Unlike Rebaid, Rakuten formerly known as Ebates is a browser extension based rebate service. In other words, Rakuten tracks your shopping activity from your web browser and alerts you of available offers. When you make a purchase that is eligible for a cash back reward, it is recorded by Rakuten and those earnings are paid out via check 2-4 months later. However, this process doesn’t always go as planned. If your missing a check or a cash back reward you expected is not appearing on your account, there are a few things to do.
If you don’t see a cash back reward that you were expecting it may be that the transaction didn’t record properly. As previously mentioned, Rakuten is a browser extension based system. That means if you switch browsers, for example from Internet Explorer to Chrome, the purchase may not register. In other words, the store you are making the purchase from and therefore Rakuten will never know you made that purchase and the cash back reward will not record.
Another possible reason for missing cash back is that cash back was not activated for a particular store on your account at the time the purchase was made. This can be particularly frustrating since in every way you should have been eligible for the cash back reward but simply forgot to activate the store before making the purchase.
So if a transaction that you believe was eligible for a cash back reward is not appearing in your Rakuten account, the best thing to do is to contact Rakuten support using the following link https://www.rakuten.com/help/missing-cash-back Make sure to have the store name and date of purchase ready when you email them.
If you have not received your rewards check, or “Big Fat Check” as Rakuten commonly refers to it, there are a few things to do. First, make sure it is within the expected time frame that your check should be mailed. Rakuten pays out rewards quarterly based on the date schedule shown in the image below. If the expected mailing date has not been reached you’ll likely have to wait a bit longer.
If your check has been mailed but not yet received there are a few things to keep in mind. Checks are mailed by the USPS, an entity that has justifiably earned the nickname “snail mail”. Allow 7-10 days after the payment date before contacting Rakuten. Also, be sure to updater the address on your account if you’ve recently moved. While mail forwarding is always an option, it is always preferable to have mail sent to your current address right off the bat. Plus mail forwarding expires after 6 months, so it is best to keep your address current.
If your payment date passed more than 10 days ago and your address is current but your rewards check still has not been received you’ll want to contact Rakuten. You can use the following link to contact Rakuten and request a replacement check https://www.rakuten.com/help/article/missing-lost-or-expired-checks-360002101268
Savvy shoppers can save a considerable amount of money on items they purchase every day by using Rakuten, receipt scanning apps, and various other money saving programs. But the flip side of the coin is that you need to keep track of your expected rewards and savings. This can be a bit time-consuming to start, but once you establish an organized system and become proficient with using these various platforms the time investment becomes minimal and the savings opportunities are great!
