Rakuten France closes: save your cashback points

After more than fifteen years of presence in French e-commerce, the marketplace Rakuten France bows out. For lack of a buyer, the platform will permanently cease all buying and selling activity on September 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM, dragging down with it its cashback and referral Club R programs. For users who had been accumulating points or referral bonuses, the countdown has already started: it's best to act quickly to avoid losing anything.

Why Rakuten France is closing permanently

The Japanese group Rakuten did not find a buyer for its French marketplace, despite several months of searching. The closure ends a venture that began under the PriceMinister brand, acquired by Rakuten more than a decade ago. As of September 30, 2026, neither the fr.shopping.rakuten.com site nor its mobile app will allow any transactions, whether purchases or sales.

Club R: end of new points as of August 13

The Club R loyalty program, which returned part of purchases as “Super Points,” stopped awarding new points to buyers as of August 13, 2026 at 11:59 PM. Amounts already in the balances remain usable until the platform's complete shutdown at the end of September. The referral code system, which allowed receiving a cash or points bonus for each referred user who signs up, follows the same course and will no longer generate new earnings.

Key dates not to miss

August 13, 2026, 11:59 PM : end of accruing new Club R points
September 30, 2026, 11:59 PM : complete closure of purchases and sales, last deadline to spend remaining points
November 10, 2026, 11:59 PM : deadline to request a payout of amounts due
November 30, 2026 : end of customer service support for dispute follow-up

How to recover your money before the deadline

To avoid leaving anything on the table, a few quick steps are necessary. First, check the balance of your Club R wallet from your customer area and use it on a purchase before September 30, otherwise the points will be permanently lost. Next, download your invoices and order history, which are useful in case of a dispute or to claim a warranty later. Finally, for marketplace sellers as well as referred users awaiting a referral bonus, a request for payout must be submitted before November 10, 2026: after this deadline, the user account becomes permanently inaccessible and unclaimed amounts can no longer be recovered.

What alternatives to keep benefiting from cashback and referrals

The closure of Rakuten France does not mean the end of cashback in France. Other platforms like iGraal, TopCashback, Poulpeo or Widilo offer similar partial reimbursement mechanisms on online purchases, with their own referral programs. For regular Rakuten users, the transition mainly involves rebuilding habits: reinstalling a cashback extension, finding your favorite merchants on a new platform, and comparing cashback payout rates, which vary noticeably from one site to another depending on the retailers.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Rakuten France close permanently?

All buying and selling activity stops on September 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM. Access to the customer account for invoices and order history remains available a little longer, until November 10, 2026.

What happens to my unused Club R points?

No new points have been generated since August 13, 2026. Points already earned remain spendable on the platform until September 30, 2026, after which they are lost.

How long can I request a payout or a referral bonus?

Payout requests must be submitted before November 10, 2026 at 11:59 PM. Customer service remains reachable until November 30, 2026 for the follow-up of the final transactions and disputes.