In this episode, I’m joined by Mari from Mari on the Map to talk about one of the easiest, most underrated ways to earn more points right now: shopping portals.
With banks tightening welcome offers and approvals getting harder, portals let you earn thousands of extra points on purchases you’re already making — no new cards required.
We cover:
- How Mari went from casual points user to running family trips on miles
- What shopping portals are (Rakuten, airline portals, bank offers)
- How to stack: portal → the right card → card-linked offers
- The Rakuten x Bilt (referral links) partnership and when it makes sense
- Common mistakes that break tracking (gift cards, coupon codes, ad blockers, apps)
- How portal earnings can turn into Hyatt nights, domestic flights, or even saver fares to Europe
- Tools that make it easier: SaveWise and CardPointers (my affiliate links)
Quick action steps:
- Check SaveWise (or Cashback Monitor) before you buy
- Install the Rakuten browser extension
- Use a card that earns more than 1X on everyday spend
- Turn on and activate card-linked offers
- Try one stacked purchase this week and watch the points roll in
Find Mari:
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