In a nutshell, cashback is given when you buy something and receive a small percentage of the money you spent back at a later date. It might sound too good to be true, but most major retailers offer the chance to get cashback. You can even combine multiple cashback sites to maximize your savings!
Cashback and rewards apps are the new rewards cards. These apps are changing the way consumers shop and save. Here are our top favorites.
What are Cash-back Sites?
Cash-back websites combine spending money with making money. These shopping portals return to members a percentage of what they spend on qualifying purchases.
Some examples of popular cash-back sites include:
- Swagbucks
- Mypoints
- Rakuten
- BeFrugal
- ShopAtHome
- Ibotta
Karen Lenz of Texas has been a member of the cash-back website Ebates (now Rakuten) since 2006.
When shopping online, Lenz used Ebates to click through to the merchant’s website. It wasn't uncommon for her to earn about $40 back each quarter on her total purchases.
Similarly, Mikki Clagett of Florida has received up to $100 back in her quarterly payouts by shopping online and referring friends to the cash-back sites to get a sign-up bonus.
Why should you be using cashback and reward apps?
Rewards programs are not new, but technology is reinventing them. Today’s consumers are always looking for a great deal, but we’ve gone ahead and changed the way we secure those deals.
Cashback and rewards apps make saving money fun. By making it an interactive game with points, missions, steps, and rewards, you can enjoy yourself while reaping the benefits.
But how do you capitalize on the best cashback and rewards apps? What should you focus on, what’s worth your time, and how do you weed out the best deals?
We’ve got a couple of hacks and tips to share when it comes to making use of any of these cash-back strategies and apps. All of these techniques will help you maximize the rewards you receive.
Rewards programs are not new, but technology is reinventing them. Today’s consumers are always looking for a great deal, but we’ve gone ahead and changed the way we secure those deals.
Cashback and rewards apps make saving money fun. By making it an interactive game with points, missions, steps, and rewards, you can enjoy yourself while reaping the benefits.
But how do you capitalize on the best cashback and rewards apps? What should you focus on, what’s worth your time, and how do you weed out the best deals?
The 6 Best Cash-Back Sites 2021
01 Swagbucks
| Type: Get Paid To | About Swagbucks |
|---|---|
 | Swagbucks is another app that wants to be a part of your life and the routine activities you would be doing online anyway. Watching online videos and taking short surveys will earn you gift cards. The polls will make you feel like you’re part of something bigger, and the retailers are listening to your opinions. Bloggers and remote workers love this app, and it’s especially great for people who are home a lot of the time and want to earn extra rewards while going about their daily routine. There are many helpful tips out there for using Swagbucks, and we recommend reading them before you start to get the most out of this app. Bonus features and the ability to passively earn while playing Swagwatch and SBTV offer even more ways to reap the rewards. Signing up for the Swagbucks survey profile will help you receive more surveys that you qualify for, thus increasing your rewards potential and allowing you to have input with companies that fit your lifestyle and spending profile. Some of the main features of Swagbucks are:
|
| Sign up in Swagbucks |
02 Mypoints
| Type: Cashback | About Mypoints |
|---|---|
 | MyPoints is a rewards app that offers up to 40% back at 2,000 of the most common retailers. These retailers include stores like Target, Walmart, Amazon, Old Navy, eBay, and Home Depot. And the list of retailers is enormous (over 2000) – these are just a few of my favorites. You’ll earn points every time you shop at these stores, and you can redeem those points at any time. You can redeem them for gift cards or a credit to your PayPal account. You can sign-up for MyPoints for free, and they’re currently offering a $10 sign-up bonus! |
| Sign up in Mypoints |
03 TopCashBack
| About TopCashBack | |
|---|---|---|
 | Nowadays, using cashback apps is synonymous with being frugal and shopping smart. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’d know that cashback sites work by providing you with specific discounts and deals when you shop from their partner brands. TopCashBack is a relatively old site compared to the leading cashback apps today. It was founded back in 2005 in the UK and eventually established itself in the US in 2011. Some of the main features of Topcashback are:
| |
| Sign Up in TopCashback |
04 Rakuten
| Type: Cashback | About Rakuten |
|---|---|
 | Rakuten (formerly eBates) allows you to earn cashback at 2500+ stores such as Macy’s, Groupon, Walmart, Amazon, Overstock, and more. You can also shop the marketplace for electronics, clothing, games, sporting goods, and more. Rakuten is entirely free. Stores pay Rakuten a commission for sending you their way, and Rakuten shares the commission with you as Cash Back. Founded in 1998, Rakuten has paid members over $1 billion in Cash Back. Start getting yours! Some of the main features of Rakuten are:
