For a limited time earlier this year, Rakuten offered bonus cashback or points (depending on your earning preference) when applying for select Chase credit cards.
Although the cashback/points on offer aren’t quite as generous as back then, you can currently earn additional rewards when being approved for the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card.
The Deal
- Rakuten is offering the following rewards after being approved for a Chase Freedom Unlimited card:
- $65 cashback/6,500 points – New Chase customers
- $30 cashback/3,000 points – Existing Chase customers
- Direct link to offer.
If you’re new to Rakuten
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Key Terms
- Expiry date unknown.
Quick Thoughts
When Rakuten first started offering rewards for select Chase cards, you could earn $150 or 15,000 Membership Rewards when getting the Freedom Unlimited card. That was subsequently slashed in half to (an admittedly still generous) $75/7,500 bonus points before Rakuten stopped offering rewards altogether.
This latest promotion offers an even lower reward than before, but for many people it’d still be worth taking advantage of if you’re in the market for this card, especially with its current increased welcome offer.
Interestingly, there are two tiers of earnings. If you’re not an existing Chase customer, you’ll earn $65, 6,500 Amex Membership Rewards, or 6,500 Bilt points (depending on what your account is set up to earn). If you are an existing Chase customer, that bonus is lower at $30, 3,000 Membership Rewards or 3,000 Bilt points.
If you’re a Chase customer already and someone else in your household has an existing Chase Freedom®, Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex® card, they can refer you to the Freedom Unlimited card and they’ll earn 5,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points if you’re approved. That’s a more generous reward than $30/3,000 points, so that’s a better choice if it’s an option available to you.
It is a little concerning though how much differentiation Chase is starting to make when it comes to referral bonuses – and now shopping portal earnings – between existing cardholders and those new to Chase. Back on October 7, 2025, Chase implemented a new rule which means you’ll earn bonus points when referring a brand new business cardholder, but no bonus points if they already have any Chase business cards. They’re now offering lower portal rewards if you’re an existing customer, so hopefully that doesn’t get extended to referrals of personal cards unless they want to be in the running for the 2026 Bonvoyed of the Year awards following their good showing in 2025’s awards.
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The 30k offer for the ink card was stellar, in addition to the sub.
If you are existing Chase customer isnt it $30, 3000 Amex/BILT?
Yep, you’re right. I’d listed the correct details in the Deal section, but for some reason put $35/3,500 in the rest of the post. Thanks for highlighting that – I’ve fixed it now.