We’ve heard many ask whether Rakuten is legit and we were skeptical ourselves, so we were eager to launch an investigation. Answer-wiz editors spent almost a year testing and researching Rakuten (which was called Ebates when we first started our research).

First, if you’re not familiar, here’s a brief explanation of how Rakuten works: You link to a retailer website by using the Rakuten website, app or browser extension. Make a purchase. In about 12 weeks Rakuten sends a payment to your Paypal account, American Express membership rewards points or via check to a mailing address you provide. That’s really it!

Many stores participate in cash back programs but not all. Below are a few popular stores and their current rebate percentage (as of Feb. 2020). Stores and rebate amounts change often.

• Overstock / 2%
• Sierra Trading Post / 8%
• Amazon / up to 5% depending on the category (be sure to read the caveats section below)
• Expedia / 7%
• Target / 1%
• Walmart / up to 5% depending on the category

So is Rakuten legit?

In a nutshell, yes. Our editors successfully shopped with Rakuten and received rebate payments. Although Rakuten is legit and it is easy to use, there are some things to know….

What’s the catch with Rakuten?

Ok so here’s the deal. There are a few things that may make some people think Rakuten is not so legit if they aren’t aware of them up front. So pay attention: If you aren’t aware of these things you might not earn a rebate!

Rakuten is easy to use, but at the same time it can be a hassle for some. You have to remember to link from Rakuten before you add an item to your cart. We recommend using their browser add on because it definitely helps. It automatically notifies you when a store offers cash back while you are on their website and lets you easily activate the rebate.

On the other hand, if you shop with a retailer’s app on your phone, you won’t earn cash back. So it becomes a hassle to remember to open the Rakuten app first, find the retailer and link that way. In our testing some stores (like Amazon) link you to their retailer app on your phone if you have it. Other stores (like Nordstrom Rack and Kohl’s) link to your phone’s browser to shop. We found this cumbersome and missed out on some rebates because of this.

Some stores like Target, Walmart and Amazon say they offer “up to 5% cash back.” This just means different categories of items earn different rebate percentages. Some percentages are 0% so check the categories before you buy. Fortunately Rakuten makes this easy to do both on the app and website.

We’ve found that Rakuten is mostly for online shopping but it does have some in-store deals as well. To get those you have to provide a credit card then find and activate a deal on the Rakuten website before you head in store. We found this process inconvenient and don’t like the idea of providing credit card information.

Finally, there is a delay between making a purchase and receiving your cash back: up to 3 months. And you’re only paid if your account balance is $5 or more.

Special caveats for Amazon shopping with Rakuten

1. Amazon doesn’t allow the Rakuten browser button so in order to get cash back from Amazon you must link through the Rakuten website or app.
2. If you use the Amazon app to shop, you must first open the Rakuten app and link to Amazon. This should then open the Amazon app on your phone to continue shopping. (We tested this with iPhone 6s and 11. If you have a different experience let us know in the comments).
3. As mentioned earlier, some popular categories like books, toner/ink and most electronics do not pay cash back. The highest rebates are usually Amazon exclusive apparel, Amazon devices and high ticket items like furniture.

What about spam?

We our editors did not notice a significant increase in spam after signing up for Rakuten.

So should you sign up for Rakuten?

Rakuten is legit so if you want to give it a try it certainly won’t hurt! Our editors think it take minimal effort to use, did not notice any additional spam and have successfully received rebate payments. Sign up here to earn a $10 bonus and help support Answer-Wiz!