In this episode, I’m joined by Mari from Mari on the Map to talk about one of the easiest, most underrated ways to earn more points right now: shopping portals.

With banks tightening welcome offers and approvals getting harder, portals let you earn thousands of extra points on purchases you’re already making — no new cards required.

We cover:

• How Mari went from casual points user to running family trips on miles
• What shopping portals are (Rakuten, airline portals, bank offers)
• How to stack: portal → the right card → card-linked offers
• The Rakuten x Bilt (referral links) partnership and when it makes sense
• Common mistakes that break tracking (gift cards, coupon codes, ad blockers, apps)
• How portal earnings can turn into Hyatt nights, domestic flights, or even saver fares to Europe
• Tools that make it easier: SaveWise and CardPointers (my affiliate links)

Quick action steps:

• Check SaveWise (or Cashback Monitor) before you buy
• Install the Rakuten browser extension
• Use a card that earns more than 1X on everyday spend
• Turn on and activate card-linked offers
• Try one stacked purchase this week and watch the points roll in

Find Mari:

• Instagram: @marionthemap
• Website: https://marionthemap.com/
• Course: Mad Miles Masterclass

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