Ebates Review: Now Rakuten, Same Great Service (2022)
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While there’s no shortage of rebate websites today, in our Ebates review we’re reviewing Ebates, now known as Rakuten. They are one the pioneers and leaders in cashback.
But can you trust them with your personal information? Are they worth your time? Those questions and more are covered in our Ebates/Rakuten review.
Contents
How cashback websites help you make money
Whether you’re a bootstrapping student or seasoned career professional, we can all use the extra cash. That’s cashback apps are so popular.
Think about all your monthly shopping, from clothing to groceries. Companies like Ebates help you earn and save money on those everyday purchases.
That’s money you could put towards a vacation or to savings.
What is Ebates? Rakuten?
Ebates is the world’s largest cashback shopping website. You can shop from their directory of online stores and receive a rebate on your purchases.
The company was launched by two former deputy district attorneys, Alessandro Isolani and Paul Wasserman. Most recently, Ebates was bought by Rakuten in 2014 for $1 billion.
How do Ebates and Rakuten work?
Users have access to over 750 of your favorite stores where you can shop. You just log onto the site and shop as you normally would. Ebates will track your rebates and calculate how much cashback to appoint to your account. No hassles!
Coupons and promotions
It’s not only rebates.
They also offer coupons, promo codes, and other deals you can gain access to through their site.
Ebates lists new offers daily, making it easy to find the latest promos. You can also filter by stores or categories to find specific brands or products.
Hotel and vacation discounts
Planning on a weekend getaway or vacation in the future? Then you’ll love this feature.
You get discounts and rewards on hotels, flights, car rentals, and vacation packages.
Ebates makes it easy to find by filtering by the hotel, date, location, and more. Traveling is expensive so few percents off can add up quickly to serious cash.
Earning with Ebates/Rakuten
To sign up, first go to their homepage.
Then click the “Join Now” button, and register via Facebook or with your email address.
Across the top of the screen, you’ll access all the stores, deals, and coupons available to you.
For example, we selected Old Navy from the “All Stores” drop-down. We then clicked the red “Shop Now” button and received an 8% cashback on our online purchase.
You typically get paid within a few days and you can view your balance on your account page. Keep in mind, you’ll need to earn at least $5 before you cash out.
As of 2019, Ebates also offers payment via a mailed check or depositing money in your Paypal account.
Other ways to earn with Ebates and Rakuten
Besides shopping, you also earn money a few other ways. First, you’ll receive a $5 welcome bonus after spending $25 in a period of time.
Refer a friend
You can also earn $10 for every friend you refer to Rakuten.
They actually have a way to email the offer directly from the Ebates website. Just type in your name and the friend you want to refer and an automated message will be created.
In-store rewards
Recently Ebates also kicked it up a notch and started offering in-store rewards. Simply navigate to the in-store offers page. You also need to have a credit card linked to your account so they can track the offer.
Then, click the “Link Offer” of any deal that catches your attention.
Then visit the affiliated store and make your purchase using the same credit card linked to your account. Very easy.
Ebates extension for Chrome
We really like the Ebates Chrome extension that’s available. This lightweight extension notifies you of the latest deals, displays your balance, and makes referring friends easy.
Getting paid by Ebates
As fantastic as they are, one drawback is the payment schedule. Any cash you earn that is greater then the $5 minimum is paid out once every three months. That means while it’s easy to earn cash from shopping you won’t receive it for a few months.
Here is the schedule below.
Who is Ebates for?
Ebates is for anyone that wants to earn or save money while shopping both online or in the store. The platform is also ideal for those interested in saving money since they provide quick access to coupons and promos.
Furthermore, anyone who travels will find the hotel and vacation section very useful. Since hotels, car rentals, and other vacation expenses are costly at times, cashback rewards and discounts can make a big difference.
Is Ebates legit?
Ebates is 100% legit. Having been in business for over 20 years, Ebates has racked up tons of positive reviews.
Ebates user reviews
This review from Trustpilot praises their customer service and shows how exciting it is to get paid. We also liked that the Ebates team replies to almost all reviews, good or bad. That’s a great sign a company cares about its customers and their reputation.
But not all reviews are great. This user referred three friends who made several transactions, yet the cashback reward was later removed from the account.
They had their profile closed and reopened, with no earnings being shown. It sounded like a technical error and the Ebates customer service team was trying to help.
Pros
- Refer a friend: You earn $10 for using their referral program once they register through your affiliate marketing link.
- Sign up bonus: You’ll earn $5 just for spending $25 before a specified date.
- Tons of offers: There are tons of coupon codes, promotions, and other deals that you can use to save money.
Cons
- Slow payments: The payment schedule is set to every three months. It would be better if it was on-demand.
- Category exclusions: Ebates has a large variety of categories, but you’ll find gaps.
- One account per IP: You can only have a single account per IP address.
Wrapping up our Ebates/Rakuten review
Our review of Ebates found it easy to use and with tons of ways to earn and save cash. They even have a convenient Chrome extension. Their new in-store feature and travel section are also great additions to the platform.
There are some small drawbacks, such as the long payout time but that’s not a reason not try. You’re going to shop anyway, so you might as well make and save some money by shopping through Ebates.
We highly recommend signing up for Ebates. What was your experience? Let us know in the comment section!