July 2026 Newsletter

Missed Prime Day? You Didn't Miss Out.

If your inbox looked anything like mine over the past couple of weeks, you were bombarded with Prime Day deals, flash sales, and countdown timers telling you to buy now or miss out forever.

But here's the good news:

If you skipped Prime Day, you probably didn't miss much.

In fact, some of the best earning opportunities are happening right now and they don't require shopping on Amazon at all.

The Best Deals Aren't Always on Amazon

Prime Day has become synonymous with online shopping, but savvy points and miles collectors know there's a better question to ask than, "Is this on sale?"

Instead, ask:

"Where can I earn the most points for this purchase?"

The answer is often directly from the retailer, not Amazon.

Enter Rakuten's Summer Big Stack

Through July 13, Rakuten's Summer Big Stack is featuring more than 150 retailers with elevated earning rates.

If you've linked your Rakuten account to American Express Membership Rewards or Bilt Rewards, those elevated earning rates become Membership Rewards points or Bilt Rewards Points, helping you build your next award trip even faster.

Many retailers are offering 10x or more, making this one of the best opportunities of the summer to supercharge your points balance. And unlike shopping on Amazon, buying directly from participating retailers opens the door to even more ways to stack rewards.

Build Your Own "Big Stack"

Before making your next purchase, run through this quick checklist:

✅ Is the retailer participating in Rakuten's Summer Big Stack?

✅ Do I have an Amex Offer, Bilt Offer, Chase Offer, Citi Merchant Offer, or Capital One Offer I can stack?

✅ Am I using the best credit card for this purchase?

✅ Is the retailer running its own sale that I can combine with my portal earnings?

It's not uncommon for a single purchase to earn rewards from multiple sources all while paying the same price (or sometimes even less) than you would on Amazon.

A Different Way to Think About Shopping

One of the biggest mistakes I see is treating Prime Day like it's the only chance to save money.

The reality is that the best opportunities often come from looking beyond Amazon. Manufacturers and retailers frequently match (or even beat) Amazon's pricing while giving you access to shopping portal earnings, targeted card offers, bonus category earnings, and exclusive promotions that Amazon simply can't match.

It's also worth remembering that Amazon's "free" shipping isn't truly free. A Prime membership comes with an annual fee, so you've already paid for the convenience before you add anything to your cart.

That doesn't mean Prime isn't worth it; I have it, and I'm guessing many of you do, too. But it's a good reminder not to assume Amazon is automatically the best value.

If another retailer offers the same price, free shipping, AND the opportunity to earn thousands of Membership Rewards or Bilt Rewards Points through Rakuten, that purchase could end up being the better deal.

🤫 Bonus Tip: Amazon Price Magic

Here's one of my favorite shopping hacks that almost nobody talks about. If you install the Rakuten browser extension, it doesn't just remind you to activate portal earnings. It can actually help you shop smarter on Amazon.

As you're browsing Amazon, Rakuten will place small stickers directly in your search results whenever it finds the same product available from another retailer that's participating in Rakuten. If buying from that retailer would earn you more points, or even save you money, it lets you know before you click Buy Now.

It's one of the easiest ways to break the habit of assuming Amazon is always the best place to shop.

Sometimes the better deal isn't on Amazon at all. And with one click, Rakuten helps you find it.

Your Homework This Week

Before your next online purchase, resist the urge to head straight to Amazon.

Instead:

• Check Rakuten and install the extension.

• Compare the retailer's direct website.

• Review your card offers.

• Use the best card in your wallet.

You might be surprised to find that the purchase you thought you "missed" during Prime Day is actually more rewarding today.

Happy stacking!

🗓️UPDATES🗓️

Mark your calendars for our next Live Q&A session on Monday, July 27th at 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET. Get all your questions answered. Here's the link to join. Don't miss out on attending live!

📣 Earning Multipliers Update

One quick update before I go!

I'm excited to share that the entire Earning Multipliers curriculum has now been re-recorded and updated. 🎉

The new lessons are currently being uploaded to the curriculum, and they'll be available soon. The refreshed content includes updated strategies, new tools, and plenty of enhancements based on everything that's changed in the points and miles world over the past year.

Thank you all for your patience while I worked through this project. I can't wait for you to dive into the updated material!