Rakuten review: Cash back not being paid with no justification

I am filing this complaint because Rakuten has repeatedly refused to conduct a meaningful review of my Cash Back shopping trips and has instead responded with generic, copy-and-paste messages that do not address the specific facts of my case.

Several of my shopping trips remained in a "Pending" status in my Rakuten account for months. During that time, Rakuten never notified me that there was a tracking issue, that the merchant had declined the commission, or that any action was required on my part. Because the transactions continued to display as "Pending," I reasonably believed they were still being processed.

Only after the 90-day period had passed did Rakuten deny the Cash Back and cite its Terms and Conditions, stating that members must contact Rakuten within 90 days if there is a concern. However, Rakuten never communicated that there was a problem while the transactions remained pending, effectively preventing me from taking any action within that timeframe.

I have repeatedly asked Rakuten to review the individual transactions and explain why they remained pending for such an extended period without notification. Instead of addressing my questions, Rakuten has sent the same generic response multiple times, quoting its Terms and Conditions and refusing to conduct any further review. My specific concerns regarding the prolonged pending status and the lack of timely communication have never been addressed.

I believe Rakuten's handling of these transactions is unfair and misleading. If a transaction cannot earn Cash Back or requires action from the member, customers should be informed promptly rather than having the transaction remain in a pending status for months. By failing to communicate issues in a timely manner, Rakuten deprived me of a reasonable opportunity to resolve the matter within its own stated deadline.

I am requesting that Rakuten conduct a genuine review of the affected transactions, explain why they remained pending for months without notification, and award the Cash Back that I reasonably expected based on the information displayed in my account. If Rakuten believes the transactions are ineligible, I request a transaction-specific explanation rather than a generic citation to its Terms and Conditions.

Claim Loss Amount: $85.00

Transactions from 2024: 6
Average Transaction: $5.00
Total 2024: $30.00

Transactions from 2025: 11
Average Transaction: $5.00
Total 2024: $55.00