Rakuten Rewards
{{Short description|Shopping rewards company}}
{{Advert|date=July 2021}}
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Rakuten Rewards
| logo = Rakuten Global Brand Logo.svg
| image =
| founded = {{start date|1998|5|3|df=y}} in Menlo Park, California, United States
| founders = Alessandro Isolani and Paul Wasserman
| area_served = United States, Canada, China, South Korea, Singapore, Japan
| key_people = Amit Patel (CEO)
| industry = Cashback website
| num_employees = 760 (worldwide, 2019)
| parent = Rakuten
| location = San Mateo, California
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.rakuten.com}}
}}
Rakuten Rewards ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|r|æ|k|ə|t|ɪ|n}} {{respell|RAK|ə|tin}}),{{Cite web|url=https://www.rakuten.ca/new-brand|title=Ebates is now Rakuten|publisher=Rakuten Rewards}} formerly known as Ebates,{{Cite web|url=https://travelwithgrant.com/2019/02/04/ebates-is-becoming-rakuten-super-bowl-ad-how-to-pronounce-rakuten/|title=Ebates is Becoming Rakuten & Super Bowl Ad (How to Pronounce Rakuten)|website=Travel with Grant|access-date=2 May 2019}} is a cash-back and shopping rewards company.{{Cite web |last=Suknanan |first=Jasmin |title=The Rakuten shopping portal gives you cash back for purchases you were already planning to make |url=https://www.cnbc.com/select/rakuten-review-2022-cash-back-earnings-perks-and-more/ |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=CNBC |date=16 March 2022 |language=en}} Its revenue comes from affiliate network links.{{cite press release|title=Rakuten to Acquire Ebates for $1 Billion|url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140909005396/en/Rakuten-Acquire-Ebates-1-Billion#.VR0HLUJgvdk|website=Business Wire|accessdate=2 April 2015|date=9 September 2014}} Members of the site click through affiliate links before shopping at a retailer's site.
History
Rakuten Rewards was founded as Ebates in 1998 in Menlo Park, California, by two former deputy district attorneys, Alessandro Isolani and Paul Wasserman.{{Cite web |last=Capital |first=Foundation |date=2014-09-11 |title=Remembering a Scrappy Little Startup Called Ebates |url=https://foundationcapital.com/remembering-a-scrappy-little-startup-called-ebates/ |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=Foundation Capital |language=en-US}} Funded by the venture capital firm Foundation Capital,{{cite web|last1=Kemp|first1=Ted|title=ebates.com Pays Cash to Net Shoppers, Hopes to Lure Advertisers|url=http://www.dmnews.com/ebatescom-pays-cash-to-net-shoppers-hopes-to-lure-advertisers/article/61906/|website=Direct Marketing News|accessdate=25 March 2015|date=17 May 1999}} Ebates.com was launched on 3 May 1999, offering up to 25% cash back from about 40 online retailers.{{cite web|title=Ebates.com launches discount rebate site|url=http://adage.com/article/news/ebates-launches-discount-rebate-site/6965|website=Advertising Age|publisher=Crain Communications Inc.|accessdate=25 March 2015|date=3 May 1999}}
In September 2014, Ebates was acquired by the Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten for US$1 billion.{{cite web|last1=Perez|first1=Sarah|title=Rakuten Buys Ebates For $1 Billion|url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/09/09/rakuten-buys-ebates-for-1-billion/|website=TechCrunch|accessdate=2 April 2015|date=9 September 2014}} In 2019, the Ebates brand was phased out and replaced with Rakuten Rewards.{{Cite web|url=https://dyernews.com/rakuten-vs-ebates-whats-changing-with-the-cashback-tool/|title=Rakuten Review: Rakuten vs. Ebates - What is Changing|date=8 March 2019|website=Dyer News|access-date=2 May 2019}}
Acquisitions
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Date !Company !Business !Country !References |
| 8 September 2011
|United States |
| 9 August 2012
|BFAds |United States |
| 8 September 2012
|AnyCoupons |United States |{{cn|date=July 2021}} |
| 22 June 2012
|OneReceipt |Receipt digitization service |United States |
| 10/12/2012
|PushPins |United States |
| 25 June 2013 sold 6 December 2017 |Extrabux |United States |
| 7 March 2016
|Shopular |Product discovery mobile app |United States |
| 23 January 2017
|Cartera Commerce |Rewards program provider |United States |
| 3 April 2017
|ShopStyle (and Cosmic Cart) |Fashion discovery site |United States |
Services/tools
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Name !Description !References |
| Mobile app
|Free application for Android and iOS allows users to shop and earn cash back on mobile devices. |
| Hotels
|Users can book hotels to earn cash back. |
| Cash Back Button
|Browser extension for Google Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, Alerts users to cash-back possibilities on store sites and highlights offers in Google and Bing search results. |
| Marketplace
|Formerly located at Rakuten.com, the marketplace is an e-commerce site where users can buy goods from third-party sellers. | |
| In-Store Cash Back
|Users can earn cash back in stores by adding a credit or debit card to their accounts and using that card to pay in stores. | |
Logos
File:Ebates Logo 2017.svg|2017
File:Ebates Logo 2018.svg|2018
File:Ebates Logo 2019.svg|2019 (US, before renaming)
File:Ebates.ca Logo 2019.svg|2019 (Canada, before renaming)
File:Rakuten Global Brand Logo.svg|2019 (US and Canada, after renaming)
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Rakuten}}
Category:American companies established in 1998
Category:Internet properties established in 1998
Category:1998 establishments in California
Category:Companies based in San Mateo, California
Category:2014 mergers and acquisitions
Category:American subsidiaries of foreign companies
Category:Reward, cashback and comparison-shopping digital platforms