Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
TrackRak.com Review | Real-Time Rakuten Rate Alerts to Maximize Points, Miles & Cash Back
Justin Vacula of the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast welcomes Carrie from TrackRak.com to discuss how TrackRak helps points and miles users monitor Rakuten shopping portal rates and get real-time alerts when earning rates increase.
Recorded June 30, 2026, this episode covers how TrackRak works, why Carrie built the tool, and how customizable text and email alerts can help users avoid missing elevated Rakuten offers. Carrie explains her frugal background, how she got into points and miles, and why she wanted to create a simple Rakuten-only solution for tracking shopping portal rates.
Carrie explains that TrackRak scans Rakuten rates throughout the day and uses smart alerts to avoid sending repeated notifications for the same elevated rate. The site also includes a suggestion box, top-20 deals, and historical rate charts with about 600 days of data, with the goal of eventually showing around three years of historical Rakuten rate history. These charts can help users set realistic alert thresholds and understand when a rate is actually worth chasing.
Justin and Carrie also review TrackRak pricing tiers, including the Free plan, Basic at $2.99 per month, Premium at $6.99 per month, and an Annual plan at $60 per year. They discuss how the tool can fit into a broader points and miles strategy, especially for people stacking Rakuten with credit card rewards, shopping deals, in-store offers, Rakuten Dining, and elevated credit card bonuses.
The episode also covers TrackRak’s browser extension for activating Rakuten in-store offers, Carrie’s Croatia business-class redemption, upcoming prediction features, and a listener coupon code, HGTP25, for 25% off.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro Theme
00:32 Meet Carrie
01:17 Carrie Origin Story
03:45 What TrackRak Does
05:17 Smart Alerts Explained
07:04 Charts And Predictions
07:46 Plans And Pricing
10:27 Stacking Tips
12:41 Show Announcements
14:53 Big Rebate Deals
17:33 Trips And Wins
20:26 Upcoming Features
25:15 Final Plug And Outro
—
🎙️ 📢 Listen to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast:
👉 SoundCloud → soundcloud.com/hurdygurdytravelpodcast
👉 Apple Podcasts / iTunes → podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast/id1489093490
👉 Spotify → open.spotify.com/show/0PRUx83Z4XKHengsgOoLWg
👉 iHeartRadio → iheart.com/podcast/269-hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast-51807405
👉 …and many other podcast platforms worldwide! 🌍🎧
📡 Prefer using your favorite app? Simply copy & paste my podcast RSS feed:
feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:706382626/sounds.rss
—
💜 Support My Work & Unlock Special Perks:
👉 Support me through helpful referral links on my site: hurdygurdytravel.com/donate-referral-links
👉 Use my CardPointers affiliate link to save on annual and lifetime memberships → cardpointers.com/hurdygurdytravel
CardPointers helps you activate card-linked offers and take advantage of other powerful credit card features.
👉 Use my Savewise affiliate link to activate grocery coupons, maximize shopping portals, and more:
getsavewise.com/pro?ref=hurdygurdy
👉 Become a Frequent Traveler University member and sign up for events, including virtual seminars:
ftuniversity.com/?aff=24
👉 Earn 500 miles when signing up for Rove Miles using my referral link:
rovemiles.com/?signup&referralCode=8AS1JSG9
👉 Use my AutoPilot affiliate link to save points, miles, and money with this flight rebooking tool
withautopilot.com/?partner=HurdyGurdy
👉 Use my Descript referral link to edit your podcast episodes, videos, and more. Descript offers tools, including studio sound, removal of filler words, and the ability to edit from a generated transcript.
https://descript.cello.so/yiM83psckcY
—
👉 Visit the Support Tab on my website to contribute via SubscribeStar → subscribestar.com/hurdygurdytravel
🎁 Subscriber & Supporter Perks Include:
✨ One-on-one calls with me
✨ Advance notice of upcoming podcast guests (submit your questions!)
✨ A custom podcast episode recorded just for you 🎙️💬
✨ Bonus content 🎁
—
🌐 Stay Connected With Me:
🔔 Subscribe on YouTube → youtube.com/@HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast
👍 Like on Facebook → facebook.com/HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast
🐦 Follow on Twitter / X → https://x.com/HurdyGurdyTravl
📸 Follow on Instagram → instagram.com/justinvacula
—
✨ Thank You for Listening & Supporting the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast!
