Online Shopping Hacks

At Rakuten, we live and breathe online shopping and we’ve picked up more than a few smart strategies along the way.

Whether you’re trying to stretch your budget, get the most bang for your buck or simply avoid the pitfalls of impulse buys, these online shopping tips and hacks will help you shop like a pro.

We’ve helped millions of people earn Cash Back and find savings, so we know what works. Here are our top insider tips for saving money, shopping safely and making every click count.

1. Do Your Homework Before You Click “Buy.”

Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to online shopping.

• Check product reviews and ratings: A great deal isn’t so great if the product underdelivers. Look for verified reviews and pay attention to recurring pros and cons.
• Compare prices across retailers: We always encourage shoppers to look around. Use tools such as our built-in Rakuten partner comparisons to find the best value.
• Research the seller: If you’re buying from a marketplace, make sure the seller is reputable. A little research can protect you from counterfeits or long shipping delays.
• Search + Shop: Use the search bar on Rakuten to shop from 3,500+ merchants and over ~50M+ products

2. Stack Savings With Cash Back.

This is one of our favorite online shopping hacks, and it’s one that thousands of Rakuten members use every day.

• Activate Cash Back with Rakuten: Shopping through Rakuten is simple. Just start your shopping trip from our site or app and activate Cash Back at thousands of stores. You’ll earn real money on purchases you were going to make anyway.
• Stack coupons, promo codes and Cash Back: Combine Cash Back with sales and discount codes to score maximum value. We even apply eligible coupons automatically when you use our browser extension.
• Understand how Cash Back works: Your Cash Back is tracked through your browser session and is usually confirmed once the return window has closed. We recommend not using multiple coupon apps at once, because it may interfere with tracking.

3. Use Browser Extensions to Save Time (and Money).

Why work harder to find deals when smart tools can do the heavy lifting?

• Try the Rakuten browser extension: Rakuten’s browser shopping extension for Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Firefox, automatically alerts you when Cash Back is available, applies promo codes at checkout and ensures that you never miss a reward.
• Set price-drop alerts: Some tools (including Rakuten’s Price Magic on eligible purchases) let you know when a product drops in price. It’s perfect for wish-list items.
• Let the tech work for you: Extensions like ours also make it easy to compare Cash Back rates across multiple stores, so you can choose where to shop based on the best rewards.

4. Timing Is Everything.

Another essential online shopping tip: Knowing when to buy can be just as important as knowing where.

• Shop seasonally: January, May and November are prime shopping months. Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer some of the biggest deals, and Rakuten typically boosts Cash Back during the events too.
• Pay attention to flash sales: Retailers love to offer surprise deals especially around holidays and back-to-school season. Turn on Rakuten notifications so you don’t miss out on limited-time offers.
• Midweek wins: Tuesdays and Wednesdays are underrated for discounts. Many retailers quietly release new markdowns early in the week. In the Summer of 2025, look out for our weekly Big Deal Reveal dropping every Wednesday!

5. Shop Smart, Shop Safe.

Saving money is important, but so is protecting your information.

• Use secure payment methods: We recommend sticking to credit cards or payment processors such as PayPal, which offer built-in fraud protection.
• Avoid public Wi-Fi when checking out: Open networks can be risky. If you must shop on the go, consider using a VPN to encrypt your connection.
• Spot the red flags: Be wary of suspicious links, deals that look too good to be true and sites that lack basic security (such as “https” in the URL).

Final Thoughts From the Rakuten Team

At Rakuten, our mission is to make every purchase more rewarding and that means giving you the tools and knowledge to shop smarter. With these online shopping tips and hacks, you’ll be better equipped to find deals, earn Cash Back and protect your personal info while doing it.

Whether it’s your weekly essentials or that special splurge, we’re here to help you get more from every click.

Bonus Tip:

Use a dedicated shopping email. It will help you stay organized with receipts, promotions and Cash Back alerts without cluttering your personal inbox.

Hack	What to Do	Why It Works
Research Before Buying	Read product reviews, compare prices, and check seller reputation	Avoids overpaying and protects against poor quality or unreliable sellers
Use Rakuten for Cashback	Start shopping from Rakuten to earn cashback on thousands of stores	Turns everyday purchases into rewards and stacks with other discounts
Stack Coupons + Cashback	Use Rakuten’s extension to apply promo codes while earning cashback	Maximizes savings effortlessly with no extra effort
Install a Browser Extension	Use Rakuten’s extension or others to auto-apply coupons and track prices	Saves time and ensures you never miss hidden deals
Shop During Sales Events	Target big sales like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or mid-week markdowns	Best discounts + often boosted cashback rates
Watch for Flash Sales	Enable notifications from Rakuten and your favorite stores	Lets you act quickly on limited-time deals
Use Secure Payments	Pay with credit cards or PayPal for fraud protection	Adds an extra layer of safety for your personal info
Avoid Public Wi-Fi	Shop from secure networks or use a VPN	Protects your payment and login details
Spot Scam Sites	Check for “https”, avoid unknown links or too-good-to-be-true deals	Avoid phishing, fraud, and fake stores
Bonus: Use a Shopping Email	Create a separate email for orders, deals, and cashback alerts	Keeps your inbox organized and receipts easy to find

Ready to put these hacks into action? Sign up for Rakuten and start earning cashback today.