Is Rakuten Canada Legit? Safe Shopping Guide 2025
Is Rakuten Canada Legit? A Deep Dive for 2025
"Free money" sounds too good to be true. That's why one of the most common questions we get is: "Is Rakuten Canada actually legit?"
The short answer is YES. But as a smart shopper, you want the long answer. Here is exactly how Rakuten works, how they make money, and whether your data is safe.
How Rakuten Canada Makes Money (The Business Model)
Rakuten is not a scam; it's an affiliate marketing company. Here is the flow of money:
- The Retailer (e.g., Old Navy) wants more customers.
- Rakuten refers you to Old Navy via a special link.
- Old Navy pays Rakuten a commission (e.g., 5%) for sending you.
- Rakuten shares part of that commission (e.g., 2.5%) with you as "Cashback".
It is a win-win-win. The store gets a sale, Rakuten gets a cut, and you get a discount.
Is It Safe to Use?
Payment Reliability:
Rakuten (formerly Ebates) was founded in 1998 and has paid out over $2 billion to members. In our testing at Canada Cashback Monitor, payments are reliable but slow—they send "Big Fat Cheques" (or PayPal deposits) every 3 months.
Privacy & Data:
Does Rakuten track you? Yes. That is literally how they know to pay you.
* What they track: Where you shop, what you buy, and how much you spend.
* What they don't track: Your credit card numbers (you pay the retailer directly, not Rakuten).
If you are highly privacy-conscious, this might be a concern. But for most users, trading shopping data for 5-15% cash back is a fair trade.
Common "Scam" Complaints (And The Reality)
You will see complaints online saying "Rakuten didn't pay me!" usually for these reasons:
- Ad Blockers: If you block ads, you block the tracking pixel. Rakuten can't see the sale, so they can't pay you.
- Returns: If you return an item, the cashback is clawed back.
- Non-Eligible Categories: Some stores exclude items (e.g., Apple often excludes new iPhones from cashback).
Verdict: 100% Legit, But Follow the Rules
Rakuten Canada is a safe, legitimate way to save money. Just remember to disable ad blockers and read the fine print for store exclusions.
Want to see if Rakuten has the best rate today? Use [Canada Cashback Monitor](/stores) to compare it against GCR and Aeroplan instantly.