Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card Review [2024]: Worth It for Rakuten Users?

Rakuten (formerly Ebates) is an online shopping portal that offers cash back on qualifying purchases made at thousands of stores, including Walmart, Target, and Nike. It offers an easy and free way to save money on purchases you’re already making. In addition, you could stack the cash back you earn through Rakuten with rewards from the Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card.

In this Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card review, you’ll learn how to earn and redeem rewards with this card. We’ll also cover the card’s benefits and explain why American Express cardholders might get the most value from the Rakuten card. This will help you decide whether the Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card deserves a spot in your wallet.

Who should get the Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card?

The Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card makes the most sense if you already use Rakuten or are planning to use Rakuten when you shop online or to make in-store purchases. Rakuten partners with major retailers and brands like Apple, Macy’s, and Under Armour, so it’s easy to earn more from your favorite stores. Qualifying Rakuten purchases offer 3% cash back, while all other purchases offer 1% cash back. So if you aren’t planning on making purchases through Rakuten, consider finding a different rewards credit card with a higher cashback rate than 1%.

If you don’t want cash back, Rakuten also offers another potentially valuable redemption option. If you have an American Express credit card that earns Amex Membership Rewards points, you can link your Amex account to your Rakuten account. This allows you to earn Membership Rewards points instead of cash back on Rakuten (more on that below).

So if you want an interesting option to earn valuable Membership Rewards points with a Visa card, consider the Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card. Keep in mind, this card likely requires a good or excellent credit score for approval.

Card basics

Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card benefits and perks

• Rewards-earning potential: Earn 3% cash back on qualifying Rakuten purchases and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
• Rewards stack: Rewards earned with the Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card can stack with rewards earned through the Rakuten portal. So double dip and earn bonus rewards to your heart’s content.
• Payout options: Receive your rewards in the form of a mailed check, a PayPal transfer, or as Amex Membership Rewards points.
• Visa card benefits: You will receive either a Visa Signature or Visa Platinum version of this card. Depending on the version, you may receive benefits such as price protection, return protection, extended warranty coverage, auto rental collision damage waiver, purchase protection, travel accident insurance, or travel and emergency assistance services.

Drawbacks to this card

• Foreign transaction fee: This card has a 3% foreign transaction fee, so it wouldn’t make sense to use it while traveling abroad. Many of the best travel credit cards offer better options for making foreign transactions.
• Long payouts: You don’t earn rewards as you make purchases with this card. Instead, you get your bonus rewards paid out to you on a quarterly basis. This means you could potentially wait up to about four months from when you made a purchase to receive the rewards for that purchase. For example, if you made an eligible purchase on Jan. 1, you wouldn’t receive your rewards for that purchase until May 15.

Earning and redeeming cash back

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your cash back can add up with the Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card. To calculate these values, we used a valuation of 1 cent.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $345

Year two earnings: $335

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which looks at points earned via spending, the sign-up bonus, and the annual fee.

These numbers represent the minimum you could earn with this card and don’t take into account the 3% on Qualifying Rakuten purchases, because we can’t predict which items you will buy through Rakuten retailers. That means your earnings could be much higher than what is indicated here.

Best ways to earn

You’ll need to use Rakuten and take advantage of qualifying store cashback offers if you want to maximize your earnings with the Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card. If you don’t use Rakuten, you can earn only up to 1% on all other purchases. This rate is less than ideal, as it’s beaten by plenty of other cashback credit cards.

Making qualifying Rakuten purchases with this card will earn you 3% cash back. This rate is higher than many other available cashback rewards rates. Keep in mind, eligible purchases may include purchases made through Rakuten.com, Rakuten’s in-store cashback program, and Rakuten’s dining program.

Maximizing your redemptions

Cash back is arguably the most popular and well-known option for redemptions through Rakuten. If you want cash back, you can receive your rewards in the form of a mailed check or a PayPal transfer. However, there’s also a third option that may offer huge value for some people: earning Amex Membership Rewards points with Rakuten.

Earning Amex points with Rakuten is as simple as having an Amex credit card that earns Membership Rewards points and linking it to your Rakuten account. You can do this in the settings of your Rakuten online account. Once you’ve selected this option, you’ll start earning Membership Rewards points for your purchases made through Rakuten and purchases made with your Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card.

This may be the best redemption option available on this card because Membership Rewards points can often end up worth more than the cashback option. You can transfer Membership Rewards points to more than a dozen Amex transfer partners, including major travel programs like Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, and Delta SkyMiles.

Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card FAQs