Before You Buy Your Next Book, Check This First
I went looking for one book sale today.
I found something much better. A bookish deal not to miss.
New to Rakuten? Right now, if you make at least $50 in qualifying Cash Back purchases within 90 days, you get a $50 bonus. And full transparency: once your qualifying purchases are confirmed, I get $50 too.
GET THE $50 RAKUTEN OFFER. Keep reading.
One of the book sites we work with is having a sale right now, and I was going to share it. But while I was looking around, I searched “books” on Rakuten and realized just how many bookish options there actually were.
248 stores came up in my search.
Bookshop.org. Barnes & Noble. ThriftBooks. Books-A-Million. Book Outlet. AbeBooks. Better World Books. And a lot more.
And somehow, despite using Rakuten for years, I had never really thought about using it for books. Over the last five years, I’ve gotten $499.10 back through Rakuten.
What caught my attention this time is that Rakuten is currently running a $50 referral bonus for new members.
Rakuten’s current Give $50, Get $50 referral promotion runs through September 30, 2026.
If you're new to Rakuten, sign up through my referral link and make at least $50 in qualifying Cash Back purchases within 90 days, and you get a $50 bonus.
And full transparency: once your qualifying purchases are confirmed, I get $50 too.
The current $50 offer is available to eligible new members who sign up by September 30, 2026 using my referral link.
Why This Is Interesting for Book People
If you're already buying books, check Rakuten before you place the order.
Find the bookstore, activate whatever Cash Back offer is available that day, and use Rakuten's link to go to the bookstore's regular website and shop normally.
And this is the part I especially like:
If the bookstore is already having a sale, you may be able to get the sale price and earn Rakuten Cash Back on the same qualifying purchase.
And after you get the $50 signup bonus, you can keep earning Cash Back on qualifying purchases whenever you shop through participating Rakuten stores.
Cash Back percentages change, so I wouldn't worry about memorizing rates. Just check before you buy.
You also don't need to spend the whole $50 at a bookstore.
Your qualifying Rakuten purchases can add up to $50 over your first 90 days.
So please do not go build a $50 book haul you weren't planning to buy just to get the bonus.
Unless, of course, you want to. I mean, this is a pretty good reason to break your book-buying ban. 😂
I certainly don't need another excuse to buy books, and I'm guessing some of you don't either.
But if there are already books sitting in your cart?
The Deal in 30 Seconds
You need to be new to Rakuten.
Sign up through my referral link by September 30, 2026.
Make at least $50 total in qualifying Cash Back purchases within 90 days.
It can be one purchase or several.
Once everything qualifies and is confirmed, you get $50.
I get $50 too.
I started out trying to share one bookstore sale.
The rabbit hole was much better.
Referral disclosure: This post contains my personal Rakuten referral link. If you sign up through it and complete the qualifying requirements, you'll receive the promotional bonus and I'll receive a $50 referral bonus too. There is no additional cost to you for using my link.
Participating stores, Cash Back rates and promotional terms can change, so check Rakuten's current offer before purchasing.
