Earn Cashback with Rakuten (Video Tutorial)

I love bargains, but I don’t like standing in long lines or fighting crowds to get them. That’s why I avoid shopping in-store on Black Friday like the plague. Instead, for the past 20+ years, I’ve done nearly all my Christmas shopping online. I save a bundle by shopping on Cyber Monday, and I save even more by earning cashback with Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) on almost every purchase.

I’ll admit, the very first time I looked at the Rakuten website, I felt confused and overwhelmed and left in a hurry. It seemed like too much of a hassle.

Simple to set up!

But then I kept hearing from others who were making it work and saving a bundle, so I eventually dug in and figured it out. And do you know what? It was SO MUCH SIMPLER than I’d imagined.

And now that I’ve installed the Rakuten cashback button on my browser, it’s even easier to rake in the savings! And I’m so sure you can save money just as effortlessly that I made a step-by-step video tutorial to help you get that little button in your browser so you can get started this holiday season. (Note: This video was made back when Rakuten was still known as Ebates, so that’s the branding you’ll see on the website. But all the steps are exactly the same as pictured in the tutorial, as well as in the instructions below)

Do yourself a favor and spend the two minutes it takes to follow these simple directions. That way, when Cyber Monday hits, you’ll be ready!

For those of you who (like me) prefer reading instructions to watching videos, I’ve reprinted the entire transcript of this one below. Happy cyber savings!

Earn cashback with Rakuten quickly & easily by installing the Rakuten cashback button:

Joining Rakuten is 100% free, and with Rakuten’s simple-to-install cashback button, saving money couldn’t be easier.

If you are not already an Rakuten member, you will earn a bonus of $10 to $40 (depending on the current promotion), simply by using my affiliate link to sign up.

Whether you’re new to Rakuten or a long-term member, you can simplify your cashback savings by installing an Rakuten cashback button on your Internet browser. Doing this is easy. Just follow this link to the Rakuten (formerly Ebates) website.

1. If you’re new to Rakuten, click the “Join Now” button in the top righthand corner of your screen.

You can sign up using your Facebook account, or type in your email address and choose a password, then click “Join Now.”

If you’re already an Rakuten member, sign into your account.

2. Once you’re registered and logged in, navigate to the Help tab on the right end of the menu bar and click on it.

3. Then, on the left side of your screen, scroll down to “more features” and click to pull up another list of options.

4. The file you’ll want to click on next is the “Rakuten Cashback Button.”

5. After clicking on that, choose “Installing the Rakuten button.”

6. Pick your favorite Internet browser from the list on the next screen, then follow the simple instructions to complete installation.

7. Once the app is successfully installed, you’ll see a little square Rakuten button to the right of your search bar at the top of your browser.

With this in place, you’ll never miss a cashback deal, even when you forget to shop through the Rakuten portal.

8. If you visit a site that offers cash back, the Rakuten cashback button will turn red. Click on it to activate the savings.

The percentage savings varies from site to site, but in the past, I’ve gotten as much as 36% of my purchase price back by using this program and shopping on double cashback days.

9. If Rakuten finds a better deal, they’ll alert you to that, too.

10. And that’s it!

If you have more than one computer, I’d encourage you to install the Rakuten cashback button on all of them. That way, you’ll earn cash back when your spouse or teens are shopping, too.

Rakuten makes Cyber Monday deals even better, but – what’s more – by installing this cashback button, you can extend your savings all year long!

• For a list of the savings Rakuten offers as compared to other cashback sites, check out this post.
• In this post, I explain how earning cashback through Rakuten can save you a bundle on printer ink.
• For a great way to stretch your dining-out dollars, check out this post on combing savings through Rakuten and Restaurant.com.