✈ The Easiest 5,000 Points You Can Earn (Over and Over Again), Glamping at Zion on Points & More From TPG ✈

Also: The 9 best river cruises for every type of traveler

September 27, 2025 View in browser

Last chance: An easy 5,000 points or $50 by Colin Hogan, Newsletter editor There's an incredibly easy way to earn 5,000 valuable points (or $50) an unlimited number of times that is so effortless, lucrative and beneficial for everyone that it may just become your new addiction. I'm talking about Rakuten's glorious referral bonus, which is currently its highest offer to date: $50 for you and $50 for a friend (up from the usual $30) when you register by Sept. 30. How does it work? Just sign up using this link, add Rakuten’s browser extension and spend at least $50 shopping online within 90 days, and you'll get $50 back. It's really that simple. There are no other hoops to jump through, and no inflated pricing. (Then go ahead and refer all your friends and cash in on their sign-ups!) Or, if you have an American Express Membership Rewards account, your $50 back could instead be 5,000 Amex points (which are more valuable at 2 cents apiece per our September 2025 valuations). What would I buy? Practically anything! Rakuten is an online shopping portal that offers cash back (or points) at more than 3,500 retailers — think Best Buy, Lowe's, Target, Sephora, Lululemon and tons of other places you like to shop. And, in some cases, we're talking huge earning rates! Last year, I bought a bed from Nectar when Rakuten was offering 17% back (or 17 points per dollar spent) and earned nearly 65,000 Amex points from that one purchase! And here's the kicker: You can even buy gift cards from sites like Giftcards.com — a great option if you don't need anything specific right now. Plus, these points stack on top of the rewards you earn with your payment card, and any statement credits that card offers. This is why Rakuten has become the go-to shopping portal for so many points pros. Just don’t miss your chance to get this higher $50 offer before it ends Sept. 30. Want to know more? Check out these articles. Here’s how to earn a best-ever $50 cash-back bonus at Rakuten What is Rakuten? Earn cash back or Amex points with a shopping portal Earn Membership Rewards points with Rakuten’s first-ever credit card Sign up now Posts in this newsletter contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products, and this may impact how or where they appear. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES.

Today's top stories Glamping at Zion: Elevate your national park adventure at these points-friendly resorts Elevate your Zion National Park adventure at these points-friendly resorts. Read more The 9 best river cruises for every type of traveler Whether you're a foodie, an adventurous traveler, a luxury lover or a first-time cruiser, you can find the right river cruise for you. Read more United Airlines will deploy Starlink Wi-Fi on its first mainline jet next month United just secured Federal Aviation Administration approval to deploy the satellite internet service on its Boeing 737-800 fleet. Read more Frequent Uber or Lyft user? These are the best credit cards for you These credit cards all earn a solid return on Uber and Lyft purchases, but which is best? Read more 4 reasons to hold both the American Express Gold and Platinum Boost your American Express points balance and elevate your lifestyle by using both of these cards. Read more

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