About Rakuten.com
Rakuten, formerly known as Ebates, serves over 12 million users in the US by providing cash back deals and promo codes for shoppers. With a browser extension tool and over 2,500 brands on its site, Rakuten offers deals and savings in nearly every online market.
Overall Satisfaction Rating
- 5 stars
- 4 stars
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- 1 stars
Pros
- Deals and discounts available
- Sign up for free
- Cash back earnings on purchases
Cons
- Limited rideshare offers
- Must have a PayPal account
Bottom Line
Rakuten’s promotional deals and coupons let you save money on everyday purchases. The online shopping platform provides opportunities for people to earn cash back on products from more than 2,400 brands.
Top Rakuten.com Reviews
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99% percent of the time rebates go through seamlessly… It's a no brainer to head onto Rakuten website and go through one of there links to receive money back on products I buy on ...
Read full reviewI’ve been using Rakuten.com for years. Getting money back each time I shop online is awesome. The site is easy to use, and if there are any questions, the member services departme...
Read full reviewWhat is Rakuten?
Rakuten works with a wide variety of stores to give you cash back deals and discounts. With Rakuten, you receive cash back payments every three months, either through a check in the mail or via PayPal. The company’s browser extension tool lets you see deals when searching for products on the internet, and its Price Magic feature lets you see what percentage you’ll receive in cash back rewards.
How does Rakuten work?
Rakuten gives you access to coupons, sales and cash back rewards all in one place. Its website includes all of the brands and services it currently works with, including companies like Groupon, Ulta, Nike and Sephora.
Rakuten lets you shop any way you want and earn rewards. You can access its tools through Rakuten’s mobile app or shop from its website. You must add a credit or debit card to your account to use Rakuten’s mobile app features.
The Rakuten Cash Back Visa card lets shoppers earn up to 3% extra cash back on qualifying purchases and 1% cash back on all other purchases. The Cash Back Visa has no annual fees and comes with a zero-fraud-liability policy.
Is Rakuten free?
Signing up and creating an account on Rakuten is free for customers. When you make a purchase using Rakuten’s services, the company makes a commission or takes a percentage of the profit from the seller.
Rakuten FAQ
- Can I trust Rakuten?
Rakuten is an international company that takes precautions to ensure it complies with the General Data Protection Regulations. Reputable brands and stores trust Rakuten to provide promotions and deals to its customers.
- How do I contact Rakuten?
Rakuten offers a help center on its website. Customers can also get more personalized help through their account after signing up.
- How do you use Rakuten in stores?
To use Rakuten in stores, shoppers need to download the Rakuten mobile app. With the app, you select the store you’d like to shop at and see available offers. You then need to link the offer to your account and use your debit or credit card to make a purchase. It typically takes a few hours or days for the funds to appear in your account.
- What is the catch with Rakuten?
There’s no catch to Rakuten, but you must buy items to earn cash back. Once your account has reached $5, the company releases cash back payments. Earnings depend on the amount you spend.
Is Rakuten legit?
Budget-savvy shoppers who would like to save while buying items they need should look into Rakuten’s discounts and cash back rewards program. We recommend Rakuten for families, avid shoppers and travelers who would like to earn rewards on their purchases.
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I used Ebates.com for years. We travel for business and spend weeks at a time in hotels throughout the year. Ebates always made sure I received my credit for staying and I never had an issue. However ever since it became Rakuten.com I haven't been paid once for the hotel stays. The first time I thought it was my fault, maybe I didn't register the credit card? But when I checked the credit card, it was listed. I contacted them and they said, "For hotels you had to wait 6 months." When I contacted after 6 months, all the information about the stay had been deleted from my account. 2 more hotel stays later and still the same. They should change their name to Scam.com. I'm looking for an alternative company. I'm done with Rakuten.com!
Hi Jon - Please email us at socialhelp@rakuten.com and our team will be happy to take a look at any missing travel purchases.
I am a member at Ebate.com/Rakuten.com since 10/21/2007, so I am familiar with the requirements and regulations. On May 22, 2022, I was attracted by a 10% offer from Rakuten for my purchases from Staples through Rakuten website. I Followed all the required steps and I placed my Staples order for the amount of $39.89.66 Dollars. Rakuten did not give me the cash back as it was supposed to happen.
I filed several claims, but no customer service answer was received, all the answers were generic replies by the website. After more than 20 attempt to reach a live customer service, I received an email from a customer service Blaming Staples for not giving me the 10% cash back WHEN THE CASH BACK WAS OFFERED TO BY RAKUTEN NOT BY STAPLES, I think Rakuten are switching their business from advertising to scam.
Scamming the customers is an easier and more profitable business for Rakuten than their previous honest business of advertising. Rakuten is blaming a third party for the false promise of 10% that they refused to abide with. The misleading action of Rakuten costed me $40 dollars that I want it back asap. It is not my problem what goes between Rakuten and the seller, My contract for 10% is with Rakuten who is trying to ignore. I want Rakuten to give me my 10% as I was promised.
Hi Camille - We're sorry to hear that you have not received your Cash Back. Please email at socialhelp@rakuten.com and our team will take a look for you.
