When eBates (now Rakuten) first came on the scene, I signed up back in 2011. 

I’m one of those girls who loves a sale, but doesn’t want to work so hard for it.

Over the years I got some small cash back payments for buying my Old Navy jeans, contact lenses and makeup splurges.

But it wasn’t until I installed the Rakuten Chrome Extension last year that I started getting little pop up notifications on my browser when I was on sites for my BUSINESS, that I got curious about earning cash back from my work.

So, last year instead of just small amounts of vanity purchases, I also got cash back on my conference travels, online classes I took, purchasing client gifts, and so much more.

If you’re ready to start earning business, start by creating a FREE account at Rakuten.com.

Then, you can start enjoying business cash back in these 5 common ways I’ve been using it. (Plus start early with an instant $10 reward reward when you use my link above.)

Business Cash Back for Travel

A lot of entrepreneurs I know got into business for freedom, and especially the freedom to travel!

But all those conferences and flights to client VIP days can certainly add up.

So, why not start earning business cash back when you fly, stay or drive?

Rakuten offers cash back on tons of travel sites.

My go tos are Marriott.com, with up to 8% cash back, and Enterprise with 3% cash back if I need to drive a little while I’m there.

But whether you have a specific airline or hotel chain you love, or just want the best deal using a combo site like Travelocity, Rakuten has you covered.

Business Cash Back for Training & Education

Besides the freedom to travel, entrepreneurship also satisfies my need to be constantly learning.

And let me tell you – that used to be an large business expense!

But since I set up my Rakuten account, I’ve been earning business cash back on so many of my learning purchases.

If you’re looking for learning some new tech skills or strategy, Creative Live offers 5% back on ANY classes you buy.

Or you can shop on Udemy for up to 20% cash back, on specific courses.

Want to learn a new language to reach clients in new markets? Rakuten has cash back for that!

Even Tony Robbins is in this game with up to 7.5% cash back when you buy his programs and live events!

Rather just learn from books? Barnes & Nobles has up to 2% cash back, and Amazon cash back varies day to day.

Plus there are lots of other great stores in their Books & Media cash back category.

Business Cash Back for Client Gifts

If you’ve got sending clients gifts as part of your onboarding strategy (and you should!) why not get a little extra cash back when you send them?

If flowers are your game, Rakuten runs specials all the time with different companies. I recently sent a bouquet from FTD, and got 12% cash back when they were running a special.

You could also send curated gift baskets from sites like Gift Tree and GiftBasket.com.

Or, there are even more unique and personal gift options from other crafty sites.

Plus so many more options in between to surprise and delight your clients.

Business Cash Back for Your Website and Branding

One of the biggest pains is finding good hosting for your website.

So if you’re looking to move, companies like GoDaddy, iPage and Bluehost offer cash back percentages to come over to them.

Plus, if you want to keep your brand looking good when you are traveling to all those events, you can get business cash back from sites like Vistaprint and Moo for new business cards, flyers and more.

Business Cash Back for Office Supplies & Decor

While a lot of business happens online these days, there’s still times you’ll need to order printer ink, envelopes, pens, and other office supplies. So why not get some business cash back through Rakuten?

You can earn 2% cash back at sites like Staples and OfficeMax, plus find so many other stores that offer office supplies at great discounts if you’re ordering in bulk.

Or, what if you need some new office decor? Shop at Target, Pier 1 and others stores for some cute office accessories and earn up to 10% cash back!

These are just some of the ways I’ve been earning business cash back over the past year.

And whether I earned $2 or $25 back, I’ve loved feeling like I’m making my business dollars work as hard as I do.

So if you’re ready to start earning too, check out Rakuten’s 2,5000 stores that you might be able to use for earning business cash back – or even just personal shopping if you haven’t already.

And if online shopping isn’t your jam, and you would prefer to check things out in a store, Rakuten has an option to connect your debit or credit card to your account, so you can also earn when you shop in store.

Either way, it’s a win-win!

Your Turn

Let me know if you’ve used Rakuten for personal shopping before, and if you’re excited to try it now for business! Or, if you’ve been using it for business, tell us your favorite store in the comments below. Can’t wait to see you start earning business cash back!