Maximizing Your Rewards: How to Use Shopping Portals to Boost Your Points and Miles
When it comes to travel hacking, most people think about using credit card points or airline miles earned through flights. But there’s another powerful way to rapidly increase your rewards: shopping portals. Whether you’re gearing up for holiday shopping or simply making everyday purchases, shopping portals can help you rack up points and miles without spending any extra money. In this blog post, we’ll dive into what shopping portals are, how they work, and strategies to maximize your rewards.
What Are Shopping Portals?
A shopping portal is a website or app that offers cash back, points, or miles when you make purchases through their link. Instead of going directly to a retailer’s website, you visit the shopping portal first, then click through to the store you want to buy from. The portal earns a commission for referring you, and they pass on a portion of that commission to you in the form of points, miles, or cash back.
There are two main types of shopping portals:
Cash Back Portals: These give you cash back for your purchases. Examples include Rakuten (which also offers the ability to earn points instead of cash) and Capital One Shopping.
Points and Miles Portals: These award points or miles with travel partners like airlines and hotels. Popular examples include the American Airlines AAdvantage Shopping, United MileagePlus Shopping, and Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping portals.
How Shopping Portals Work
The concept is simple:
Sign Up: Register for an account on a shopping portal. For points and miles portals, link your rewards account (like your American Airlines AAdvantage account).
Browse Offers: Each portal lists various retailers and the amount of cash back, points, or miles you can earn per dollar spent.
Click Through: Click on the retailer’s link within the portal. This redirects you to the retailer’s website, where you make your purchase as usual.
Earn Rewards: After the purchase is completed, the portal tracks your transaction and credits your account with the advertised cash back, points, or miles.
For example, if you’re planning to buy a new pair of sneakers from Nike, you could first visit Rakuten, find Nike, and click the link to shop. If Rakuten is offering 10% cash back, you’ll earn $10 for every $100 you spend. Similarly, if you use the AAdvantage Shopping portal offering 5 miles per dollar, you would earn 500 miles on a $100 purchase.
Popular Shopping Portals and How to Use Them
1. Rakuten
Rakuten is a popular cash back portal that allows you to earn either cash back or Amex Membership Rewards points if you link your American Express account. If you choose points, the cash back rate is converted to Membership Rewards points at a rate of 1% cash back equals 1 point. This makes Rakuten a great choice if you’re looking to boost your Amex points balance.
Rakuten often runs special promotions during peak shopping periods like Black Friday, where cash back rates can significantly increase. The portal also features a browser extension, which makes it easy to know when cash back is available on a site you’re visiting.
To maximize Rakuten:
Switch to Points Mode: Link your Amex Membership Rewards account and choose to earn points instead of cash back.
Look for Promotions: Especially around holidays, Rakuten frequently offers higher rates.
Refer a Friend: Rakuten has a referral program where both you and your friend can earn bonuses when they sign up and make a purchase.
2. AAdvantage Shopping
The American Airlines AAdvantage Shopping portal is a great way to earn loyalty points that count toward American Airlines elite status. You can earn miles on everyday purchases from retailers like Sephora, Home Depot, and 1-800-FLOWERS. This portal is particularly useful for reaching the 40,000 loyalty points needed for AAdvantage Gold status without having to fly.
Key strategies for using AAdvantage Shopping:
Monitor Bonus Offers: The portal frequently has promotions where you can earn bonus miles for reaching certain spending thresholds within a specific timeframe.
Check Fine Print: Some offers apply only to certain categories of products (e.g., a higher mileage rate might apply to new memberships rather than regular purchases).
Use Browser Extensions: The AAdvantage Shopping browser extension can notify you when a retailer is eligible for points.
3. Other Portals
United MileagePlus Shopping and Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping: These portals work similarly to AAdvantage Shopping, offering miles on purchases made through their portals. Each is great for earning miles towards free flights or elite status.
Capital One Shopping: While this isn’t a miles or points portal, it’s worth mentioning because it can find and apply coupon codes automatically, potentially saving you money.
Tips for Maximizing Your Earnings
1. Stack Your Rewards
Stacking means using multiple methods to earn rewards from a single purchase. For example:
Shopping Portal + Credit Card Rewards: If you use a rewards credit card that earns points for purchases (such as an Amex card for Membership Rewards points), you’ll earn points from both the card and the portal.
Promotional Offers: During the holidays or special sales, shopping portals may offer increased rewards rates or bonus miles for spending a certain amount. Combine this with your credit card rewards for even greater earnings.
2. Use Browser Extensions
Many shopping portals offer browser extensions that notify you when a site has available rewards and allow you to activate the rewards directly. This ensures you don’t miss opportunities to earn points or cash back. Be cautious, however, with coupon codes applied automatically, as some may invalidate your rewards.
3. Monitor Timing and Postings
While most rewards post within a few days, some transactions (like subscriptions) may take 45-60 days to credit your account. Keep track of your purchases and follow up with the portal if rewards haven’t posted within the expected timeframe.
4. Avoid Returns
Returning items purchased through a shopping portal can result in the rewards being reversed. If you need to make a return, be aware that the rewards will likely be clawed back. To avoid issues, make sure your purchases are final whenever possible.
5. Compare Portals
Different portals offer different rates for the same retailer. Use a comparison tool like Cashback Monitor to see which portal is offering the best rate at the time. This can help you decide whether to earn airline miles, credit card points, or cash back.
Examples of Shopping Portal Opportunities
Rakuten Promotion: During a holiday sale, Rakuten might offer 15% cash back on Macy’s purchases. If you’re shopping for holiday gifts, this is a great way to get extra value while using your Amex card to earn Membership Rewards points.
AAdvantage Dining and Shopping Stacks: You can double dip by using a rewards card linked to AAdvantage Dining when eating at participating restaurants and booking hotels through AAdvantage Hotels for a boost in points.
LifeLock by Norton: Occasionally offers 100% cash back during sales through Rakuten, allowing you to get the service for free while earning substantial points.
The Bottom Line
Shopping portals are an easy and effective way to accumulate extra points and miles on purchases you’re already planning to make. By choosing the right portal, stacking rewards, and timing your purchases during bonus periods, you can maximize the benefits and accelerate your progress toward free travel. For more tips, be sure to check out our latest podcast episode where we dive deeper into these strategies and share our personal experiences.
Start shopping smarter and earning faster by making shopping portals a regular part of your rewards strategy. Happy earning!