Cash back shopping sites. Yep, it’s another one of those posts.
Before you click away, just hear me out. Or, technically, read me out. You get the point.
“But Abby,” you say (which is weird because you’re talking to a screen), “I already use a cash back site.”
And that’s the issue: Too many people use only one site. Each time you go to make a purchase, you need to check at least a couple of sites’ rates.
I know, I know. Who really wants to comparison shop rates after all ready comparison shopping prices?
You do.
Rates can vary greatly. I’ve gotten as much as 9% more back by doing a little homework before the purchase. And I do mean a little.
I’m a fast typer, so I can check the five sites I use (Mr. Rebates, Extrabux, Ebates, Fat Wallet and ShopAtHome) within seven minutes. If you’re worried about it taking too long, just bookmark the sites for faster navigation.
Seriously, you need to do this. Don’t believe me? Well, I’ve been using cash back shopping sites for about six years. In that time, I’ve made $2,286.
And that’s not from bad spending habits. You can make money from cash back sites without actually buying anything.
In fact, $1,236 of my total was just from referrals. (Thank you all, by the way!)
Mr. Rebates has, I think, the best referral program. You might say I’m biased because $1,024 of my referral bonuses were from this site. (Seriously, thank you!)
This blog isn’t exactly huge, so making over $1,000 is pretty significant. And only possible because Mr. Rebates gives you ongoing bonuses. To be exact, 20% of your referrals’ rebates. Uh, yes please.
Ebates offers $5 per referral but provides bonuses if you get multiple referrals in a three-month period. Currently, it’s $40 for two referrals. Other times, it’s been $35 for three.
But not everyone is able to get multiple people to join at once, though. In that case, Extrabux is better than Ebates. You get $5 when referrals join, but you also get 5% of their rebates for the first year.
FatWallet will give you $20 if you refer two friends in three months. And coming in last would be ShopAtHome, which offers you the equivalent of $4 in gift cards. You can only cash out in multiples of $5.
Point being, one way or another, cash back sites can net you a lot of money. Say, $298.
Do you use multiple sites? Which one(s) are you favorites?
Jason @ froogalism.com says
I have not used any cash back sites in the past, but you have piqued my interest. I am part of a couple of affiliate programs, but have never taken a look at cash back sites before. They sound interesting.
I’ll be doing some research about what’s available here in Canada. I appreciate the information. Thanks.
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Abigail says
Thanks! Most cash back sites can be used in any country. The only exception is that some stores will automatically transfer you to a non-U.S. site.
Mr. Rebates specifically has a Canadian site for some stores’ Canadian versions. You can use the regular site for the most part, but also check for the Canadian sites.
Andy Hough says
If you go to CashbackMonitor or a similar site they will do the cashback comparisons for you. Just enter the store you want to buy from and they will show what all the cashback companies are paying plus the airline miles portals and the credit card portals. This helped me boost my cashback. Plus they let you set an alert for when your favorite stores are offering higher than normal cashback.
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Abigail says
Ah, darn. I meant to mention that. Thanks for reminding me!
Holly@ClubThrifty says
I think this is awesome! Why not take advantage if it’s all there for the taking? It may not be worth everyone’s time, but it’s certainly worth mine! =)
Abigail says
Exactly! Especially if you do remember to use cash-back comparison sites to expedite the process. After, of course, signing up through my links. Cuz I’m awesome and stuff.
Donna Freedman says
Agreed! Especially when the cash-back sites offer coupon codes and free shipping codes, some of them proprietary (i.e., won’t find ’em anywhere else).
Any time I need to buy something online, I check a cash-back site. It’s also possible to buy online through a cash-back site and specify in-store pickup. So you order the stuff from Walgreens (or wherever) and then pick it up on the way home from work. The cash-back is an additional layer of savings.
Abigail says
And it keeps you from having to buy a minimum amount, which can be a huge money saver.
kay~ lifestylevoices.com says
Oh, okay, YES PLEASE! Thanks for the tips. I’m going to get my IT guy (that’d be the hubmeister) on this ASAP! π
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Abigail says
Glad to help. I love that you call your husband the IT guy. Then again, my husband calls me the web ninja. (I’m darn good at finding most desired information very quickly with some online searches, plus the whole comparison shopping thing.) So I guess we all have our nicknames.
Anne @ Money Propeller says
I haven’t heard of half of these. I’m impressed that they have the trailing referral money, that is amazing! An extra thousand dollars is amazin. I am rather jealous.
