Rakuten is a cashback and shopping rewards program that lets you earn money back when you shop through its affiliate links from over 750 partner retailers. It has helped more than 7 million customers earn over $140 million in cashback since 2012, but it’s not the only cashback platform available in Canada. Here are five Rakuten alternatives that offer similar or even higher cashback rates, along with different ways to earn rewards.
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks offers more ways to earn than Rakuten, making it ideal if you want to earn extra cash without having to make a purchase first. Swagbucks lets you earn through shopping, surveys, games and tasks like product reviews, but it may take you longer to earn cashback.
How much it pays: Cashback is 1% – 10%, but the overall earning potential with Swagbucks is $1 to $250 per offer.
How to earn cash: Cashback from online shopping; scan receipts; play games; take surveys and more
Payout time and method: Withdrawals take up to 10 business days to be processed. Get cash via PayPal or redeem your points for gift cards.
Great Canadian Rebates is similar to Rakuten, but it features Canada-specific deals and occasionally higher cashback rates for select retailers. However, you can only earn cashback on eligible online purchases, while Rakuten has in-person offers as well.
How much it pays: 1% – 10% cashback bonus. Credit card rebates commonly range from $30 – $200.
How to earn cash: Shop online through its website or Apple app
Payout time and method: Payment options are e-gift cards, direct deposits and PayPal. Rewards are automatically paid each month if you have a balance of $10 or more for over 58 days for e-gift cards, or if you have a balance of $12 or more for over 58 days for direct deposits and PayPal. Cashback is paid on the business day nearest to the 28th of the month.
Monthly promotions
Earn 25% of all cashback your referrals earn for 2 years
Free to sign up
Over 900 partner retailers
Monthly payouts
Fast cashback rebates
No cashback on in-store purchases
No Android app
No browser extension
Payouts require holding the minimum balance for 58 days
Our own Finder Rewards is a free program that lets you earn digital Visa gift cards when you sign up for select accounts through Finder. Unlike Rakuten, which gives cashback on everyday shopping, Finder Rewards primarily offers one-time bonuses for signing up for financial products.
How much it pays: $25 to $250+ per transaction.
How to earn cash: Open an eligible account by using Finder’s link on the website
Payout time and method: Several weeks, Visa digital gift card.
Free to join and use
Email and app notifications
Designed for Canadian users
Generous one-off payouts
Easy to earn rewards
Limited brand partnerships
Fewer earning opportunities
Not built for ongoing income
Payouts can take months
4. TopCashback
TopCashback is known for offering some of the highest cashback rates on eligible purchases among competitors, claiming you can earn up to $450 a year on the platform. It’s similar to Rakuten, but it has no minimum payout for PayPal, and you can withdraw your rewards as soon as they become payable.
How much it pays: 1% – 10%. TopCashback says members earn an average of $450 a year.
How to earn cash: Shop via affiliate links; use TopCashback’s browser extension; refer friends
Payout time and method: Cashback is credited to your account within seven days, but it isn't available to withdraw until the retailer's return policy is over. Cash out via PayPal.
Browser extension available
Transparent commission structure
High cashback rates
Wide retailer network
Android and iOS mobile app
Free to use
TopCashback beats any U.S.-based cashback offer by 10%
Rewards can take 6–23 weeks to become payable
Tailored to Americans
Only accepts U.S. bank accounts
No sign-up bonus
5. BeFrugal
BeFrugal is a cashback platform that lets you earn money back when you shop online through its website, app or browser extension. It often offers higher cashback rates up to 40% and matches competitors up to 125%, which Rakuten doesn’t do.
How much it pays: Up to 40% cashback.
How to earn cash: Shop through cashback links; earn sign-up and referral bonuses
Payout time and method: Cashback is added to your account within 15 to 90 days of purchase. BeFrugal says most payouts are processed on the next business day after your withdrawal request. In Canada, you can cash out via PayPal or e-gift cards.
Over 5,000 partner retailers
Mobile app available
Browser extension
Matches cashback rates up to 125%
$10 welcome bonus
Multiple ways to cash out
Cashback takes 15 to 90 days to become payable
No in-store cashback
Don't Leave Money on the Table
40 ways to get 'free' money in Canada through rebates, bonuses and money strategies
Rakuten alternatives give you more flexibility in how you earn, whether that’s through cashback on everyday shopping, sign-up bonuses, surveys or referral rewards. While Rakuten is great for passive cashback on purchases, other options may offer higher rates, more earning methods or exclusive deals. You can sign up to multiple cashback sites to see which one has the best offer, but just don’t expect to earn a regular income.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if you shop online regularly, Rakuten and its alternatives are worth it. They're free to use and let you earn extra cash on purchases you were probably already making. Just don't expect your cashback to replace a full-time or even part-time income.
Yes, but you can typically only activate cashback offers from one platform per purchase.
It depends on the cashback platform and retailer, but it often takes weeks or months.
Yes, most cashback platforms are free to join and use.
Cashback platforms typically earn a commission from their partner retailers when you shop through their links, then they share a portion of that commission with you as a reward and keep the rest as revenue.
Rebecca Low is a writer for Finder. She has contributed to a range of digital publications, including income.ca, Indeed, and Expatden, writing on topics like personal finance, career development, and travel.
See full bio
Learn how to earn money on Freecash in Canada and how to cash out your rewards.
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Finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Finder receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. Finder compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
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