Hello! I’ve partnered with Rakuten for today’s holiday shopping tips. Don’t forget to enter the simple $100 giveaway at the end.
Did you know there’s an easy way to get $40 cash back this holiday season?
Yes—it’s true, and it couldn’t be simpler.
If you have holiday shopping to do, you could save $40 right away with just a few quick steps.
Here are some common holiday purchases where you can earn cash back:
- Gifts
- Travel, such as plane tickets to visit loved ones
- Shipping for gifts or holiday cards
- Holiday cards
- Home decorations
- Food for holiday gatherings
And more.
The average household spends over $1,000 during the holidays, which adds up fast. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to recoup part of that spending all year long.
You can earn cash back on many purchases, and it’s very easy to set up.
For example, if you spend about $1,000 this season and average 5% cash back, that’s around $50 returned to you—plus the $40 welcome bonus when you sign up and make a qualifying $40 purchase.
It only takes a few moments to get started.
Millions of people use Rakuten to earn cash back while shopping online. You click through Rakuten to a retailer’s website or use their browser extension, shop as usual, and cash back is tracked automatically.
I’ve used Rakuten for many years, and every time I forget to activate it I wish I hadn’t—those small rebates add up quickly.
Using Rakuten costs nothing. It’s free, fast, and only requires a couple extra clicks.
Rakuten is one of the largest cash-back services, listing thousands of partnered stores—many offering substantial percentages back (sometimes up to 40%). If you shop online, there’s a strong chance your preferred retailers participate.
How to get started and earn cash back:
- Sign up for free at Rakuten.
- Either find the retailer on Rakuten and click through to shop, or install the Rakuten browser extension and shop as you normally would.
- Complete your purchase and Rakuten will automatically track your cash back. You’ll receive an email when it posts to your account.
- Rakuten issues your first payment (via check or PayPal) within 15 days of your first qualifying purchase; after that, payments are made quarterly.
It’s really that straightforward.
There are no monthly fees or hidden costs—Rakuten is entirely free to use.
To see the exact cash-back rate for a store, visit Rakuten and view the percentage shown next to the retailer name on their website.
Below is a screenshot example showing available cash-back rates for popular retailers.
As that example shows, many familiar stores—Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Old Navy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Nike, Chewy, Sephora, and others—often offer cash back.
Right now, new Rakuten members can receive a $40 Welcome Bonus after joining for free with a referral link and making a qualifying purchase of $40 or more within 90 days.
The process to claim the $40 welcome bonus is simple:
- Sign up for Rakuten for free.
- Choose a retailer listed on Rakuten (for example, Target).
- Add items so your order totals at least $40 and complete the purchase.
- Receive the $40 Welcome Bonus plus any additional percentage-based cash back offered by the retailer.
Don’t forget to use Rakuten this holiday season to stack cash back on top of sales and coupons.
Also, Rakuten is co-hosting a $100 giveaway. Sign up for Rakuten using the referral link and use the giveaway widget below to enter. Good luck!
Making Sense of Cents’ $100 Giveaway
Disclaimer: No purchase necessary. 50 U.S. & DC, 18+. Ends December 15, 2022 at 11:59 PM PT. Void where prohibited. Official rules available through the giveaway entry page.
Do you earn cash back on your online purchases?