Rakuten Review 2024: Ultimate Guide to How it Works

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This is the ultimate Rakuten review that explains what it is, how it works, and how to start saving money immediately.

With so many money-saving applications out there, how do you choose which one to download? They're all free and do amazing things!

However, given that our phones are bombarded with applications, it's important to find one that best matches your goals. I've tested out MANY of them, but Rakuten is my favorite for a reason.

I used to be against money-saving apps because I thought they were a scam or a huge time suck. (These days, any ounce of time is crucial to me so I can't spend an hour to save $1.)

However, after downloading Rakuten and using it for a year, I can actually say I've been impressed with many things within the app, but mostly impressed with the money it's saved me!

(You know I don't say those words lightly since most apps don't impress me. It takes A LOT for me to give it the thumbs up and for me to recommend it to my readers…I ONLY recommend things I personally love and use.)

We're going to take a dive into the app so if you haven't downloaded it yet, you can download Rakuten for free here and get $40 just for doing so!

This post is a Rakuten review based on my personal experience with the app.

What is Rakuten?

Rakuten is a cash-back money-saving application you download for free on your smart phone. There is no monthly cost and absolutely no catches.

Did you read that right? Yes, there are NO CATCHES!!

You simply get a percentage cash back when you make purchases from over 2500 retailers. You just have to make sure you purchase through Rakuten to get the cash back.

The way they entice you to purchase through their app is by offering a percentage cash back.

For example, I often get 10% back from my Macy's and Ulta purchases. The percentage cash back changes all the time, but it seems to cycle through the greater discounts quite often.

They have thousands of stores to choose from in the app and it allows you to get money back on purchases you were already going to make.

You can earn anywhere from 1% to 40% in the form of cash back by purchasing through Rakuten.

Download rakuten for free

How Much is Rakuten?

Rakuten is completely FREE! Yes, you heard me. There are no catches, no monthly fees, and no subscriptions. It's a free app for download and anyone over 18 is eligible to use it!

I know, it's hard to believe it's totally free, but when life hands you little wins in life, you take them!

How Does Rakuten Make Money?

I bet you're wondering how they make money if YOU aren't paying them, aren't ya?

That's a great question!

Rakuten basically makes an affiliate commission when you purchase through their app, similar to the way this website makes a small commission. You don't pay anything additional.

In fact, you get cash back for purchasing through their app so it's a win-win!

How Does Rakuten Work?

Rakuten gives you cash back for purchases you make from normal retailers like Target, Macy's, Nordstrom, Ulta, etc.

All you have to do is go to the Rakuten app or Rakuten Browser Extension and click on the store you'd like to purchase from. It will list a percentage cash back they are offering. As a reminder, this percentage will change every few days. For example, Target may offer 2% one day and 10% the next day so be on the look out for that.

Next, all you have to do is make a purchase on the retailers website. The website will look the exact same as it normally does. If you clicked on the retailer website through Rakuten, you'll see the cashback amount in your Rakuten account within a few hours to a few days.

It's actually quite amazing and super helpful when you just want that additional discount (when do we not?!)

How Do You Get the Cash Back on Rakuten?

After you make a purchase through Rakuten, you'll see your cash back balance in the app. It usually updates within a few hours or so, but it can take a few days to upload to the app. They're usually pretty fast though.

The app will pay you your cash back via check or direct deposit within a certain window of time.

How Easy is Rakuten to Use?

Rakuten is SO EASY TO USE, it's actually quite amazing. I can't be bothered by things that take too much work for little reward.

Life is too busy for that.

Therefore, for me to say this is easy to use and worth it is kind of a big deal. I have so few apps on my phone that anything on my phone is well worth it to me! (PS: Recipe Keeper is also a game changer if you like organizing recipes in an easy way. Total side note. Back to our regularly scheduled programming.)

Anyway, the app is extremely easy to use and maneuver which makes it extremely simple for any new user.

I think that's the best part of the app!

That's exactly why I felt the need to do a Rakuten review. I'm all about ways to save money that are EASY!

How Do You Get Started?

First off, download the Rakuten app and get $40 after you make your first purchase.

The only other information they need is a mailing address if you want your cash back via check or your paypal information so they can direct deposit your cash back.

Then, you just log in and find a store. Click on it and make a purchase. You will see the specified percentage cashback in your Rakuten account within a few hours or days.

It's that easy!

You can also install the chrome browser extension to make it easy to take advantage of the cash back at all times, without even having to navigate through Rakuten first.

The site is actually quite advanced and impressive.

Rakuten Review: Is It Recommended?

Like I mentioned above, it took me YEARS to finally download a cashback app because I was so against them. I figured they were a waste of time and I cannot be wasting my time these days.

I'm happy to report that Rakuten is certainly not a waste of time! It's actually super easy to use and so worth a free download!

If you'd like to get $40 for signing up, you can download the Rakuten app here .

Download Rakuten

Alternatives to Rakuten

Ibotta

Ibotta is a different type of cashback site where you get a rebate back for your purchases after the fact. You simply upload your receipt from their participating stores, which includes grocery stores, gas stations, and liquor stores, etc! They offer rebates for different items all the time and support stores like Walmart, Ulta, and Home Depot! Ibotta has paid out over $682 million to its users to date! They offer different promotions upon sign up!

You can download Ibotta for free here to take advantage of their current promotion.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is not only a cashback site, but also a survey site that pays you to take surveys online! You take the surveys in your spare time and watch the dollars rack up in your account. They differ from Rakuten in that they gift you points to redeem for gift cards, instead of straight cash back.

They are offering my readers a $5 bonus when you sign up.

You can download Swagbucks for free here to get $5 on sign up!

This post was a Rakuten review based on personal experiences.

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