How Does Rakuten Work? (formerly Ebates) Is it a Scam?

Have you seen the TV commercials for Rakuten (which was formerly Ebates) and been wondering how does Rakuten work?

So How Does Rakuten Actually Work?

The simple answer is that it’s a portal company that pays you to shop through them.

They create partnerships with companies and then send traffic to those companies.  Those companies pay Rakuten a commission for sending the business, and then Rakuten takes a % of those funds and pays it back to the shopper (you).

It’s basically an affiliate marketing company that gets paid a commission to send other companies traffic and business.  [If you’d like an overview of affiliate marketing as well as ways that you can make income from affiliate marketing, check out this article with 35+ affiliate marketing ideas for beginners].

It’s really that simple.

The company was formerly Ebates (when I began using them) and was purchased by the Japanese company called Rakuten for $1 Billion back in 2014.

Previously you were required to go to Rakuten (Ebates) and shop through their portal.  I always forgot to do this and never made money.

Then, I found…  the chrome extension.

The strategy that I use is downloading the chrome extension which alerts me any time I’m on a website that works with Rakuten.

I then just click a button, activate Rakuten, and get paid a commission.

So you can get paid for literally doing what you were already going to do!

As of this article creation (2020) I’ve made a little over $1,200 by simply clicking a button.

How does Rakuten work

If I had to go to Ebates.com or Rakuten.com to shop each time, I would never do it.  But because of the chrome extension it’s a no-brainer.

Here’s a referral link where you get $10 for free if you go through my link (I get paid too).

If you’d like to catch a couple of videos of me showing you the program in-depth check these out.

video about how rakuten works

Is Rakuten A Scam?

Definitely not.  Ebates (now Rakuten) is a serious offer.  It’s not a scam.

I know, it definitely sounds a  bit scandalous.

Even though they are spending real money for TV commercials they still have a scam alert barrier to get past.

But I can tell you that I’ve made over $1,200 for clicking a button when I shop online at websites where I already shop.

Again, it’s the chrome extension.

Without the extension, I probably would have never gotten past $50.

It almost feels like I’m cheating the system since I’m making money to click a button.

But, I’ll keep doing it.

So you wanted to know how Rakuten works?  There you have it!

Feel free to get $10 for FREE if you’d like to use my affiliate link.

Happy Shopping 😉

Disclosure:  this article might contain links to the resources discussed.
Some of the links are affiliate links, meaning that I will make a small commission if you purchase a product or service by using the link. You get the same price whether you use our special link or not, and sometimes I’m able to get you an even better deal through my relationships!  More info in my privacy policy.

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Brooks Conkle

Brooks is an Entrepreneur, Sponge, Father, Husband, & Follower of the Golden Rule. He has over 15 years of experience as an entrepreneur after graduating with a BSBA in Finance from Auburn University. He’s addicted to growing new business ideas and any food that includes chocolate and peanut butter. Brooks is a firm believer in creating multiple streams of income and creates content here on BrooksConkle.com to help other hustlers in the areas of marketing, online business, personal finance, and real estate. 

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