Home / Shopping / How to Earn Cash Back Shopping Online with Rakuten – It Really Works!

How to Earn Cash Back Shopping Online with Rakuten – It Really Works!

/Updated /21 Comments/in , /by Mary Hunt

If you love the idea of earning cash back while shopping online, you need to know about Rakuten! Think of it as your personal rebate expert, offering you money back from over 3,500 retailers—no coupons needed. Whether you’re buying from major stores or booking travel, this platform helps you save without the hassle. Let me tell you exactly how it works and why I wish I’d started using it sooner.

I could teach you how to be an extreme couponer. I’ve had a lot of experience, including the time I demonstrated on location, live on national TV from a large supermarket. Couponing is a legit way to spend less, but it’s a lot of work and is mainly limited to grocery and drug stores. Earning cash rebates from thousands of retailers actually works much better for me.

Imagine a world where you have the equivalent of a big stack of high-value coupons for all the other places you spend money—like Target, JCPenney, Macy’s, LifeLock, Walmart, Kohl’s, Groupon, Great Wolf Lodge, Old Navy, L.L. Bean, Lands’ End—more than 3,500 retailers and service providers. You do, and it’s called Rakuten.

What is Rakuten and How Does It Work?

At Rakuten, you have a digital account that earns you cash instead of needing to present a coupon. Think of it as the grocery store clerk handing you that 75 cents when you bought the can of soup with a $.75 coupon, and you put those quarters straight into a savings account.

You earn those small cash rebate (cashback) amounts by using the Rakuten online shopping portal, adding the Rakuten button to your computer toolbar, or the Rakuten app to your mobile device. It is so easy. You don’t have to search and clip. You don’t pay any fees. You don’t have to add a credit card, mail-in forms, or keep track of points to get your money. None of that!

Isn’t It a Scam?

I must confess that for quite some time, I mistakenly assumed that Rakuten was something it was not—it was not a scam. Then I woke up. I looked into it. I asked the questions, did the research, and hit myself in the forehead. Why hadn’t I been using Rakuten all along? Rakuten is not a scam.

I shop online—and I’ll bet you do too. I spend money at a handful of the more than 3,500 retailers that make up Rakuten. I can’t imagine how much cash-back money I’ve left on the table over the years since Rakuten (formerly Ebates, only the name changed) launched in 1999—when they started offering up to 25% cashback from about 40 online retailers.

How to Get Started with Rakuten and Earn Cash Back

First, you sign up here with an email address, Google, Facebook, or Apple. Two seconds later, you’re a member.

Rakuten is free and will never ask for a credit card number. You don’t give your Social Security number or other personal information.

Now you’re set up to receive cash back from more than 3,500 online retailers—and in their brick-and-mortar stores, too (more on that in a bit).

a rewards check from Rakuten

Last, you need to add a mailing address to your account, so Rakuten knows where to send your “Big Fat Check,”—I love that!—or you can opt to get your cash sent to your PayPal account. Personally, I’m old school and love to get a check in the mail. I like cash.

How it Works

Instead of going directly to Kohl’s, Target, Sephora, Grubhub, Overstock, Old Navy, Gap, and JCPenney websites—or the store where you want to shop—you will go to Rakuten and type the name of that store in the search bar. Or just click on a shopping category. Hit the “shop now” button and you’ll be at that site in a flash. When you check out, a percentage of your purchase will go to your Rakuten account—the percentage that the retailer is offering on that day.

You won’t have to do a thing for that to happen. Just know that things change quickly at Rakuten, so these details could have changed by the time you are reading this.

Install the Rakuten Button Extension

rakuten browser extension how to install

I can nearly guarantee that even if you fully understand that to get cashback, you need to start at Rakuten.com first before heading to Old Navy, JCPenney, etc., there will be times you forget to do that.

Installing the Rakuten extension on your browser toolbar becomes a great reminder. Even if you forgot to enter through Rakuten, the extension would tell you if a site is connected to Rakuten and its cashback percentage. All you have to do is click it, and any purchase will get credited to your Rakuten account.

