Rakuten Review
Rakuten is an online rewards program that enables users to earn cashback on their purchases at affiliated merchants. The platform has a browser extension which members can install to get coupon codes and updates on the latest deals and offers when they are shopping online. Rakuten is ideal for people who already shop online frequently and want to get some rewards from the things they already do.
Pros
- High cashback potential – earn up to 40% cash back when shopping at some affiliated stores. On average, cashback tends to be between 3% to 8%.
- Over 2500 partner stores – get cashback whenever you shop at any of Rakuten’s over 2500 affiliated online stores, such as Best Buy and Target.
- 6 different ways to earn cashback – get cashback by using the Rakuten mobile app, using the cash back button, using the Rakuten credit card, and more.
- Sign up bonus – get $10 for free when you sign up for an account on Rakuten and spend at least $25 within the first 90 days of joining the platform.
Cons
- Long waiting time for payouts – cashback earned is only paid out to members 4 times per year, or once every quarter, via check or PayPal payment.
- Long waiting time for cashback to clear – some stores may take up to 30 days before confirming your purchase, which could delay your cashing out.
Best Rakuten Alternatives
Upside
$550M in cashback to consumers to date
Cashback for Gas and Restaurants
Generous referral program
Swagbucks
$10 bonus (spend $25 first)
1,500+ of online and in-store retailers
On App store and Google Play
MyPoints
$5 bonus for confirming email
$3 minimum withdrawal for some gift cards
Up to 10% cashback for shopping
InboxDollars
Cashback – rate of 1.5% to 15%
Cash paid in PayPal or gift cards
$5 bonus for confirming email
How Does Rakuten Work?
Rakuten (previously known as Ebates) is the largest online shopping marketplace helping you to earn cash-backs on your regular online purchases. Rakuten first appeared on the market in 1997 and is striving to shape the way people shop ever since.
Rakuten allows you to;
- Use the Rakuten website or Rakuten app (on iOS or Android) to choose the store you want to shop for.
- Shop like usual and get cashback added to your account
- Get paid via PayPal or with check
How Much Cashback You Can Get for Rakuten Purchases?
The amount of cash-backs you can get for your purchases with Rakuten varies from store to store. Let’s review some of the most popular brands and how much cash-back they offer you for Rakuten purchases below.
- Nike – you can get 8% cash-back on qualifying orders.
- Samsung – you can get 3% cash-back on categories like mobile phones & accessories, tablets, laptops, wearables and home appliances. And 2% cash-back on TVs & home theater and other categories.
- AT&T – currently offers cash-back of up to $150
- Sephora – you can shop most cosmetics brands on Sephora online with a 6% cash-back.
- Macy’s – shopping at Macy’s can get you a 1.5% cash-back on furniture and mattresses and 3% on all other categories.
- Ray-Ban – Rakuten offers 4% cash-back for purchases from Ray-Ban along with official discounts of up to 50%.
- Anker – along with discounts of up to 60%, you will get a 4% cash-back.
- Groupon – cash-back on Groupon is currently up to 6%.
- Canva – you will get 40% cash-back when you sign up for Canva paid subscription
- Postmates – get $5 off your first 5 orders and additional cash-back of up to $7 from Rakuten.
What Are Other Ways to Earn With Rakuten?
Rakuten cash-back visa card
Rakuten offers you a free Visa card so you can earn even more cash-backs every day. You will get a $10 bonus for your first purchase with a Rakuten Visa card.
You will earn an additional $1 cash-back everywhere, where payments with Visa are accepted.
The card also gives you an opportunity to get back an additional 3% on qualifying orders through Rakuten.com, In-store, Rakuten Travel and Rakuten Hotels.
In-store cash-back
Rakuten allows you to earn cash-backs even when you shop in physical stores. Cash-back of up to 6% is available in 77 shops, including H&M, Guess, Intimissimi, Gap, BareMinerals and many more.
You can check out the full list of available stores as well the amount of cash-back each one offers. To claim in-store cash-backs, you need to link the offer to your debit card using the Rakuten app.
Hot deals
Hot Deals feature special discounts, including the following:
- Buy Online, Pick Up in Store – lets you purchase something online and pick it up in store to eliminate the time needed to ship the item.
- Free Gifts – shows you which shops are offering free gifts with qualifying purchases.
- Free Shipping – shows you how to qualify for free shipping for certain stores.
- Gift Cards – allows you to earn cash-backs on gift card purchases.
- Buy One, Get One (BOGO) – shows you where to find BOGO deals with popular brands.
Events and double cash back
Rakuten offers double cash-backs on certain stores. This means you will get what you could have earned in these stores doubled. This is a great option for when you want to shop, but don’t have a certain store in mind. You can check out which shops Rakuten features for Double Cash-Back promotion.
Refer friends
When you refer a friend to Rakuten, both you and your friend will get paid. Use this link to refer Rakuten to a friend. Your friend will get $10 when he/she joins Rakuten with your referral link. And you will get $25 once your friend spends at least $25 using Rakuten.
