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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Rakuten vs Ibotta

Rakuten 4.8★ · Free to download 75
Winner Rakuten
Ibotta 4.8★ · Free to download 60

Rakuten is generally preferred for online shopping and consistent cash back, while Ibotta is better for in-store grocery deals despite its frustrating receipt scanning and account issues.

Full reviews: Rakuten · Ibotta

Rakuten offers a straightforward cash back experience for online purchases and travel, with many users reporting significant earnings. Ibotta focuses on in-store grocery rebates, but users frequently encounter issues with receipt scanning, offer matching, and account deactivation.

Head to head

Cash Back Earning & Reliability edge: RakutenR2R4R11R17
Rakuten Rakuten users consistently report earning significant cash back, often hundreds or thousands of dollars, through online purchases and travel bookings R2R11. While some users experience issues with large purchases not tracking or delays in verification R4R17, many find the cash back to be real and deposited reliably R11.
Ibotta Ibotta users appreciate the potential for savings on groceries and everyday items . However, a significant number of users report constant trouble getting credit for purchases, with items not matching offers or linked accounts failing to register R79. Many also complain about offers being limited or not available for their usual items .
Ease of Use (App & Website) edge: RakutenR2R3R6R7
Rakuten Rakuten is generally considered easy to use for online shopping, with users praising its simplicity for earning cash back by starting through the app or website R2. Some users desire features like card nicknaming R3 or automatic pop-ups R6, and a few report difficulty with the app loading certain stores or being hard to use R7.
Ibotta Ibotta faces widespread criticism for its usability, particularly with receipt scanning . Users frequently report having to retake photos multiple times or that receipts are unreadable . There are also complaints about the app freezing, not opening, or requiring users to manually select items instead of automatically picking them up .
Customer Support & Account Issues edge: RakutenR1R32R33R48
Rakuten Rakuten users report mixed experiences with customer support. Some mention issues with gift card errors and no resolution R1, while others find that missing transactions sometimes require follow-up R33. There are serious complaints about referral bonuses not being honored R32 and accounts being banned after referring people R54. Some users also report difficulty contacting support for missing checks or disappearing cash back activity R48.
Ibotta Ibotta users frequently encounter significant issues with customer support and account management. Many report problems getting help, with automated responses being unhelpful . A major concern is account deactivation or suspension without clear reason, leading to users losing their earned cash back . Users also complain about 'maintenance fees' of around $4 for inactivity, which can wipe out earnings R85R100R113.
Payment & Redemption edge: RakutenR11R13R14R17
Rakuten Rakuten offers various redemption options, including PayPal deposits R11 and instant e-gift cards R14. While some users appreciate the gift card option for faster access to funds R14, others complain about long waiting periods for cash back verification, sometimes up to 14 weeks R13R17.
Ibotta Ibotta requires users to reach a minimum of $20 to cash out R79. Users report frequent technical issues when trying to withdraw money . There are also complaints about inactivity fees wiping out earnings before users can reach the cash-out threshold R85R100R113.
Pick Rakuten if

you primarily shop online, want a straightforward cash back experience, and value consistent payouts via PayPal or gift cards R2R11R14.

Pick Ibotta if

you are a frequent in-store grocery shopper and are willing to deal with potential frustrations in receipt scanning and offer matching for specific product rebates .

Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of negative reviews, especially recent ones, concerning tracking issues and customer service. Ibotta's negative reviews are more heavily skewed towards fundamental usability issues like receipt scanning and account deactivation, which are core to its functionality.

