Did you know that some consumer brands pay you a token in cash for buying something from them through an external website? You might be amazed at the thought of something like that happening, but such offers do exist. These websites that offer to pay you back are known as cashback sites.
They offer a great way to save money when shopping online. The best part about these cashback sites is that they also present an opportunity for you to earn fat wads of cash if you frequently shop online.
But here is the thing, which cashback sites are the best to shop with?
Read on to find out.
Rakuten
Rakuten is arguably one of the most popular cashback sites around. Going by the company’s claims on the website, Rakuten has helped its members (over 10 million of them) earn over 1 billion dollars worth of cashback.
To get your slice of the pie, here’s what you do. First, visit the Rakuten website and open an account if you don’t have one already. Login to your account and click on the link to the store(s) where you want to shop at.
You get some credit from Rakuten after making your purchase(s). With Rakuten, you are sure of getting cashback rewards of varying percentages from at least 2000 online retailers on its site. Who knows, you might even enjoy some of the cash incentives that the website offers its members. For example, you get a certain amount in cashback if you spend a specific amount in purchases at such events.
Rakuten also offers you the opportunity to reduce your costs at check, all thanks to the coupon codes and exclusive deals it provides. It also provides sign-up bonuses and pays members who refer others to sign-up for the program. Members get their cashback rewards once every quarter via Paypal or cheque.
There is a downside to shopping at Rakuten that you need to know about. Rakuten actually takes a cut of your commission, so although you still get a cashback, it won’t be as much as what other sites offer.
TopCashback
TopCashback (with over 8 million users) is one of the best cashback sites in the market, going by the rates they offer their members. Just so you know, TopCashback offers some of the highest rates, and their services are more user-centric than most of the competition. They are more than just the regular cashback site. With them, you get access to sales and coupons that let you save a lot of money. You also get to shop at least 4,400 online retailers, many of whom are reputable brands.
Their membership comes in Classic (free)and the Plus version. You get a bonus cashback on most transactions if you opt for the Plus membership. You also get extra money for referring friends in addition to other perks. However, since the Plus membership is not free, it keeps some percentage of the cashback you earn annually as payment.
With TopCashback, you also get to trade your cashback cash for vouchers via Reward Wallet and get up to 25% value-added!
They also offer a Free Cashback feature that allows members to earn cash back once they complete simple online tasks.
Unlike some of their competition, TopCashBack gives you your entire commission as cashback from your purchase the minute they receive the commission from the retailer you chose to work with. They apply the credit to your account, and you can then request the cashback from them whenever you want. There are no minimum payment thresholds, and you can get your cashback via direct deposit, PayPal, or an Amazon gift card.
Swagbucks
Besides its great cashback offers, you can make some money on Swagbucks from downloading apps, completing online surveys and watching videos, among others. You also get the chance to access exclusive coupons and explore lots of discounts in addition to earning a gift card daily.
If you are looking to enjoy some of the Swagbucks largesse(over $281 million in gift cards and cash), you start by becoming a member(it’s free). Once you log in to your account, you’d see a tab “Shop'” that you click on to explore the list of stores the site partners with(at least 1,500 of them).
Once you are done shopping, your account is credited with the credits you earned(SB points in this case), which you can convert into PayPal Cash. Did you know that you get as much as 1% cashback for every SB point you get?
Besides its great cashback offers, you can make some money on Swagbucks from downloading apps, completing online surveys and watching videos, among others. You also get the chance to get exclusive coupons and explore lots of discounts in addition to earning a gift card daily.
MyPoints
MyPoints is a veteran cashback site, having been around since 1996. It is a point-based system where you redeem your points for cashback across different retailers(at least 1,900 of them). You could earn points with this site by checking your email, completing online surveys, printing coupons, watching videos and playing games.
They also have a Refer-A-Friend program that gives you 10% of your friend’s total cashback should they opt to shop with your link.
MyPoints has excellent payout options that allow members to cash out their points for gift cards, a Visa card, travel miles, and PayPal.
Capital One Shopping
This site takes the cashback thingy a little further than other sites because you don’t get your cashback directly. Instead, it compares prices across thousands of shopping sites. So when you shop via the Capital One Shopping site, it checks the net for competitive prices on the items you are shopping for.
That’s not all. The site is free to use as you don’t need a Capital One card to enjoy its offerings. For example, it searches for discount codes and coupon codes and has a price drop notification tool that lets you know when online retailers drop their prices on items you are interested in buying.
You can use the credits you get from shopping on the Capital One Shopping site to get free gift cards from various online stores.
Capital One Shopping is free to use, too. You do not have to have a Capital One card, but it does not hurt to have one. So, along with earning points for shopping, you can find competitive rates.
Takeaway
There you have it. Any of these cashback sites will gift you fat wads of cash if you understand the angles and work them right. So now that you know what the best cashback sites are, what are you waiting for? Hop on any one of them and have fun while shopping.
