What exactly
is a "Cash-Back" website?
Well...A cash-back website is a site that will actually
pay you to shop on-line! Yes, you heard me correctly. A website that actually pays
you to shop.
The catch is - you shop at your store by first linking through their site. I know it sounds like an added step (and it is), but it takes less than a minute, and for your time, you are handsomely rewarded.
How Exactly Do Cash Back Sites Work?
If you are a frequent reader of my blog, you know that when I post a deal I will often post a link to one or more of the cash-back sites.
(To be fair, when I post a deal, I do the homework for you giving you the link to the cash-back website[s] that has the greatest return.)
Currently, there are three bigger- and more-recognized sites in the marketplace: ebates.com (known mostly through their massive advertising campaigns); Mr. Rebates, and ShopAtHome.com.
Each of these sites not only reward you for using their site as a portal to your final destination, but they also reward you for
referrals. Which, in the end means -- the more the merrier and more cash back to you!
To show you how a cash-back transaction works, let's look at an example:
- Suppose you want to make a purchase at The Disney Store's website.
- Instead of going directly to The Disney Store's website, you would first visit the three cash-back sites listed above.
On the homepage of each cash-back site, you will see a Search box. Type in the name of the company you want to shop at. In our example, you would type in Disney.
Each site works differently, but for the most part, most of them will show a drop-down menu with the company's name and how much percentage they are offering you back that day.
(The percentages changes daily, so it is essential you recheck the three sites before you shop every time!)
Compare each cash-back site to see which one offers you the largest percentage that day, and then click on the company's name. (If you are not logged into the site or do not have an account on a particular site, it will prompt you for that information before proceeding.)
The cash-back site will then redirect you to The Disney Store.
- Proceed as normal, doing all your shopping, adding items to your cart, and then checking out. (You may at this point close the website or tab in your browser, if you so desire.) Once you are redirected to the shopping site, your cash-back site has already logged in the information and will add the percentage stated to your account total.
And, that's it! Pretty simple, right?
If you aren't shopping through cash-back sites, now is the time to start. It makes no sense to
not get paid for what you are going to be doing anyway. Take advantage of it, and then use the money you receive for something else! (Like maybe a long vacation??)
Each cash-back site "cashes out" differently. You can check the specifics for each site, as you sign up. It doesn't take very long to get to a cash out level, and it feels SO GREAT seeing that money arrive in your mailbox or in an on-line account.
Every time you shop on-line and
don't use a cash-back site, you are losing money.
Now, what are you waiting for? Let's start shopping!
