Looking to find out which is better between Ibotta vs Rakuten?
You’ve come to the right place!
Both grocery rebate apps are stellar, helping us all earn money back with our grocery shopping and even shopping online sometimes.
In this article, we will discuss:
- Similarities & differences between Ibotta and Rakuten
- Is Ibotta or Rakuten better?
- Other grocery rebate apps to consider
- Rakuten or Ibotta FAQs
Think they both sound awesome?
Yea, us too.
Let’s dive into this and see which grocery rebate company works best for you and your particular shopping habits.
Who knows, maybe you’ll end up using both!
Similarities & Differences Between Ibotta and Rakuten
What is the difference between Ibotta and Rakuten?
Ibotta is a cash back app that saves you money when you shop online or in a brick-and-mortar store; its focus is grocery shopping. But unlike Rakuten, you must select your offers through the Ibotta app before you shop. You can’t make a purchase at one of their Ibotta partners and redeem your discount later in the mobile app.
Rakuten vs Ebates
Ebates has been a Rakuten company since 2014. The same people that brought you Ebates are now part of the Rakuten family. In areas you’re used to seeing the name Ebates, you now see Rakuten instead, because Rakuten was formerly Ebates. The icons and logos have been updated on their website, app, and browser extension.
Benefits of Ibotta
The benefits of Ibotta include:
- Earn cash back by scanning your grocery receipts
- Earn even more cash back and enter sweepstakes with Ibotta Offers
- Get exclusive offers from top brands like Starbucks, Nike, Old Navy and more.
- Never miss a deal or promotion again
- Save money on the things you buy everyday
- You’ll never have to pay full price for anything
Plus, Ibotta helps you earn rewards by letting you link your store loyalty card within the app, so you can double-dip on discounts! [1]
You can even learn how to use Ibotta with Walmart grocery pickup.
How cool is that?!
Having an Ibotta account can help you add up big savings on everyday purchases over time.
It might seem like a little at a time, but that extra money really adds up as you upload receipts from your everyday shopping.
Also, they have an awesome Ibotta browser extension that helps you find deals while you’re scrolling through online retailers anyways.
And they have a great welcome bonus (no, you don’t need an Ibotta promo code either)!
Making money & maximize savings just for saving a few receipts?
Yes, please 馃檪
Benefits of Rakuten
The benefits of Rakuten include:
- Online shopping site, so you don’t need to go anywhere!
- You can find anything on the site at any time of day or night
- Save money with Rakuten’s low prices
- Get the best deals on electronics, furniture, and more
- Free shipping on orders over $25
- No membership fee
- Get your shopping done in a few minutes with the convenience of home delivery
And also what’s nice about Rakuten is that since they focus on online shopping, there are a ton of major retailers and partner stores to choose from!
The Rakuten app has a ton of generous bonuses in addition to being able to earn rewards for everyday purchases.
Is Ibotta or Rakuten Better?
Let’s compare Ibotta and Rakuten.
Ibotta is definitely the winner when it comes to grocery stores and we highly recommend this app especially if you are buying groceries for a large family. However, when it comes to earning cash from online shopping, Rakuten offers the most value with up to 40% cash back and with over 2500 partner store options. [2]
For Referrals – What’s Better, Rakuten vs Ibotta?
Rakuten wins this category by a long shot because they offer a way bigger referral bonus: Rakuten shells out $25 per referral, while Ibotta offers just $5 per person you refer.
Looking to recruit a few friends to save with you?
This is handy information to know beforehand 馃檪
Can You Use Ibotta and Rakuten Together?
The good thing is that you don’t have to choose between Ibotta and Rakuten because you can use both cash back apps together for free! You can earn a sign-up bonus for joining both and enjoy unlimited free cash back from both in-store and online purchases.
Rakuten or Ibotta for Lower Fees?
When discussing fees, which is better, Ibotta or Rakuten?
Does Ibotta charge any fees for using its service?
Ibotta does not charge any fees, and the Ibotta app works for both online shopping and in-store purchases, although those are more focused towards the grocery store.
And how about Rakuten?
In Rakuten’s case, it has its own rewards card which gives you cash back on your purchases at Rakuten Super Logistics which is an online store where you can purchase electronics, clothing, and more (call it their version of Amazon I guess). You can also use these reward points to buy tickets to concerts or events. But in order to stay competitive with Ibotta, they also don’t tack on any additional fees. [3]
Other Grocery Rebate Apps to Consider
There are quite a few other cash back apps offering cash or reward points besides Ibotta vs Rakuten.
The Ibotta app and Rakuten app both have a lot going for them, but let’s check out what else is out there.
Maybe you’ll find something you love just as much 馃檪
Dosh
Looking for something additional besides Ibotta vs Rakuten?
Check out Dosh!
Dosh is a cash back app that I personally don’t use, but I’ve heard good things about it. [4]
I haven’t tried it myself because I prefer Ibotta’s user interface and general simplicity.
Dosh is available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store (Android).
It has great ratings on both platforms though Dosh does have a few more 5-star reviews on iTunes than Google Play.
The way Dosh works is you earn your cash back by shopping online at partnered retailers like Walmart, Amazon and Target.
You do not need to clip any coupons or take photos of your receipts or use any codes, which I think makes it super simple to use.
This feature also enables them to add new stores regularly without having to go through the time-consuming process of adding coupons and linking them to your account.
To download Dosh, search for “dosh save” in either app store.
Swagbucks
Another alternative to Ibotta vs Rakuten is Swagbucks.
Swagbucks is so cool I can’t say enough good things about it. [5]
This company has basically helped me pay for holiday gifts last year and I’m looking forward to redeeming lots of dollars worth of Swagbucks I’ve earned through them this year as well.
I really think you should check out this app…even if I only used it occasionally, I earn so many points using it with all the money you can win just by going online every day and doing whatever you normally do on your phone anyway.
Yay Points!
I don’t even have to use my cell signal or data plan to earn these points, which is great news for those of us who are fed up with our cell phone bills!
I’ve been using Ibotta for over a year now because I was searching for an alternative to the Swagbucks app, which I had also been using on my smartphone before I started earning actual money from it.
Fetch Rewards
Fetch Rewards is an app that operates very similarly to Ibotta.
This is great because you can use them simultaneously to basically double-up on discounts!
Are you wondering…is Ibotta or Fetch better?
They’re both great!
We’d suggest using them together to max out your earning potential 馃檪
Rakuten or Ibotta: FAQs
Can I use both Ibotta and Rakuten at the same time?
You can’t necessarily earn cash back from both Rakuten and Ibotta on the same purchases, but you can maximize your cashback rewards by choosing the app that earns the most money whenever you make a purchase. In this case, Rakuten typically offers more value for online purchases and Ibotta deals are great for in-store purchases.
How about Ebates vs Ibotta?
If you’re looking for differences between Ibotta vs Ebates, the question you should ask is this: is Rakuten vs Ibotta better? This is because Ebates is now Rakuten (yes, they are now one in the same).
Do both Ibotta vs Rakuten offer a welcome bonus?
Ibotta offers a welcome bonus of $10 to Ibotta users who make a first-time deposit. Rakuten offers a cashback bonus for new members of 10%, increased up to 15% depending on the amount of shopping you do within your first year as a member.
