The next big gift-giving occasions, such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and graduations, are on the horizon. If you’re struggling to find the perfect gift for your loved ones, online shopping portals may be a great solution. Online shopping portals offer an easy way to earn bonus miles or cash back on purchases. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the top online shopping portals and how you can maximize your rewards when shopping.
Let’s start with a quick overview of what these portals do. At the most basic level, shopping portals allow you to earn bonus points, miles, or cash back at hundreds of online retailers. All you need to do is log in to your online shopping portal of choice. Then, click the store where you want to shop, and you will be redirected to the store’s website and can shop as normal.
You’re still purchasing the same items directly from the merchant, but because you started at the shopping portal, you’ll earn bonus points. However, this generally only applies to the subtotal of your purchase (excluding taxes and shipping fees). In addition, you’ll still earn points or miles on the actual rewards credit card you use, making this an easy way to double dip.
Here’s an example. Let’s say you planned on buying a Mother’s Day gift from Macy’s for Grandma. That item costs $100 if you purchase it directly from macys.com (plus $20 in taxes and shipping). Since you want to maximize your purchase, you plan to use your Citi Double Cash® Card to take advantage of the 2% cash back it offers on purchases. However, you also notice that Rakuten offers an additional 2% back at Macy’s. You begin there and click through to macys.com to complete the purchase.
Thus, you’ll earn the following:
– $120 x 2% cash back on the Citi Double Cash = $2.40
– $100 x 2% cash back through the portal = $2
If you shopped directly on macys.com, you would’ve missed out on the extra $2 you got through Rakuten — and you’re still getting the same item for the same price.
You might wonder how these portals can do this. After all, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. However, there’s no catch here. In exchange for directing you to a specified merchant, the portal will take a cut of any purchase you make from the retailer, giving you points or miles as a reward. It’s a win-win-win situation for all involved; the merchant gets more business, the portal generates more revenue, and you get extra rewards.
You may think that an extra $5 here or 300 points there won’t make much of a difference. However, if you consistently utilize shopping portals, you can easily rack up a significant amount of points, miles, or cash back in a year. The beauty of this process is that you’re earning additional bonuses for things you would’ve bought anyway — an especially savvy move to address some of the cost increases we’ve been seeing.
Now that you know how it works, let’s take a look at the major types of shopping portals out there. You can generally group them into three categories: airline and hotel loyalty programs, credit cards, and cash back.
Almost every major airline has an online shopping portal, and they work similarly. While the exact login process may vary slightly, each one will award bonus points or miles based on your purchases across hundreds of retailers. In addition to the standard earning rates these sites offer, many will frequently offer bonuses as an added incentive. Some portals will even allow you to link your credit card and earn additional points and miles for in-store shopping.
Some credit card issuers currently offer their own online shopping portals where you can stack your credit card earnings. To utilize any of these portals, you must have an active credit card account that earns points in the bank’s program.
The final category of online shopping portals consists of those offering extra cash back on your purchases. This is a great option for anyone who doesn’t want to bother with the hassle of airline miles or credit card points. In some instances, you can even earn bonuses for booking hotel reservations through these sites.
One of the best sites — and the one that TPG staffers use most frequently — is Rakuten. This portal traditionally fell squarely into the realm of cash-back earnings. However, it also allows members to opt for American Express Membership Rewards points. You can earn Amex points at a ratio of $0.01 to 1 Membership Rewards point, so a merchant offering 1% cash back would instead result in 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar spent.
As you can see, this is a dizzying array of options, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to quickly sort through them for your next online shopping spree. Shopping portal aggregators like Cashback Monitor allow you to compare different portals and find the best offers for your specific purchase.
In conclusion, online shopping portals are a great way to earn bonus miles, points, or cash back on your purchases. They offer a simple and easy way to maximize your rewards and save money while shopping for gifts or everyday items. Whether you choose to use airline and hotel loyalty programs, credit card portals, or cash back sites, you can easily accumulate significant rewards by consistently utilizing these portals. So next time you’re struggling to find the perfect gift, consider using an online shopping portal to make your purchase and earn some extra rewards along the way.