<Table of contents>
● What’s Rakuten points and membership status?
● Extra point events
● 1. Wonderful day
● 2. Rakuten super sale
● 3. Days with the number 5 and 0
● 4. Customer-appreciation day
● 5. Rakuten black Friday
● 6. Shopping marathon
● 7. Ultra point redemption event
● 8. Super Point Up (“SPU”) program
What’s Rekuten points?
You can earn Rakuten points every time you shop on Rakuten Ichiba. The normal point redemption rate is 1% (1 point for every 100 yen*), but the rate will be increased during the events. The rate will be 44 times at the maximum by combining an event and Super Point Up System (SPU). The points are worth 1 yen per point, and you can use the accumulated points to pay the next purchase on Rakuten Ichiba. *Consumption tax and shipping fees are not included in the amount spt.
What’s the membership status?
Rakuten Ichiba categorize every member in the following 4 status.
Photo credit: https://www.rakuten.co.jp
The conditions of update the status are as follows:
To become…
a silver member: earn 200 points within 6 months by 2 times of purchases
a gold member: earn 700 points within 6 months by 7 times of purchases
a platinum member: earn 2,000 points within 6 months by 15 times of purchases
a diamond member: earn 4,000 points within 6 months by 30 times of purchases and hold/issue a Rakuten Credit Card
To maintain the status…
a silver member: earn 200 points in the past 6 months by 2 times of purchases
a gold member: earn 700 points in the past 6 months by 7 times of purchases
a platinum member: earn 2,000 points in the past 6 months by 15 times of purchases
a diamond member: earn 4,000 points in the past 6 months by 30 times of purchases and hold a Rakuten Credit Card
Rakuten Ichiba (楽天市場) often holds events where you can earn extra Rakuten points, and there are several events even in a month. It seems very complicated, but you can benefit a lot from the events once you get used to it. Some events require application beforehand, but it is very easy to apply to the event. All you have to do is tapping this “エントリー(entry)” bottom 
on Rakuten Ichiba. The entry bottom will be appeared on the front page in Rakuten Ichiba on the event day.
I would like to explain the following main events in this page:
——–held regularly——–
1. Wonderful day (ワンダフルデー)
2. Rakuten super sale (楽天スーパーセール)
3. Days with the number 5 and 0 (毎月5と0のつく日)
4. Customer-appreciation day (ご愛顧感謝デー)
5. Rakuten black friday (楽天ブラックフライデー)
——–held randomly——–
6. Shopping marathon (お買い物マラソン)
7. Ultra point redemption event (超ポイントバック祭)
——–Redemption rate system——–
8. Super point up (“SPU”) program (スーパーポイントアッププログラム)
*Note that this article is written based on information as of March 2021 and that the events are subject to change.
The events recommended for those who live in outside of Japan is #1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 !
The point redemption rate is going to be triple on the first day of every month. Application (エントリー(entry)) is required. (For example, the rate will be tripe on March 1st, 2021 from 0:00am to 11:59pm.) The maximum point you can earn from this event is 1,000 points.
Rakuten Ichiba has “Rakuten Super Sale” 4 times a year. Tons of items will be discounted up to approximately 50% during the sale, and the point redemption rate will be increased up to 10 times by hopping around several shops. Application (エントリー(entry)) is required, and the maximum point you can earn from this sale is 10,000 per an event.
Spend more than 1,000 yen* …
・at 1 shop: the rate will be 1% (1point per 100 yen)
・at 2 shops: the rate will be 2% (2 points per 100 yen)
・at 3 shops: the rate will be 3% (3 points per 100 yen)
：
：
・at 10 shops: the rate will be 10% (10 points per 100 yen)
*Consumption tax and shipping fees cannot be counted as the amount.
Since the schedule of the sale is not released until the date gets closer, people guess the date from the event history of the past years.
・March 4, 2020 8pm to March 11, 2020 1:59am
・June 6, 2020 8pm to June 11, 2020 1:59am
・September 4, 2020 8pm to September 11, 2020 1:59am
・December 4, 2020 8pm to December 11, 2020 1:59am
This event is held on the days that ends 5 or 0, but the premium redemption rate will be applied only to the purchase paid by Rakuten Credit Card. Application (エントリー(entry)) is required, and the maximum point you can earn from this event is 3,000 points per month.
