Rakuten buying Ebates for US$1b

RAKUTEN, the e-commerce giant that acquired Singapore video startup Viki a year ago for US$200 million (the biggest known buyout for a startup here), on Tuesday announced its newest acquisition as part of plans to expand its digital offerings beyond home country Japan.

This time, it will be buying San Francisco-based Ebates, a shopping website that rewards shoppers with cash back on purchases and provides them with access to coupons, promotions and special deals, at more than 1,700 retailers, includi…