Get Cash-back When You Shop Online

Do you get cash-back when you shop online? If you don’t, you’re missing out on one of the many good reasons to make purchases online.

How Does it Work?

Every time I’m about to make a purchase online, I shop through a cash-back site and get a % of cash back on my purchase. For example, say I want to purchase a book at Borders.com. I’ll check the cash-back % amount at some of my favorite sites such as:

• ShopatHome – I would get 6% of my purchase back in cash
• Big Crumbs – 5.4% back
• Cashbaq – 5% back plus a $5 sign up bonus, if you open a new account
• Ebates – 4% back plus a $5 sign up bonus if you open a new account and make a purchase within 30 days
• UPromise – 3% added to my UPromise college savings account – click here for more information about UPromise.
• Mr. Rebates – 3% back plus a $7.50 sign up bonus

Once you’ve decided which cashback site to use (based on which offers the highest cash-back), search for the name of the store and click through the store link to shop. It’s very important that you click through the cash-back site, since that’s how credit is determined for your order.

I used to shop through UPromise for every purchase, until I found out about some of the other sites. So, now I usually shop through the site where I get the largest return. So, for my Borders example, I would probably shop through either ShopatHome, Big Crumbs or Cashbaq.

Please note: Each cash-back site lists various online coupon codes that you can use when you shop. If you have a coupon code that you use that’s not listed on the cash-back site, you may not get any money back. For example, when I used the free shipping coupon at Snapfish back in December, I did not receive cash back on my order, even though I shopped through Ebates, since it was a code they didn’t list (and because of that, Ebates didn’t get paid by Snapfish).

So How Do you Get your Cash?

• Big Crumbs – You will be paid monthly by Paypal around the 15th of the month. There is no minimum needed to cash out.
• Cashbaq – Need at least $10 payable in your account (includes the bonus amount). You will be paid by check or Paypal around the 20th of each month.
• Mr. Rebates – Need $10 in “Available Rebates” to cash out. Payments are made by check or Paypal around the beginning of each month.
• Ebates – “Big Fat Checks” are sent via check or Paypal every 3 months when your account balance is at least $5.01, excluding bonus rewards.
• UPromise – The order will show up in your Upromise account a couple of days after placing your order. It will show up as pending until Upromise is paid. Once it is paid, the money can be transferred to your 529 plan during your quarterly transfer.

Using a cash-back site is how I save even more money while shopping online. For more frugal ideas, visit Being Frugal.