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Hey everyone, and welcome back to Smart With Points. I'm Jack, and today we're talking about something that might not sound as glamorous as booking business class with miles, but trust me, it's going to make your wallet very happy this Christmas. We're diving into Rakuten UK's Cyber Week promotion, where you can earn up to seventy percent cashback on your holiday shopping. Yes, you heard that right – seventy percent. So grab a cup of tea, settle in, and let me show you how to turn your Christmas shopping into actual cash.
Let's start with the basics. With Christmas fast approaching – and yes, it really is just a few weeks away – most of us are about to embark on the annual gift-buying frenzy. But before you start clicking add to basket everywhere, there's a simple trick that could put some serious cash back in your pocket, and it takes about two minutes to set up.
I'm talking about Rakuten UK, a cashback platform that's currently running some genuinely impressive Cyber Week rates. We're talking up to seventy percent cashback at selected retailers, with plenty of big names offering fifteen to twenty-four percent back on your purchases.
Now, if you're not familiar with Rakuten, let me explain. It's essentially a cashback portal. You click through their website or browser extension before making a purchase at a participating retailer, and you earn a percentage of your spend back as cash. Simple as that.
Unlike loyalty points or miles that require some mental gymnastics to value, Rakuten pays out in cold, hard cash, deposited directly to your PayPal or bank account once you hit the minimum threshold. No complicated redemption strategies, no transfer partners to figure out – just actual money.
So let's talk about the current Cyber Week deals, because they're really quite impressive. Right now, Rakuten is running their Cyber Week Super Cashback promotion with some eye-catching rates. Here's a taste of what's on offer: up to seventy percent cashback on selected brands, twenty to twenty-four percent cashback at multiple retailers, fifteen to seventeen and a half percent at major shopping destinations, and elevated rates across dozens of other stores.
These aren't your typical one to two percent cashback rates you might be used to. When you're spending hundreds, or let's be honest, potentially thousands on Christmas gifts, the savings can genuinely add up.
Now here's where it gets particularly interesting for those who haven't signed up yet. New Rakuten members currently get an extra ten percent cashback on top of the advertised rates, capped at forty pounds back. So if you're seeing a retailer offering twenty percent, as a new member you'd actually be getting thirty percent back, up to that forty pound cap.
To qualify, you need to make a qualifying purchase within seven days of signing up. Given that most of us will be doing some Christmas shopping anyway, this is essentially free money waiting to be claimed. The ten percent extra is available at merchants where it's advertised, excluding travel, so check the site to see which retailers are participating.
Now, for my fellow points collectors, here's where the strategy gets really fun. Rakuten cashback stacks perfectly with whatever rewards you're earning on your credit card. For example, if you're using an American Express card earning one Membership Rewards point per pound, you'll still earn those points and get the Rakuten cashback on top. It's not either or, it's both.
This is what I'd call a genuine double-dip opportunity. You're earning rewards through your card issuer while simultaneously getting cash back through Rakuten. So if you're spending a hundred pounds at a retailer offering twenty percent cashback, you're getting twenty pounds back through Rakuten, plus a hundred Membership Rewards points from your Amex. That's a seriously good return.
So how do you actually get started? It's incredibly simple. First, sign up for a free Rakuten account. Then, install their browser extension – this is optional but makes life so much easier. Before any online purchase, check if the retailer is on Rakuten. Click through from Rakuten to the retailer's site. Complete your purchase as normal. Then just watch the cashback accumulate.
The browser extension is particularly handy because it pops up automatically when you visit a participating retailer, so you never forget to activate your cashback. I can't tell you how many times I've almost made a purchase and the little pop-up has saved me from missing out on cashback.
Now, if you're already a Rakuten member, there's also a referral programme running. When you refer friends and family – and with Christmas gatherings coming up, this is perfect timing – you each get twenty-five pounds once they sign up and spend fifty pounds, excluding VAT, within ninety days. The fifty pound spend can be across multiple purchases at different retailers, so it's not a particularly high bar to clear.
Let me share my thoughts on all of this. I'll be honest, cashback portals aren't the most exciting topic in the travel rewards world. They don't have the aspirational appeal of redeeming miles for business class flights to far-flung destinations. I get that. But here's the thing: every pound saved on everyday spending is a pound that can go towards your next adventure.
If you can get twenty percent back on Christmas gifts you were going to buy anyway, that's real money that could fund your next trip, or at least cover a few airport coffees. And let's be honest, airport coffees are expensive enough that this could cover quite a few of them.
The key is making it habitual. Once you've got the browser extension installed and you're used to checking for cashback before purchases, it becomes second nature. And over the course of a year, those percentages really do add up. I've seen people save hundreds of pounds just by being consistent with using cashback portals.
With the current Cyber Week rates and the new member bonus, there's probably no better time to give it a try if you haven't already. Your Christmas shopping list is the perfect testing ground. You can click the link in the shownotes to sign up for Rakuten UK and start earning on your festive purchases.
So there you have it – a simple way to make your Christmas shopping work harder for you. It's not going to get you a first class ticket to the Maldives on its own, but it's going to put real cash back in your pocket, and that's always a good thing.
Thanks so much for listening to today's episode of Smart With Points. If you found this useful, please do subscribe to the podcast on all major platforms, or head over to our website at smartwithpoints dot co dot uk. And if you've got any questions about Rakuten or cashback portals in general, feel free to reach out. I'd love to hear from you.
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