Rakuten Rewards

What Rakuten Rewards does

Rakuten Rewards, operated by Ebates Performance Marketing Inc., is a cash-back shopping platform serving 17+ million consumer members across the United States, Canada, Japan, and France. Users earn cash back on purchases made through the platform at over 3,500 partner retailers spanning retail, travel, dining, and financial services, with cash-back rates that vary by merchant (e.g., 12% at Apple, up to 17.5% at Best Buy, $5 flat at Amazon, 5% at participating restaurants). The platform also issues promotional welcome bonuses and stacks cash back on top of credit card rewards, coupons, and sale prices.

The core technology consists of a web portal (rakuten.com), a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox that automatically activates cash back and applies coupons at checkout, native iOS and Android mobile apps, an in-store card-linking feature that matches linked payment cards to eligible retail offers, and a dining program tied to 22,000+ restaurants. These channels are unified through a single member account that issues quarterly cash-back payouts, with flexible redemption options including PayPal, check, American Express Membership Rewards points, Bilt Points, and gift cards from more than 50 brands.

Rakuten Rewards generates revenue through affiliate commissions paid by partner retailers when referred members complete purchases, retaining a share of the commission after paying out cash back to users. The platform operates on a freemium product-led growth model with no subscription fees, relying on consumer word-of-mouth, earned media coverage, and the browser extension as both product and acquisition channel. The business is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rakuten, the Japanese internet conglomerate, and was rebranded from Ebates to Rakuten Rewards in 2019 to align with the parent's global brand identity.

Name

Rakuten Rewards

Legal name

Ebates Performance Marketing Inc.

Website

https://ebates.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Rakuten Rewards is a cash-back shopping platform serving 17+ million members across the US, Canada, Japan, and France, enabling consumers to earn rewards on purchases from 3,500+ partner retailers via web, mobile app, and browser extension.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cash Back Rewards Platform

akta.pro primary industry

Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms (BPAMAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rewards, Incentives & Gift Card Program Services (MPAAAIAG)

Keywords

• Cash back rewards
• Affiliate marketing platform
• Online shopping rewards
• Browser extension coupons
• Consumer cashback service

Headquarters

HQ city

California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Affiliate/Referral Revenue: Rakuten partners with brands who pay the company to drive customers to their stores. Rakuten shares a portion of this payment with members as cash back. The company operates as a performance marketing platform where brands pay per transaction or visitor sent.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rakuten Rewards operates a consumer cash back rewards platform that returns a percentage of purchase value to members when they shop through partner retailers and restaurants. Members access offers via the Rakuten website, browser extension, mobile app, and card-linked in-store offers spanning 3,500+ retail brands and 22,000+ participating restaurants, with cash back tracked through affiliate partnerships.

Product overview

Rakuten Rewards is a unified cash back shopping platform that enables users to earn rewards on online and in-store purchases across 3,500+ partner brands. The core offering consists of the Rakuten Cash Back Portal (web-based shopping platform) complemented by the Rakuten Browser Extension (for Chrome and Firefox, which auto-activates cash back and applies coupons at checkout) and the Rakuten Mobile App (iOS and Android, enabling on-the-go shopping and in-store cash back). Additional features include In-Store Cash Back (linking payment cards to earn rewards at physical retailers) and the Rakuten Dining Program (5% back at 22,000+ restaurants). Users can cash out quarterly via PayPal, check, Bilt Points, American Express Membership Rewards points, or instantly via gift cards from 50+ brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rakuten Cash Back Shopping (Online) Online cash back service that returns a percentage of purchase value to members when they shop through Rakuten at participating retailer websites; accessed via the Rakuten web portal and surfaced automatically through the Rakuten browser extension at checkout across 3,500+ partner retail brands.
• Rakuten In-Store Cash Back Card-linked in-store cash back offering that automatically rewards members when they pay with a linked payment card at participating physical retailers, removing the need for receipt scanning or code entry.
• Rakuten Dining Restaurant dining cash back program that rewards members with cash back when they dine at participating restaurants, expanding the cash back use case beyond retail into the dining vertical.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5% Cash Back at 22,000+ restaurants (including drinks, tax, and tip)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Rakuten (Global Parent)coreOthersRakuten Rewards operates as a subsidiary/dba of Ebates Performance Marketing Inc., under the broader Rakuten global ecosystem. The platform connects with other Rakuten services including Rakuten Viki, Rakuten Viber, Rakuten Kobo, and Rakuten Travel.
• American ExpresscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEligible American Express Card Members can choose to earn Membership Rewards points instead of cash back as an alternative reward option. Enables flexible redemption for Amex cardholders.
• BiltcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMembers can choose Bilt Points as a reward redemption option alongside PayPal, checks, and gift cards. Provides flexible rewards redemption.
• PayPalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPayPal is offered as a reward redemption method. Members can cash out their cash back earnings directly to PayPal.
• 3,500+ Retail BrandscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrands partner with Rakuten to send them shoppers. Brands pay Rakuten for customer referrals, and Rakuten shares a portion with members as cash back. Includes major retailers like Apple (12% CB), Macy's (14% CB), Best Buy (up to 17.5% CB), and 3,500+ others.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Slickdeals: Slickdeals is a deal-sharing community and affiliate-driven savings platform that monetizes shopper traffic to retailers. While it has a more community-driven model, it competes for the same deal-seeking consumer and the same brand affiliate dollars.

Direct peers

• Honey: Honey (owned by PayPal) is a browser extension and mobile app that auto-applies coupon codes and offers cashback at partner retailers. It is the closest direct competitor to Rakuten's cashback browser extension, operating in the same affiliate economics and consumer shopping moments.
• Swagbucks: Swagbucks is a rewards platform where users earn points (SB) for shopping, surveys, and activities, redeemable for cash/gift cards. It competes with Rakuten for the same deal-seeking consumer and similar advertiser-funded economics.
• Mr. Rebates: Mr. Rebates is an online cashback portal offering rebates at thousands of retailers with a similar affiliate-driven model. It is a smaller direct peer competing for cashback-conscious shoppers.
• RetailMeNot: RetailMeNot is a digital coupon and cashback platform offering promo codes, deals, and rewards at major retailers. It overlaps directly with Rakuten's deal/cashback positioning across online shopping.
• TopCashback: TopCashback is a leading cashback portal offering rebates at thousands of online retailers, with no membership fees. It is a direct head-to-head competitor to Rakuten's core cashback shopping portal.
• Coupons.com: Coupons.com (a Quotient Technology brand, now part of Neptune Retail Solutions) is a digital coupon platform offering printable, digital, and cashback offers at major retailers. It overlaps with Rakuten's coupon and rewards functionality.
• Dosh: Dosh is a cashback app that automatically rewards users for purchases at participating merchants via linked cards, including dining and travel. It directly competes with Rakuten's in-store card-linking and dining programs.
• Capital One Shopping: Capital One Shopping is a free browser extension and app that offers coupon application, price comparison, and cashback rewards. Backed by Capital One's distribution, it directly competes with Rakuten on consumer savings automation.
• Ibotta: Ibotta is a cashback app focused on grocery and offline retail rebates via receipt scanning and linked offers. It competes with Rakuten's in-store card-linking and dining rewards, with a stronger emphasis on grocery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Rakuten

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rakuten Rewards