Stay tuned for more tips, strategies, and stories to help you optimize your travel, rewards, and lifestyle. 🚀🌍💳
TrackRak.com Review | Real-Time Rakuten Rate Alerts to Maximize Points, Miles & Cash Back
Justin Vacula of the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast welcomes Carrie from TrackRak.com to discuss how TrackRak helps points and miles users monitor Rakuten shopping portal rates and get real-time alerts when earning rates increase.
Recorded June 30, 2026, this episode covers how TrackRak works, why Carrie built the tool, and how customizable text and email alerts can help users avoid missing elevated Rakuten offers. Carrie explains her frugal background, how she got into points and miles, and why she wanted to create a simple Rakuten-only solution for tracking shopping portal rates.
Carrie explains that TrackRak scans Rakuten rates throughout the day and uses smart alerts to avoid sending repeated notifications for the same elevated rate. The site also includes a suggestion box, top-20 deals, and historical rate charts with about 600 days of data, with the goal of eventually showing around three years of historical Rakuten rate history. These charts can help users set realistic alert thresholds and understand when a rate is actually worth chasing.
Justin and Carrie also review TrackRak pricing tiers, including the Free plan, Basic at $2.99 per month, Premium at $6.99 per month, and an Annual plan at $60 per year. They discuss how the tool can fit into a broader points and miles strategy, especially for people stacking Rakuten with credit card rewards, shopping deals, in-store offers, Rakuten Dining, and elevated credit card bonuses.
The episode also covers TrackRak’s browser extension for activating Rakuten in-store offers, Carrie’s Croatia business-class redemption, upcoming prediction features, and a listener coupon code, HGTP25, for 25% off.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro Theme
00:32 Meet Carrie
01:17 Carrie Origin Story
03:45 What TrackRak Does
05:17 Smart Alerts Explained
07:04 Charts And Predictions
07:46 Plans And Pricing
10:27 Stacking Tips
12:41 Show Announcements
14:53 Big Rebate Deals
17:33 Trips And Wins
20:26 Upcoming Features
25:15 Final Plug And Outro
—
🎙️ 📢 Listen to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast:
👉 SoundCloud → soundcloud.com/hurdygurdytravelpodcast
👉 Apple Podcasts / iTunes → podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast/id1489093490
👉 Spotify → open.spotify.com/show/0PRUx83Z4XKHengsgOoLWg
👉 iHeartRadio → iheart.com/podcast/269-hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast-51807405
👉 …and many other podcast platforms worldwide! 🌍🎧
📡 Prefer using your favorite app? Simply copy & paste my podcast RSS feed:
feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:706382626/sounds.rss
—
💜 Support My Work & Unlock Special Perks:
👉 Support me through helpful referral links on my site: hurdygurdytravel.com/donate-referral-links
👉 Use my CardPointers affiliate link to save on annual and lifetime memberships → cardpointers.com/hurdygurdytravel
CardPointers helps you activate card-linked offers and take advantage of other powerful credit card features.
👉 Use my Savewise affiliate link to activate grocery coupons, maximize shopping portals, and more:
getsavewise.com/pro?ref=hurdygurdy
👉 Become a Frequent Traveler University member and sign up for events, including virtual seminars:
ftuniversity.com/?aff=24
👉 Earn 500 miles when signing up for Rove Miles using my referral link:
rovemiles.com/?signup&referralCode=8AS1JSG9
👉 Use my AutoPilot affiliate link to save points, miles, and money with this flight rebooking tool
withautopilot.com/?partner=HurdyGurdy
👉 Use my Descript referral link to edit your podcast episodes, videos, and more. Descript offers tools, including studio sound, removal of filler words, and the ability to edit from a generated transcript.
https://descript.cello.so/yiM83psckcY
—
👉 Visit the Support Tab on my website to contribute via SubscribeStar → subscribestar.com/hurdygurdytravel
🎁 Subscriber & Supporter Perks Include:
✨ One-on-one calls with me
✨ Advance notice of upcoming podcast guests (submit your questions!)
✨ A custom podcast episode recorded just for you 🎙️💬
✨ Bonus content 🎁
—
🌐 Stay Connected With Me:
🔔 Subscribe on YouTube → youtube.com/@HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast
👍 Like on Facebook → facebook.com/HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast
🐦 Follow on Twitter / X → https://x.com/HurdyGurdyTravl
📸 Follow on Instagram → instagram.com/justinvacula
—
✨ Thank You for Listening & Supporting the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast!
Stay tuned for more tips, strategies, and stories to help you optimize your travel, rewards, and lifestyle. 🚀🌍💳
