Scoring Deals at Walmart with Rakuten: A How-To Guide

The Ultimate Guide to Rakuten and Walmart: What Every Shopper Needs to Know

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If you’re a savvy shopper, you’ve likely heard of Rakuten, the popular platform that pays you Cash Back for shopping at your favorite stores. And if you’re a fan of everyday low prices, you’re certainly familiar with Walmart. For years, combining the two was a powerful way to save money. But if you’ve recently tried to get Rakuten Cash Back on a Walmart purchase, you may have been surprised. The relationship between these two retail giants has changed, and we’re here to break down everything you need to know.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through what Rakuten is, the history of the rakuten walmart partnership, and most importantly, what the current status is. We’ll explore why things changed and what you can do now to maximize your savings, both at Walmart and other retailers.

Table of Contents

What is Rakuten and How Does It Work?

Before we dive into the specifics of its relationship with Walmart, let’s cover the basics. Rakuten, formerly known as Ebates, is one of the largest and most popular cash back and shopping rewards companies. The premise is simple: when you start your shopping journey on Rakuten’s site or app, they earn a commission from their partner stores, and they share a portion of that commission with you in the form of Cash Back.

So, what is rakuten cash back? It’s real money you get back on your purchases. It’s not a points system or a gift card-only program. Rakuten sends you your earnings via check or PayPal every three months. The whole process is designed to be seamless for the user, and this is how rakuten works.

Here’s a quick overview of rakuten how it works:

  1. Sign Up: You create a free account. New members often receive a rakuten sign up bonus or a rakuten welcome bonus after making their first qualifying purchase.
  2. Start Shopping: Before you shop online, you go to Rakuten’s website, use the rakuten app, or activate the rakuten chrome extension. This extension, also known as the rakuten browser extension or rakuten cash back button, is particularly useful as it automatically alerts you to cash back opportunities when you visit a partner store’s site.
  3. Make a Purchase: You click through to the retailer from Rakuten and shop as you normally would. Rakuten tracks your purchase automatically.
  4. Get Paid: The cash back you earned is added to your Rakuten account. You’ll receive your accumulated rakuten rewards quarterly.

Many potential users read rakuten reviews and ask, is rakuten legit? The answer is a resounding yes. It’s a well-established company (founded as rakuten ebates in 1998) with millions of members. The business model is based on affiliate marketing, which is a standard industry practice. So, what is the catch with rakuten? There really isn’t one. The “catch” is simply that you have to remember to use it. For many, the answer to “is rakuten worth it?” is a definite yes, as it provides savings on purchases they were already planning to make.

The Big Question: Is Walmart on Rakuten Anymore?

Let’s get straight to the point that many shoppers are asking: is walmart on rakuten? The short answer is no. As of now, Walmart is no longer a participating partner with Rakuten.

This means if you’re wondering, “is walmart still on rakuten?” or “is walmart no longer part of rakuten?”, the answer is that the partnership has ended. This development has left many savvy shoppers looking for answers and asking what happened to walmart on rakuten.

So, why is walmart not on rakuten anymore? While neither company has issued a detailed public statement explaining the exact reasons, these types of affiliate marketing partnerships can end for a variety of business-related reasons. It could be due to disagreements over commission rates, a change in a company’s marketing strategy, or a retailer (like Walmart) deciding to focus on its own internal loyalty or rewards programs. It’s not uncommon for major retailers to cycle through different affiliate partners. Questions like why did walmart leave rakuten or why did rakuten drop walmart point to a strategic business decision from one or both parties.

How the Rakuten and Walmart Partnership Used to Work

For years, the walmart and rakuten collaboration was a go-to for savers. Shoppers who started their session through Rakuten could earn a percentage back on their purchases, turning good deals into great ones. The process was straightforward and allowed customers to get rakuten walmart cash back on a huge variety of products.

When the partnership was active, people frequently asked, does rakuten work with walmart? And the answer was a clear yes. You could find walmart rakuten offers listed on Rakuten’s site, often with different cash back percentages for different categories like electronics, clothing, and home goods. Many users are still searching for rakuten cash back walmart or even misspelled terms like rakutan walmart hoping to find a deal.

During that time, shoppers also wanted to know, does rakuten work with walmart grocery? The answer was typically no; cash back was usually excluded for grocery pickup and delivery. Similarly, the question of does rakuten work with walmart app was complex; for tracking to work correctly, purchases usually had to be made through a browser session initiated from Rakuten, not directly in the retailer’s native app. Ultimately, the question does rakuten give cash back for walmart is now answered with a “not anymore.” For a long time, the answer to is walmart part of rakuten was yes, but that has since changed.

Maximizing Your Rakuten Savings at Other Stores

Just because Walmart is off the table doesn’t mean your savings have to stop. Rakuten is still a powerful tool for rakuten shopping. The key is to know what stores does rakuten work with. The platform partners with thousands of retailers, including major department stores, travel sites, and specialty shops.

A common question is, does rakuten work with amazon? The relationship with Amazon is very limited and changes frequently. Typically, Rakuten only offers cash back on specific Amazon device categories or select departments, and often for limited times. It’s always best to check the Rakuten site for the most current Amazon offers.

Here’s how to use rakuten to its full potential without Walmart:

  • Explore Other Retailers: Check Rakuten for competitors like Target, Kohl’s, Macy’s, and Best Buy, which may sell many of the same products as Walmart.
  • Use the Browser Extension: The best way to learn how to use rakuten cash back effectively is to install the browser extension. It does the work for you, popping up to remind you to activate cash back when you land on a partner site.
  • Shop In-Person: Rakuten also offers rakuten in store cash back. You can link a credit card to your Rakuten account, activate an in-store offer in the app, and then simply pay with that linked card at the physical store. Keep an eye on the app for available rakuten in store offers.
  • Plan for Big Sales Events: Maximize your earnings during major shopping holidays. Start planning for rakuten black friday and rakuten cyber monday by favoriting stores and looking out for boosted cash back rates.

Alternatives for Loyal Walmart Shoppers

If you’re a dedicated Walmart shopper disappointed by the end of the Rakuten partnership, you still have options for saving money. The best place to start is by looking for cash back sites like rakuten that may still partner with Walmart. Services like TopCashback, Ibotta, or Capital One Shopping sometimes have offers for Walmart. These partnerships can change, so it’s always worth checking a few different platforms before making a large purchase.

Additionally, consider Walmart’s own programs. The Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®, for example, offers its own cash back percentages on Walmart.com purchases, including Grocery Pickup and Delivery, which were often excluded from third-party cash back programs anyway.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Rakuten Canada?
what is rakuten canada is simply the Canadian version of the service. It operates similarly to the U.S. site but features stores and offers tailored to Canadian shoppers, with payments made in Canadian dollars.

How does Rakuten work with returns?
This is a very common question. In general, how does rakuten work with returns is that if you return or cancel an entire order, the cash back you earned for that purchase will be deducted from your account. If you return only part of an order, your cash back amount will be adjusted accordingly.

What should I do about Rakuten missing cash back?
If you made a purchase that you believe was eligible for cash back but it hasn’t appeared in your account, you can file a rakuten missing cash back claim. You’ll need to provide some details about your purchase, like the date and order number, through a form on their website. Their customer service team will then investigate the issue.