Rakuten operates in several countries around the globe, with Canada and the United States being the two main markets the service operates in. Over the years, Rakuten has begun expanding to international markets and now operates in countries like Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. |
| Sign up in Rakuten |
05 BeFrugal
| Type: Cashback | About BeFrugal |
|---|---|
 | BeFrugal is very similar to Rakuten (discussed above). After creating an account with them, you head to their site, click through to a participating retailer (the list of which includes Amazon), and make your purchases. You’ll receive cashback into your account immediately., And once you hit your account minimum of $25, you can redeem your cash back rewards for money in your PayPal account or gift cards. Like Rakuten, you can take advantage of a browser extension that automatically tracks your eligible in-browser purchases and adds them to your cashback account. This is an excellent option for those folks who tend to forget to access their favorite online stores through the BeFrugal portal. Some of the main features of Befrugal are:
Befrugal is currently offering a fantastic sign-up bonus for new accounts opened. When you sign up, you will receive a $10 welcome bonus. |
| Sign up in BeFrugal |
06 Ibotta
| Type: Cashback | About Ibotta |
|---|---|
 | Many of the cashback apps listed here focus on online retailers. What happens if you want to earn cashback from, say, the grocery store? Ibotta is a grocery-focused savings app that’s perfect for the job. They’re headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and have been around since 2012. During that time, they’ve had over 22 million app downloads and have paid out over $200 million in cashback. Although Ibotta does have deals with non-grocery stores, most users love it for the grocery savings. They are a smaller platform, with nearly 290 merchants. However, they’re one of the best when it comes to slashing your grocery bill. First, you can connect your store’s loyalty card to the app. This will help you automatically scan for savings. Second, before you shop, browse Ibotta for rebates. Once you’ve completed your shop, you can either use loyalty card data or upload your receipt to get the rebates. Remember, you need to sign up for the rebates before uploading your receipt. I made Ibotta browsing part of my natural pre-grocery ritual so I never forget. The rewards Ibotta pays out through PayPal, Venmo, or gift cards. You can also earn rebates through in-app purchases on your mobile. Ibotta requires you to collect $20 on your account to withdraw funds. |
| Sign up in Ibotta |
Top Tips to Maximize Rewards
We’ve got a couple of hacks and tips to share when it comes to making use of any of these cash-back strategies and apps. All of these techniques will help you maximize the rewards you receive.
Stack rewards
Our most important advice is to stack your rewards — meaning that you should always take advantage of more than one cash-back strategy at a time. For example, when buying groceries, you should use a credit card with a cashback option, a store loyalty card, a cashback app like Ibotta or Rakuten, and a receipt-scanning app like Receipt Hog. That way, you get four levels of rewards, rather than just one. The points can really add up!
Take advantage of special offers.
If you add a special offer to the mix of strategies we mentioned in the previous tip, you’ll really be in the money. Many of the cash-back apps we talk about in this list have special daily offers (or something similar). Use those offers to get extra savings on what you buy.
Only buy in exchange for rewards.
To the extent possible, don’t buy anything unless you’re getting some form of cashback or rewards. Almost everything you need can be purchased in a way that nets you some form of rewards or points. Don’t pass up opportunities for cashback (especially for large purchases) for convenience’s sake.Don’t buy things you wouldn’t have purchased anyway
Even though it’s fun to earn points and rewards, always remember not to buy more than you were going to buy anyway. If you end up spending too much, it won’t matter how many rewards you earn.
Cashback: Final Thoughts
We love all of the apps and strategies we’ve mentioned in this article. They’re a fantastic way to make sure you’re getting the most out of every dollar you spend. Whether you’re saving for a specific goal or hoping to merely reduce expenses or get rewarded for the money you are already going to be spending, cashback and rewards apps today have a plethora of features that will make saving fun.
Although the saying goes, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch,” we’re continuously learning that, in fact, technology can help us get that free lunch or movie ticket or gift card, after all.
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