Let me skip the explanation of this event since I guess the condition is hard to be met by the people living outside of Japan.
The customer-appreciation day means the 18th day of every month. 18 sounds “市場” (market) in Japanese, and therefore 18th day is designated as a customer-appreciation day by Rakuten Ichiba. The maximum point you can earn from this event is 10,000 points.
Only the members on the Gold, Platinum, and Diamond can benefit from the event.
silver members: the rate remains 1% (1point per 100 yen)gold members: the rate will be 2% (2 points per 100 yen)platinum members: the rate will be 3% (3 points per 100 yen)diamond members: the rate will be 4% (4 points per 100 yen)Black Friday has become acknowledged in Japan in late years, and the black Friday sale was held from 8pm on November 19 to 1:59am on November 24 last year (2020).
The way of earning extra points is the same as “2. Rakuten super sale.” You can earn 10 times more points at the maximum by shopping at several shops. Application (エントリー(entry)) is required, and the maximum point you can earn from this sale is 10,000 per an event.
Shopping marathon is the same system as “2. Rakuten super sale” and “Black Friday Sale.”
Rakuten Ichiba randomly has this event for a week, and it will be held twice a month at the most. You can earn 10 times more points at the maximum by shopping at several shops. Application (エントリー(entry)) is required, and the maximum point you can earn from this event is 10,000 per an event.
Since this event is held irregularly, people guess the date from the event history of the past years. You can find the information on the events on the front page of Rakuten Ichiba.
・1/9/2020 8pm – 1/16/2020 1:59am
・1/24/2020 8pm – 1/28/2020 1:59am
・2/9/2020 8pm – 2/16/2020 1:59am
・3/21/2020 8pm – 3/28/2020 1:59am
・4/9/2020 8pm – 4/16/2020 1:59am
・4/23/2020 8pm – 4/28/2020 1:59am
・5/9/2020 8pm – 5/16/2020 1:59am
・6/4/2020 8pm – 6/11/2020 1:59am
・7/4/2020 8pm – 7/11/2020 1:59am
・7/19/2020 8pm – 7/26/2020 1:59am
・8/2/2020 8pm – 8/9/2020 1:59am
・9/21/2020 8pm – 9/26/2020 1:59am
・10/4/2020 8pm – 10/11/2020 1:59am
・11/4/2020 8pm – 11/11/2020 1:59am
・11/19/2020 8pm – 11/24/2020 1:59am
Ultra point redemption event is also taken place irregularly. It seems that this event is held 3~5 times a year. You can earn more points than usual (7 times more at the maximum) as shown in the table below during this event. Application (エントリー(entry)) is required, and the maximum point which can be earned from this event was 8,000 per an event last year.
By spending more than…
・5,000 yen, the rate will be 2% (2 points per 100 yen)
・10,000 yen, the rate will be 3% (3 points per 100 yen)
・40,000 yen, the rate will be 4% (4 points per 100 yen)
・50,000 yen, the rate will be 5% (5 points per 100 yen)
・60,000 yen, the rate will be 6% (6 points per 100 yen)
・70,000 yen, the rate will be 7% (7 points per 100 yen)
*Consumption tax and shipping fees cannot be counted as the amount.
Like the shopping marathon, people guess the date from the event history of the past years. You can find the information on the events on the front page of Rakuten Ichiba.
・1/1/2020 0am – 1/5/2020 11:59pm
・2/21/2020 10am – 2/24/2020 9:59am
・6/21/2020 10am – 6/24/2020 11:59pm
・12/13/2020 10am – 12/17/2020 9:59am
SPU program is an offer that the point redemption rate gets increased by using the other Rakuten Group’s services such as opening an account at Rakuten Bank, contracting with Rakuten Mobile, contracting with Rakuten Insurance, and the rate will be 16 times at the maximum.
I had better, however, skip the explanation of this program since I guess the condition is hard to be met by the people living outside of Japan.