How to Earn Travel Points Without A Credit Card

 Most families think the only way to earn meaningful travel points is by opening more credit cards.

But one of the easiest strategies I use to earn real, transferable travel points—the same points I use to book international flights for my family—doesn’t require opening a new card, changing my budget, or doing anything complicated.

It’s Rakuten.

Rakuten can be used to earn travel points instead of cash back by linking it to American Express Membership Rewards. When set up correctly, Rakuten earns transferable Amex points on everyday online purchases, including travel bookings. These points can then be transferred to airline partners to book flights, making Rakuten a simple, passive travel rewards strategy for families who don’t want to open new credit cards.

And when Rakuten is set up correctly, it quietly earns you points in the background on purchases you’re already making—especially travel purchases.

In this post, I’m walking you through exactly how Rakuten works, how I personally use it, and how those points turn into real flights when paired with the right redemption strategy.

What Rakuten Actually Is (And Why Most People Underuse It)

Rakuten is a free shopping portal and browser extension. You can earn an extra 5,000 transferrable points by getting started here.

When you shop through Rakuten or activate the extension before checking out, you earn points back for that purchase.

Most people stop there and assume Rakuten is just “cash back.”

That’s where they go wrong.

The key difference:

Rakuten lets you earn American Express Membership Rewards points instead of cash back.

These are the same transferable points that can be moved to airlines like:

• Virgin Atlantic

• Delta (via partners)

• Air Canada

• British Airways
  …and more.

That’s what makes Rakuten powerful for travel.

Step 1: Set Rakuten to Earn Membership Rewards (This Matters)

When you create a free Rakuten account, you’ll want to go into your account settings and choose American Express Membership Rewards as your redemption method.

Once this is set:

• Your Rakuten points automatically convert to Amex Membership Rewards

• You don’t have to manually transfer anything

• It runs quietly in the background

This one setting is what turns Rakuten from “nice” into strategic.

Step 2: Install the Free Rakuten Browser Extension

Once the extension is installed:

• Rakuten activates automatically when you shop at eligible stores

• You’ll see a green checkmark when points are active

• You’ll see the multiplier (ex: 4x, 5x, 8x points)

This is important because:

• You don’t have to remember to click through Rakuten

• You won’t miss points on purchases you already planned to make

Real Example: Booking Vegas Tickets and Earning Points Toward Europe

In this video, I walk through booking tickets for a Vegas trip using a site that was offering 4x points through Rakuten.

Here’s what happened:

• I checked out like normal

• Rakuten was already activated

• Points tracked automatically

• No extra steps

After the purchase processed, those points showed up in my Rakuten account and later transferred directly to my Amex Membership Rewards balance.

From just that one transaction, I earned over 3,000 Rakuten points—which convert to Amex Membership Rewards points.

That’s already enough to make a meaningful dent in an international flight.

How This Stacks With Your Credit Card (Without Opening New Ones)

This is where families start to see momentum.

Rakuten points stack with the points you’re already earning on your credit card.

In my example:

• Rakuten earned points from the shopping portal

• My Capital One Venture card earned 2x points on the same purchase

• One purchase earned points from two systems at once

📌 Important:
You’re not changing spending habits.
You’re not spending more money.
You’re just capturing points that were already available.

Why Transferable Points Are So Valuable

If you let these points sit in a basic travel portal, they don’t go very far.

But when you:

1. Earn points through Rakuten

2. Transfer them into airline partners

3. Search award flights the right way

They stretch dramatically.

In this video, I show how:

• Flights from New York (JFK) to London can be found for 6,000 points one way

• Direct flights

• Multiple seats available (critical for families)

• Taxes and fees only

This is why Rakuten matters.
It feeds the kind of points that make these redemptions possible.

Why I Pair Rakuten With Award Search Tools

Earning points is only half the equation.

You also need to:

• See real award availability

• Filter for multiple seats

• Search far in advance

That’s why I use dedicated award search tools instead of airline websites.

This allows me to:

• Find flights months ahead

• Sort by lowest point cost

• Book strategically instead of guessing

Rakuten fills the pipeline.
Search tools unlock the value.

Transfer Bonuses: Making Rakuten Points Go Even Further

Sometimes airlines offer transfer bonuses.

That means:

• 1,000 points can turn into 1,400 points instantly

• Your flight costs drop without earning more points

When Rakuten points land in your Amex account, they’re eligible for these bonuses too.

That’s how:

• Vegas purchases help pay for Europe flights

• One trip helps fund the next

• Families travel more consistently instead of “once in a lifetime”

Why This Strategy Works So Well for Families

Rakuten works especially well for moms because:

• It’s passive once set up

• It doesn’t add mental load

• It doesn’t require opening cards

• It doesn’t affect your credit

It simply rewards the spending you’re already doing—especially around travel, holidays, and online shopping.

What’s Coming Next

If you're ready fr the next step, you'll want to check out how to break down the biggest mistakes families make with travel points—even when they’re earning them.

These mistakes are why:

• Points feel slow to accumulate

• Redemptions feel confusing

• Families earn points but never actually book the trip

Once you fix those, travel becomes predictable and repeatable.

Rakuten Travel Points FAQ

Can Rakuten earn airline miles or travel points?
Yes. When Rakuten is set to earn American Express Membership Rewards instead of cash back, your points become transferable travel points that can be moved to airline partners like Virgin Atlantic, Air Canada, and British Airways.

Is Rakuten better than cash back for travel?
For travelers, yes. Cash back has a fixed value, but transferable travel points can be worth significantly more when used for award flights, especially international or family travel.

Do Rakuten points expire?
Rakuten points do not expire as long as your account remains active. Once they transfer to your American Express Membership Rewards account, they follow Amex’s standard point rules.

Do I need an American Express card to earn points with Rakuten?
Yes. You need an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards to link Rakuten to your Amex account. You do not need to open a new card if you already have one.

Does Rakuten affect my credit score?
No. Rakuten is a shopping portal and browser extension and does not involve credit checks or impact your credit score.

Can families earn enough points with Rakuten to book flights?
Yes. When Rakuten points are earned consistently and combined with existing credit card rewards, families can accumulate enough transferable points to book international flights, often with multiple seats available.

Is Rakuten passive once it’s set up?
Yes. After selecting Amex Membership Rewards and installing the browser extension, Rakuten automatically tracks eligible purchases in the background.

👉 Read this article to learn what’s quietly holding your points back—and how to fix it.