I have not used a cash back site yet. Do any of these ones work with with amazon? That’s basically the only place I shop online it aeems
Abigail says
Amazon is now offered on most of those. It’s only 5-7 categories at a time, but it’s something. We use Drugstore.com a lot so there’s that. Also, social buying sites like Groupon. And plenty of others. But yeah, it’s nice to have the Amazon option for some purchases.
Kim@Eyesonthedollar says
I use Ebates and have gotten some money from referrals, but I’ve been too lazy to compare. I should. I bet it only takes a few seconds.
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Abigail says
Really, really yeah. Especially if you use a comparison site to be sure.
Cindy Brooks says
It’s definitely worth it! I made a purchase today that was almost $100. I checked 3 sites and found cash backs of 5%, 6%, and 15%! Yes, it was an easy choice π
Abigail says
Way to go! Glad you were able to get that much extra cash back. Pretty impressive.
Stefanie @ The Broke and Beautiful Life says
Nice, I’ve only been using ebates and I’ve generally gotten the referral bonuses, but I really should use more and recommend more myself. Adding it to the to-do and the editorial calendar π
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Abigail says
Good! And feel free to sign up using my links π
TLC says
Ebates or Mr. Rebates, but I don’t shop online enough to earn substantial rewards.
Abigail says
Yeah, sometimes cash back sites can be a few cents at a time. But it does add up, which is what I remind myself.
Felix Money says
We only rarely buy online, and usually from Amazon. Never used cash back sites, don’t know much about them. Definitely need to research that more. Thanks for the info!
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Abigail says
Glad to help. Hope you can find some items in eligible Amazon categories!
Taylor Lee @ Engineer Cents says
I typically either use my Chase CC’s shopping portal or Top Cashback, but only ever for larger ($250+) purchases.
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Abigail says
I’ve heard of Top Cashback. Didn’t realize Chase had a portal. Never even though to check. I’ll look those two over and some point!
Kate Horrell says
Taylor, you’re missing out! Even small purchases add up, especially if they’re having some sort of double bonus or such.
Abigail says
Very true. Most of my purchases are $50 or less. Usually less.
Kelly says
I guess I don’t buy enough to make the rebate sites worth it for me. I signed up with Swagbucks via your link back in August and I have been doing rather nice with that. Hope you are still getting a residual. I almost have enough for a new laptop from Walmart and I used some money towards groceries while I was on vacation. Thanks for that tip!!!
Abigail says
Thanks for signing up! I’ve definitely been getting some residual boosts from referrals, so I appreciate it.
It can take awhile for me to build up rebates to cash out on Ebates, since it tends to have lower rates. (Not always, but in general.) Still, I know the money is coming eventually, so that’s all that matters.
EL @ Moneywatch101 says
If the rebates work and your not over spending just to get back 5% then by all means its worth it. I did Ebates once, and never received a check back. Maybe I am missing something or need to hit a specific amount before they send $$. I don’t use them no more after that experience. I get asked all the time to open a target 5% off card when I’m on line at the target store. But never do because I don’t spend much.
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Abigail says
With Ebates, you need to have $5.01 in your account. I think that’s in rebates, not just sign-up/referral bonuses.
The one issue with cash back sites is that you do have to keep an eye on your account to make sure stuff shows up. Still, if you check even twice a month, it’s not too bad.
Like you, I resist getting the Target card. I just don’t shop there enough. At times, it’d be really nice, but not enough to deal with another store card (debit or not).
Nancy Williams says
Wow! I just heard this cash back sites. This sounds interesting if this will become a source of income too. Thanks for sharing!
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CPA says
Abigail
Do you have a favorite site you like to use for this.
Jeff
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Abigail says
Honestly, Mr. Rebates gets most of my business. But if there’s a substantially different rebate on another site (usually Extrabux) I will use that. For example, I used ShopAtHome when we bought our dishwasher on Black Friday because the rate was nearly double.
MiningFrugal says
I’ve used uPromise which is basically a cash back program but instead of cash it is a contribution to a pre-established 529 college savings plan. Sounds like some of the services you use provide a better return than uPromise has provided me.
Abigail says
Actually, that site will also let you choose cash. But if you have kids, it kind of makes more sense in some ways.
Upromise is interesting because if a store is on there, I believe you will get at least 5%. But it does have fewer stores than the other sites.
But point being is that if you’re on another cash back site and it offers less than 3%, go check out Upromise. And of course Upromise allows friends and family to donate their spending too.
That said, if you’re interested in maximum gain, yeah it’s best to check all the sites.