In my previous post, I explained how I use points to book flights. In this post, I will show how I actually earn those points. I do not try to be fancy with points. I just use a few simple methods again and again. Over time, they add up and help me book flights and hotels using points instead of cash.
Here is one of the easiest ways I use almost every month.
1. Using Rakuten (Very Easy Way to Earn Extra Points)
Rakuten is a website that gives you a chance to earn cash back or American Express points when you shop at your usual online stores.
You just go to Rakuten first, find the store you want, click it, and then shop like normal.
If you have an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points (like Amex Platinum), you can choose to earn Amex points instead of cash back on Rakuten. That is what I always do.
Also, you do not have to use an Amex card to pay. You can pay with any card you want. As long as your Rakuten account is set to earn Amex points, you will still earn the points.
How I Actually Use It
Whenever I book a place on Booking.com, I first check Rakuten.
If Rakuten is offering a bonus, I click the link from Rakuten to Booking.com and then book like normal.
For example:
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Total stay on booking.com: $1200
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Rakuten bonus: 8%
This gives me about 9600 Amex points (1200 × 8) just from using the Rakuten link to Booking.com.
On top of that, I also earn points from my credit card like normal.
In this case, I usually use my Citi Strata Premier, which earns 3x points on booking.com purchases.
So for the same $1200 booking, I also earn:
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3600 Citi ThankYou points from the Citi Strata premier credit card. This has nothing to do with Rakuten. It is just the regular earning from the card.
So One Booking Earned Me:
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9600 Amex points from Rakuten
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3600 Citi points from my Citi Strata Premier
That is why I like this method. You are stacking points from two different places for the same purchase.
The Rakuten bonus usually ranges from 1% to 15%, depending on the season and whether the store participates in the Rakuten program.
One Small Thing to Watch
Before booking, I always do a quick check:
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Open Booking.com directly in Chrome
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Then open it again through Rakuten using a different browser (Safari or Firefox)
Sometimes the price through Rakuten is slightly higher (it is rare, but it happens). If the price is the same, I go with Rakuten. If not, I just book direct.
It Is Not Just for Hotels
Rakuten also works for many other stores.
So anytime I plan to buy something, I check Rakuten first.
For example, if I want to buy a camera from Best Buy, I go through Rakuten first and earn extra points on that purchase too. The screenshot below shows an example of the points I earn through Rakuten from shopping online at Best Buy, Mattress Firm, and Booking.com.
2. Earning Points Through Credit Cards
This is the main way I earn points.
I keep it very simple. I just use the right card for the right type of spending.
How I Use My Cards
● Flights
I use Amex Platinum to book flights directly with airlines (5x points per dollar).
● Hotels and Airbnb
I use Citi Strata Premier for hotels and Airbnb (3x points per dollar). Side note: I do not use it for IHG or Hyatt stays.
For Airbnb, I also earn an extra 1x Delta SkyMiles per dollar when I book through the Delta-Airbnb partnership page.
For IHG and Hyatt stays:
Chase IHG Premier for IHG stays (up to 26x points per dollar)
Chase World of Hyatt for Hyatt stays (up to 9x points per dollar)
● Dining and Lyft
I use Chase Sapphire Preferred for restaurants (3x points per dollar) and Lyft rides (5x points per dollar).
● Uber, Grab, and Ground Transport
I use Wells Fargo Autograph for rides like Uber, Grab, and other ground transport (3x points per dollar).
● Car Rentals
I usually use Amex Platinum for rental cars (1x point per dollar).
Citi Strata Premier earns 3x points, but I still use Amex because the car rental insurance (auto collision damage waiver) from Amex feels more reliable to me, so I value that more than the extra points.
● Everything Else
For anything not covered above, I use:
Amex Blue Business Plus for US transactions only, since it has a foreign transaction fee (2x points per dollar)
Chase IHG Premier for foreign transactions (3x points per dollar)
Why I Do It This Way
I keep it very simple and do not overthink it.
Flights → Amex Platinum
Hotels → Citi Strata Premier
Dining → Chase Sapphire Preferred
Transport → Wells Fargo Autograph
Hyatt Stays → Chase World of Hyatt
IHG Stays → Chase IHG Premier
That is it. Over time, it adds up without much effort.