when you make a purchase through Rakuten.

All you have to do is sign up for free and shop as you normally would, but through the links provided on Rakuten’s website. When making a purchase or booking, make sure to use the same email address associated with your Rakuten account.

Once your transaction is completed, the cash back amount will be credited to your Rakuten account. It’s that simple!

Save on Travel Bookings with rakuten

Rakuten is not just limited to shopping for physical goods – it’s also a great tool for booking travel. With partnerships with popular brands like Expedia, Hotels.com, and Viator, you can get cash back on your hotel stays, car rentals, and even tours and activities.

But that’s not all! With Rakuten, you can also earn rewards when booking through other sites like Groupon, which often have great deals on travel packages.

Browse the travel & vacations Category

Take a look at the Travel & Vacations category on Rakuten and you might be surprised just how many brands you see!

Sometimes the offers are great! On a hotel booking I’ve received 10% cash back before. I’ve also received a flat $15 cash back when I booked a budget stay on Vrbo.

Sometimes the offers may be as low as 1% cash back, but if it’s a booking you’re going to make anyways you might as well get even a little bit back for it.

It’s important to note that the fulfillment of your travel bookings must happen before you receive your cash back from Rakuten. So make sure to plan accordingly if you’re looking to use your cash back for future trips.

Using Rakuten for Regular Shopping

Not only can you earn cash back on your travel bookings, but you can also use Rakuten for your everyday purchases. Whether it’s shopping for new luggage, clothes, or gadgets for your trip, or simply buying household essentials, Rakuten has partnerships with a wide range of retailers to help you save money.

And the best part is that there are no restrictions on what you can buy – as long as you make the purchase through Rakuten’s links, you’ll be earning cash back. This makes it a great tool for saving money not just on travel expenses, but also on regular purchases.

I’ve even seen an incredible deal to save tons of money on groceries, by signing up for meal kit service Every Plate. See my post 37 creative way to save money for travel for more on that!

When Do You Get the Cash Back Reward?

As soon as your purchase has been verified by Rakuten with the merchant, the cash back will appear in your Rakuten account. So you will start seeing the cash stack up right away!

If you made a travel booking through Rakuten, the cash back may show as pending until after you have completed your stay or activity. But don’t worry, just like with rewards points through any travel brand, the cash back will be added to your account once the trip or activity has been completed.

Get Your ‘Big Fat Check’ Every 3 Months

Rakuten sends out ‘Big Fat Checks’ every 3 months, or you can opt to receive your cash back via Paypal if you’d prefer to skip the paper check.

Personally, I opt for Paypal and then like to transfer my cash back directly into my travel fund so that I can use it for my next trip! This way, I am constantly building up my savings and making traveling even more affordable.

As long as you’ve earned at least $5.01 that quarter, they will send it to you. Don’t worry if you haven’t reached that yet, it will carry over to the next quarter until you do.

So How Do I Get Started?

Getting started with Rakuten is simple and easy! Just follow these simple steps to start earning cash back on your purchases:

1. Sign up through my referral link and receive an extra $30 cash back when you make your first purchase of $30 or more. You’ll get this bonus in addition to the regular cash back amount for the offer you selected!
2. Add the browser extension to Chrome so that anytime you’re shopping on a site with a Rakuten offer, it will automatically notify you. (If you don’t ever use a desktop, skip straight to step 3.)
3. Download the Rakuten app on your phone so that you can check it anytime you’re about to make a purchase on your phone and see if that retailer has an offer.
4. Now that you’re all set up, make your first purchase or travel booking using Rakuten.
5. Check your Rakuten account and watch your cash back stack up!

It’s as easy as that.

How to Travel Cheap in the USA

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Rakuten make money?

Retailers pay Rakuten when a shopper makes a purchase through their site. Rakuten then splits this fee with you, the shopper, in the form of cash back.

It’s like advertising. Retailers advertise on Rakuten so they get paid for that, but unlike with traditional advertising YOU are rewarded for participating in the advertising

Don’t You Have To Shop A Lot To Earn Cash Back With Rakuten?

No, you don’t have to shop a lot to earn cash back with Rakuten. In fact, there are no minimum shopping requirements. Whether you make a lot of purchases or only a few, you will still receive your cash back at the end of the 3 month period.

My Personal Experience with Rakuten

As someone who doesn’t shop frequently, I was initially hesitant to try out Rakuten. However, after signing up and making my first purchase through their site, I was pleasantly surprised by how much cash back I received.

It’s amazing how much it adds up over time! Now, I never make a purchase before checking Rakuten to see if there’s a cash back offer for me to use.

For more information about how Rakuten works, check out their FAQ page.

Now It’s Your Turn To Travel Cheaper With Rakuten

As travel costs rise (along with everything else too) we have to be creative and find ways to save a little where we can. I’m so excited for you to get started with one of my favorite ways to save money on travel!

And if you’re interested in more ways to save during the trip planning phase, read my post 31 Best Ways To Save Money On Travel.

Working on building your travel fund? I can help you out there too!

Read more: 7 Best Apps To Save Money For Travel

37 Creative Ways to Save Money For Travel

Remember, if you haven’t already you can grab your free copy of my money saving trip planning checklist here.

Now the only question is, where are you going on your first trip booked through Rakuten? Drop me a comment and let me know where you’re traveling to.

Happy exploring, and remember to Be Free and Travel! 🌏✈️