Cards & Points

How to Turn Rakuten Cash Back Into Amex Points

Updated August 24, 2026

Rakuten pays you cash back for shopping through its portal. But you can flip one setting and get paid in American Express Membership Rewards points instead. Because those points transfer to airline and hotel partners, the exact same shopping can be worth a lot more than the cash version, if you are a points person.

First, the catch. You need an American Express card enrolled in the U.S. Membership Rewards program, active and in good standing. Corporate cards and the Rakuten American Express Card are not eligible.

Set it up in two steps

Change your payment method
In Rakuten, open Account Settings and switch your payment method to Membership Rewards points.
Connect your Amex account
Sign in with your American Express login to link your Membership Rewards account. That is it.

The fine print worth knowing

Your existing cash back converts. Any cash back you have already earned gets converted to points and sent on the next payout.
Payouts come every 3 months. Rakuten transfers your points on its quarterly schedule, not instantly.
There is a 501-point minimum. You need at least 501 confirmed points before a payout date to receive that round.

Bottom line

If you value Amex points over cash, and most award travelers do, make the switch once and every future Rakuten purchase quietly becomes transferable points. New to Rakuten? Sign up, then set your payout to Amex points from day one.

Referral link. We may earn a reward when you sign up, at no cost to you.