Looking for a Rakuten referral code? Click here to earn your first $10 on Rakuten free!

When we first set out to pay off our whopping $650,000 in student loan debt, we knew we were going to have to find every way possible to not just save money, but earn extra money. Keeping our grocery spending in check is one of the easiest and biggest ways we can stay under budget every month. On the other hand, it’s also one of the easiest ways to go over budget. It’s really easy to spend a lot of money at the grocery store– it’s just a fact! 

RAKUTEN REFERRAL CODE

One of my favorite ways to earn extra money is by using the website Rakuten when I do any of my online shopping. Keep reading to find out how to earn extra cash with Rakuten. Otherwise, if you are ready to sign up, you can sign up with my Rakuten referral code here. 

WHAT IS RAKUTEN?

Rakuten is a company that gives you cash back and discounts when you make purchases at any of 1000+ stores where you are most likely already doing your shopping online. You can use Rakuten’s web browser extension, mobile application, or their website directly to earn cash back on the shopping that you are doing. 

Now you can save in store as well! In addition to earning cash back for your online shopping, you can earn cash back for your in store shopping. All you have to do is link your debit or credit card that you will make your purchase(s) with to Rakuten and Rakuten will automatically apply the cash back savings to your account. Easy peasy! 

As of October 2019, you can also earn cash back with Rakuten on dining. Simply check the app (you’ll have to sign up first and then obviously download the app) to see if you have access to this feature. If so, you can earn cash back at lots of restaurants and fast food options. 

HOW DOES RAKUTEN WORK?

One of the most common questions I get when I tell people about Rakuten is “how the heck does Rakuten make money/is it a scam??” I think this is because it sounds too good to be true. Can you really earn cash back for free? The simple answer is yes. Here’s how. 

Other companies and retailers pay Rakuten to send shoppers to them. Basically, those companies are paying Rakuten to advertise for them. And then you, as the shopper, get a benefit of that advertising– a discount and or cash back at the store that has paid Rakuten. Rakuten is basically just sharing part of that advertising fee with you and the retailer is getting the benefit of you shopping at their store. Everybody wins! 

HOW CAN I GET STARTED WITH RAKUTEN?

Step 1: Create an Account

You can get started with Rakuten by signing up for an account here. By using my affiliate link, you’ll earn $10 when you make your first purchase within the first 90 days of signing up. Easiest $10 of your life. 

Step 2: Download the browser extension. 

After you’ve created an account, make sure you download Rakuten’s browser extension. This extension will make earning cash back for your online shopping a total breeze. When you are on a website where Rakuten has a cash back offer, discount, or promotion, Rakuten will notify you with a little pop up button. If you are interested in the offer, you’ll simply click “Activate” on the pop up. 

Step 3: Download the free app. 

In addition to the browser extension, download Rakuten’s free app. You will be able to activate cash back offers, other promotions, and or discounts right within the app. Simply click on the deal that you want, and the app will take you directly to the website where you intended to do your shopping. 

HOW TO EARN MONEY WITH RAKUTEN USING A RAKUTEN REFERRAL CODE

Now that you know what Rakuten is and how it works, here is how you can actually earn money using a Rakuten referral code. 

Earn $10 just for signing up. 

You can earn money using a Rakuten referral code simply for signing up! You’ll need to make a purchase using Rakuten in the first 90 days of signing up in order to earn your $10 welcome bonus, but that’s it! Easiest $10 of your life. 

Earn money in the app. 

One way you can earn money with Rakuten is to use their free app to find cash back offers and other promotions. You’ll simply activate the deals you want directly in the app. 

Download the browser extension. 

In addition, you can earn money with Rakuten by downloading their free browser extension. The extension will notify you any time you are shopping on a website where they have a deal for you. You’ll simply click “activate” on the notification to get the deal. 

Use their website. 

You can earn money with Rakuten directly on their website. Simply login to your account on their website and then enter in the store where you intend to shop in their search bar. You’ll be able to see any promotions or discounts and how much cash back you’ll earn, and Rakuten will take you directly to the website where you want to shop. 

Refer your friends for $25 

Now that you’re using Rakuten, you can earn money by simply referring your friends to Rakuten! To say I love Rakuten is like the understatement of the year. It’s completely free to use. It’s going to save your friends money on the shopping they’re already doing. Trust me, your friends and family are going to thank you for referring them! They’ll earn their first $10 for free and you’ll earn $25 when they sign up after they make a purchase. There are no limits on how many people you can refer, so these earnings can really add up! 

Lastly, I have to mention that one of the best parts about Rakuten is that they will pay you in cold hard cash. Many similar companies will let you trade points for gift cards, but Rakuten gives you the option to actually get paid in real money which I love!

Rakuten is one of my all time favorite ways to earn money/save money. It has helped us so much while we’ve been paying off heaps of debt over the last couple of years. It’s free and SO simple to use– definitely a no brainer when it comes to making/saving money! Have you tried Rakuten before? Why or why not? 

**Like this post? Read more of our best Money Saving Tips here.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you stay in touch by subscribing to our newsletter by clicking here. You’ll also get a copy of our FREE Debt Payoff Starter Kit.

Here at Deeply in Debt, we offer tons of personal finance advice based on our own journey paying off $650k of student loan debt. If you have student loan debt and aren’t sure where to start or what to do, I highly recommend the CFA’s over at Student Loan Planner to help you put together a solid financial plan for your student loan debt. We personally used them and it literally saved us over $200,000 on our student loans. You can check out the Student Loan Planner here.