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I had cashback that I had received but had not collected. Even though they were working with my money I assumed it was safe to leave it with Rakuten. I had not logged in for several months. When I logged in to collect MY money I found out they had charged $2 every month to use my money until it was gone. I will never shop with Rakuten! Poor business practices!
Trying to get a cashback check as my balance indicates money to be sent to me by 5/15. The balance of what they say they have paid me is not correct as I have received very few checks and cannot get the current check they owe me. I contacted the online chat and they sent a link which sounds good but does not activate on my account. They tell me to change my address on a certain site and there is nothing on there to do this. I sent an email to customer support and received a general response with no follow-through. I think they are a scam. I have been patient now am writing reviews on this as they will not respond.
I shop a lot from Instacart and Rakuten promises 2% every time so I make sure that I click it. However, when I checked my account not a single one of my shopping experiences has cashback attached. I checked the website and the qualifications needed and I met all of them and still no cashback. I wonder if Rakuten has benefited from all my shopping experiences through Instacart and is keeping all the benefits to themselves. I have received a few payments from them, but not always. It is a little annoying to say the least.
When it was Ebates everything was easy and I always got my rebates. Rakuten NEVER gives me the promised rebates until I contact them and then have to send copies of my completed invoices then have to wait MONTHS to see a dime. Every time I visit a store online it pops up. I click on it and that should be one and done. NEVER. I have to BEG to get my rebates. UNINSTALLING. They can KEEP it.
This company used to be called eBates. I do not know if they were sold to someone else or if they simply changed their name, but now they are called Rakuten. I signed up with them a long time back. I cannot even recall how long ago. I very rarely ever sign into my account mainly because I forget about them because I simply do not buy online aside from eBay, Amazon, and occasionally on a few other sites. I do not shop with most any of the shops they use on their site.
Anyway, I tried to log in a few days ago, but I could not log in, so I reported it to them. I thought they were having a website glitch or something. After a few days, I received this message from them: "We have found a number of accounts in violation of our program terms related to yours. Due to the abuse of our program, our risk department has ended membership for all related accounts."
I have no idea what this ^^^^ even means! I have only one account with them, and as I said, I seldom even use it for the reasons stated in my first paragraph above. So, I contacted them back and told them I do not even know what you are talking about. I only have one account. I am an individual not associated with any other business or account. To close my account without asking me any questions, without providing any sort of evidence in support of what you are talking about, and without notifying me of anything is unreasonable. It is a lack of the idea of due process. You have accused me, judged me, and executed me without me knowing anything about any of this. They replied that they do everything at their "sole discretion." Can you imagine if everyone operated this way?!
I was so angry that I filed complaints against them with the BBB and the California Attorney General's Office for Consumer Protection. They replied to the BBB complaint with the same message---no explanation, no clarification, no evidence of anything they think I have done wrong, etc. I am truly appalled. I began researching them online, and I found where other people had the same thing happen to them. It makes no sense to me whatsoever, but I wanted to share my experience. I do not think I had accrual of much cashback, but I cannot even log into my account to check. They have not made a lot of money off of me because I did not buy through their site a whole lot, but what about people who DID buy a lot through their site and accrued a good bit of money that they had not yet collected and then their accounts were unilaterally closed at Rukuten's "sole discretion"? This sort of behaviour is just plain wrong.
I encourage others with bad experiences with Rakuten to share their experiences, too. I bet there are a lot of people out there who have not reported on this site. My best advice to everyone is to file reviews and complaints, and stay as far away from this company as possible. They are NOT trustworthy and not worth your good faith in them.
Recently, I received an email stating if I refer friends I would get 40 bucks and they also would get 40 bucks. And I saw the money in my account but after a few days it was gone. I had at least two people sign up. The second person never saw her 40bucks and we both sent emails and never received a response. Guess they say if it's too good to be true...
I opened an account and was offered $30 with a qualifying purchase. The money showed up for a couple of days and then disappeared from my account. I also referred 4 family members some which live with me, but I don’t see how that would be a violation with the same $30 offer for both parties. Once again the money showed up for a couple of days and disappeared again. I contacted customer service and they are bullies. They kept telling me to consolidate accounts which I kept repeating to them that the referred accounts do not belong to me. They are very aggressive and I honestly felt threatened and bullied. They have the worse customer service and I would recommend everyone to not do business with them, their signup bonuses are a scam.
Their process is very cumbersome and involves many steps to accurately get your purchase to apply properly. Too many times you click on a portion of the vendor site and it takes you out of the Rakuten process and you wind up purchasing an item without getting proper credit for it. So. It is too much to keep straight while shopping.
Rakuten.com Company Information
- Company Name:
- Rakuten.com
- Company Type:
- Public
- Ticker Symbol:
- RKUNY
- Year Founded:
- 1997
- Formerly Named:
- Rakuten
- Address:
- 800 Concar Drive
- City:
- San Mateo
- State/Province:
- CA
- Postal Code:
- 94402
- Country:
- United States
- Website:
- www.rakuten.com
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