You can earn 12% to 30% cash back on holiday spotlight deals listed by Rakuten and RetailMeNot, plus 5% back on up to $1,500 in Chase and Discover bonus-category spending. Stacked together, one purchase can earn 20% to 30% from a portal plus 2% to 5% from a rewards card. A cash-back portal is a free site that shares its retailer commission with you when you click through it first. Portal spotlights change daily, and card bonuses drop to 1% after the spending cap.
Table of Contents
- Which portal deals pay the most?
- What does the other portal weekend add?
- What do the cards add through December?
- How do you stack both payouts?
Which portal deals pay the most?
Rakuten ran a 10-day Holiday Big Deal Reveal from Nov. 1-10, 2026, with daily spotlight rates of 12% to 30%.
As Rakuten reports in Rakuten's Holiday Big Deal Reveal recap, featured rates included Foot Locker at 25%, Gap at 20%, and AliExpress and Skechers at 30%. Those rates apply only to spotlight stores on their spotlight days. Check the day's list before you buy, then click through first so the purchase tracks.
What does the other portal weekend add?
RetailMeNot held its 20th annual National Cash Back Day from Nov. 5-7, 2026.
As RetailMeNot reports in RetailMeNot's Cash Back Day announcement, shoppers could earn up to 30% back at more than 3,500 retailers. Covered retailers included Walmart, Ulta, Gap, Dyson and SharkNinja. That overlap matters for Gap shoppers, who had high-rate options at both portals during the same week.
What do the cards add through December?
Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cardmembers earn 5% back on grocery stores, dining, and American Red Cross donations from Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2026, after activation. As Chase states in Chase's Q4 categories notice, grocery stores exclude Walmart and Target. Discover it Cash Back cardmembers earn 5% back on restaurants, entertainment and utilities over the same quarter, after activation.
As Discover states in Discover's Q4 activation terms, the 5% applies to up to $1,500 in purchases. Both Chase and Discover cap Q4 5% earnings at $1,500 in combined quarterly purchases. That limits the bonus to $75 per card before earnings drop to 1%. Chase requires activation by Dec. 14, 2026, while Discover pays 5% only from Oct. 1 or the later activation date.
How do you stack both payouts?
Start at the portal, then pay with the card that earns a bonus on that purchase. Rakuten and Chase terms support this pairing, such as a 20% to 30% portal rate plus card rewards on the same order.
For example, a $200 Gap order at 20% portal back earns $40, plus $10 on a 5% card. Activate now, then click through the portal before you pay.
- Activate Chase and Discover for Q4 before you shop.
- Compare the portal rate for your store that day.
- Start the purchase at Rakuten or RetailMeNot.
- Pay with the bonus-category card at checkout.
