Rakuten: Cash Back & Deals 4+

Rakuten Rocks!

I have been a customer of Rakuten since it was eBates, and use them most frequently for Black Friday shopping since that’s when I do most of my online purchases, and since that’s when retailers offer the biggest cash back percentages. However, I have used them a few times for other purchases. Not only have they helped me score some hidden sales, but I have also gotten cash back on rock bottom prices. One of the purchases was on henna for my hair that was out of stock for some reason at all the usual retailers, including Vitacost. Through Rakuten I was able to find my usual Star Botanical organic brand, in stock, and at half the price of the usual price of retailers that were sold out. I was floored! The product was fresh and undamaged, and arrived quickly from the seller. Also, I was recently able to find an expensive fitness item that my son wanted for his birthday for several dollars below both MSRP listed on the manufacturer and big big box store websites, plus get cash back. I can’t always find what I’m shopping for, but when I do, it’s always worth it. I have never had any issues with Rakuten sellers, either. The only small item I wish Rakuten could change: they have a cash back notification for my Mac, but don’t offer that feature for iPhone, so I’m sure I’ve probably missed a few cash back opportunities when I’m shopping from my phone because I forget to check their app. Otherwise, I highly recommend Rakuten for nearly effortless shopping discounts.

Developer Response ,

Thanks for the awesome feedback! We're so happy to hear you are finding some great deals. It really is easy to rack up the savings and the Cash Back with Rakuten!

Amazing. Not a scam.

Cash back rewards are the best kept secret for helping people find savings where they thought they didn’t have any. This is an amazing app, I highly recommend it to everyone. Thank you Rakuten, I’m very happy with the situation! I only
wish more retailers got involved and that the cash back rewards were higher for some retailers, but maybe if more people participate, that could happen. Rakuten is a win-win for everyone! So far no downsides. It does what it says it does. No hidden catches. Just be really careful if you use your mobile phone to pay attention when making sure if something is eligible and that for in store purchases, you have gone through the app first so it records the sale! Its easier if you’re on your desktop or laptop if you have the Rakuten button installed because it will pop up but I missed out the first few times in store and online with purchases on my mobile phone before I realized that part wasn’t automatic (unless it’s dining in or delivery orders I think?) , that you have to go through the app to get it. Thanks again!

More work than it’s worth

Things started out great, as usual. I was delighted to QUICKLY earn $50+ dollars on my first check. Second & third checks, however, were less than half that amount. Which was perplexing so I checked things out. Seems there were A LOT of my purchases going “unrewarded”. Therefore, I started updating the data in “MISSING CASH BACK” which is extremely time consuming. They list EVERY time
you use the app, even when just browsing, as a potential for “missing cash back”. Plus you need order number and subtotal; both have to be looked up from the actual store you made your purchase from. You can imagine the amount of searching and time it takes to file a submission for each MISSING CASH BACK submission. And we aren’t talking 1 or 2, we are talking 9 - 10 monthly that fail to get rewarded. So after diligently submitting MULTIPLE requests things were moving along, although at a much less satisfying rate than my first check (hmm). Finally, the last straw fell when after my last round of Missing Cash Back submissions were all responded to with the same thing: “ your purchase was not coved!” What gives? I’ve been buying the same things the whole time.
I finally gave up, at the urging of my partner, as it’s not worth the .35 cents you get (or not get) for each laboriously completed and submitted MISSING CASH form. The only thing that will be missing from now on is ME- from the Rakuten app!