This is obviously a very long way from the $725+ welcome bonuses that are easy to get for most travelers. But it’s a free $30 bonus that really anyone can get. Because it doesn’t involve credit cards and therefore doesn’t require being among those who understand how powerful cards are or those with a good credit score.
To earn lots of travel rewards that will give you more free travel, you should always prioritize the huge welcome bonuses offered by the best credit cards in Canada. That’s the basics of travel rewards.
But still, to get even more rewards (and therefore travel for less), you should finally start using online shopping portals — it’s so easy.
Here’s how to take advantage of the free $30 bonus promotion on the Rakuten portal (among the 3 best in Canada), as the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend is a great time to do so.
Overview of the Rakuten promotion
Here’s the simplified infographic that explains 2 things, how to use portals in general and how to take advantage of the Rakuten free $30 bonus promotion.
Here are the steps to follow one by one for Rakuten’s free $30 bonus promotion if you prefer:
- Use our referral link to get the bonus
- Create a free account on Rakuten via that link
- Use Rakuten for your next online purchase
- Buy on one of the 750+ well-known stores (minimum: $30)
- Get the $30 bonus (welcome bonus)
- Get the portal’s regular cashback of ≈ 1% to ≈ 15% too
It’s as simple as that.
Your $30 bonus will appear on your account very quickly after your 1st purchase.
Pro tip: After creating your Rakuten account, you can then refer all your friends and family who have their own email address! You’ll earn $30 per referral if they use your link, and they’ll get the $30 too. Even more rewards for your future travels. The multi-player mode trick is a must if you want to get ahead in the world of travel rewards. Sign up for our free newsletter specifically for travel rewards to join the 20,000+ savvy travel rewards fans who receive many pro tips like that one!
Best portal: Rakuten vs Aeroplan
For travelers who want to maximize the value of their rewards, the best portal is often the Aeroplan eStore. Because the earn rates are often higher and because Aeroplan points have literally unlimited value.
(Win 210,000 points with our Aeroplan giveaway!)
For travelers who don’t want points of the more valuable type with unlimited value (points that are necessarily a bit less simple obviously), Rakuten is the best portal. Because it gives cash back, the most simple rewards.
So it’s a lot less hassle for those who always prefer it to be simpler but less valuable (there are a lot of people who prefer that and it’s fine, as long as you know that more simple obviously always necessarily means less valuable).
But for all travelers, the Rakuten portal is still useful for 2 main reasons:
- It doesn’t make sense to not take a nice free $30 bonus that’s so easy to get
- Rakuten has many more stores included than Aeroplan or AIR MILES
Personally, I buy almost everything online since it’s 2023. And for every purchase I make, I always compare the Aeroplan portal and Rakuten portal earn rates (the bonuses offered vary; there are promotions throughout the year).
Often, the store where I need to make a purchase is on the Rakuten portal but not on the Aeroplan portal. So obviously I prefer to earn cash back that is worth less instead of earning nothing at all.
For example, I had to make a purchase at RONA in June. Going to the store is synonymous with throwing money away (and time too, of course) because that gets you a 0% bonus. Going through the Aeroplan eStore portal is unfortunately not an option, because RONA isn’t on that one.
By going through the Rakuten portal, I got 2.5% in rewards for free. It’s certainly better than nothing. It took me just 1-2 more clicks than going to the RONA website directly…
Let’s say it took me 1 full minute more to go through Rakuten. In this specific case, that means I earned $2099 per hour just by knowing this tip that is so simple. That’s pretty good right?
In all cases, if you haven’t yet started using online shopping portals, Rakuten’s free $30 bonus promotion is a good reason to finally do it!
Basics of online shopping portals
Online shopping portals can seem complicated, but they really aren’t.
Here’s another infographic that summarizes the shopping portals if you prefer the visual version that compares the 2 scenarios for any purchase.
Instead of going directly to a well-known brand’s website (like to buy clothing on Old Navy’s website for example), you go through the portal first and it will redirect you to the same well-known brand’s website (you’ll still buy on Old Navy’s website).
But you’ll earn extra rewards, with literally just a few clicks and a few seconds of effort! It’s really absurd to miss out (when you know it exists).
These are extra rewards… completely free!
It’s yet another great example of a tip that’s sooooooooo simple… but that most people don’t even know exists. There are so many tips like this in the travel world, no wonder so many people believe the myth that travel is necessarily expensive.
(By the way, you can download our free ebook with 100+ travel tips!)
You can read our guide on online shopping portals if you want more details.
Want to get more content on how to earn free travel?
Summary
Rakuten’s free $30 bonus promotion is a good reason to finally use online shopping portals for all your purchases, no matter what they are. These are completely free rewards so that your next trip costs less.
What would you like to know about the Rakuten promotion? Tell us in the comments below.
See the deals we spot: Cheap flights
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Learn pro tricks: Travel tips
Discover free travel: Travel rewards
Featured image: Infographic about the Rakuten online shopping portal (photo credit: Flytrippers)