You can install the Rakuten extension on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. Just make sure you have created your Rakuten account first. Then install your browser’s extension to get the Rakuten button.

Using Rakuten on Mobile

Extensions only work on desktop and laptop browsers, so if you’re shopping on your smartphone, the mobile app is the way to go. The Rakuten app lets you easily earn cashback while browsing over 3,500 retailers, whether you’re at home or on the go. It’s straightforward, with real-time cashback offers highlighted as you shop, so you never miss out on savings.

In-Store Cashback

Did you know you can earn cashback for shopping in-store, not just online? With Rakuten’s In-Store Cashback feature, you can rack up savings at participating retailers just by shopping locally. It’s simple to set up—just link your credit card to your Rakuten account and activate the cashback offers.

How does it work? Once your eligible American Express, Mastercard, or Visa card is linked, you can browse available in-store offers right in the app or on the website. Then, just pay with your linked card when you shop at participating stores, and you’ll automatically earn cashback on qualifying purchases.

Earn Referral Cash

Don’t shop online much? You can still earn a lot of money from Rakuten by referring your friends and family. You will earn $30 in your Rakuten cashback account for each person you refer when they open and begin using their Rakuten account. And your friends and family members who join will get a bonus also. That is a fantastic referral program that is absolutely legit.

Where’s My Money?

You can watch your account grow because you can see your current balance right there at Rakuten.com. That’s kind of fun!

Once each quarter, in February, May, August, and November, Rakuten pays by sending you the entire balance with no fees deducted (did I say that already?). Coolest thing ever!

What’s The Catch?

It doesn’t take a genius to wonder how Rakuten makes its money. Many people (OK, me) assume it’s a big fat scam to get our personal information and harm us. We’re wary of stuff like that because we’ve been warned for so many years to maintain our personal privacy, right? Trust me, I steered clear of Rakuten for many years for that very reason. Dumb.

You can relax. I’ve done my due diligence and am convinced that Rakuten is legit. Rakuten is huge and has an excellent reputation. Retailers spend much of their advertising dollars with Rakuten.

All of those retailers pay Rakuten a commission every time you go to its portal to reach a retailer and then make a purchase. Rakuten then shares that commission with you. Think of Rakuten as your personal salesperson who arranges the contract, collects the commission, and puts your share right into your cash-back account. Granted, your commissions won’t be massive amounts unless you are a huge shopper. But all those small amounts add up. It’s a great way to build a cash stash.

Should You?

I can’t be certain that Rakuten is right for you. But I can assure you it is not a scam. If you’re an online shopper, you might as well get paid a commission on the things you are buying anyway. Just be careful. It’s so much fun to earn a commission, you could find yourself buying things just because you’ll get that cash rebate. Don’t do that. Buy only what you would buy normally.

Sign Up Now

Go ahead and sign up now so you’re ready to save on your next purchase.

One last thing: You may discover that you don’t really shop online enough for this to work well for you. But there is no harm or penalty at all for giving it a test run. Then, make sure you always enter through Rakuten and then go to the retailer of choice. That guarantees that if that retailer participates (thousands do), you get the cashback. That makes it super simple. Trust me. I know. My Big Fat Checks from Rakuten are consistently a much-welcomed surprise!

Button - Sign Up Here Now

 

Question: Have you tried Rakuten before, and if so, what has your experience been like? Let me know down below.

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21 replies
  1. Rhonda M says:

    I have been using Ebates/Rakuten for several years with no problems. During Cyber Monday I purchased a HP laptop from HP and several other things from other websites. I was expecting to get $40 from my HP laptop purchase. When I did not get it, I was informed it did not qualify because it was a special offer. Also my other purchases were not paid for that day and I didn’t pursue it because it didn’t amount to much. Buyer beware!

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      Always read the fine print. It could be buried, but it must be there somewhere. “Cannot be combined with any other offer” is often paired with a huge discounted sale price.

