Earning cash back makes any shopping experience more enjoyable. This post is all about my absolute favorite way to earn cash back when shopping. It’s a free website called Ebates! If you’re not using it, not to worry. This post will show you how to get started, earn as much as possible with each transaction, and even get a sign-up bonus today!
This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.
If you already are using Ebates, find out my five tips for making even more cash back on it.
If you’ve read my site for a while, you may have already caught onto my love of Ebates. It’s extremely passive and it costs me nothing. Not using is it like throwing away free money. My CPA father would never have it!
I’ve been using it for less than a year and you can see how much cash back I’ve already earned below. So, I thought it was the perfect time to tell you more about it and explain how you, too, can get extra money passively (yep!).
All About Cash Back
With credit cards, apps, accounts, etc., there are so many ways to earn cash back when shopping. While it’s hard to find cash back programs that give you huge discounts, I believe every bit is important! Especially when it’s as simple as it is with Ebates.
All About Ebates
Ebates has been around since the late 90s. They started with a commitment to be free to their users. So, unlike credit cards and many other cash back programs that require some sort of strain, risk or qualification of the user, Ebates is free and always will be with no catch to you.
In case it’s not clear- Ebates is NOT a scam. I’ve spent wasted plenty of time pursuing online “solutions” for making more or extra money. I can tell you that Ebates is the real deal. So, if you’re not yet an Ebates user, you can sign up here for free and, by signing up through my link, you’ll receive a $10 bonus.Â
Once signed up, you’ll have an account on the Ebates website. There, you can search any online store or website that you’d want to shop from (including Amazon and other common websites!). Ebates will show you the percent of cash back they’re currently offering at the given store. Enter the website through Ebates and you’re done! You’ll automatically earn that cash back from shopping at that website.
Ebates issues your cash back payments every six months. You have the option to receive this via check (their default) or via PayPal, which is what I prefer.
That’s it! It takes less than five minutes to sign up. Do so here and you’ll receive a $10 sign up bonus. You’ll be earning cash back in no time!
5 Ways to Increase Your Ebates Earnings
Once you sign up with Ebates, there’ s a couple simple ways to increase your earnings.
1- Add the Google Chrome extension
This has been the biggest factor in my Ebates earnings. It sounds simple enough to go to the Ebates website and enter online stores through it. And it is. However, it’s easy to forget to visit the website store. Sometimes we shop on a whim, sometimes we do via clicking on an ad, and that all surpasses Ebates. Plus, there are some online stores you might not even know are eligible for Ebates. The Chrome button will help you with that.
You can download the Ebates button here. It will alert you when you’re on a website that’s eligible for cash back with Ebates. Follow the prompt to activate Ebates and you’re good to go!
2- Keep a wishlist spreadsheet
I’ve always loved to shop and I don’t try to fight it. For a couple of years, I’ve kept a spreadsheet of the clothes or items that I’m coveting at any time, and then I also keep another tab on that spreadsheet that records clothes and items that buy. If I buy something and go 30 days without wearing it, it makes me think I actually don’t need it all that much and I’ll usually return it. This helps me stick to high-quality pieces and streamline my wardrobe to avoid clutter- necessary in my tiny New York City apartment!
I’ve found this spreadsheet super effective to couple with Ebates. I check Ebates to see what stores might have double cash back at any one time and pick up items on my wishlist then. I also can see if items that I’ve recently bought are on a good promotion with Ebates, buy it through Ebates, and return the previous purchase in store.
3- Create a favorites page
Going hand in hand with the tip above, Ebates makes it easy for you to create a Favorites page. This has all of my favorite Ebates stores in one place. It lets me know when these stores have high cashback deals. Below is a screenshot of my favorites page right now. As you can see, now would be a great time to pick up anything that’s on my wishlist above from Saks! 10% off is really helpful.
4- Use in-store cashback
In a relatively new addition, Ebates also lets you shop in-store and receive cash back. Simply click the “in-store” cash back on the Ebates menu website. There, it’ll show you what stores currently offer cash back. Enter the credit or debit card into Ebates that you’ll use while shopping in the store. Ebates will recognize the transaction and give you cash back from there. Keep your receipt- but ta-da! You should receive cash back just by using that card.
The free Ebates app can make this process easier.
5- Tell everyone you know
One of my favorite parts of Ebates is it’s “refer a friend” offer- it’s one of the best referral programs I’ve seen. Unlike most referrals (like Groupon), the “refer a friend” bonus comes in the form of credit to the company. So, you refer a friend to Groupon and then receive $10 in Groupon dollars. I’ll still take it! But, I do love that Ebates referral program pays you in cash.
What’s better? They don’t only pay you for referring the person. The person you refer also gets an extra bonus for signing up through referrals that they wouldn’t get by signing up on their own. It’s a really good deal.
I tell everyone that will listen about Ebates. Friends, co-workers, relatives over holiday dinners, and so on. It’s just too good of a deal not to sure and has absolutely no cost to the person signing up through my referral program. Only gain!
So with that, if you’re not an Ebates member, sign up here through my referral link. You’ll receive a $10 sign up bonus with your first purchase made through Ebates. And, from there, you’ll be able to not only earn cash back but start referring your friends, too!