How to Get Cash Back From Major Retailers?

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Did you know that you could get cash back from major retailers when you shop online?

With the growth of e-commerce, more and more people are shopping online from the comforts of their own homes.  As online shopping becomes more popular, many savvy shoppers will continue to look for bargains on the Internet. We will also likely see the number of get cash back offers increase.

Since it is cheaper for retailers to sell online (very low overhead), they can afford to give out bigger and better discounts.  This has created an opportunity for a group of websites that operate with the sole intention of scouring the web for discounts related to big name retailers such as BestBuy and WalMart and then route those discounts to customers like us for a piece of the discount pie.

Hey I have no problems with that.  It’s always been my philosophy that if someone can make or save me more than I can on my own, I have no problems sharing the piece of pie with them.  Why not?

How Do the Discount Aggregators Do This?

Some discount aggregator websites have become so popular that retailers know that consumers like us often resort to these websites when looking for discounts.  Aggregators have capitalized on their popularity by joining hands with retailers.

When you make a purchase online through a discount aggregator, a percentage of the discount you get is awarded by the retailer to the discount aggregator.  Think about it as lead generation commissions paid by retailers to aggregators for bringing them more business.

If you shop online quite a bit like I do, the savings from shopping through discount aggregators can add up really fast.  Saving a dollar is just like earning a dollar, at least strictly from a bottom line perspective. It just doesn’t make sense not to shop through these websites.

How My Wife Saved 60% Shopping Online

Just last weekend my wife and I were at the mall.  Bath & Body Works had a nice sale going where she picked up 11 items at an average cost of $5.20.  She was quite pleased with her shopping experience.

The same evening, she was on a discount aggregator website and found the items to be cheaper.  She ended up buying 18 items, many of which similar to the ones she picked up at the store, and each item averaged out to be just over $2.

From $5 to $2, that is a huge 60% savings.  Because she shopped enough, shipping was free. Now she gets to go to the mall again, this time to return her recent purchase.

How Can You Get Cash Back from Shopping Online?

You might be already. But if you are not, all you’ve got to do is shop through a popular discount aggregator whenever shopping online.  I have listed a few below.  Each one of these will indicate the discount you will get before you make the purchase, that way you know what you are getting.  Take your time to browse through each site to see which one would benefit you most.

MrRebates – This is the best one in my opinion

CashBaq – CashBaq will pay you as soon as you accumulate at least $10 in savings

CashCrate – CashCrate will send you a check as soon as you accumulate at least $10 in savings.  CashCrate is also a very good “get paid to” company that pays you to do paid surveys and product trials.  If you already have an account with them, you can use the same login to benefit from the online shopping discounts they offer.

Ebates – You earn $5 instantly just for signing up.  You get to cash it later as your discounts add up.

Treasure Trooper – These guys have a neat program in addition to the rebates you receive from shopping online.  For every $5 you save, you receive 1 platinum coin that you can redeem at Mabutu’s Hutt (a fun online market place on their website) for all kinds of gifts and prizes.

Once signed-up, click on “Cash Shopping” on the left side of the home page.  TreasureTrooper will send you a rebate check once you save at least $20.

You can read my review of Treasure Trooper here. For more companies participating in this type of thing, just search for “get cash back from shopping” in Google and go through the list of links.

Check the Retailer’s Website

Although I have found the best deals through discount aggregators, sometimes it is better to go to the retailer’s website directly.  Although not always, I have found some BestBuy products sold cheaper on the company’s website compared to their stores, as well as the discount aggregators online.

The Internet makes it easy to shop around, all from the comfort of your home with information readily available at your fingertips.  Do not forget checking for discount codes on coupon aggregators such as Retail Me Not prior to making a purchase.

Shopping Online is Smart

I’m not a fan of walking into a zoo to buy what I want.  Thanks to the internet, I shop when I want, from wherever I want without having to deal with traffic, congestion and long lines. When I go to the malls, I go for other reasons. Not to shop!

I predominantly shop on the Internet because in addition to the convenience, which alone is enough for me, I typically find better pricing and discounts and I get cash back from major retailers as well using the discount aggregators mentioned above.

I also like that I can pay using PayPal. I like this because I have several vendors that pay me monthly through PayPal, and I let the cash sit there rather than transferring it to my bank account.  I use PayPal as my operating account, and it pays a nice interest on my deposits as well.

When not using PayPal, I use a credit card. I am not sure there is any other way you can pay online can you? What I like about using credit cards is that whenever a retailer does not fulfill their promise or their product does not satisfy my needs, I can always return the product and get credit back to my account instantly, especially with American Express.

So if you haven’t tried shopping my way before, give the websites mentioned above a chance.  These are all excellent resources to save money when you shop online and they are all free to use.  Not only do you save time, you also save money.  A penny saved is a penny earned, so consider shopping online as earning money as well. At least I do.

What percentage of your shopping do you conduct online?  Do you see this percentage increasing or decreasing?  Are there things you would absolutely not buy online? Do you get cash back when you shop online? Why or why not?

Happy Turkey Day to those who celebrate Thanks Giving!

Sunil
Smart Shopper

6 Responses to “How to Get Cash Back From Major Retailers?”

1. Mohsin Mallik says:

   November 25, 2011 at 11:32 am

   I have tried CashCrate from that list and they really pays. I have got a check after reaching $10. I will try others too if I get enough time.

   Reply
   • Sunil says:

     November 26, 2011 at 7:14 am

     CashCrate is golden indeed. When I was doing GPT surveys and offers CashCrate was a big money maker for me. Try Vindale if you have not yet – if you liked CC, you will def like Vindale.

     Reply
2. Jon - Free Money Wisdom says:

   November 25, 2011 at 3:37 pm

   http://www.shopathome.com is another great site. Although, this website only pays you when you have accumulated $20.00. That’s a downside to this one….I’ll have to check out the others you mentioned. Great article!

   Reply
   • Sunil says:

     November 26, 2011 at 7:14 am

     Since I have not tried ShopAtHome, have a look at the others and let me know your thoughts on how they compare?

     Reply
3. Geoff says:

   December 4, 2011 at 9:29 am

   Hey Sunil, I didn’t realize PayPal was interest bearing. I’m sure I could figure it out with a little digging of my own, but do you have a special business account setup? I don’t seem to remember earning any interest myself.

   Also, will definitely have to check out a few of those shopping sites this year.

   Reply
   • Sunil says:

     December 4, 2011 at 11:38 am

     Sure is Geoff. I have a variety of accounts with them, but the premium accounts certainly pay interest on money that is “sitting around”. It is one way to encourage keeping funds within. Though not a chartered bank, PayPal operates like one and is subject to the same regulatory compliance guidelines. I predict it to evolve into an online bank someday.

     Reply