If you're not paying attention to Rakuten promotions, you're leaving serious points on the table. The shopping portal is currently offering an insane 97-100% cashback (or 97-100x points) on purchases with four specific services, and if you value transferable points, this is one of the best opportunities I've seen to acquire them cheaply.
What's the Deal?
Rakuten is offering these cashback rates through May:
- 100% cashback or 100x points with NordProtect
- 100% cashback or 100x points with NordPass
- 97% cashback or 97x points with NordVPN
- 97% cashback or 97x points with Surfshark
Here's what makes this actually interesting: if you select Amex Membership Rewards or Bilt Rewards as your earnings preference, you're acquiring transferable points for essentially 1.0-1.1 cents each. That's a price point where most points enthusiasts would buy all day long.
How to Maximize This
First, if you're not yet a Rakuten member, use a referral link to earn an additional $50 bonus (or 5,000 points) after your first $50 purchase. That bonus stacks with these promotions.
Second, choose your points currency wisely. Both Amex Membership Rewards and Bilt Rewards transfer to valuable partners like Alaska Mileage Plan and World of Hyatt. For Bilt specifically, you'll need elite status for payouts after May 15, 2026, but that's easily achieved with their credit cards.
Let me walk through one example. Surfshark's two-year plan costs $113.13. You'll earn either $109.74 back or 10,974 points. If you're earning Bilt points that transfer to Alaska at 1:1, you just bought Alaska miles for 1.03 cents each, and you got a VPN subscription in the process.
The Fine Print You Need to Know
These offers typically limit you to one purchase per Rakuten account and are restricted to new customers of each service. Always check the "terms & exclusions" section at each link before purchasing, as qualifying purchases differ by company.
Also, these promotions disappear without warning. If you're interested, don't wait to "think about it." By tomorrow, the offer could be gone or reduced.
Why I'm Taking Advantage
I can't turn down transferable points at this price. Even if I place zero value on the actual services (though a VPN is genuinely useful), acquiring points for around 1 cent each is a no-brainer when I routinely get 2-5+ cents per point in value on redemptions.
The math is simple: spend $113.13, get back roughly 11,000 transferable points. Those same points would cost you $275 if you bought them directly from many airline programs. That's a 143% return before considering any value from the service itself.
If you've been looking for ways to top off your points balance for a specific redemption, or you simply want to stockpile transferable points at a great price, this is your opportunity. Learn more about maximizing your Amex points or understanding what your Chase points are worth to get the most value from these deals.
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