Rakuten Amex overview
The Rakuten American Categorical® card can earn highly effective Membership Rewards factors or money again, permitting you to flex it to your pockets and technique. When paired with Rakuten’s buying portal, this card can earn an distinctive quantity of rewards per greenback spent. It is highly effective in the best fingers, nevertheless it will not be the best choice for many who aren’t invested in Membership Rewards. Card score*: ⭐⭐⭐½
*Card score relies on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.
Digging into the small print of the Rakuten American Categorical left me extra enthusiastic about it than I’ve felt about most up-to-date card launches. At first look, it does not appear to be a card that might match my technique, as I sometimes go for transferable rewards playing cards.
The Rakuten Amex is marketed as a cash-back card, however cardholders with a Membership Rewards-earning card can choose to earn these factors as a substitute. I am a cardmember of each the American Categorical Platinum Card® and the American Categorical® Gold Card, and I already earn Membership Rewards factors by means of Rakuten’s buying portal.
That makes this card appear to be a tailored match for my pockets. Different Membership Rewards cardmembers ought to pay an equal quantity of consideration to the Rakuten Amex because it might probably earn quite a few bonus factors for his or her travels.
As a result of this card has no annual payment, you need to have an excellent likelihood of approval with a credit score rating of 670 or larger.
Let’s dig deeper into what makes the Rakuten Amex so intriguing.
The data for the Rakuten American Categorical card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
Rakuten Amex execs and cons
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Rakuten Amex welcome provide
New Rakuten Amex cardholders can earn a bonus of $100 money again after spending $1,000 within the first 90 days of account opening.
Reward your inbox with the TPG Every day publication
Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
Most no-annual-fee playing cards don’t have any or poor welcome presents. The Rakuten Amex’s welcome bonus is not extraordinary, nevertheless it’s stable. You will solely must spend round $333 every month to earn this welcome bonus, which must be possible for almost all of cardholders.
First Digital Financial institution is the issuing accomplice for this card. It is managed by Imprint, which handles processing all functions.
Since this card is not formally issued by Amex, it will not be topic to the identical utility guidelines that Amex makes use of for its playing cards. Which means you might be able to earn multiple Rakuten Amex welcome bonus in a lifetime, and it probably will not depend in opposition to Amex’s restrict of 5 bank cards.
Rakuten Amex advantages
This card’s major enchantment lies in its incomes charges, nevertheless it presents some extra advantages. No-annual-fee playing cards sometimes have restricted perks, so I will take no matter I can get if it goes past credit score rating monitoring and fraud safety.
As a cardholder, you will have entry to:
- Amex Affords: Amex Affords provide you with bonus rewards for buying at choose retailers. I have already got entry to this by means of my two Amex playing cards, however I am comfortable to obtain this perk on the Rakuten Amex since Amex Affords sometimes differ from card to card.
- Amex Experiences: Cardholders can entry unique experiences at a spread of occasions, together with live shows, sporting occasions and theatrical productions.
- Retail safety: You will be protected in case your buy is broken or stolen inside 90 days of buy.
- Prolonged guarantee safety: This protection doubles the producer’s current guarantee, as much as 12 months.
The Rakuten Amex shines essentially the most when used for buying, so retail safety and prolonged guarantee protection are nice advantages to have.
Incomes rewards with the Rakuten Amex
That is the half the place it actually will get fascinating. Listed below are the Rakuten Amex’s base incomes charges:
- 10% money again (or 10 factors per greenback spent) at Rakuten Eating companions
- 4% money again (or 4 factors per greenback spent) on Rakuten buying portal purchases (on as much as $7,000 of spending every year, then 1% again or 1 level per greenback spent)
- 2% money again (or 2 factors per greenback spent) at grocery shops and different eating places
- 1% money again (or 1 level per greenback spent) on every part else
Keep in mind, you will want a Membership Rewards-earning card to earn factors. The Amex Platinum and the Amex Gold are nice choices.
Or, you possibly can go for The Blue Enterprise® Plus Credit score Card from American Categorical if you wish to earn factors for no annual payment (see charges and charges).
The rewards earned in your Rakuten Amex can stack with what you earn by means of Rakuten’s buying portal.
Rakuten presents some unbelievable bonuses, generally as excessive as 20% money again (or 20 factors per greenback spent). Which means sure purchases made along with your Rakuten Amex by means of Rakuten’s portal might earn as a lot as 24% money again (or 24 factors per greenback spent).
We solely see incomes charges as excessive as 24 factors per greenback spent with resort playing cards, and the factors they earn aren’t almost as helpful as Membership Rewards factors. Based on TPG’s October 2025 valuations, Membership Rewards factors are value 2 cents per level.
