I Made $93 Last Year Using Rakuten. Here's How I Plan to Earn More in 2023

Don't forget to regularly use cash back shopping programs to boost your earnings.

Cash back apps and browser extensions reward you when you shop. Many people use cash back programs as part of their overall personal finance strategy. Earning cash back is like getting free money doing what you already do. In addition to using rewards credit cards, I use cash back shopping rewards programs. Last year, I earned $93 using Rakuten. Keep reading to see how I plan to earn more cash back rewards in 2023.

Rakuten helps shoppers earn cash back

Rakuten is a popular mobile app and browser extension that makes it easy to earn cash back rewards when you shop. It's free to join the program. When you see an available offer, you can activate it and then make an eligible purchase with the retailer to earn cash back rewards. If you don't yet use programs like this, you're missing out on free cash when you shop.

Rakuten partners with over 3,500 stores, so there are many opportunities to earn cash back. When you have at least $5 in your account, you'll be eligible to receive your earnings on the next payment date. Rakuten sends out payments every three months.

How I earned $93 last year

I do a lot of online shopping because it's convenient. Last year, I put more effort into using Rakuten to earn rewards. I made $93 by activating offers and shopping like normal. Since there are so many participating retailers, many of my purchases qualified for cash back earnings.

However, since you must activate an offer before shopping, I didn't always remember to use Rakuten before checking out with my favorite retailers. If I had used the program more frequently, I could have made over $100 last year. My goal is to use Rakuten more this year.

This is my strategy from now on

Since I shop online often, I want to maximize my rewards. I did one simple thing at the beginning of the year that I hope will help boost my earnings. I wrote a reminder on a brightly colored sticky note and placed it on my desktop monitor. I hope this will help remind me to check for available cash back offers before placing an online order.

Most programs, like Rakuten, won't award you cash back unless you activate an offer before shopping. That means you need to go out of your way to activate offers. If you're forgetful like me, you may want to put a sticky note reminder on or near your computer so you don't forget.

Don't miss out on the chance to earn rewards

If you shop online and aren't using programs like this, you may want to start. Cash back apps are easy to use, and the earning potential can be significant. But make sure you continue to stick to your budget. It's never a good idea to go into credit card debt to earn rewards.

Another way you can earn rewards when shopping is by paying for purchases with a cash back card. Some shoppers use cash back credit cards and cash back apps to boost their earning potential. Any extra money earned can help you increase your checking account balance.