With summer coming to a close, many of us start to think about the holidays. And with the holidays usually comes serious spending on gifts, decorations, food, etc. I am always looking for ways to save and pay less. One way I like to do that is with Rakuten. If you aren’t using this app yet to earn cash back on your purchases you are really missing out. I even convinced my mom to use it! Below I’ll go in depth on Rakuten and why I use it to get cash back on everyday purchases.
What Is Rakuten?
Formerly known as Ebates, Rakuten is a cash back company. They partner with over 3,500 retailers where you can earn cash back via their app or browser extension when you shop online. It is free to join. To date I have earned almost $1k back from this app! You can also earn in-store at certain retailers, but will need to upload a credit card to your account and pay with that card to prove your purchase.
How Does It Work?
If there is an item I want to purchase, usually I will do a quick google search to see which retailers sell that item. You could also search the app to see if the retailer you want to purchase from partners with Rakuten. With my Rakuten browser extension, I can see which of those retailers are offering the highest amount of cash back (the percentage changes all the time). Then I use either their app or browser extension to go to that retailer’s website and make my purchase.
Once your purchase is complete the retailer will confirm the purchase and the cash back will show up in your account! I have earned cash back from places like Target, Nike, Marriott, and many more. Cash back percentages typically range from 1% to 20%. Rakuten pays its users out quarterly with a “Big Fat Check”. This can be paid out via PayPal or with a physical check. The physical check just takes a little longer to arrive.
Pros/Cons
In my opinion this app has way more pros than cons but since this is a review I want to be totally transparent about my opinions. A big pro is the amount of retailers they partner with. I can almost always find cash back on my online purchases. I also really like that you can still earn loyalty points/rewards with your specific retailer’s programs. For example, I like to stay at Marriott hotels. I can earn cash back with Rakuten, book through Marriott’s website and still earn Marriott Bonvoy points with my stay.
**Pro tip: use a credit card to get even more bang for your buck if you can afford to pay it off.
Another thing I like about Rakuten is that it is, for the most part, automatic. Once you select the “earn cash back” button and see the check mark next to the browser extension, cash back will show up in your account within a week usually. On the flip side of this, I have had instances where the retailer didn’t report my order and had to follow up with Rakuten customer service to get my cash back. Their customer service team is great to work with and many times will automatically credit my account.
One other thing that you can’t do with Rakuten is use it with any other cash back company like Ibotta. If you have both browser extensions and try to get cash back from both on the same item, Rakuten will usually disconnect. When this happens I just go with whichever app has the best cash back at the time.
**Special offer: If you sign up for Rakuten through this link, you will get $30 when you spend your first $30! Purchases must be made within 90 days of signing up.
Tips
Usually I prefer to make purchases on my laptop. By installing the Rakuten browser extension, it will automatically let you know if there is cash back for the retailer’s website you are on. This is a great reminder if you find you are frequently forgetting to check for cash back or use the app.
Another tip that I recommend is if I know I am going to purchase an item but I need the item ASAP, I will buy online and pick up in store. This way I am still able to get cash back through Rakuten and get my item as soon as possible.
Check to see if your cash back was rewarded! As I mentioned above, there have been times where the retailer didn’t report my order so my cash back was pending for weeks. You can go to your profile, hit “cash back balance” or “missing cash back” and you’ll see if your order was reported. If not and enough time has passed, make sure you contact Rakuten customer support. I notice cash back for hotels takes a little longer and doesn’t always get reported.
The last tip I have is to link your credit card. It makes it really convenient if you want in-store cash back. That way all you have to do is click “link offer” in the app and use your card to pay!
Overall Opinion
I have recommended Rakuten to all of my friends and family. I think the pros really outweigh the very few cons there are. It is easy to use and helps me save significantly on everyday purchases. If you are thinking ahead to the holidays, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are when I typically see the highest amount of cash back (usually anywhere from 10-20%)! If you are interested in using Rakuten, sign up using this link for $30 back on your first purchase of $30 or more. Happy shopping!
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Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for the comment.