Who is Rakuten Best for?
Rakuten is designed for Couponers and everyday shoppers who want to earn Cash Back and find deep discounts when you shop. This platform is also best for those who want to save money on things they’re already buying.
How to Sign Up With Rakuten
To get started with Rakuten;
- Go to the website and click join
- Create a secure account by submitting your email and password
- Confirm your email
- Complete your profile
- Get a $10 welcome bonus
- Start using the website
Rakuten Sign Up Bonus
Rakuten offers you a $10 sign up bonus as a cash or gift card to thank you for joining the company. To claim your bonus, first, you need to sign up on Rakuten.com or using a mobile app.
Once you spend at least $25 through Rakuten within 90 days, the $10 bonus will be applied to your account.
Rakuten Partner Stores
The platform partner stores include Sephora, Amazon, Walmart, Hotels.com and 2,500 more.
You may find that some stores are not listed in the Rakuten directory. Amazon, for example, is not listed whereas Target and Walmart are.
Rakuten Features: What Does Rakuten Offer?
Favorite stores
Rakuten has a Favorite Stores tab that gives you a list of the stores and cash back percentages. To check whether your favorite retailer is listed, just type in the name of the store in the search bar and click add.
In-store cash back
Rakuten has an In-Store Cash Back feature if you’re not into online shopping. You will need to activate the in-store offer through either the site or the app to use it. You also need to link your credit card so that it can track your purchase.
Browser extension
When you download the extension, Rakuten can track when you’re on a retail partner’s site. It will create a little popup at checkout to indicate that you’re eligible for cashback rewards.
Cashback credit card
With the Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card members, you can earn up to 3% cashback on qualifying purchases through Rakuten and 1% cashback everywhere else Visa credit cards are accepted. You can also get a $10 bonus after your first purchase.
Since each store has some excluded items, it’s important to look through the list before you shop at your favorite stores on Rakuten.
Is Rakuten Free?
Rakuten is free to sign up and use.
If you don’t want to navigate to Rakuten every time, you can always install their chrome browser extension. This way, it will show a popup whenever your purchase is eligible for cashback.
Rakuten Payout Terms and Options?
The company will release the funds from your account to your PayPal or mail you a check quarterly, according to the schedule below.
| QUARTER | PAYMENT SENT |
|---|---|
| Jan 1 – Mar 31 | May 15 |
| Apr 1 – Jun 30 | Aug 15 |
| Jul 1 – Sep 30 | Nov 15 |
| Oct 1 – Dec 31 | Feb 15 |
Rakuten Reviews: is Rakuten Legit?
Rakuten is not a scam but a legit company that gives you free money when you shop. Rated 4.1 on Trustpilot and 4.3 on Sitejabber, most users described it as a great site that offers great opportunities to earn. Other users also said its customer service is one of the most responsive.
One user even confessed that they’ve never had such a good experience with any online site customer representative. But like other sites, some users said it’s not the best, claiming that they don’t pay great rewards.
Others also commented that their accounts were terminated without reason. That said, Rakuten is a site that you can use to make extra money online. The company also takes all the necessary measures to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations.
What Are the Rakuten Pros & Cons?
Rakuten Pros
- Cashback on regular purchases
- Simple and easy to use
- Great variety of shops to choose
- Offers a referral program
Rakuten Cons
- Offers quarterly payouts
- May encourage impulse buying
How Good is Rakuten Support?
Rakuten features an extensive knowledge center page with frequently asked questions and a help section that you need to scroll to the very bottom of the page to find. They also have a contact us page that operates on a ticket system.
Rakuten Review Verdict: is Rakuten Worth it?
If you are a frequent shopper and would like to earn rewards on your purchases plus bonuses up to $25, Rakuten is definitely worth joining.
However, I recommend using Rakuten to purchase only the products you had planned to buy anyway. Don’t shop just because of a cash-back offer.
Make sure you read the cash-back terms as they usually contain important exclusions of getting the advertised cash-back.
Rakuten FAQ
What is Rakuten?
Today, Rakuten is offering you cash-backs, deals and shopping rewards on the world’s largest selection of products and services.
The reason Rakuten offers you cash-backs is simple. When you shop through Rakuten, brands like Amazon pay them the commission for referring you to them. Rakuten then splits this commission and pays you so-called cash-back to thank you for helping them out.
To date, the company has paid members over $2 billion in cashback.
Is Rakuten legit?
Rakuten isn’t a scam but a legit site that allows you to earn cashback.
Can I use both Rakuten and honey at the same time?
Unfortunately, the programs can’t be layered on top of each other, meaning you can’t use both simultaneously.
How does Rakuten make money?
Rakuten makes the bulk of its money via affiliate marketing. The retailer pays Rakuten a referral fee when you purchase something using Rakuten.
What is Rakuten cashback?
The Rakuten Cash Back Button is a free browser extension that automatically allows you to find cashback, coupons, and deals.
Can I have 2 Rakuten accounts?
No. Each person is limited to one Account.