I Just Got My First Free Money from Rakuten

It’s not much yet, but who says no to a passive income generator?

Photo by Surface on Unsplash

Disclaimer: I’m NOT an affiliate of Rakuten or any of the apps mentioned here. I simply want to share my experience and hope others will find it useful.

A month ago, I was planning a trip to California and needed a rental car. I was about to book on Priceline when my teenage son stopped me.

“Wait, mom, hold on! Do you want to save more? It’s 10% cash back with Rakuten this week. His eyebrows wiggled up and down.

He showed me his screen and bragged about his lifetime earnings of $847.83. He’s been getting extra cash since 2021 just by doing his normal shopping online. “I’m a poor college student, so this helps!” He exclaimed.

Figure 1. Rakuten Lifetime Cash Back screenshot — image by author

I was skeptical at first — $847.83 was more than my total earnings here on Medium. Two times more actually! 😭

I had to do my due diligence before jumping in.

Is Rakuten legit? Is it safe?

On Better Business Bureau, Rakuten’s rating was a “B”, on Trustpilot 4.5 stars, and on…