Introduction to Cash Back Shopping Sites
Cash back shopping sites have become a popular way for people to save money without changing their everyday habits. These platforms partner with retailers across a wide range of categories and reward you with a percentage of your purchase simply for starting your shopping trip through their site or app. The concept is straightforward. Retailers pay the platform a commission for sending shoppers their way, and the platform shares part of that commission with you. The result is an easy, low effort method of earning money back on purchases you already plan to make. Whether you shop online, in stores, or both, cash back sites offer a simple way to stretch your budget and make your spending work a little harder for you.
A Complete Guide to Using Rakuten for Cash Back
Rakuten has become one of the most popular cash back websites and is my go-to for getting extra discounts in the form of cash back. Whether you shop online, in stores, or a mix of both, Rakuten can help you save money with very little effort. Many people aren’t aware these types of sites even exist or feel they are too complicated or hard to use. The goal of this guide is to show you that this isn’t the case at all. With just a couple of extra minutes you can easily save hundreds of dollars a year if you are a semi-frequent online shopper. It just takes clicking on the shop now button before making your purchase.
For example, at the time of writing this post, Rakuten is offering $250 for opening a Sofi bank account, 12% on Temu, 10% on Adidas, 8% on Nike.
This guide walks you through how it works and how to make the most of it as well as some additional tips to make sure the cash back tracks correctly.
What Rakuten Is and How It Works
Rakuten partners with thousands of retailers. When you shop through Rakuten, the retailer pays Rakuten a commission for sending you to their site. Rakuten then shares part of that commission with you in the form of cash back. It is a simple system that rewards you for shopping the way you already do.
Creating Your Account
To get started, visit the Rakuten website and create a free account. You can sign up with an email address or through an existing Google or Apple account. Once you are signed in, you can browse available stores, current cash back rates, and special promotions. One of the best parts is that they offer a large sign-up bonus. Currently it is $50! That means once you complete your purchase, not only will you get the original cash back (for example 10% back) but will also get an additional $50.
Note: If you try and create multiple accounts to continuously get this $50 bonus, they will know and not award it.
Guide to Getting the $50 Bonus
It’s really simple to get the $50 bonus which is why I recommend everyone uses Rakuten at least once to get the free $50 even if they don’t continue using it after. So many people sign up but then forgot to make the purchases. If you don’t complete the purchase in 90 days you will never be able to get any bonus as you forfeited it. If you try to make a new account, Rakuten will know and still not award you a bonus. It’s best to go in and make a purchase soon after signing up.
Sign up here for the $50 Bonus
- After signing up, look through the hundreds of retailers and select which you would like to buy something from.
- Click on the link on Rakuten that brings you to the store website. Make sure you go through the Rakuten link so it tracks. Also make sure you are using a browser that doesn’t have an ad blocker that might interfere.
- Purchase an item or more than one that totals $50 before tax or more. This needs to be done within 90 days of signing up. It can be done over multiple stores and purchases as long as it’s within the 90 days.
- Within a few days you should see that it tracked and you will soon be awarded the $50 bonus as well as the % back for the item (like 10% back from Adidas for example) which could make this a money maker.
- You can get paid many different ways like Paypal or even a physical check sent to your house once it is confirmed.
Using Rakuten on Your Computer
The easiest way to earn cash back online is by installing the Rakuten browser extension. Once installed, the extension alerts you whenever a site you visit offers cash back. You can activate the offer with a single click. The extension also applies available coupon codes automatically, which can increase your savings even more. However, I prefer just using the website.
If you prefer not to use the extension, you can start your shopping trip directly from the Rakuten website which is my preferred way. Search for the store you want, click through to the retailer, and complete your purchase as usual. As long as you begin your visit through Rakuten, your cash back will track.
Using Rakuten on Your Phone
Rakuten also offers a mobile app. The app allows you to activate cash back offers before shopping in other apps or mobile browsers. It also includes in store cash back options. For in store offers, you link your credit or debit card to Rakuten and activate the offer before making your purchase. When you pay with the linked card, the cash back is added to your account automatically.
