Cash Back Sites & Apps: How to Save Money While Shopping Online

Have you ever wished you could get another discount at the check out page when you’re shopping online? Well, you can. Saving money while shopping online has become easier than ever. With the rise of cash back sites and apps, shoppers can earn back as percentage of their purchases–including apparel, automotive, beauty, groceries, pet supplies, travel and much more. We’re going to dive into how to save money while shopping online with cash back sites and apps, explaining how they work and how you can leverage them to make 1-click maximize your savings.

Save Money While Shopping Online

What are Cash Back Sites & Apps?

Cash back sites and apps are platforms that partner with retailers to offer shoppers an extra incentive: a percentage of their purchase amount back as cash back (traditionally referred to as a rebate). These sites get paid a commission for bringing the sale to the retailer, and they split that commission with you in the form of cash deposits, gift cards, points and more. Each offers their own set of retail brands, and have varying cash back percentage rates on each brand. It’s often smart to use several platforms to expand the brands available, and to get competitive cash back rates.

How do You Get Cash Back?

It’s a really easy process to get cash back on you’re online shopping. It takes just a few steps to get started, and it will easily become routine once you see all the savings you’re getting on purchases (many work in-store, too).

1️⃣ Sign up:
Start by creating a free account on a reputable rewards program. We’ve added a few of our favorites below, like Rakuten, Capital One Shopping, and TopCashback. These only require basic information to get started.

2️⃣ Browse offers:
Once registered, browse through the list of brands and their cash back offers. You can also install the browser extension (if available) to see the cash back rate directly on the brands site. These rates can range from 1% to double-digits.

3️⃣ Click through:
When you find a deal you like, click on the offer to be redirected to the retailer’s site (or activate directly from browser extension). This click-through process ensures that your purchase is tracked, and you receive the cash back. See our pitfalls to avoid below to help ensure you’re rewarded.

4️⃣ Shop as usual:
Compare prices, add items to your shopping cart, checkout and complete your purchase on the brand site as you normally would. The cash back site (or app) will track your transaction in the background. Most cash back portals will notify you by email and/or browser extension that the cash back was tracked. You can also see this soon after in the cash back portal.

5️⃣ Receive cash back:
And now the part you been waiting for… Moola! After your purchase is verified, the cash back amount will be credited to your account on the cash back portal. This will usually only take a few days, but depending on the brand where you shopped it may take longer. You can then withdraw the money, spend the points, or redeem for gift cards–depending on the reward program.

Best Cash Back Sites & Apps

There are many, many different cash back platforms available. Each reward program is a little different, some payout methods vary, but they all can help you save more when you’re shopping online. These are a few of our favorites, which we find ourselves using often to maximize our shopping trips.

In our opinion–the best overall reward program to save you money. Great brand selection, cash back rates, coupons, reliability, and customer service.

Sign-up

Nope, you don’t need a Capital One credit card to save money shopping online. It’s a separate rewards program where you can save with cash back and coupons.

Sign-up

Unlike others, TopCashback passes on all of their commission to you, which means they sometimes have the best cash back rates to help you save money.

Sign-up

Tips to Maximize Savings

Timing is key

Cash back rates are constantly changing for each retailer on each platform. Keep an eye out for special promotions and increased rates during holidays, prime day, rewards program events, or specific retailer promotions. Timing your purchases strategically can yield higher rewards.

Compare cash back rates

Different sites may offer varying rates for the same retailer at any given time. Before making a purchase, compare rates across multiple platforms to ensure you’re getting the best deal. This is easy if the cash back app you’re using has a browser extension, because when you go to a shopping site they will show you the cash back rate (if available). Otherwise, you go to the rewards program site or app and search.

Tip! Using a site like cashbackmonitor.com allows you to see the cash back rate across all reward programs at once.

Use reward credit cards

Your payment method is a separate opportunity to save. Pair your cash back site earnings with a rewards credit card to potentially double-dip on the ways you can save money. Be sure to use a card with elevated earning on the purchase category. You can also activate any special offers for that retailer that may be available on your credit card. Is that a triple-dip?

Stack discounts

Take advantage of additional discounts, promo codes, and coupons offered by retail brands. Many sites allow you to stack these savings on top of the cash back rebate, multiplying your savings further. When you start thinking about your purchase as a deal sandwich, you’re doing it right.

Refer your friends

Many cash back sites have loyalty programs that incentivize current users to refer-a-friend, so you can get rewarded without even shopping! Your friend will get a sign-up bonus too after they make their first eligible purchase, giving them a nice little boost to start. And to make this even better, they often run special events or holiday promotions where the referral rewards are elevated.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Forgetting to activate the cash back

It’s easy to save a ton of money once you’re signed up with a cash back program, but the biggest pitfall for a lot of people is forgetting to click for your cash back! Make it a habit to always start your online shopping journey from the cash back site or app, or activate from the browser extension to ensure you always save money shopping online.

Common tracking issues

A good way to ensure your cash back is going to track is to make sure you activate through the cash back portal before adding anything to your cart. Sometimes, the retail brand you’re shopping with will not count items you already had in your cart. You also need to be sure only one reward program is activated for cash back, otherwise you risk confusing the tracking and voiding for both.

Ignoring terms and conditions

Each reward program has its own terms and conditions regarding earning and redeeming cash back. Certain types of purchases are rarely eligible for cash back like gift cards, and for some there may be category specific exclusions. Familiarize yourself with these to avoid any surprises or missed opportunities.

Overspending

Cash back offers can be tempting, especially when you start talking about maximizing your purchases with mouth watering deal sandwiches. Don’t let them lead you into unnecessary purchases. Stick to your budget and only buy what you need.

Closing the Deal: Take Advantage of Cash Back

Cash back apps and sites offer a simple and effective way to save money while shopping online. By understanding how they work and implementing the tips we’ve mentioned, you can stretch your dollars further with every purchase. So next time you’re about to click “checkout,” remember to check for cash back opportunities and watch your savings grow.

These are our recommendations but it isn’t financial advice. We may receive a commission if you click through any of the links in this article.

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