Good morning. It’s まさきん.
Rakuten Points have a system where your return rate goes up just by paying attention to where you use them. It turns out that where you spend your points matters, not just how you earn them.
Today I want to lay out the basics of this idea. I will also go over a few things to watch out for when you take advantage of it.
Note that the eligible services and return rates get revised from time to time. So I will stick to explaining how the system generally works. Please check the official Rakuten website for the latest details.
What Does It Mean to Save Money by Choosing “Where You Use” Your Points?
Rakuten has programs that add extra points on top of the amount you pay. Simply paying with points does not automatically raise your return rate. The condition is that you enter (sign up) in advance for the eligible service.
Speaking as a marketer, I think of it as a system with conditional branching. The same action can lead to different results depending on whether you set things up beforehand. Whether or not you entered is what determines the outcome, which in this case is your return rate.
The Basic Flow
The typical flow can be broken down into these 3 steps.
- Enter the campaign: Sign up in advance from the campaign page. Any use before you enter is often not eligible. Noticing only after you have already paid is too late, so be careful.
- Set up the eligible service to use points for payment: This covers things like shopping on Rakuten Ichiba or paying monthly fixed costs. You set up point payment on the eligible service.
- Points are awarded once you meet the conditions: When you meet the usage conditions, the bonus points are awarded at a later date. These awarded points are usually limited-time points. It is a good idea to keep in mind that they come with an expiration date.
Key Caveats to Keep in Mind
When using this system, these are the 3 things I personally watch out for.
Entries Usually Cannot Be Canceled
Once you enter, you generally cannot cancel partway through. You may want to be careful about signing up casually just because “it cannot hurt.” It is safer to check the eligibility conditions and the campaign period before you register.
Eligible Services and Conditions Differ by Service
There are several eligible services, such as shopping on Rakuten Ichiba and paying fixed costs. However, each one has different conditions.
In some cases, the condition is simply “use points for payment.” In other cases, the condition is “use points for the first time.” The details vary from campaign to campaign.
I think it helps to get into the habit of checking each condition one by one before you sign up. That way, it is easier to avoid ending up without the rewards you expected.
Eligible Services Change Over Time
The eligible services and campaign details are not fixed. Things get added or changed depending on the period.
It is probably best not to rely on your memory that something “used to be eligible.” I recommend checking the current eligibility on the official website right before you actually use it.
How My Household Approaches It
In my household, we prioritize opportunities to use points for paying fixed costs. That is because I feel recurring monthly payments are easier to benefit from than one-off purchases.
Among fixed costs, your mobile phone bill is probably one of the most obvious candidates. With Rakuten Mobile, you can set it up so your monthly bill is paid with points.
Clicking this opens the Rakuten login page. Once you log in, you’ll see the campaign details.
That said, the eligible services and conditions may change again. So I do not treat it as “set it once and forget it.” I approach it assuming I will recheck things from time to time.
Summary
Rakuten Points have a system that lets you raise your return rate by choosing where you use them. However, you need to keep in mind that entering in advance is required and usually cannot be canceled. The same goes for the fact that conditions differ by eligible service. It is also worth remembering that the eligible services themselves change from time to time.
When I think about how to use my points, I try not to focus only on the immediate return rate. I think making a habit of checking these conditions as well leads to using the system in a sustainable way.
To repeat, eligible services and return rates change. When you actually use them, please check the latest information on the official Rakuten website.
There is one prerequisite for taking advantage of this system. You need to be able to pay your fixed costs with Rakuten Points. That is the first step.
Rakuten Mobile is probably a prime example of this. If you have not signed up yet, start by checking the price simulation.
Clicking this opens the Rakuten login page. Once you log in, you’ll see the campaign details.
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