Tracking and Withdrawing Your Cash Back
After you make a purchase, Rakuten typically tracks the cash back within a few hours or days. You can view pending and confirmed earnings in your account dashboard. Rakuten pays out earnings every quarter through a payment method you choose, such as PayPal or a mailed check. This is done automatically after you set up your payment method.
Payments are issued every three months on the following dates and require you to have a balance of at least $5.01:
- Feb. 15
- May 15
- Aug. 15
- Nov. 15
Top Mistakes to Avoid When Using Cash Back Sites
Even though cash back platforms are simple to use, there are several common pitfalls that can prevent shoppers from earning the rewards they expect. Understanding these mistakes ahead of time makes it easier to get the full value from any cash back program.
- Missing the activation step
The most frequent issue is completing a purchase without activating the cash back offer first. Cash back sites rely on tracking technology, and if the offer is not activated before checkout, the purchase usually will not register. This is especially easy to overlook when you are in a hurry or switching between multiple tabs. If you are going through the website, this means clicking on the shop now button to activate the tracking. - Skipping the fine print
Some items, brands, or categories may not qualify for cash back. Certain retailers exclude gift cards, sale items, or specific product lines. Reading the details before you shop helps you avoid surprises when your rewards do not appear. - Using coupon codes from outside sources
Cash back sites often require that you use only the coupons they provide. Codes found on unrelated websites can override the tracking and cancel your cash back. Sticking to the coupons listed on the cash back platform keeps your rewards safe. - Switching between apps or tabs during checkout
If you activate an offer and then click away to another site before completing your purchase, the tracking cookie can break. This is a common reason for missing rewards. Once you activate the offer, it is best to complete the checkout process without navigating elsewhere. - Leaving items in your cart before activation
If your cart already contains items before you activate the cash back offer, the purchase may not track correctly. Starting with an empty cart and activating the offer first is the safest approach. - Overlooking in store cash back
Many shoppers focus only on online purchases and forget that some platforms offer rewards for in store shopping as well. These offers often require you to link a payment card and activate the deal before visiting the store. Ignoring them means missing out on additional savings. - Not checking whether a purchase tracked
Most platforms show pending rewards within a few hours or days. If you never check your account, you may not notice when something fails to track. Monitoring your activity helps you catch issues early and request corrections when needed. Make sure to contact customer service if it is not tracking correctly. Many platforms will fix the issue if you provide proof of purchase. - Using ad blockers
Browsers with built in ad blockers or added ad blocker extensions can break the tracking mechanism entirely. This often results in purchases not tracking. Using a browser like Chrome without an ad blocker is the safest approach.
Tips for Maximizing Your Savings
- Choose stores with higher cash back rates when possible. I normally use Cashbackmonitor.com to compare.
- There are usually big cash back bonuses during the holidays like October-December
- Check the Rakuten homepage for limited time bonuses.
- Use the browser extension to avoid missing offers.
- Combine cash back with retailer sales and coupons for greater savings. Just make sure the use of additional coupons doesn’t void the cash back.
- Activate in store offers before you shop.
If you have a credit card, especially a Chase or Amex card, this cash back can be paired really well with offers on those credit cards. For example, if your Chase card has 10% back on Adidas and there is also 10% back on Adidas on Rakuten, you can make the purchase and receive 10% back as statement credit on your Chase account and 10% back from Rakuten. So it will stack extremely well, and you will get 20% back in total.
Final Thoughts
Rakuten is one of the best and most consistent cash back websites out there. I have yet to have an experience where I was supposed to receive cash back but didn’t. That’s not to say that the automated tracking always works, but customer service has corrected the few times it didn’t, so I still received exactly what I expected. Try to pair cash back with additional coupons shown on the Rakuten website and also with your credit card deals to really have the savings add up. Even small amounts add up over time. In my case most of my cash back transactions were $5-$10 but over time have added up to hundreds. You also can’t beat that $50 sign up bonus! Rakuten is a simple and effective way to earn money back on purchases you already plan to make. With a quick setup and minimal effort, you can turn everyday shopping into a steady stream of savings. If you enjoy finding ways to stretch your budget, Rakuten is a tool worth adding to your routine.