Reviews

Ebates Review – A Look At This Cashback App from Rakuten

If you’re a shopaholic looking to save money on your purchases, you may have heard about Ebates. Ebates (now Rakuten) is one of the most successful and popular cashback shopping and rewards companies globally. With Ebates, you can earn cashback at over 2,500 stores. While the typical cashback deal ranges from 2-7%, there are opportunities to receive 20-40% cashback on your purchases! You’ll definitely want to take advantage of those opportunities.

However, before you use Ebates, you’ll want to know how it works, what the pros and cons are of using it, and if there are better cashback companies you should utilize. This Ebates review will help you decide if Ebates is for you. 

ebates app

How Does Ebates (Rakuten) Work?

Ebates (now Rakuten) is an American-founded cashback and rewards company. Ebates currently serves the US, Canada, Japan, China, Singapore and South Korea. You can get cashback on purchases made online, in-store, and through their mobile app. 

Ebates has been around since 1998 and has had time to develop numerous partnerships, giving you access to cashback at over 2,500 stores.

To receive cashback in-store, all you have to do is link your credit card, select the offer that you want to use, and use your linked card to make your purchase at the store. If you’re going to shop online, Ebates also has a chrome extension that you can download from their website. The extension will notify you when you can take advantage of cashback deals when you visit different shopping websites. 

Ebates offers a $10 “Welcome Bonus” for those who make a purchase of at least $25 (through the website or app) within 90 days of signing up. Ebates also has a refer-a-friend program where you get $25 for every person you refer who joins and spends $25. 

It is entirely free to use Ebates. To sign up, you can use your Apple, Facebook, or Google account. 

Based on purchases posted to your account during the previous quarter, you will receive a “Big Fat Cheque” every 3 months from Ebates. You can choose to either receive a physical check or get paid via PayPal. You can also donate your money to a charity, organization, or family member. Click here for the Ebates payment schedule. 

If you shop frequently, you can earn hundreds of dollars in cash back every pay period!

Rakuten App

The Pros Of Using Ebates (Rakuten)

Now you know how Ebates works, and you want to know the pros of using it. Read on for more details.

The Pay

Ebates has one of the highest cashback percentages available in the cashback realm. While you’ll typically get 2-7% cashback on your purchases, there will be times where you can get 20% cashback, and on even more special occasions, up to 40% cashback. Those savings are massive!

Additionally, the refer-a-friend program lets you invite as many friends as you would like. By just inviting 4 friends (and them making the necessary purchase amount), you could make an extra $100 easily! Plus, the $10 sign-up bonus means extra money for you!

The Ebates App

While you can use their website to make purchases, the Ebates app has a more user-friendly design and is more aesthetic. What makes the application extremely easy to use is that there is a “Search” section where you can search both stores and products. When you click on the “Search” section, the page is further organized by category, which makes it easier for you to shop for what you need. 

ebates/rakuten app search page

You Can Shop With Ebates In-Store and Online

While Ebates seems to have more of a focus on online shopping, you can also shop in-store. This gives you more versatility in how you make your purchases. Some apps only allow you to get cashback via one method or the other. 

Additionally, Ebates makes it easy for you to find the in-store offer you want: they have a section on both the website and app for those who would prefer to shop in-store. 

ebates in store offers

Huge Variety Of Cashback Options

Because of how long Ebates has been around, they have partnered with thousands of retailers to give you some of the widest variety of cashback options available. Ebates also partners with some smaller-name brands, so if you don’t only want to shop at major retailers like Macy’s, Kohl’s, and Old Navy, you have options. 

There are also numerous categories you can shop from. To name a few, you have clothing, dining, health and beauty, pet supplies, and office supplies.

The Ebates Chrome Extension

Ebates has a chrome extension that you can download when you sign up on their website. This is one feature that makes Ebates stand out. What’s great about the extension is that when you visit a site that works with Ebates, you will be automatically notified of the cashback deals available to you. That way, you don’t have to visit the Ebates website to do your online shopping. This is helpful if you have a tendency to forget to visit the site.

Therefore, downloading the chrome extension will help you make the most of all of your online purchases.

ebates chrome extension

You Don’t Have To Upload a Receipt

Some apps, like Ibotta, make you upload a receipt to get cashback. With Ebates, you don’t have to do that. You can do everything from their website or mobile app. And even if you decide to utilize Ebates in-store cash back, you can simply use your linked credit card to make purchases. This adds to the convenience of getting your money back. 

The Cons Of Using Ebates (Rakuten)

Now that you know the pros of using Ebates, you’ll also want to know the cons. Keep reading for more information.

Limited Grocery Shopping

While Ebates does have some options for grocery shopping, there aren’t as many as there are on Ibotta. Additionally, if you are a health-conscious grocery shopper, stores like Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Trader Joe’s don’t work with Ebates. In this case, you might be better off getting your groceries with a different cashback app like Ibotta.

Long Wait For Payout

Some apps allow you to cash out when you meet a minimum earnings requirement. With Ebates, you have to wait three months. For those who don’t want to wait that long or need the cashback fast, this might not be the app for you.

Are There Cashback Apps Like Ebates?

Yes, there are cashback apps like Ebates, but every cashback app has its own pros and cons. Depending on where you shop at the most or what kind of shopping you want to do, some may be better than others. For instance, as mentioned previously, if you want an app with a lot of options for grocery shopping, Ibotta might be a better option. However, Ebates does work with grocery stores as well, so it depends on where you like to shop.

With that said, though, Ebates is one of the top cashback programs on the market because of how many partnerships it has and how high its cashback percentages are. If you want to check out a cashback website with even more partnerships, check out BeFrugal.

Another cashback website that, at times, provides even higher cashback percentages than Ebates is Swagbucks. But it ultimately depends on the retailer, so it’s a good idea to check multiple apps to get the most savings. 

A few other popular apps/websites that you can use to receive cashback are:

Is Using Ebates Worth It?

Yes, using Ebates is worth it. Who wouldn’t want to save money on their purchases? By not using Ebates, you could be missing out on some hefty savings on your purchases. While you might only save a few hundred dollars a year, eventually, hundreds of dollars will turn into thousands of dollars that you get to keep!

The reason that some people have issues with cashback companies is that they fall prey to making purchases they wouldn’t typically make. If you avoid doing that, and instead only use Ebates for purchases you were already planning to make, the savings will be worth it!

Wrapping Up: Ebates

Now you know that Ebates is one of the top cashback apps/websites available. Even if you decide to use multiple cashback apps/websites, Ebates should be on your list of “must-use” ones. After all, you can find deals that will save you 20-40% on your purchases! You also have plenty of options for deals and coupons to save on a large variety of items. Additionally, being able to get cashback without having to upload receipts makes Ebates extremely convenient to use. Also, even if you have to wait 3 months for your payout, that just means a bigger check every time you receive your money! Now, get to saving money!

Overall Rating: 4.72 out of 5

Kevin Martin

Kevin is an ambitious entrepreneur that is obsessed with all things related to finance. From a young age, Kevin has always been involved with side hustles ranging from online selling to freelance work. Over the years, Kevin graduated from side hustles and started launching multiple online and offline businesses. Kevin is a serial entrepreneur who loves starting new businesses and exploring all things related to business and finance. He is constantly looking for new ways to save money, invest money, and create income streams.

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