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Are you interested in earning cash back shopping at stores you already visit online and in store? What could be easier than making extra money shopping for things you already need? With cash back sites like Ebates, you can do just that!
Table of Contents
What is Ebates?
Ebates is a cash back shopping site that allows you to earn cash rebates that range from 1% to 40%+ on purchases from 2500+ eligible stores. This includes stores like Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Macy’s, etc.
Ebates has been helping online shoppers earn cash back since 1998 and more than 10 million online consumers have joined to date. It is headquartered in San Francisco, CA and has an A+ Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating.
How Does Ebates Work?
Ebates Sign Up and $10 Sign Up Bonus
Sign up for Ebates using your email address, Facebook account or Google account.
Choose your $10 sign up bonus. This is either a Walmart gift card or Ebates cash bonus. In order to be eligible for the promotion, you’ll need to make a purchase within 90 days and spend at least $25 shopping online.
Believe it or not, that’s all you need to do to become a member.
Shop on Ebates and Earn Cash Back
Now that you’re an Ebates member, we can start earning cash back while shopping.
Either type in the store you are looking for in the search bar or search by category (i.e. Travel and Vacations, Sports and Outdoors). Once you’ve identified the store you want to shop with, click through.
There will be the cash back percentage, but there may also be multiple offers listed (coupon codes, sales, etc.). Click on the “shop now” button closest to the offer you’re most interested in.
Once you click the “shop now” button you’ll be directed to the store’s website. It should look and operate just like it normally would. The only difference is when you check out, the percentage cash back will be returned to your Ebates account in the form of a rebate.
That’s it in a nutshell. Sign up, shop, earn cash back.
How Does Ebates Make Money?
I’m sure the skeptic in you is saying this sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch? What does Ebates get in return?
Ebates Business Model
Ebates makes a commission (usually some percentage) of every purchase you make at stores that you visit through them at no extra cost to you. They then turn around and return a portion of that revenue to you in the form of a rebate. Ebates makes money, you make money, it’s a win-win.
Does Ebates Sell Your Information? Is Ebates Safe to Use?
In today’s age of information currency, it’s important to know who and what organizations have access to your data and how they plan to use it.
So, does Ebates sell your information? The answer is no. They collect information on your spending habits in order to provide better service through their offerings, but they do not sell your information to third parties. For more information, please see their Privacy Policy.
Is Ebates safe to use? The answer is that it is just as safe to use as any other online vendor. They protect your credit card information and online transactions using industry standards. For more information, please visit their Privacy and Security page.
Which Stores are Eligible on Ebates?
There are 2500+ companies currently listed as eligible with Ebates. A few or the more prevalent stores include:
- Amazon
- Best Buy
- eBay
- Expedia
- Kohl’s
- Macy’s
- Target
- Walmart
How to Earn Cash Back with Ebates
From a big picture, it’s simple to earn cash back because you just shop using Ebates and they pay you cash back rewards for using them. However, there are multiple different ways to access the cash back opportunities offered on Ebates. These include store links, banners, buttons, coupons, products, etc.
www.Ebates.com
This one is simple enough. You go to your dashboard on ebates.com, click on the store you’d like to shop, and finally click “shop now” next to the offer you’d like to explore. A pop-up confirmation should show up notifying you that you’ve activated an Ebates shopping trip for that store.
The Ebates Cash Back Button
The Ebates cash back button is a browser extension that automatically identifies online opportunities for rebates or savings when you visit any of the 2,500+ stores that Ebates supports.
In order to activate it from your dashboard, simply scroll to the bottom of the page. Look under the category, “Tools & Services” and find Ebates Button. When you click on this, it will take you to a page that allows you to download the Ebates cash back button for free.
That’s it! Now when you go to those supported stores, you should automatically have access to cash back opportunities. Just click on those opportunities and you’ll start earning cash back!
Emails from Ebates
From time to time Ebates will send out emails with special offers. If you click on the links in the email, it should start a shopping trip to the advertised store.
Ebates App
The Ebates mobile app is available in the app store for both Android and iOS mobile devices. The mobile application works similarly to the other methods mentioned above.
