Get twice the travel rewards for everything you buy online

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One of our favorite points-earning programs — Bilt — recently announced an exciting new partnership with Rakuten. In addition to Bilt's Neighborhood Benefits program, this gives members an easy way to rack up Bilt points on everyday purchases.

If you’re not familiar with Rakuten, it’s one of the most popular online shopping portals, where users can earn extra cash back simply by starting their shopping journey through the Rakuten site (or app). With more than 3,500 participating retailers, including household names like Nike, Macy’s, Athleta, Ulta, Lands' End, and Best Buy, it’s an easy way to earn extra rewards on purchases you’d be making anyway.

Using Rakuten is simple: Start at rakuten.com, search for the store where you plan to shop, click through to the store's own website, and then check out as usual. There’s even a Rakuten Chrome extension that automatically alerts you when cash back is available so you’ll never miss an opportunity to earn.

Best of all, through the end of the year, new Rakuten users have the opportunity to earn $50 in bonus cash back. If you haven't joined yet, I'd recommend doing so now — especially if you're already planning on doing some online shopping.

Sign up for a Rakuten account here and earn $50 in rewards

Here's where Bilt comes in. Rakuten members can now link their accounts and choose to earn Bilt points instead of the standard cash back. It works similarly to Rakuten's existing partnership with American Express where you can earn Membership Rewards points, but instead, your earnings will be converted directly to your Bilt account.

Here’s how it works:

• At this time, through May 2026, all members will earn 100 Bilt points per $1 in cash back earned.
• Thereafter, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Bilt Members will continue to earn 100 Bilt points per $1 in cash back earned, while base-level members will earn 50 Bilt points per $1 in cash back earned.

For example, if you shop through Rakuten at a retailer offering 10% cash back and spend $100, you’d typically earn $10 in cash back. With this partnership, that translates to 1,000 Bilt points during the first six months — or 500 Bilt points afterward for standard members.

To get started, you’ll need to link your Bilt and Rakuten account. Go to the "Rewards" icon within your Bilt account and then click on the "Everyday Rewards" option. From there, navigate to the "Earn Points with Rakuten" section where you'll be prompted to link your account.

Note that your Rakuten email must match your Bilt email, or Rakuten will create a new account for you. If they don't match, you can always change your Rakuten or Bilt email address.

You'll also see that new members can earn 2,500 Bilt points for signing up for a Rakuten account through Bilt directly, but as mentioned above, you're better off creating a Rakuten account directly though this link. This is the link offering $50, which is worth 5,000 Bilt points.

From there, every eligible Rakuten purchase will automatically earn Bilt points instead of cash back. Bilt points earned will then transfer to your account at the end of each quarter.

Keep in mind that the points earned from Rakuten will not count towards your Bilt elite status earning.

Link your Bilt and Rakuten accounts here

Earn travel rewards without a credit card!

One of the best ways to travel for free is by earning points and miles. And while you might think you need a credit card to earn rewards, we have a secret for you — you don't, thanks to this program. This company offers plenty of ways to earn its points just by going about your daily life. (And spoiler alert: their points are incredibly valuable!) So take a look and see how you can start earning travel rewards right now with no credit card required.

Start collecting points without plastic!

In addition to this Rakuten partnership, Bilt members can earn extra points through Bilt's Neighborhood Benefits program. This ongoing program rewards you during your everyday shopping — from dining out to fitness classes to shopping at participating retailers like Walgreens.

All you need to do is link your preferred credit or debit cards to your Bilt account, and you’ll automatically earn bonus Bilt points on top of your regular credit card rewards whenever you pay at participating merchants.

You can even connect your Bilt account to Lyft to earn an additional 2 Bilt points per dollar spent on every ride, no matter which card you use to pay.

Learn more about Bilt's Neighborhood Benefits here

Between Neighborhood Benefits and the Rakuten partnership, Bilt members have many opportunities to stack rewards on purchases they’re already making — all without changing your usual shopping habits.

Reduce your travel anxiety with TSA-approved stress balls

Stress balls are a fantastic fidget to keep your hands busy and calm nerves. But some of them are filled with gels and liquid, so it's important to buy a TSA-approved one for flying. The Serenilite stress balls won’t trip you up at security, and come in several densities for varying grip strength.

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