Rakuten Bonuses: $40 Sign-Up Promotion & $40 Per Referral

Rakuten (rakuten.com) is now offering a $40 bonus for signing up and a $40 bonus credit for each person you refer to the cash back shopping site. Other referral offers here.

Update 5/9/2023: The offer is back up to $40.

Update 1/14/2023: The sign-up offer is now $30.

If you’re buying things on the Internet – and you’re not using Rakuten – then you’re throwing your money away. Formally known as Ebates, the site gives you up to 40% cash back on purchases at over 3,500 stores.

It’s free to use, and you don’t have to deal with points, fees or forms.

Let’s take a closer look at the current Rakuten offers below.

Rakuten $40 Sign-Up Bonus

Get a $40 bonus when you sign up for a new Rakuten account and make at least $40 in purchases within the first 90 days.

Choose to receive your bonus as a Walmart gift card or Rakuten credit. Use our referral link below for your initial bonus (thanks ahead of time!).

Everyone is welcome to leave their referral details in the comments section below.

How To Earn The Bonus

• Use our referral link above to go to the Rakuten site where you will see a pop up box to register for a new account.
• Choose how you want your bonus, as a Walmart gift card or Rakuten credit.
• Fill out the rest of the form and click “Join Now.”
• Make at least $40 in purchases within the first 90 days of joining.
• Receive your bonus.

Rakuten $40 Referral Offer

Earn a $40 bonus credit for every person that signs up for a new Rakuten account using your referral link and spends at least $40 within their first 90 days as a member. Each of your referrals will also receive a bonus for joining and making the spending requirement.

There’s no limit to how many referral bonuses you can earn, but you must have a Rakuten account in order to participate. Rakuten routinely updates with new special referral promotions throughout the year where you can earn more.

How To Earn The Bonus

• Sign into your Rakuten account and visit the Refer-A-Friend page.
• Send your unique referral link to everyone you know by email, text or social media.
• Receive a bonus for each person that:
  • Registers for a new Rakuten account using your referral link, and
  • Makes at least $40 in purchases within their first 90 days as a member.

Fine Print

• You must be a member to participate in the referral program.
• Your referrals must be new to Rakuten.
• Your referral bonus may take up to 60 days after your referral’s qualifying purchase.
• There is no limit to how many referral bonuses you can earn.
• Rakuten reserves the right to withhold, deny or cancel any bonuses and/or rewards and/or terminate your account if the company deems any bonus and/or reward as fraudulent, abusive, unethical, suspicious or otherwise inconsistent with the referral program terms.
• Rakuten reserves the right to suspend or terminate the referral program or to change referral program terms at any time and for any reason in our sole discretion.

How Does Rakuten Work?

As I mentioned before, Rakuten lets you earn 1% to 40% cash back from shopping online at a wide range of retailers. Your rewards, known as Big Fat Payments, are paid out quarterly by check or PayPal.

There are three ways to earn cash back online with Rakuten:

Rakuten Site

Log into your Rakuten account. Click on any retailer link from the Rakuten site, which will automatically load the retailer site in a new window. This will track your session while you shop so you can earn cash back credit for the transaction.

Rakuten Plugin

Download the Rakuten Cash Back Button plugin/extension for your browser (Chrome, Edge, FireFox or Safari). You’ll get a prompt to install the plugin when you register and log in for the first time.

It’s super easy to install, and you’ll get a reminder to use Rakuten each time you shop online with a participating retailer. With the plugin method, there’s no need to go through the Rakuten site.

Rakuten App

Download the Rakuten app to your mobile phone. To get started, choose a retailer from the app. You’ll get a notification to let you know how much cash back you’ll get with the retailer. After that, you’ll be directed to the retailer site where you can shop as you normally would.

Sounds too good to be true? Here’s how it works. Rakuten earns a commission from the retailer when you visit its online store via Rakuten. Rakuten then shares a part of its commission with you, in the form of cash back. It’s a win-win-win for all parties.

Rakuten Versus TopCashback

So, Rakuten and TopCashback are both cashback websites that reward you for shopping at certain retailers. They’re both pretty similar in terms of how they work, but there are a few key differences between the two.

One of the main differences is the selection of retailers. TopCashback has a pretty wide variety of retailers on their platform, with over 7,000 to choose from. Rakuten also has a good selection of retailers, but it’s slightly more limited at around 3,500.

Both TopCashback and Rakuten have competitive cashback rates, but they can vary depending on the retailer and the time of year. So, it’s always a good idea to compare the rates before making a purchase.

One thing that Rakuten has that TopCashback doesn’t is the option to earn cashback through in-store purchases. Rakuten partners with certain retailers to offer cashback when you shop in-store and link your purchase to your Rakuten account. With TopCashback you can purchase online and pick up in-store where available.

Both services have a great referral program to earn extra rewards.

>>Sign up for TopCashback with a bonus

Rakuten Versus RebatesMe

Rakuten and RebatesMe are also going to have more similarities than differences.

Again, Rakuten has around 3,500 partnered retailers. RebatesMe will have slightly more – around 4,000+.

Both Rakuten and RebatesMe have similar cashback rates, so you’ll want to compare them for your favorite retailers.

RebatesMe has a feature that allows you to see the cashback rates of different retailers at a glance, which makes it easy to compare and find the best deals.

Similar to TopCashback, RebatesMe doesn’t have the ability to earn cash back with in-store purchases.

RebatesMe also has a good referral program where users with a big network can earn extra rewards.

>>Sign up for RebatesMe with a bonus

Bottom Line

My thoughts on Rakuten is that it’s a pretty solid choice if you’re looking for a cashback website. The concept is simple and straightforward, and it can definitely help you save some cash on things you were already planning on buying.

Plus, they have a wide variety of 3,5000+ retailers on the platform, so you’re bound to find something that you’re interested in.

One unique thing about Rakuten is the option to earn cashback through in-store purchases. Rakuten partners with certain retailers to offer cashback when you shop in-store and link your purchase to your Rakuten account. This is a pretty cool feature that not many other cashback sites have.

Another thing that sets Rakuten apart from other cashback sites is their referral program, which rewards you with cashback when you refer friends to the platform. This can help you accumulate cashback even faster. Click here for your sign-up bonus.

Tip: It may be best to just sign up for all the cash back portals, since they’re all free to use and come with bonuses. Then you can get a feel for each one first-hand.

Deals Post History for Rakuten:

• Free AARP Membership Plus $4 Profit Via Chase Offers & Rakuten – Ends 5/29/31
• Rakuten Double Cash Back: Get 90% Back Lifelock Subscription
• Rakuten: In-Store 1% Cashback Rewards At Walmart Stores
• Rakuen: Get 5,000 Points (Worth $50) For New Account With Robinhood
• Rakuten 10% Cash Back List: Maximize Savings With Rewards Program
• Rakuten Triple Cash Back: Get $37.50 Back With Daily Harvest Purchase
• Rakuten Triple Cash Back: Get $45 Back With Gobble Meal Subscription

READ MORE: SEE THE BEST BANK BONUSES HERE AND THE BEST INVESTING BONUSES HERE.