Use Rakuten to earn cash back on patterns, fabric, sewing machines, notions, etc.!

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I love Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) and want to make using it easier for anyone wondering how does rakuten work! I’ve been using it since freshman year of college – I bought all 4 years of textbooks through it  and got in the habit of shopping there first (there are also browser plug-ins you can download so it reminds you to use rakuten when you go to shop). They’ve sent me close to $4,000 over the past 15+ years! It sounds so scammy, you just log-in, shop, and they send you money, but it really is that easy. For some reason I don’t see it mentioned very often on sewing & craft blogs, so I thought I’d write a whole post about how you can use it to earn cash back while crafting & sewing. Even though it is super simple, I have screenshots walking you through the process in case you’re curious.

Rakuten is for online purchases but there is a similar smartphone app called Ibotta for in-store purchases, check out this post about it here!

I earn money if you join through my link and make a purchase through Rakuten over $25! You can refer people too once you join, it’s the cashback gift that keeps on giving.

Ebates has cash back on all sorts of sites from contacts to travel, but I’m highlighting the crafty ones. The amount of cash back can change daily, they run special sales and deals. Etsy, Spoonflower, Accuquilt, Hobby Lobby, and Ebay are all front runners for earning money on crafty stuff.

The cash back amounts might seem small, but they add up!

How Does Rakuten Work

Want to be walked through how to do it? Let’s go!

Step 1

Go to Rakuten* and sign up. They often run sign-up bonuses – this week they have a bonus $10 for first timers!

Step 2

Search for your store, click the link, and this window will pop up. The tracking window will disappear, and you shop like normal!

 

Step 3

 

Once the payment goes through, you’ll receive an email confirming your cash back. Wait for everything to add up, and get paid quarterly! They can send checks, Paypal, or American Express reward points (which I earned as shown above, we use them for travel!). That’s it!

 

If you haven’t received an email for cash back you were expecting, you can log-in to your account and check out any tracking tickets you opened and make sure the cash back went through. Their customer service is great, too!

 

I rarely run “ads” or posts devoted to promoting one thing but I seriously love it and recommend it to anyone who will listen, in person and online. So, don’t forget to join Rakuten before any online shopping!

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