      Reply
  2. Kelley K Gill says:

    I finally joined last year – so glad i did! I regularly use Petsmart online to order pet stuff – well, Rakuten was offering 20% cash back some days before the holiday – plus with my accumulated points at Petsmart – some of my savings amounts were $28! I found it rather addictive, but that’s where I get the most bang for my buck! Walmart offers smaller rebates, for household stuff, not groceries, but it adds up! Thanks Mary for keeping the conversation going about this app!

    Reply
  3. Linda A Pries says:

    I have tried Rakuten but I am basically an Amazon shopper when I am looking for anything other than groceries. Yes, I spend $100 a year on clothing and planting supplies but shopping is definitely NOT something I enjoy, therefore I avoid it until absolutely necessary.

    Reply
  4. Cindy Mikels says:

    Is the $50 cap new? I’ve used Rakuten for years as well… since it was ebates. We joined Lifelock several years ago when they had a 90% rebate…yes, 90%! It amounted to over $300.

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      That refers to Boost Bonuses. “The Boost Bonus shall be subject to a total overall cap of $50.00 for all of your Qualifying Purchases made during the Boost Bonus Period (“Boost Cap”). The standard Cash Back rate shall not be subject to the Boost Cap, though may be subject to other applicable merchant terms and exclusions.”

      Reply
  5. Suzanne says:

    I’ve also been with Rakutan since it was Ebates. The only issue I’ve had with it is that there aren’t enough participating stores. Most days when I start there the store I’m shopping isn’t listed. And I’m willing to shop at another store if they have what I need. But most of the time I can’t find the item I need on the Rakutan site.

    Reply
  6. Robin says:

    Thanks to you, I have earned almost $200 in the 3.5 years I have participated in Rakuten! Your advice has been spot-on throughout the years! Thank you!

    Reply
  7. Kerry Cowley says:

    I’ve been frustrated trying to book hotel rooms through Rakuten. The past two times I’ve gone to the site the price on the room jumped a bunch from what it was showing on a site like booking.com so it would have actually cost me money to book through the portal. When I contacted Rakuten, they had no explanation for why it was doing that. They also don’t send the promised cash back on lodging in a timely manner. It’s been over 4 months and I’m still waiting for the cash to post.

    Reply
  8. Cath says:

    I read your story, and looked at the website, even read other people’s posts about them. They do seem legit. However, I rather suspect that the reason so many companies are willing to give you discounts is because this is a huge data mining operation. I would assume all these companies are being given the opportunity to track you as you navigate the internet every day. There are many nefarious ways that companies can manipulate you, and even change what you see online. It’s something to think about.

    Reply
  9. Mindy says:

    As Mary would always recommend, shop around for rebate sites as well. Ebates/Rakuten does NOT always offer the most money back. Since we’re all about saving as much as we can nowadays, it literally pays to shop around for the best rebates as well. Happy shopping!

    Reply
  10. Atk says:

    I joined Rakuten and got one or two checks, and have $3 sitting in my account. Most of the items I order I find on Amazon, and Rakuten doesn’t participate with Amazon.

    Reply
  11. Robin Disney says:

    Been using Rakuten for years – it was Ebates back then. When we remodeled our kitchen and bath six years ago I shopped exclusively through Ebates for our new towels, rugs, curtains, dishes and cookware. Took advantage of promo codes available and hit some great timing with cash back percentages during that period. My Big Fat check that quarter was $248.00!

    Reply
  13. Lyn Turner says:

    I’ve used Rakuten ever since it was Ebates. Love getting my “Big Fat Check” in the mail! usually the amount is in the $20 to $30 range, but since I’ve been Christmas shopping online my Nov check was $48… Every time I get one, it goes into my Christmas Club account. Free money for next year!!

    Reply
  14. Donna Romer says:

    Thank you for telling us exactly how to use Rakuten. It is VERY helpful. I’m pretty good on the computer but sometimes I get lost!

    Reply

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