I’ve been using Ebates for a few years now, which made me wonder what other cashback sites were out there. Over the course of the past two months, I used a number of the sites to compare. This is how they stack up.
But first, what are cashback websites? Cashback websites pay shoppers for making purchases through cash-back rewards. When you buy something through cashback sites, the site earns a commission; you get a portion of that commission.
These sites don’t actually sell the products, but they offer coupons, rewards and other deals to incentivize you to make purchases from their partners. Read on to find the 8 best cash-back sites.
1. Ebates
Ebates has in-store rebates, double-cash back at stores like Michael Kors, JCPenney, Nike, and Belk, and even covers travel and vacation discounts (Tip for the traveler: They are currently offering 8% off at Intercontinental Hotels). Ebates CEO Kevin Johnson said“Staying on budget is a concern for families during the holidays, and finding the best deals can be time-consuming. Ebates is the one-stop shop to help stay on budget, no matter what you’re shopping for. With coupons and cash back at your fingertips, we make it easy to choose the best option for your budget.”
Members can earn up to 40 percent cash back at over 2,000 stores and use more than 10,000 stackable coupons. You can donate your cash back to charity, give it to a family member or receive payment through PayPal or a check. Most cash-back rewards are credited within 48 hours.
2. Swagbucks
At Swagbucks, you earn points by shopping online at more than 1,500 retailers (like Eddie Bauer), answering surveys and watching videos. You can redeem those points for gift cards or cash deposits through PayPal as soon as you see them in your account, which takes about 10 days.
“We encourage shoppers to stack deals to get the most benefit, and it’s quite simple,” said David Weinrot, COO of Swagbucks. “Plus, you can qualify for free shipping with a minimum purchase amount. If you pay with a rewards-based credit card, all of a sudden you will find yourself ‘quadruple stacking’ rewards.”
3. Ibotta
Shoppers earn real cash rather than points, and can find rebates and go shopping at over 300 participating stores through Ibotta. You can redeem rebates by taking a photo of the receipt to send in and get cash deposited into your Ibotta account within 48 hours. Then, the money can be withdrawn through PayPal, Venmo or through a featured gift card.
Ibotta was founded in 2011 by Bryan Leach when he realized the need for a more innovative approach to connecting brands, retailers and consumers through mobile technology. Today, the company is the industry leader in offline performance-based mobile marketing.
4. FatWallet
FatWallet has a unique online shopping experience that gives shoppers an easy route to online coupons and money-saving deals. In addition, you can shop for deals on your mobile device, using FatWallet’s Deal Hunter iOS app, which lets users find thousands of deals and coupons at 1,700+ stores, save their favorites for quick access, get hot deal alerts and save deals to remind themselves to purchase later.
5. TopCashBack
Making purchases through cash-back shopping on TopCashBack gives shoppers access to more than 3,500 retailers, and a mobile app that gives users the chance to browse in-store coupons. Although cash-back rates vary by merchant, TopCashBack guarantees the highest rates available.
Unlike many competing sites, users can get paid when they want, with no minimum threshold. You can receive your cash in a variety of ways, including PayPal, ACH or through Amazon, which offers an extra 3 percent cash back. The site offers its more than six million members a dedicated customer support center.
6. BeFrugal
“You can use the site to find discounts and sales, earn cash back on your online purchases and maximize your shopping dollars,” said Jon Lal, BeFrugal’s founder. BeFrugal has coupons available for more than 5,000 stores.
Merchants report cash back in about a week, with the exception of travel, which can take up to 60 days. You can receive your cash through PayPal, as a check or as an Amazon gift card. The site guarantees up to a 125-percent cash-back rate and allows you can stack savings by combining coupons that offer money saving deals with cash-back rewards.
7. Upromise
Upromise is designed for students, parents and graduates seeking money for college. Earnings from the site can be deposited directly into one of the college savings plans, used to pay down an eligible student loan debt or simply requested in the form of a check.
You can save by shopping at more than 850 online sellers, 10,000 restaurants, 20,000 drug and grocery stores and many popular travel sites. Cash back appears in your Upromise account within 10 to 60 days, depending on the type of transaction, and there’s no limit to how much money you can make.
8. ShopAtHome
“This site is all about saving our members money,” said Marc Braunstein, president and founder of ShopAtHome. “Not only do we boast more than 120,000 coupons from more than 50,000 stores, we also offer cash back, exclusive deals and rewards that can be redeemed for free gift cards.”
Shoppers can request a payment every month, provided they have accumulated at least $20 in cash-back rewards. The site offers users 250,000 coupons, and it’s partnered with more than 4,000 retailers. The Savings Add-On app works with both Android and iOS devices to deliver real-time savings alerts.
