*HOT* Spend $40, Get $40: Earn $40 for your $40 purchase through Christmas from Rakuten (formerly Ebates)

Here’s probably the easiest $40 you’ve earned in a long time.

Open a new account with Rakuten through this link, spend $40 or more and get a FREE $40.

Rakuten is a cash-back site, meaning they give you a portion of the affiliate/referral income they receive from retailers. You select the retailer/site you want to shop at and you earn a percentage of you purchase as cash back that is paid to you four times a year.

I’ve used Rakuten (formerly Ebates) for years and it’s totally legit. In fact, I used to talk about Rakuten/Ebates on this site all the time back in the day but I forgot about it until I saw the new referral bonus promotion.

You need to spend at least $40 at one or more retailers in the Rakuten system by December 25 to get the $40 referral bonus. You will receive an actual check in the mail for the cash back or by PayPal you earned + your first check will include your bonus $40 on February 15.

This offer is only available to NEW Rakuten/Ebates accounts.

Important: You are NOT making your purchase through Rakuten. You shop and complete the purchase on the retailer’s site (like Nike, Lands’ End, TOMS, etc.). You’re just adding an additional step to the process to get the cash back and the $40 referral bonus. Most retailers are in the Rakuten system, though Amazon, Target, Walmart, Nordstrom are not.

Here’s how to get your $40 referral bonus:

Go to Ebates/Rakuten here. Create an account. IMPORTANT: You will only get the $40 bonus if you sign up through that link. Don’t go directly to the site — you’ll only get $10.

Click on the retailer you want to shop. You can also search for a retailer in the search bar. Some really big retailers (Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.) don’t offer cash back. Some retailers only offer cash back on certain categories (Best Buy) so pay attention to those details before you proceed.

I suggest you start with the stores listed under “Double Cash Back Stores” or you can search for a specific store in the search bar. (The double cash back stores change constantly so you may see something different when you click over.)

When prompted, create an account if you didn’t previously.

Rakuten will send you to the retailer’s regular website. Make a $40+ purchase with that retailer before December 25.

You will get the % cash back on your purchase PLUS a $40 bonus credited to your Rakuten account. Your cash back will post to your Rakuten account the day after your purchase.

Purchases made now will pay out on February 15 by check or PayPal. Your cash back must be $5+ to get a check or the amount will roll over until the next pay period. As a reminder, this promotion is only available if you’ve never had an account before, including an Ebates account from years ago.

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