How does an extra $3,000 in your pocket sound? And… if I told you all you had to do was a couple extra clicks on a keyboard (or with a mouse) to get $3,000, would you do it? Heck YES! That’s exactly how I make money shopping online and below I will explain how you can too!
Online cash back sites, otherwise known as Rebate sites, is the secret tool to online shopping. They pay you to click through their website to go to the retailer you were planning to shop with anyway.
I have made exactly that – more than $3,000 shopping for the exact item I was planning to buy, just routing to that website through a cash back rebate site – they pay you money to shop online!
Now I know what you may be thinking, because I thought the same thing too when I first started – what’s the gimmick? Nothing really. Will I pay more to get the cash back? – NOPE! Will I really get the cash – YEP!
How Cash Back Rebate Sites Work
The easy explanation for how these sites work is that they earn a commission from the retailer when you click through their site to head to the retailers site. In return they share in the commission they made by paying you.
Let me explain how this works – let’s say you were planning to purchase a new pair of jeans from Kohls online. Normally, you would head to Kohls website, find your jeans for $40.00 (we all know jeans can cost a lot more, but let’s use that for easy math), add it to your cart, pay and viola…you get a confirmation of your order and paid $40.00 (I’m eliminating tax for easy math too!). Nothing too spectacular, but maybe a little excitement that you are getting that new pair of jeans.
Now, let’s buy that same new pair of jeans and do it just a little differently.
- First, you head to a cash back site (Rakuten, Top Cash Back are my favorites) and search for Kohl’s.
- If you are not already a member, sign-up with each site. If you use either of these links – Rakuten or Top Cash Back, you will receive bonus cash bacl with your first purchase. With Rakuten, you will receive an extra $10 cash back on your first purchase and with Top Cash Back, you will receive an extra $10 cash back when you make your first purchase clicking through these links.
- You notice there is a 5% cash back offer by clicking on kohls.com through Rakuten.
- You click the Kohls icon and it takes you to the landing page on Rakuten for Kohls and WAIT…there are current coupon codes listed that are currently being offered for Kohls- BONUS!
- You find a 20% off coupon code. You now hit the ‘Shop Now’ button and kohls.com appears.
- Search for that same pair of $40.00 jeans, add it to your cart, apply the 20% off coupon that you found on Rakuten (jeans are now $32.00), you pay for your order….But Wait, There’s More!
- Shortly thereafter (usually within a couple of days but sometimes within a few hours), your account in Rakuten shows that you will get $1.60 credited to your cash back account for clicking through their portal to make your purchase at Kohl’s.com. With that extra couple clicks of the keyboard, you saved $9.60 for something we easily would have paid full price for.
- Jumping up and down because now you have an extra $9.60 in your pocket! And… once you get used to the process, it should only take you an extra minute or two to find the best rebate and coupons and apply them.
The process is exactly the same for Top Cash Back.
My Online Rebate Sites Balances
Here’s a snapshot of my actual account balances and payouts. If you are anything like me – seeing proof vs. someone just saying they did it makes a world of a difference. I love sharing my successes and hearing about others.
Top Cash Back Balance
Rakuten (formerly Ebates) Balance
The extra money earned when shopping for essentials, or for the fun of it adds to the bottom line. I am one that never wants to leave money on the table. If there is an offer – take it! DO NOT LEAVE FREE MONEY ON THE TABLE!!
That earned cash back can be used to save towards a goal (anyone thinking vacation budget??) or to help pay down debt quicker. Remember stacking those savings can have a huge snowball affect on whatever your monetary goal may be. Every little bit adds up!
These cash back sites have hundreds of retailers and service providers to earn additional cash back on. I challenge you to sign up (Rakuten, Top Cash Back), browse and test them out with your next online purchase. You too one day will be able to say you have saved thousands shopping online!!