11/18/24 Update: the Rakuten welcome bonus detailed below is currently active through 12/8/24, replacing a $30 Rakuten welcome bonus and Rakuten cash back boost referral bonus that was live over the summer. The referral bonus has not been this high since November of last year.

A PSA for some easy cash back as we head into the holiday season: popular shopping portal site Rakuten (formerly “Ebates”), is currently offering a generous $40 cash back referral welcome bonus for new users. New users must join via a Rakuten referral link from existing users (myself included) by December 8, and then make $40+ in purchases by using the Rakuten site/app/extension to initiate a purchase at any of the 3,500+ sites that Rakuten partners with (e.g. Target, Sam’s Club, Best Buy, Apple, Walmart, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Lowe’s, giftcards.com, etc.) within 90 days.

The $40 bonus matches the highest welcome bonus I’ve seen from Rakuten (they typically only offer this twice per year for 1-2 weeks) – a $10, 20, or $30 Rakuten welcome bonus is more common.

To get the limited time $40 referral welcome bonus, simply:

  1. Become a new Rakuten member (it’s free) using this Rakuten referral link by December 8, 2024.
  2. Start at Rakuten.com and find the partner(s) you want to purchase from (purchases must total $40+ within 90 days of becoming a member), and click the referral links at Rakuten to go to the partner’s site to make a purchase.

The fine print says:

To qualify for a Referral Sign-up Bonus, you must be a new member and place qualifying orders totaling a minimum of $40 within 90 days of becoming a member. You must be located in the 50 United States, D.C., or Canada to qualify. Offer may be modified or cancelled anytime.

After making the $40+ in purchases, you’ll get the referral welcome bonus deposited into your account. You can then withdraw/transfer the bonus (I opted for the mailed check option, but you can also opt for payment via PayPal or Amex Membership rewards points).

rakuten bonus promo $40

How can Rakuten afford this? They have ad agreements with retail partners and get a small commission from the retailer for any purchases that are referred from Rakuten.

Once you’ve become a member, you can share the offer with your friends so they can get a bonus too!

Disclosure: I don’t have any advertising or sponsorship relationship with Rakuten, I’m simply a Rakuten user who wanted to pass along this promo to my readers! If you take advantage of the offer, I may be eligible for a member referral bonus. Enjoy the bonus cash back!

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