Frequently asked

How do Rakuten and Ibotta handle cash back for in-store purchases?
Rakuten users report that shopping in-store with a linked card often doesn't give credit for purchases, even at approved stores R8R38. Ibotta, while primarily focused on in-store, has users complain about linked loyalty accounts not getting credits and the inability to add a paper receipt if a linked trip isn't recognized R63R79.
Are there any fees associated with using Ibotta?
Yes, Ibotta charges a maintenance fee of around $4 if an account is inactive for more than 180 days, which can deplete earned cash back R85R100R113.
Do either of these apps have issues with referral bonuses?
Rakuten users have reported not receiving promised referral bonuses, with the money appearing in the app tracker initially but then disappearing R32. Some users also claim their accounts were banned after referring friends and family R54.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] Rakuten 5/5 · US Easy way to earn money: I have been using this app for a couple years now and I’ve made over $1000. It really is as easy as going through the app first before I make a purchase or book some travel.
  2. [R4] Rakuten 1/5 · US Money back: Seams that every time is a big purchase the money back is not added to the account and even when you follow up with them they will give you a bull… excuse
  3. [R11] Rakuten 5/5 · US Cash back is real!: I’ve made hundreds of dollars back, just from shopping for the things that I need and want. It’s always deposited into my PayPal account, when it’s supposed to be. Great application/ and website. 🤩
  4. [R17] Rakuten 4/5 · US Slow pay back: I understand there’s a time period to give for returns and etc but now it can take 14 weeks or more to post the rewards this is sad I have some pending from April which is more than 14 weeks.
  5. [R3] Rakuten 3/5 · US Not great: Should be allowed to nickname cards we put on the account or atleast show last 4 or 5 numbers of credit cards so we know what card is what especially AMEX as they have 5 digits at end n can’t see all just shows middle 3 numbers
  6. [R6] Rakuten 3/5 · US Should improve: I find that it doesn’t automatically pop-up when you are not in the app and I think it should when you are a Rakuten member
  7. [R7] Rakuten 1/5 · US Hard af to use!: Bad
  8. [R1] Rakuten 1/5 · US Gift cards: Frequent submission for gift card errors no resolution at all.
  9. [R32] Rakuten 1/5 · US Didn't receive the $50 referral bonus. Avoid!: Complete waste of time. I invited a friend using the $50 referral promo. They made a purchase, and at first, the money appeared in the app tracker. Then, it just disappeared. The standard verification period has already passed, the order was not returned, and we followed all the rules. Despite this, neither I nor my friend got paid. Terrible experienc
  10. [R33] Rakuten 5/5 · US Great way to earn Membership Rewards points: Rakuten is one of my favorite ways to earn extra American Express Membership Rewards points on purchases I was already planning to make. The app is easy to use, offers cash-back rates at many major retailers, and transferring the rewards as MR points adds a lot of value for travel. Most purchases track correctly, but occasionally a transaction is delaye
  11. [R48] Rakuten 1/5 · US Scam!!!: You make purchases and get cashback then when you add a method to get the cash all of your activity disappears. You reach out to Customer Service and they tell you cash back was never activated for those purchases even though you only signed up to get cash back and the amount of cash back was visible for each purchase in the activity log. Even though you made three separate purchases in t
  12. [R13] Rakuten 1/5 · US What a joke!: Rebate that takes 4 months to confirm. I use programs that post my rebate instantly. Not worth the effort.
  13. [R14] Rakuten 5/5 · US One of the best feelings is getting paid to shop.: Love that I not only earn cash back, but also love that I can instantly convert my cash back into an egift card of my choice, so no more waiting for the check to come in. My only complaint is that I wish I’d known about this feature before now, which is why I’m sharing this feedback, for those that don’t know about it.
  14. [R8] Rakuten 4/5 · US Cash back is great WHEN ot works.: Shopping with the app is a breeze. Quick updates on cash back earned. However, shopping in-store with a linked card is another story, it never gives credit for in-store purchases at approved stores.
  15. [R38] Rakuten 1/5 · US Way too many exclusions. Sometimes doesn’t even record.: Tested this out for a month. Doesn’t really work for me. Out of the 15 times I’ve tried to shop with Rakuten. 7 came through. Only 3 paid anything out. CVS doesn’t register. Target doesn’t register. If you don’t read the terms and policies of what is excluded, it’ll lead you on for weeks and eventually fail. If you dine out, you have
  16. [R63] Ibotta 3/5 · US Linked accounts: My loyalty account for a store was not getting the credits to my account even though it was linked and the items were picked correctly. I was told to unlink and add them receipt manually, still never got my credit
  17. [R79] Ibotta 1/5 · US Constant trouble with getting credit for purchases: Time & time again I add items to my list, my account is linked, I shop and NOTHING, even when I’ve double checked in store. Plus with linked accounts if it doesn’t recognize your shopping trip, you can’t even add a paper receipt. Plus you can’t cash out until you hit $20 and I keep buying things to try to reach $20 and items don’t register. I hav
  18. [R85] Ibotta 1/5 · US Maintenance Fees!!??: Companies really must be down bad to have to charge maintenance fees to keep an account open. Basically wiped everything I earned with these fees which is ridiculous! I could see a few cents charged here and there but over $3 is insane. No longer using this app.
  19. [R100] Ibotta 1/5 · US Fee charged for inactivity: This app is nice, saves you a couple of cents on some items, rarely save $1 on an item, they charge a $4 fee if you aren’t active for 180 days. So the app is not free.
  20. [R113] Ibotta 1/5 · US …… 3.99$ “maintenance” fee: I had points and I was only $4 away from *possibly* cashing out. But they charge $4 maintenance fee if you are inactive for more than 180 days. That sucks! I wish they wouldn’t have touched my account and I know that i was gone for a long time but I always come back! Cmon Ibotta! You just tossed all my clothes and kept all much stuff and gave my room away all while stil
  21. [R54] Rakuten 1/5 · US They beg you to refer people, then ban everyone for it: I was a Rakuten member for years and genuinely liked the app. I even signed up for their credit card. The app constantly pushes you to “refer friends and family and earn cash back”, through emails, banners, pop-ups. That is the entire selling point of the program. So I did exactly what they asked. I recommended Rakuten to my mother and a c

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store