Earn American Express Membership Rewards® Points with Rakuten

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Do you have an American Express card that earns American Express Membership Rewards® Points?
Did you know you can choose American Express Membership Rewards® Points as your “pay out” on Rakuten?

New to Rakuten? Sign up here
ELEVATED SIGN UP OFFER: Currently Rakuten has the highest sign up offer I’ve ever seen:
New members who sign up now, get $50 back after spending $50 (MUST be in 1st 90 days – if you have set your account up to earn points, you’ll earn 5K Amex points)

Which American Express Cards Earn Membership Rewards?

Any American Express cards that earns American Express membership award points can be connected to your Rakuten account. (Co-branded cards are NOT eligible to be linked to your Rakuten account.)
Cards you can connect:

WHY WOULD I WANT TO EARN AMEX POINTS ON RAKUTEN?

Earning cash back from Rakuten is wonderful.
BUT I find way more value in my points.

In this example, we earned about 34,000 points in this quarter. If we elected cash, we would have received $340. However, 34,000 American Express Membership Award points can be transferred Singapore Air could get a one way flight from Houston to Manchester, England in Economy. Or it’s about 1/2 of what I need for a business class ticket to Europe or Asia when transferred to Air France or Air Canada.

How Do I Change My Earning Preference On Rakuten?

First, you’ll need a Rakuten account. If you don’t have one yet, you can use my link and get $50 back after spending $50 (MUST be in 1st 90 days – if you have set your account up to earn points, you’ll earn 5K Amex points)
In the top right, hover over your name. Click on “My Account”.
Go to “How would you like to get paid”

Select “Switch to American Express Membership Rewards® Points” – fill in the details of your American Express account
Do this “switch” on a desktop/laptop, as many people report it not working on a phone app

Then from there, you can expect payouts quarterly.

HOW I EARN TONS OF AMEX POINTS WITH RAKUTEN:

It is VERY common for Rakuten to offer 15x – 20x back during the holiday (ALL holidays, MLK, President’s Day, Labor Day, etc).
THIS is when I load up on stuff I will need (skincare, hair products, shop online at Petsmart & pick up in store, etc).

Over Black Friday, I made sure to check Rakuten before EVERY purchase…

Using shopping portals (like Rakuten) is my favorite way to earn points without opening a new card.

Remember, just like all shopping portals, you should complete your transaction in one sitting. If you are opening/closing windows, clicking through to a store but completing the order hours later, Rakuten may not track your order.

Thank you for supporting my small business! When you use my affiliate links to apply for a credit card, I earn a commission from the bank. But you still get the same great offer! And this helps me keep my guides and personal help free.

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