Google Store

Google Store purchases get boosted 4% cash back through Rakuten [U]

Ben Schoon | Oct 4 2022 - 6:20 am PT

The Google Store is one of the best places to pick up new Pixels, and just in time for the Pixel 6a and Pixel Buds Pro to go on pre-order, Rakuten has started offering cash back on Google Store purchases.

The “Rakuten Cash Back Button” is a browser extension that offers coupons and cash back from various online stores. Now, that cash back is available through the Google Store.

While we’re not 100% sure when it was added, Rakuten and the Google Store appear to have enabled cash back within the past few days. Buyers can activate Rakuten – so long as they’ve signed up for the service – on the page and redeem 2% cash back on any purchase. As pictured below, the Rakuten extension throws out a pop-up to notify users of the available cash back.

Update 10/4: Just in time for the launch of the Nest Wifi Pro, Nest Doorbell (wired), and Google’s upcoming Pixel launches later this week, Rakuten has boosted cashback on the Google Store to 4%, twice the usual rate. There’s no word on when this boosted rate will close off, but it’s a nice perk for early buyers!

You can sign up for Rakuten here.

And really, that’s all that’s needed! After your purchase ships, Rakuten will process the 2% and pay it out to you once you’ve reached the payment threshold.

Before Rakuten came onto the scene, though, Google has long offered cash back on Store purchases to Google One subscribers. Essentially, if you pay for storage on your Google account, you can get a few dollars back on your hardware purchases. The most affordable plans offer 3% back on purchases, while 2TB plans and up offer 10% back.

With Google’s cash back offer, buyers get a store credit to be used on future Google Store purchases. Meanwhile, Rakuten offers actually cash payouts over PayPal. Plus, at least in our limited testing, it appears these offers can be stacked on top of each other.