Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Every savvy traveler should take the extra 15 seconds to book online travel by first clicking through a cash-back or mileage-earning site. It doesn’t prevent you from earning points, getting deals and booking directly with the travel provider. If you aren’t doing this, you’re likely leaving miles, points or actual cash in someone else’s pocket.One of these cash-back sites is Ebates (now known as Rakuten), and today they’re offering double cash back at select travel providers. For example, if you book a Choice Hotels property today by first clicking through Ebates/Rakuten, you’ll get 10% cash back in your Ebates account on the reservation amount. Make a $200 booking, get $20 cash back. It’s that simple.Some travel sites offering up to double the typical cash back amount on Ebates today include:Travelocity: Up to 10% backPriceline: Up to 12% backIHG Hotels: Up to 8% backHilton Hotels: Up to 7.5% backHertz: Up to 5% backHotwire: Up to 8% backCheap Tickets: Up to 10% backOrbitz: Up to 10% backChoice Hotels: Up to 10% backYour elite status, the type of purchase you make and so on will determine how much cash you get back from some of these providers.Ridgeline Hotel-Estes Park, an Ascend Hotel Collection Member. (Photo courtesy of Choice Hotels)Bonus for New Ebates MembersIf you’re a new Ebates member, you have fun choices to make. You can get $10 in bonus cash back with your first purchase of $25. Or if you have an Amex Membership Rewards earning card, such as the American Express® Gold Card, you can get 1,500 bonus Membership Rewards points after you spend $25, if you choose to earn points instead of cash back on your purchases.Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.Since TPG values Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each, that’s like earning $30 in points with a $25 purchase, which is the better deal. Additionally, your ongoing Ebates earnings can become more valuable if you choose Membership Rewards points instead of cash, since 10% cash back would be the same as earning 10 valuable Membership Rewards points per dollar.Stack Your SavingsIf you want to earn hotel points, get cash back from Ebates and stack extra savings, be sure to check your American Express cards for Amex Offers and Chase cards for Chase Offers. If a relevant one is available, you can add the offer to the card you intend to pay with and stack on the savings. If you don’t have any offers, use a card that maximizes your spending on travel (return based on TPG valuations):Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on travel, 6% return)Citi Prestige Card (3x on hotels, 5.1% return)Citi Premier® Card (3x on hotels, 5.1% return)Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel, 4% return)