Due to Amex’s once-per-lifetime rule for incomes welcome bonuses, incomes Membership Rewards factors will be difficult after you have checked off all obtainable welcome presents. The Rakuten Amex could be a implausible answer to that downside.
I do not advocate utilizing this card for grocery shops or eating (besides at Rakuten Eating companions) since you may get higher charges with different playing cards. However I can not consider a draw back to utilizing this card when buying by means of Rakuten, until you anticipate to spend past $7,000 in a 12 months on the portal.
Associated: How I earned virtually 30,000 Amex Membership Rewards factors with assist from Rakuten
Redeeming and transferring rewards with the Rakuten Amex
How one can redeem your rewards relies on the way you select to obtain them. If you happen to choose to earn money again, you’ll be able to redeem your rewards for a present card at any time or obtain quarterly payouts as a test or to your PayPal account.
If you happen to select to earn Membership Rewards factors as a substitute, your factors will routinely be transferred to your Membership Rewards account as soon as each three months, supplied you may have a minimum of 501 confirmed factors in your account.
Whereas these restrictions are a bit of irritating, I can not complain an excessive amount of, provided that the Rakuten Amex has no annual payment and the Rakuten buying portal is free to make use of.
Membership Rewards factors will be redeemed in quite a lot of methods, together with for assertion credit, reward playing cards, money again and at Amazon checkout. They can be transferred to Amex’s 20 airline and resort companions, which provides you with essentially the most worth.
When transferring your factors, TPG estimates you will obtain 2 cents per level in worth. Since my most well-liked resort model, Hyatt, is not a Membership Rewards switch accomplice, I normally use my factors for flights. For instance, I transferred simply over 17,000 factors to Air Canada final 12 months to go to Vancouver, British Columbia, for Christmas from the Pacific Northwest.
Associated: Amex Membership Rewards switch companions: Redeem your factors with airways and inns
Which playing cards compete with the Rakuten Amex?
If you happen to do not suppose the Rakuten Amex is sensible in your pockets, take into account one in every of these playing cards as a substitute:
- If you need a no-annual-fee card issued by Amex: The Blue Enterprise Plus has no annual payment however nonetheless earns Membership Rewards factors. Its incomes charges aren’t as probably profitable because the Rakuten Amex, however their simplicity could also be extra engaging to sure folks. To be taught extra, try our full evaluation of the Blue Enterprise Plus.
- If you need a greater card for U.S. supermarkets and eating places: The Amex Gold earns 4 factors per greenback spent at U.S. supermarkets* and eating places worldwide**. Whereas it has a $325 annual payment (see charges and charges), it presents a number of assertion credit to offset that price. To be taught extra, try our full evaluation of the Amex Gold.
- If you happen to’d relatively earn Final Rewards factors as a substitute: We frequently advocate the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and charges) for its well-rounded bonus classes and entry to Chase’s 13 switch companions. This card permits me to e book resort stays with Hyatt, arguably essentially the most helpful resort loyalty program. To be taught extra, try our full evaluation of the Sapphire Most well-liked.
For extra choices, try our picks for the perfect playing cards for on-line buying and eating.
*For U.S. grocery store purchases, you will earn 4 factors per greenback on as much as $25,000 in spending every calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback.
**For worldwide eating places, you will earn 4 factors per greenback on as much as $50,000 in spending every calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback.
Associated: Chase Sapphire Most well-liked vs. Amex Gold: Which mid-tier favourite is best for you?
Is the Rakuten Amex value it?
If you happen to’re invested within the Membership Rewards program, I like to recommend the Rakuten Amex.
If you happen to’re on this card for the money again, it may be a helpful possibility, however I counsel evaluating it in opposition to different cash-back playing cards earlier than committing. Since this card requires possession of a Membership Rewards-earning card to earn these factors, this card will not be an excellent match for a newbie who has but to enter Amex’s ecosystem.
Backside line
I am making an attempt to get my 5/24 standing in a great place; in any other case, I might apply proper now for the Rakuten Amex. It is a fantastic possibility for Membership Rewards lovers since it could possibly earn a pile of factors per greenback spent when paired with the best Rakuten provide.
The $7,000 spending cap on bonus-earning within the Rakuten portal might frustrate excessive spenders, however I do not suppose it is an enormous detriment, contemplating it is a no-annual-fee card. I am desirous to ultimately apply for this card and see the way it can enhance my rewards.
Associated: Earn factors, miles or money again: Tips on how to maximize on-line buying portals in your purchases
For charges and charges of the Blue Enterprise Plus, please click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Gold, please click on right here.
