Rakuten Cash Back Review: How Does It Work? Should I Sign-Up?

Reading Time: 5 minutes

I’ve been an avid Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) user for the past two years. I’ve made over $800 in cash back. My friend introduced me to cash back rebates back when bing.com was offering it. Being the bargain hunter (and penny pincher) that I am, Rakuten was totally up my alley. I’m always looking for ways to save and maximize my earnings. If you’re on the same boat of wanting to save more of your hard earned money, you’ve come to the right place!

I’m going to tell you how Rakuten cash back works and why you should be using it…ALL THE TIME.

How does Rakuten work?

Rakuten is a company that gives cash back if you click through and shop with participating retailers. Cash back is when you receive a percentage of your purchase back as an incentive to purchase through that particular retailer.

Rakuten is an affiliate to many online stores. An affiliate is a person (or company, in this case) that makes a small commission for referring people.

How do I use Rakuten Cash Back?

In our generation, we shop online because it’s just more convenient to do so. When you’ve found what you want to purchase online, head to Rakuten and search for the store in their retailer database. Once you’ve found the store, click on the link and follow it through a proxy (creating a ‘tracking code’) where you will earn a percentage of cash back after your order is processed.

Example: lululemon gives Rakuten 2% of every referred sale. If Rakuten sends a customer to lululemon, and the customer buys a $150 in yoga clothing, Rakuten makes $3 on the sale.

Rakuten keeps $1.50 of the cash back and gives you $1.50 (splitting the commission in half). This results in a 1% cashback rate for you!

Online stores win because they get the sale. Rakuten wins because they get a commission. You win because you get extra cash for doing next to nothing! Once you start to track cash back, it becomes addicting.

What are the steps for cash back?

#1 Sign Up for a Rakuten account. It’s free to sign-up. You can use your Google or Facebook accounts to sign-up as well.

#2 Search for the online retailer you want to shop at.

#3 Click the “Shop Now” button on the store and you’ll be redirected to the store’s website. A “tracking code” will be logged onto your Rakuten account even if a purchase is not made.

#4 Shop like you normally would.

#5 Checkout within 2-3 hours of clicking the Rakuten “Shop Now” button. There is a 30-day threshold to get cash back through the tracking link, but just to play it safe, try to complete your orders within a few hours.

#6 Your cash back will arrive in your Rakuten account within 1-5 days. An email will be sent to your inbox informing you of the amount earned. I have experienced my cash back in my inbox usually within 1-2 days.

How long does it take to get the cash?

After you have used Rakuten to complete your order, you’ll receive an email within 1-5 days confirming the cashback amount. From there, the cashback will go through a holding period of 60 days. After your cash back is 60 days old, you will be paid (on a quarterly basis) on the following dates: February 15th, May 15th, August 15th, and November 15th.

You must have a minimum of $5 for Rakuten to issue your cashback.

You can request a check in the mail or get the funds directed to your PayPal account. I request the funds to be sent to my PayPal and then transfer the funds into a banking account.

Is offline cash back available?

If you’re not into online shopping, Rakuten also offers in-store cash back. You will need to set this up online or through the app.

To set this up, click on the “In-Store Cash Back” button to link your credit card.  Afterward, click on the “link offer” button on the offer. If you pay with your linked credit card you’ll get the cash back.

They are constantly adding more retail stores every month, so you’ll have lots of in-store options to shop from!

What if I don’t see my cash back?

I’ve had a few orders in the last year that didn’t get credited for cash back. They were mainly hotel stays that required confirmation that I completed my stay. To process these cash back balances, go to this link. Give them your order number, the purchase price, and the tracking ticket number, and they’ll immediately credit your account with the proper cash back.

Download the Rakuten Button onto your Browser

I sometimes forget to go to Rakutento click-through the link. Luckily, Rakuten created a perfect solution with their “Rakuten Chrome Extension.” Download it and it’ll work with all browsers.

The button stays on your browser’s toolbar so when you get to a site where Rakuten is a partner, you’ll receive a pop-up that asks if you want to activate cashback.

The toolbar has definitely improved my Rakuten experience significantly!

Final Thoughts

Signing up for Rakuten is totally FREE!

Always head to Rakuten.com before each purchase when you’re about to buy the things you need and want! Why would you not want the free cash?!

When you sign-up using our link, we’ll earn $10 and you’ll get a $25 bonus once you sign up and make a purchase. It’s a win-win for us all!

I wrote this review because I’m obsessed with saving money! I also want more people to take advantage of this so that they can save money too!

Sign up for Rakuten!

Other Cash Back Companies

Check out these other cashback companies that will also give you moolah for shopping!

• Be Frugal
• MrRebates
• Go Cash Back
• Top Cash Back

Also, check out Cash Back Monitor to see the best cash back opportunities. The information is parsed from cashback websites, so it’s up to date and will show you the best cashback portal to use.

Definitely do not pass on this opportunity. Shop for the things you would buy anyways and get paid for doing it!