For myself and most consumers in general, I feel that we are all bargain hunters by nature. Haggling or negotiating a discounted price with a business owner is an everyday common occurrence if we feel that we can get a better deal somehow.

At the time of this writing, I have made $1915.91 in cash-back, not taking into account additional pending purchases. Once those transactions are completed, I will have been paid out a little over $2000.

As more of a public service announcement than anything, I wanted to educate you on their existence so you can start saving immediately – especially for the holiday season. It’s a lot easier than you think!

Let me show you how.

A few years ago when I first heard about the concept of cash-back, I didn’t believe that a website would pay you a percentage of your purchase price just for performing a few extra clicks each time.

Boy, was I wrong. Why didn’t I start this sooner?!

How Does Cash-Back Work?

Cash-back websites combine spending money with earning money.

Many online retailers have referral programs in place with websites that will pay them a percentage of the sale for bringing them business. In turn, those websites pass on the savings to us in the form of a small percentage of the total purchase price.

If you plan to make these purchases anyway, why not earn something back at the same time?

Getting Rewarded for Online Shopping

FULL DISCLOSURE: Please note that I would never recommend anything I have not personally used or reviewed myself. At no cost to you, I may or may not be paid a bonus or commission when you sign up using the links on this page. If you are ready to sign up or found this article helpful, please consider using my links. Thank You!

With the way that my dropshipping business model is structured, it was a no-brainer for me to spend an extra minute clicking through a portal to receive a free discount each time I had to make a purchase.

I provided a few of my personal favorites below along with some examples on how you can save. The best part is that they’re all free to sign-up for!

TopCashBack

My personal #1 cash-choice as they often offer the highest percentages with over 3,500 stores and retailers online. For example, you’ll earn up to 6% cash-back when you shop at Lowe’s, 6% at Sears, and up to 8% back at Wal-Mart. Anyone who shops online should definitely have an account here.

One of my favorite features about TCB is that they offer multiple payout options, including ACH Direct Deposit, PayPal, Amazon Giftcard claimcode, and an American Express Reward Card that even offers you an additional bonus percentage when cashing out.

You can earn $10 when you sign up for TopCashBack as a new user using my link.

Ebates

Ebates has been around since the late 90’s and offers members up to 40% cash-back from more than online 2,000 retailers. Rebates vary by store, but many, such as Toys R Us, offer at least 5% back on purchases.

They pay cash-back each quarter based on your account earnings (of at least $5 or more) by mailed check, through PayPal, or donated to your favorite charity.

My only gripe would be that the percentages often aren’t as high as TopCashBack. As I would with my usual shopping routine, I will check around on different cash-back websites to find the best returns before making a purchase, though Ebates has been known to surprise me many times, especially on their double cash-back days.

My favorite feature of Ebates however, is their new In-Store Cash Back offer:

Find an in-store cash back offer like 6% at Macy’s or 8% at Saks Fifth Avenue that you like and link it to your debit or credit card, then simply pay with that card and get the cash back like normal!

With Ebates you can even earn a $10 bonus after your first $25 order by signing up here and $5 by referring each friend or family member of your own.

Splender

Splender was created by Cartera Commerce, a team of marketing professionals with extensive knowledge within the eCommerce industry.

I use Splender for the 3% cashback at Home Depot, something that isn’t available on the first two sites mentioned, and have had a 100% success rate with their deposits. They have never failed to pay me what I was supposed to receive each time.

As a catch-all for anything outside of TopCashBack or Ebates, I recommend signing up for Splender. It never hurts to have more than one source when discount shopping, right?

Sign up here to receive a $5 bonus after your first $50 order.

What to Do Before Signing Up

Please understand that cashback is not guaranteed however, the websites I recommended have had a 99% success rate or higher for me. To ensure that you will receive the proper credit each time, make sure to read the additional tips below:

Disable Ad-Blocking

One of my biggest tips to ensure your online shopping trips are tracked is that you MUST disable adblock extensions or software on these specific pages and/or whitelist the domains. I recommend signing up for each website, and then disabling the ad block on each one individually.

For example, mine is located in the upper right hand corner on my Chrome browser.

If you have trouble with this step, please check with customer service at each website and they’d be more than happy to assist.

Research the Website

If I haven’t recommended it, just as you would with any new website you include your personal information to, be sure to do some research for reviews or complaints online to make sure they are a legitimate company and have some type of credible background or history. Also, never sign up for a cash-back site that charges you for a membership.

I am currently doing research on Swagbucks and an iphone/android app called Ibotta that I read about from a friend on Facebook (Shout outs to Heather Gurden!). Once I have reviewed and approved them for sharing, I’ll be sure to include them to my resources page along with my other recommendations.

Bonus Tip

Be sure to use additional cash-back or travel points rewards available on various credit card programs to save even more!

“A penny saved is a penny earned”

– Benjamin Franklin

Are there any cash-back websites or apps that you recommend and personally use? Please share in the comments below!