If you signed up for Rakuten‘s $30 welcome bonus offer — or referred friends who did — but can’t figure out where to spend the required minimum $30, we came up with five practical ideas that might help.
Quick Primer: The Rakuten 30-30-30 Promotion
Cashback portal Rakuten is offering $30 bonuses to new members and those who refer them.
Within 90 days of signing up through a referrer’s unique link, the new member must spend $30 in purchases initiated through Rakuten’s website or app. He or she will then receive $30 cash back in their Rakuten account.
The person who referred him or her will also receive $30.
The promotion runs through May 11 (following an extension issued this past weekend).
So it’s a great way for you, your friends, family, social media followers, etc, to earn some extra money.
Rakuten cashback can also be converted into American Express Membership Rewards points. This is especially lucrative for those with the Business Platinum Card from American Express who can enjoy the card’s 35% rebate when paying with points for certain airfares.
Gift Cards
Buy gift cards for someone special — or yourself!
With $30 cashback in play — and money tight for many of us right now — you can essentially score yourself a free $30 gift card!
Some gift card merchants on Rakuten include:
- Raise.com
- GiftCards.com
- GiftCardMall.com
Food Delivery Services
Stay home and order-in!

At least three food delivery services offer cashback through Rakuten:
- Grubhub (remember to stack with an American Express Gold Card and get your monthly $10 statement credit, too, and/or the Grubhub Amex Offer.)
- Uber Eats (Platinum Card from American Express cardholders can stack with their $15 Uber Cash perk)
- Postmates
Pet Food
Let’s face it: going to the store is a pain in the neck right now.
If you have pets, consider ordering their food and other supplies through Rakuten merchants PETCO or Petsmart. You can either do curbside pickup (where available) or simply have it shipped to your door.
Wine
Wine.com is a nice option for ordering wine — with delivery to your home!
Flowers
Mother’s Day is this Sunday. So if there’s a special mom or mom-to-be in your life, here’s a great way to hit your cashback spend requirement — and make someone else happy, too!

There are a bunch of online florists available through Rakuten. Some of them are:
- 1800FLOWERS
- ProFlowers
- FTD Flowers
- Flowers by Florists.com
- Flowers Fast
Don’t Forget Rakuten’s Home Page Specials!
Rakuten frequently offers great deals (double cashback, etc) on their homepage. So peruse those to see if there’s anything you can use — that may also reward you $30!
— Chris
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2 Comments
Does Rakuten have a minimum we must accrue in spend on their site in order to receive the cash back?
Yes. You must spend a cumulative of at least $30 through purchases initiated through the Rakuten cashback portal.