This week's Rakuten Big Deal Reveal drops Expedia to 10% Cash Back (up from 3%). The catch: on Expedia your Sapphire Reserve earns just 1x. Here's the card to actually pay with, and how to get about 13% back.
TL;DR: This week's Rakuten Big Deal Reveal drops Expedia to 10% Cash Back (its regular Rakuten rate is 3%). The twist most people miss: on Expedia (an online travel agency, not a "book direct" site) your Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum earn just 1x, because their travel bonuses only apply to direct bookings or their own portals. So the best card to pay with is a flat one: Robinhood Gold at 3%, or Venture X's flat 2x. Stack that with Rakuten's 10% and you're near 13% back. Confirm the live rate on Wednesday before you book, and set your Rakuten payout to what you actually want, because it can cash out as PayPal, check, Bilt points, or Amex Membership Rewards.
Rakuten's Big Deal Reveal drops a new featured store every Wednesday in 2026. This week's is a good one for travelers: Expedia at 10% Cash Back, up from its usual 3%. How much you actually walk away with, though, comes down to the card you check out with, and the answer is probably not the premium travel card in your wallet.
Rakuten's regular Expedia rate is 3% Cash Back (3% on hotels and homes, 2% on packages and activities, 1% on cars, and a flat $1.25 on flights). This week's Big Deal Reveal lifts the headline rate to 10%. A few things Rakuten spells out in Expedia's terms:
Confirm the live 10% on Expedia's Rakuten page Wednesday, then book the trip you were already planning.
This is the part that catches people. Premium travel cards bonus travel, but only when you book direct or through their own travel portal. Expedia is neither. Here's what the big cards actually earn on an Expedia.com purchase:
| Card you pay with | Earn on Expedia.com | Rough value |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | 1x points (4x is direct, 8x is Chase Travel) | ~2% |
| Amex Platinum | 1x points (5x is Amex Travel / direct) | ~2% |
| Wells Fargo Active Cash / Citi Double Cash | 2% cash | 2% |
| Capital One Venture X | 2x miles (flat) | ~3.5% |
| Robinhood Gold Card | 3% cash (flat, everything) | 3% |
The Sapphire Reserve's headline 8x is for the Chase Travel portal, and its 4x is for hotels and flights booked directly with the brand. An Expedia booking is an online-travel-agency purchase, so it falls to the base 1x. Same story for the Amex Platinum's 5x.
Because the premium cards drop to 1x, the cards that win on Expedia are the boring flat ones. Layer Rakuten's 10% on top and here's a clean $1,000 hotel booking:
| Pay with | Card earn | + Rakuten 10% | Total back |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robinhood Gold (3%) | $30 | $100 | $130 (13%) |
| Venture X (2x) | ~$37 | $100 | |
| Flat 2% card | $20 | $100 | $120 (12%) |
| Sapphire Reserve (1x) | ~$20 | $100 | ~$120 (12%) |
So a $1,000 stay pays you roughly $130 to $137 back if you pay with a flat 3% card or Venture X, versus about $120 if you reach for the Sapphire Reserve out of habit. The flat card wins here.
There's one case where skipping Rakuten wins. Book that same $1,000 hotel through Chase Travel on your Sapphire Reserve and you earn 8x: 8,000 Ultimate Rewards points, worth around $160 at our valuation. That beats the Expedia-plus-Rakuten stack on raw value. But you can't do both, because Rakuten Cash Back only pays on Expedia.com, not on Chase Travel.
So the real choice is:
For most people who want simple, near-cash value, the Expedia plus Rakuten stack is the easy win. If you live in the Ultimate Rewards world and redeem at transfer rates, run the portal number too.
Rakuten doesn't only pay in cash. When your Cash Back posts, you can take it as:
Payout runs quarterly, roughly every three months. So the 10% on that Expedia stay can land as MR or Bilt points instead of cash, and those are worth more than 1¢ each when you transfer them well.
For the full mechanics of layering sales, coupons, the browser extension, and card rewards, see our Rakuten + credit card stacking guide.
What is this week's Rakuten Big Deal Reveal? Rakuten features a new store at a boosted Cash Back rate every Wednesday in 2026. This week's is Expedia at 10% Cash Back, up from its regular 3%.
Which card should I use to pay on Expedia? A flat-rate card. On Expedia (an online travel agency) premium cards like the Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum earn only 1x, because their travel bonuses are for direct or portal bookings. A flat 3% card (Robinhood Gold) or Venture X's 2x earns more.
Can I stack Rakuten with the Chase Travel portal? No. Rakuten Cash Back only posts on Expedia.com. Booking through Chase Travel earns 8x but no Rakuten, so it's one or the other.
When does Expedia Cash Back post? About a week after your travel is completed, not when you book. Rakuten then pays out quarterly.
How can I get paid by Rakuten? PayPal, check, Bilt points, or (for eligible Amex Card Members) Membership Rewards points.
Sources: rakuten.com/f/bigdealreveal and rakuten.com/shop/expedia (rates + terms, captured July 6, 2026); rakuten.com/help (payout options). Card earn rates from our own cards database.