[CONTEST] Hack your way through Rakuten

Those of us who are accustomed to stocking our closets and pantries by online shopping would have heard of Rakuten, that online global marketplace which sells all manner of stuff, like accessories, clothes, electronics, food and beverages and even furniture.

A first-time visitor to Rakuten might find navigation on Rakuten a little overwhelming. But thankfully, there are a few methods around this madness. It’s worth the hassle because if you’re smart, you can get further deals on the already-low prices.

To do you a service, here are nine of the best hacks on getting the best price from Rakuten.

1. Get more rebates from Ebates

Don’t you just hate it when you can’t apply discounts and promo codes together? But on Rakuten, you don’t just get one discount, you can take advantage of merchant promotions and use coupon codes.

Access Rakuten Singapore via Ebates.sg and get an additional 5% rebate off your purchases

Plus, when you do your online shopping through , you’ll get an additional 5% rebate storewide. It’s a cashback website which tracks your purchases and sends your accumulated rebates via your preferred payment method each quarter. It features more than 300 online retailers and is Rakuten featured on it? You betcha.

Tip: Pay using VISA for the first seven days of each month to enjoy 20% rebate!

2. Are you using the right credit card?

Check your wallet for these cards to enjoy additional perks when checking out at Rakuten:

– The Citi Rewards Card gives you 10% off storewide with the code “RTCITI10” (maximum discount $50)
– The Standard Chartered SingPost Platinum Visa Credit Card gives you 7% cash rebate (with a minimum spend of $600 a month)
– The DBS Live Fresh Platinum Card gives you 6% cash rebate (with minimum spend of $500 a month)
– MasterCard (any bank) will give you 5% off storewide on Tuesdays (maximum discount $30)

3. Earn 5X Rakuten Super Points with their new reward programme

If you’re a Rakuten member, you can accumulate points and use them to get rebates off future purchases. 100 points = S$1, and with this reward programme, you can get five times the regular number of points. Which means if I buy a $100 item, I’ll get $5 off on my next purchase. Essentially this means that everyone gets a 5% rebate on all purchases, everyday! And the best part is, unlike the credit card rebates, there is NO CAP on your Rakuten Super Points.

4. Sign up for Rakuten’s electronic direct mail

It pays to be on the mailing list with Rakuten. You get firsthand knowledge of flash sale alerts for the whole Rakuten marketplace, coupon codes, curated shopping lists comprising the best buys daily – these are a combi of shop discounts and discounts co-sponsored by Rakuten.

5. Subscribe to your favourite shop’s R-mail.

If you have a favourite shop, you should do this. The shop will directly inform you when there are new arrivals or promotions.

6. Look out for Rakuten big points day!

Sometimes, Rakuten will offer additional Rakuten Super Points when you make multiple orders from different shops in a day. It can be up to 40x Rakuten Super Points, which means that you get 40% rebate in the form of points and you can use it to offset your next purchase.

7. Buy in bulk.

[CONTEST] Hack your way through Rakuten - Alvinology

Get together with your friends to buy items in bulk, eg Pet Food/Ramen/Miso Soup/Rice seasoning/Diapers/Mineral water etc. Just check out this Seaweed Soup and you’ll know what I mean.

8. Become a Gold member.

Keep buying your items online to accumulate Rakuten Super Points to become a Gold member. Gold members get special perks and secret coupons mailed to them periodically! Also, each member gets a 20% discount code on their birthday!

Buy Made-in-Japan diapers for less than $0.30/piece on Rakuten

Now, here’s an example of how to get the best of Rakuten when you buy these super atas Merries Walker diapers in size M.

[CONTEST] Hack your way through Rakuten - Alvinology

The regular retail price of these diapers as listed on the FairPrice website is $16.05 for a pack of 33 diapers. This works out to $0.49 nett, per diaper.

The price offered by Kenkocom @ Rakuten Singapore is $26.10 for a pack of 58 diapers. This works out to $0.45 nett, per diaper. But that’s not all. To get free shipping, the minimum spend is $70, so let’s buy three packs of these to qualify.

3 x $26.10 = $78.30.
Apply coupon code “RTCITI10” because I have the Citibank Rewards Card and I get a $7.83 discount immediately.
$78.30 – $7.83 = $70.47 for 174 diapers, which works out to $0.405 per diaper!

Wait, I’m not done yet!

I earn 390 points in Rakuten Super Points, which equates to $3.90.
And another $3.50 in quarterly rebates if I log onto the Rakuten website via Ebates!
Now, if you’re not a Rakuten member yet, this brings me to our exciting contest which will get EVERYONE who participates a generous $20 in Rakuten Super Points.

So if you use your Rakuten Super Points on our hypothetical diaper purchase, you’re paying $50.47 for 174 diapers, which works out to $0.29 per diaper. You’re essentially buying a premium product at low-end price!

Contest!

The first 20 Alvinology readers who sign up for Rakuten membership will each get 2,000 Rakuten Super Points (equivalent to S$20). All you need to do is input your new member ID onto the contest form provided and the points will be credited into your member account once the contest is over.
Please follow the following steps:

1. Open a new tab in your browser and go to https://goo.gl/npTn9u to sign up on Rakuten

2. Enter the email address you used to sign on on Rakuten in this form: http://goo.gl/forms/wu3Wk8PfIC

Terms and Conditions:

– Only new member accounts qualify

– Contest runs from 1 Feb 2016 to 29 Feb 2016.

– Points will be credited into your member account on Mar 7, 2016.

– Points will expire if not utilised within two months

– Rakuten reserves the right not to award points to accounts deemed as fraudulent.

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