There are a few updates on online shopping portals. Savvy travelers who want more rewards absolutely have to use them for everything. Especially during promotions, like the ones happening right now (which come back often). And there’s also a very interesting new portal, plus a less interesting one that changed its name.
You can read the basics on online shopping portals if you’re not familiar with them. They give you rewards so easily. It’s obviously very few points compared to welcome bonuses, but it’s on top of that. It just makes no sense to deprive yourself of it.
It’s one of the best ways to earn more. Flytrippers helps you travel for less with its free newsletter specifically about travel rewards, its ranking of the best current offers, its monthly live videos, and its infographic summarizing all the basics.
Here are 5 updates on online shopping portals.
1. Return of the best rate ever seen: 20X Aeroplan points (≈ 30% back) at Canadian Down & Feather Company
The promotion offering one of the best rates ever seen on a shopping portal is coming back soon, and I want to give you a heads-up. It’s perfectly timed for summer gifts and big moves; ideal for bedding!
I love Canadian Down & Feather’s products, and the CEO is also a friend who’s just as much into points as we are! And, objectively, 20 points of the more lucrative type per dollar is incredibly good!
To think some people believe travel rewards mean earning a pathetic 1% with a terrible cash-back card. So sad!!!
Here are the essentials:
- Canadian Down & Feather Company promotion
- High-end bedding
- From June 29 to July 12
- Get ready right now
- But don’t order just yet
- 20 Aeroplan points per dollar
- Value of ≈ 30% to UNLIMITED
- Easily 60% in business class
- Via the Aeroplan eStore
- The portal that often offers the best rate
You can read our detailed article on the Canadian Down & Feather promotion, including my impression of some of their best products.
2. Return of the bonus rate at Amazon: 10X Aeroplan points (≈ 15% back)
The very frequent 10x points promotion at Amazon is also back right now for Amazon Prime Day, via the Aeroplan eStore portal.
It’s excellent, obviously. There’s also a giveaway for 10 million Aeroplan points!!!
Don’t forget that Amazon is one of the rare exceptions among the 700+ brands you have access to via shopping portals: only certain purchase categories are eligible (they’re obviously clearly listed).
Here are the essentials:
- Amazon promotion
- Only certain categories
- Until June 26 at 11:59 PM
- It’s not long
- As always
- 10 Aeroplan points per dollar
- Value of ≈ 15% to UNLIMITED
- Easily 30% in business class
- 12 pts/$ if you have Aeroplan elite status
- As always (2 pts/$ in bonus)
- Giveaway for 10 million Aeroplan points
- 10 prizes of 1 million points
- Via the Aeroplan eStore
- The portal that often offers the best rate
You can read our detailed article on the Aeroplan eStore’s Amazon promotion.
3. Return of the Rakuten bonus rate of 10% cash back (50+ brands)
The very frequent 10% cash back promotion on the Rakuten portal is back for 50+ brands this time. It’s even 15% at a few rare brands, and 100% for NordVPN (so you get it completely free for 1 year).
The most interesting brands at 10% include Best Buy and Dell, plus plenty of clothing brands (like Unbound Merino, our favorite travel clothes).
Don’t forget that you also get $30 free after your 1st purchase if you use our Rakuten link. That’s on top of the regular rewards.
Here are the essentials:
- Promotion at 50+ brands
- Plus several others at a lower rate
- Until June 26 at 11:59 PM
- It’s not long
- As always
- 10% cash back
- Very simple
- Via Rakuten
- The portal with the most brands
You can read our detailed article on the Rakuten promotion.
4. Extremely interesting new portal: Rove
It’s not that “new,” but it’s recently become really interesting for Canadians, and we hadn’t talked about it yet. And it offers a small welcome bonus of 500 Rove miles.
It’s particularly interesting for hotel bookings, because they count as direct bookings and you earn your hotel points on top of the Rove miles (and you get your status and benefits). But the portal is also great for travel bookings (just not for everything else).
It lets you earn Rove miles of the more lucrative type, transferable to 17 airline programs!!! That now includes Aeroplan, so it makes no sense not to use it. But also 13 programs not otherwise accessible in Canada!
Here are the essentials:
- New Rove portal
- Make sure to use it
- 500 Rove miles referral bonus
- Value of ≈ $8 to UNLIMITED
- Easily $15 in business class
- Transferable to 17 airline programs
- Including Aeroplan
- But mostly 13 not accessible in Canada
You can sign up for our free newsletter specifically about travel rewards to be the first to receive our detailed article on the new Rove portal.
5. AIR MILES portal renamed: Blue Rewards Shops
The AIR MILES program has been renamed: it’s now Blue Rewards! The AIR MILES shopping portal has therefore also been renamed: it’s now Blue Rewards Shops. What hasn’t changed is that it’s still the worst of the 3 main portals.
For example, during Amazon Prime Days, instead of getting 10 Aeroplan points (value of ≈ 15% to UNLIMITED), you get 160 Blue points per $20 (≈ 5.33%). But as before, maybe during certain promotions, for certain brands, the rate will be better there.
While I’m at it, let me share 3 other updates on AIR MILES Blue Rewards (ugh, the habit is hard to break) that have nothing to do with the portal but are worth mentioning.
Here are the essentials:
- New name for the AIR MILES portal
- Blue Rewards Shops
- New card with a big welcome bonus
- BMO Blue Rewards World Elite Mastercard
- ≈ $717 in free travel
- Dollarama as a new partner
- To earn and redeem points
- Great news
- Return of the Shop the Block promotion
- Until July 8
- An easy way to get 8,000 points
- Value of ≈ $53
We’ll have a complete guide to the “new” Blue Rewards program very soon.
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Summary
Shopping portals are one of the best ways to earn rewards outside of welcome bonuses. It’s obviously a lot slower, but it’s on top of the rest! So, as promised, we’re going to cover this more regularly and more closely.
What would you like to know about these online shopping portal updates? Tell us in the comments below.
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