| Update: Rakuten has changed their T&Cs such that only members in the USA and Canada can participate in the referral program. Be advised, they seem to be clawing back referrals from before the T&Cs changed. |
Rakuten (formerly Ebates) is an online cashback portal, similar to ShopBack or RebateMango. Although the site is US-based, Singapore users can still cash out their cashback through PayPal.
From now till May 1, 2020, Rakuten is giving away US$30 to all new members who sign up through the referral program and spend at least US$30 at any merchant.
Sign up for Rakuten and get US$30 here
That’s a mighty generous bonus, and with thousands of online merchants to choose from, there’s bound to be some way you can spend that US$30. For example, you could buy groceries on iHerb, which offers free shipping to Singapore for orders over US$60. Alternatively, you could buy books on Book Depository and enjoy free shipping with any purchase.
Other no-shipping options for Singapore based residents include:
- Purchasing antivirus software from McAfee/Norton
- Subscriptions to the WSJ or The New Yorker
If you want to make travel plans, there’s a ton of hotel chains and OTAs on Rakuten, like Agoda, Booking.com, Hilton, Hotels.com, Millennium Hotels & Resorts and more. Do note, however, that your cash back will only be available after you’ve stayed. If you want the money now, it’s better to go with merchandise purchases.
Once your cashback has tracked, you’ll be able to withdraw the money via PayPal. You can subsequently transfer it into your Singapore bank account, or use it for online shopping wherever PayPal is accepted.
What card should I use?
Most of your purchases on Rakuten will be processed online in USD, so consider using the following credit cards for the most miles.
| Earn Rate | Remarks | |
 Citi RewardsApply here | 4 mpd | Cap of S$1K per s. month |
 DBS Woman’s World CardApply here | 4 mpd | Cap at S$2K per c. month |
 UOB Visa SignatureApply here | 4 mpd | Min FCY spend of S$1K per s. month, cap at S$2K per s. month |
 SCB X CardApply here | 3 mpd | Until 30 Jun 20. Min spend S$2K per c. month |
 SCB Visa Infinite | 3 mpd | Min spend S$2K per s. month |
 BOC Elite Miles | 3 mpd | |
| S. Month= Statement Month | C. Month= Calendar Month | ||
Conclusion
This is basically a chance to get US$30 of free books, iHerb purchases or anything else you can find on Rakuten. Be sure to make your transaction by May 1, 2020, for the bonus cashback to be awarded.
Hi, may I know why this online spend is not covered under DBS WWMC?
because i forgot to add it in! fixed.
Thanks for the lobang, signed up with the referral link
Thanks for sharing this! How do you get past the address bit without a US add?
Address doesn’t matter- it’s only if you want a cheque mailed to you.
If I use PayPal, does it convert from USD to SGD?
When you cash out to bank account, yes.
Thanks! Also wondering, what are some of the sites which work for Singapore? E.g. If I buy something on Amazon SG/ Nike SG does it still clock the $30 spend, or has to be from the US site?
i’m not sure about this one. to be safe i stuck to iherb, got the US$30 reflected within 24 hours of purchase.
I bought from Adidas and it redirect me to Adidas sg,
Hope it capture the transaction 🙁
Does the $30 spend need to be in a single purchase? The T&C’s are quite vague about it.
Yes, it does
It was cumulative for me.
I had 2 purchases made at Book Depository after having short of USD4 (because I forgot to convert USD30 to SGD – which was automatically converted in Book Depository listing)
Oh and I just received this reply from Rakuten after enquiring about it:
“Ebates (Rakuten)
May 4, 10:24 PM CDT
Hello.
Thank you for your email. The $30 purchase can be cumulative as long as all purchases are made within 90 days of creating your account.”
They should just make the T&C clearer…
thanks for letting us know!
Hi Aaron,
I just signed up. Do you know if we must pay in USD when making the purchase to qualify for the US$30 back?
No need.
Confirmed: Bought books from Book Depository. Paid in S$. Received my $30 rebate.
thanks for the update
How long did U wait for Rakuten to confirm the purchase on BookDepository?
An update: I referred my wife who also signed up and made a purchase. Initially, both our accounts received a $30 credit. Subsequently, the $30 credit was deducted from both our accounts, as was the $30 credit I received after making my initial purchase from Aaron’s referral.
I checked with their customer service, and received this reply:
“We have found a number of accounts in violation of our site’s terms related to yours. Due to the abuse of our program, our risk department has ended membership for all related accounts.”
hmmm. which merchant did you buy stuff from?
I bought from Book Depository. My wife from iHerb.
Hope they did not deduct the $30 referral credit from your account.
Yea both my wife and my $30 credit was removed subsequently as well for no reason. We too bought items from iherb and books depository. Zzz
Same for me as well, my $30 credit was removed when I met the T&Cs of the promo after signing up via your referral link. Feels like I’ve been scammed zz
Owells me too. I signed up via your referral link and the $30 credit just got clawed back too /:
I also see the deduction on my side. I’ll raise the issue with customer service, but for whatever reason they’ve gone trigger happy with these fraud checks
same here, all my family members’ accounts were terminated. (along with mine)
what a scam.
Hi Aaron, i’m wondering if there’s there been any reply from the customer service regarding the deduction?
Not yet…
I can’t seem to cash out without having to enter a US address even though I choosed PayPal. Anyway to go around it?
Just enter a dummy address- that’s only important if you want a cheque mailed