Once in a while, I’m going to post a review of one of my side hustles since they have the potential to help me pay for this website to continue to advocate for PANS/PANDAS/ARFID and share our story. Today it’s about the potential of referral programs like Rakuten.
And why not share an easy way for anyone to make a few bucks? My readers are mainly those with hefty medical bills and a little pocket change can not only be helpful but could also pay a bill or two.
Anyone who shops online can get in on this, but it is NOT a get-rich-quick kind of thing. So let me tell you a bit about one of the easiest referral bonuses that anyone who shops online can get.
Rakuten is a cash-back program
It rewards you for shopping at your favorite stores, it can help you find the best deals and it’s completely free. It’s simple: you sign up for Rakuten here, shop online, and earn cash back. Most are typically 1-10% cashback, but they run specials on higher bonuses, especially around the holidays.
Rakuten pays out quarterly and you can choose to get paid by check or through PayPal. There is even an option to donate your rewards to their partner charities through the Cash Back for Change program if you aren’t interested in keeping the cash.
They also have a referral program where you can earn by sharing a sign-up link with your friends and family. They will each get a $10-$40 referral bonus and so will you. The amount goes up and down but it’s at its highest before the holidays. Rakuten is a great side hustle that takes almost no extra effort.
I’ve been in the program for 14 months (as of October 2022) and made $194 without doing anything different than my normal shopping. I also had one person use my referral link after I shared only one time on my personal Facebook page and we each got a $40 bonus (these higher bonuses are usually only available around the holidays).
How Does Rakuten Work?
There are usually only one or two extra steps to take when you shop. After setting up an account with a referral link (yep, trying to make it easy for you to find), then you can shop through the Rakuten app on your phone or on the Rakuten web page with your browser. Chrome also has an extension to make it even easier! See below.
Find the store you want to shop at and click the linked image.
It will take you directly to the shop’s website. Just shop as you normally do and you will get a notification of the cashback amount you will receive when you complete the sale.
Now that’s a pretty easy way to do it but there’s an even better way. I usually do serious shopping on my computer. My eyes are bad, I blame menopause, LOL! And using a computer is abundantly easier for me than a phone.
I prefer to use the Rakuten Chrome Extension.
After setting up your account in Rakuten with a referral link, download the Chrome extension. Every time you visit a website that has a cashback deal on Rakuten you will get a pop-up to enable the cashback. This way you won’t have to visit the Rakuten website first. Click on the purple button and after a few seconds, you can start your shopping.
But there is another reason the extension is awesome!
Rakuten coupon codes.
When you go to check out, any store coupon codes are automatically entered by Rakuten. It will run through each coupon code automatically for you and see if any of them will apply. Once it had over 20 codes to try and one of them worked! Cha-ching!
Is Rakuten Worth It?
In my opinion, yes! I’ve been using Rakuten for over a year now and I’ve earned $194 in cash back and bonuses. It’s a great way to save money on your everyday shopping and it doesn’t take any extra effort. Signing up is not only FREE but it pays you after your first purchase. And you will get the current sign-up bonus just for using this link.
And have I said THANK YOU?
Because I really appreciate you!
One, you are reading my blog. The blog is mostly about advocating for PANS, PANDAS, and ARFID. But it’s also about the struggles that parents of special needs kids face every day and night. It’s exhausting at times. And I just appreciate the fact that you are here.
And two! If you use any of my affiliate links you are helping to support this website. It does cost money to host the website and well, every bit counts.
–XOXO
