With this being the biggest online shopping weekend of the year, I thought it would be good timing to talk about Online Rebate shopping. If you do any online shopping, using these sites is a must. Have you heard us talk about Ebates and ShopAtHome? These are the two leaders in cash back shopping online (there are also other companies like BigCrumbs, Fat Wallet and even Swagbucks has some “rebate” offers). Think of it as mail in rebates, with out the mail in!
Where Does the Money Come From?
You get cash back any time you start your shopping trip at one of these companies pages. There are no points to redeem, no forms to mail in, and no fees. Stores pay Ebates and ShopAtHome a sales commission for sending shoppers their way, and the rebate sites use the commission to pay you cash back.
How To Get Credit for My Shopping?
Both Ebates and ShopAtHome have landing pages for hundreds of popular online stores. Search for the store where you want to shop and then click on the “shop now” button. You should then see a window open that says you are being redirected to the shopping site and will be earning cash back 
for your purchase. On each stores landing page on the cash back site, you will also find great promotional codes for discounts. Please note, using a code not found on Ebates or ShopAtHome could cause you to be denied your cash back. But in my experience that rarely happens.
Ways To Get Paid
After your order is processed and validated (could take up to 30 days). You should see the cash back about credited to your account. Each cash back site pays out in a little different manner. Ebates pays quarterly for the previous 3 month’s spending as long as there is $5.01 or more in your account. You can either have your cash sent to your paypal account, sent as a check or donated to charity/family member (see more info here concerning Ebates payout). ShopAtHome pays via mailed check every month as long as you have $20 in your account. There schedule operates in arrears, so purchases made in July will pay in September. (see more info here concerning ShopAtHome payout). Both programs allow your cash back to carry over to the next payment schedule if you do not have the minimum for payment. Don’t worry, you won’t loose your money!
New Member Bonus!
Sign up here for a new ShopAtHome account and you will get a $5 bonus credit in your account after your first purchase.
Sign up here for a new Ebates account and you will get your choice of a $10 gift card to one of several stores (Target, Barnes & Noble or Home Depot), or a $5 Ebates bonus credit. Gift card is issued after your first $25 in purchases.
ShopAtHome 110% Cash Back Guarantee Tip
They offer a 110% cash back guarantee. If you see a higher cash back amount on another rebate site, copy the URL for that offer’s page. Then head over to that store’s page on ShopAtHome, locate the 110% cash back guaranteed link and click. You will be taken to a form to enter the other site’s URL and some other info. Once it is verified you will earn that higher cash back amount plus 10% more.
Online Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals- Earn Cash Back Too!
Obviously, both Ebates and ShopAtHome are offering coupons codes, higher % at select stores and other promotions for the upcoming Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping frenzy. In fact both are offering double the usual cash back at many of their most popular stores. Check ShopAtHome’s Black Friday Deals here and Ebate’s November Double Deals here
Ok, this gives you the basics. I personally use both sites interchangeably and love it! We would love to hear your experiences with these sites. How much have you saved? Any tips for new users? Let us know if you have any questions about these cash back programs.
<
2cent Comments