Shopping portal Rakuten is offering cash back bonuses for those who open select credit cards through the Rakuten portal. These bonuses being offered by Rakuten stack on top of the introductory card holder bonus offered by the respective banks. We are currently seeing boosted rates of up to $300 back, which could alternatively become 30,000 Bilt points for Bilt elite members who choose to earn Bilt points if you’re approved for a specific Bank of America credit card.
Note that these bonuses ARE NOT available if you have your earning method set to American Express Membership Rewards,” only if it’s cash or Bilt points.
The Offers
At the time of writing, Rakuten is offering the following bonuses when opening select credit cards:
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card: $300 back
- Rakuten offer: $300 cash back (or 30,000 Bilt points for Bilt elite members). Note that this stacks with the welcome offer from Bank of America.
Here are the current card details, but note that you’ll want to click through from Rakuten to trigger the bonus cash / points available through Rakuten.
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
 ⓘ $234 1st Yr Value EstimateClick to learn about first year value estimates 25K points worth $250 25K after $1K spend in the first 90 daysNo Annual Fee Alternate Offer: Rakuten is offering bonus cashback if you click through from their site Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Earning rate: 1.5X everywhere; 3X for travel booked through BOA's travel center Base: 1.5% Portal Flights: 3% Portal Hotels: 3% Card Info: Visa Signature issued by BOA. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Noteworthy perks: Up to 75% bonus for Preferred Rewards banking customers |
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards: $175 back
- Rakuten offer: $175 cash back (or 17,500 Bilt points for Bilt elite members). Note that this stacks with the welcome offer from Bank of America.
Here are the current card details, but note that you’ll want to click through from Rakuten to trigger the bonus cash / points available through Rakuten.
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
 ⓘ $179 1st Yr Value EstimateClick to learn about first year value estimates $200 Cash Back + 6% back in category of your choice $200 after $1000 spend in the first 90 days + 6% back in quarterly category of your choice (up to $2,500 spend/qtr) for the first yearNo Annual Fee Alternate Offer: Rakuten is offering bonus cashback if you click through from their site Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Earning rate: 3% back on your choice of the following: gas and EV charging, online shopping, cable, streaming, internet & phone plans, dining, travel, drugstores, home improvement & furnishings (can choose a new category monthly) ✦ 2% back at grocery stores & wholesale clubs ✦ 1% back everywhere else. 2% and 3% rewards are capped at $2500 in combined purchases per quarter Base: 1% Travel: 3% Flights: 3% Hotels: 3% Grocery: 2% Dine: 3% Gas: 3% Card Info: Visa Signature issued by BOA. This card imposes foreign transaction fees. Noteworthy perks: Up to 75% bonus for Preferred Rewards banking customers |
Chase Freedom Unlimited®: $25 back
- Rakuten offer: $25 cash back (or 2,500 Bilt points for Bilt elite members). Note that this stacks with the welcome offer from Bank of America.
Here are the current card details, but note that you’ll want to click through from Rakuten to trigger the bonus cash / points available through Rakuten.
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
 ⓘ $296 1st Yr Value EstimateClick to learn about first year value estimates $200 cash back* ⓘAffiliateThis is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offer Earn $200 (*awarded as 20,000 points) after spending $500 in the first 3 monthsNo Annual Fee Alternate Offer: Rakuten is offering bonus cashback if you click through from their site This card is likely subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details). Recent better offer: Unlimited Double Cash Back for 12 month (expired 1/11/24) FM Mini Review: Great for 3x categories and 1.5X everywhere else. Excellent companion card to Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, or Ink Business Preferred. Click here for our complete card review Earning rate: 5x travel booked through Chase Travel℠ ✦ 3x dining ✦ 3x drugstores ✦ 2% cash back total on qualifying Lyft products and services purchased through the Lyft mobile application through 09/30/2027 ✦ 1.5X everywhere else Card Info: Visa Signature or Platinum issued by Chase. This card imposes foreign transaction fees. Noteworthy perks: Free DoorDash DashPass for 6 months upon activation ✦ $10 quarterly credit for non-restaurant DoorDash orders See also: Chase Ultimate Rewards Complete Guide |
If you’re new to Rakuten
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Quick Thoughts
If you have one of these cards in mind, these bonuses can be a terrific deal. That’s particularly true with the Bank of America cards since Bank of America does not otherwise offer a means to refer friends and family. On the Chase side, if you have a household member who is able to refer you, you should check for a referral offer because it might make more sense to go through your household member’s referral link. Either way, stacking additional cash back or Bilt points on top of one of these welcome offers can be a really nice enhancement.
Keep in mind that these offers can and do change frequently. The offer available at the time of writing on the Bank of America Travel Rewards Card is particularly appealing, and it matches the best offers we’ve seen available through Rakuten yet. We don’t know how long that offer will last, but likely not more than a few days at most.
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