You find a store or offer you’re interested in, click on the shop now link and start a shopping trip at that store (a pop-up will notify you that you’ve started an Ebates shopping trip).
Ebates Cash Back Visa Credit Card
The Ebates cash back visa credit card is a way for you to earn even more cash back.
A quick breakdown:
- Unlimited cash back bonuses
- No annual fee
- 1% cash back on all purchases outside of Ebates online orders
- 3% cash back (in addition to Ebates cash back) on Ebates online orders (through eligible stores). There are typically limitations and exclusions and they change from time to time, so please read carefully. At the time of this writing, they mostly apply to travel related purchases.
How Does Ebates Work in Store?
Believe it or not, you can receive a money back rebate in store as well. Simply link the credit card you plan on using for Ebates cash back or one you use most frequently. Visit an eligible Ebates store (brick and mortar store). Use the credit card you linked to your account.
The only caveat is that if you use other coupons or offers outside of Ebates, you may not be eligible for the cash back from Ebates.
Refer a Friend
Ebates offers a referral program that allows you and a friend to both make cash back. Ebates will provide you with a unique referral link. You send out the link to anyone you think may be interested or could benefit from Ebates. If they click on your link, sign up for Ebates, and make a qualifying purchase within a year, you’ll both earn a cash reward.
Ebates Payment Schedule
Ebates has 2 different methods of payment: a check (they call it a Big Fat Check) or a deposit into your PayPal account.
Assuming you have more than $5 in your account, both forms of payment are sent quarterly on the following dates:
- May 15 for rebates earned between January 1st and March 31st
- August 15 for rebates earned between April 1st and June 30th
- November 15 for rebates earned between July 1st and September 30th
- February 15 for rebates earned between October 1st and December 31st
The deposit into your PayPal account should be made on the quarterly date.
The Big Fat Check will be sent on the quarterly date and may take up to an additional 3 weeks to arrive. The check is good for 3 months, with an additional 30-day grace period.
Ebates Pros and Cons
Ebates Pros
- Free membership
- Multiple ways to earn cash back that are both free and convenient
- 2500+ eligible stores
- No complicated cash back structures (no points, no additional steps or requirements to cash out)
- All in one dashboard for easy use
- A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- 8.1 rating on TrustPilot
- Low payout threshold of $5 every quarter
- Consistent payments that are made on time via PayPal or by Check
- Unlimited cash back
Ebates Cons
- Only available to the US, Canada, China, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea (at the time of this writing)
- Quarterly payouts – If you are expecting cash back fast, you’ll be disappointed
- Some major stores are currently not participating like Home Depot
Tips for Maximizing your Rebates
- Don’t just hit the shop now button in the top left of each store page. This just gives you the cash back and doesn’t necessarily take into account the extra coupons or offers that are available. There are more offers on the Ebates store page for each store that includes (in addition to the cash back percentage) coupons, coupon codes, special sales, etc. that you can take advantage of.
- If you shop frequently, use the Ebates cash back button (browser extension). It keeps you from having to remember to go through Ebates every time you purchase something. KISS method for the win!
- Don’t forget to link your credit card to your Ebates account. You want to get credit for those in store purchases that are eligible.
- If you are using an ad blocker, make sure to allow or whitelist Ebates.com.
- Be careful when clearing your cookies. This is how Ebates tracks your spending. If you delete the cookie before checking out, you won’t be eligible for cash back through Ebates.
- Try to check out as soon as possible after clicking the Ebates link. If you wait for more than a day, you might want to click the shop now link again just to make sure the cookie is still active. No cookie means no credit through Ebates and no cash back.
Does Ebates Really Work? Is it Legit? Is it a Scam?
If you’ve read this post up to this point, you already know what my answer is going to be. Ebates does really work, is legit, and is not a scam. It has paid members more than $1 billion dollars since inception. It has an A+ rating with the BBB and a 8.1 with TrustPilot. It’s easy to use and free. My only real gripe is the quarterly payouts (would love for this to be more frequent), but that’s a small price to pay for free cash back on purchases to most of the major stores.
If you’re on the fence, I would highly recommend it. To join Ebates through my referral link, please click here.
Are you already an Ebates member? Would you recommend Ebates?