Ebates?

[Birdie dog]

I'm considering signing up for ebates. Who uses it and what do you think of it? Someone recommended it to me because I have to make a couple purchases on eBags this spring and I was told I'd get cash back for each purchase. I don't want a billion new emails a day for nothing. Thanks for your input.

 

[ElenaRN]

I signed up a while ago. The thing is you have to always go to ebates sign into your ebates acct and go to other sites through ebates. I ALWAYS forget to do this.

I think you can save some $ if you can remember to do this.

I don't get any email from them. Not sure if it's bc I don't use it that much.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

I have used Ebates for 2 years now. And yes, I just received another Big Fat check for $71.72.
The way I use Ebates, or any cash back system (DOSH, RMN, etc) is a list. Everything I need or want is placed on a list (running shoes, keyboard/mouse, calculator for school, Disney clothes for cruise, GC etc.). I check Ebates and all for the best deals and navigate through their site to the actual store's site to purchase it. Never buy on impulse. Stick with the list. When there is a deal, 2% is now 8% today only, I check the list against what the store has and IF it works I purchase.
No emails from vendors, just notifications from Ebates and all of deals.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

I average 1 or 2 emails a day from them but not sure if you can turn that off? I also receive an email when I make a purchase to verify my purchase was tracked and paid.

Ebates can be great. Back in the day (ok so like 3 years ago or so) I was getting back hundreds of dollars every quarter when the Disney Gift Card game was strong. Now, those avenues have closed and I'm just getting cash back for my every day purchases. Target is a store I shop at frequently but they're only 1% back and they also don't offer it for everyday items (paper products, grocery, baby food/diapers etc.). Now, I maybe make $20-$40 a quarter. Which is still something for doing nothing but clicking through a link. The check after the holidays is usually my best check.

There's really no work involved and no reason to not sign up. There are other cash back sites that sometimes offer more money but I find I have the least amount of issues with Ebates.

 

[Shughart]

I average 1 or 2 emails a day from them but not sure if you can turn that off? I also receive an email when I make a purchase to verify my purchase was tracked and paid.

Ebates can be great. Back in the day (ok so like 3 years ago or so) I was getting back hundreds of dollars every quarter when the Disney Gift Card game was strong. Now, those avenues have closed and I'm just getting cash back for my every day purchases. Target is a store I shop at frequently but they're only 1% back and they also don't offer it for everyday items (paper products, grocery, baby food/diapers etc.). Now, I maybe make $20-$40 a quarter. Which is still something for doing nothing but clicking through a link. The check after the holidays is usually my best check.

There's really no work involved and no reason to not sign up. There are other cash back sites that sometimes offer more money but I find I have the least amount of issues with Ebates.

You must be able to, as I do not get ANY daily emails. I joined in 2011 when buying my Nook (wow that sounds dated), because they were offering a cash back bonus of $25 gift card with your first purchase through them over a certain dollar amount. Since then I have amassed $200 back. Not as impressive as a PP who got $77 in one check, but the bulk of my shopping is clothes, shoes, etc. I have the plugin on chrome (along with honey and retailmenot for coupon codes). So when I'm on a retail website a little box will pop up on the right hand corner at the top, maybe 2 inch by 1 inch asking if I want to activate their cash back offer.

I always activate it if it's there, but if I can get a better price elsewhere on the same item but without cash back, I will usually go with the better price. Some of the best cash backs I have gotten though are on photo services like snapfish.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

You must be able to, as I do not get ANY daily emails. I joined in 2011 when buying my Nook (wow that sounds dated), because they were offering a cash back bonus of $25 gift card with your first purchase through them over a certain dollar amount. Since then I have amassed $200 back. Not as impressive as a PP who got $77 in one check, but the bulk of my shopping is clothes, shoes, etc. I have the plugin on chrome (along with honey and retailmenot for coupon codes). So when I'm on a retail website a little box will pop up on the right hand corner at the top, maybe 2 inch by 1 inch asking if I want to activate their cash back offer.

I always activate it if it's there, but if I can get a better price elsewhere on the same item but without cash back, I will usually go with the better price. Some of the best cash backs I have gotten though are on photo services like snapfish.

I just looked back and had a check for $370 in May of 2014 Haven't had anything over $60 since February of 2016. I had 4 over $200

I'll have to look at my settings to stop the emails. Thanks!

 

[Lain]

I just looked back and had a check for $370 in May of 2014 Haven't had anything over $60 since February of 2016. I had 4 over $200

I'll have to look at my settings to stop the emails. Thanks!

I was just reminiscing about the good ol’ days of gift card churning. RIP.

 

[seasheller]

I love it and you can set it to pop up whenever you are looking at sites, even booking hotels which I had not known before.

 

[starry_solo]

It's great. You should sign up under a referral (of a friend if you can) so that the two of you can get some extra type of reward for signing up.

Right now, if a friend refers you, they get $25 and you get $10, as long as you make $25 in purchases within a certain period of time (I just looked at my referral information to get this)

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

I was just reminiscing about the good ol’ days of gift card churning. RIP.

It was good while it lasted

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

I have belonged to Ebates since late 2013 and have gotten back $1840. It is legitimate. And I don't get any emails from them. You can just change your notification settings.

 

[Shughart]

Dang you guys do a lot of shopping

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Dang you guys do a lot of shopping

I bought a lot of stuff for my wedding online. And finished off items from my wedding registry. And from our baby registry. It really adds up, especially when you hit a deal that gives 20% cash back.

ETA: For example, we bought Elfa closet organizers from The Container Store for our basement earlier this month when eBates was offering 12% cash back. We got back $150.51 on that purchase.

 

[siren0119]

I have used ebates for years! Set up the Google Chrome extension so I don't have to remember to sign in if I'm online shopping.

 

[smallsy]

I love Ebates! I use the app most of the time and I rarely forget to click it first now. Holidays are great because the cash back is usually 2-4x better. I dont have a problem with too many emails but I also use a junk email account for stuff like this usually. Right now I’m on a kick of combining RMN cash back gift cards with the ebates portal and basically double dipping. Needed to buy some new clothes for the kids and RMN has a 10% cash back GC and then I used that through ebates at gap for 10% cash back. Plus gap is 50% off everything right now. I also used this strategy to buy wedding gifts through Macy’s for a friend’s upcoming wedding.

 

[Shughart]

I love Ebates! I use the app most of the time and I rarely forget to click it first now. Holidays are great because the cash back is usually 2-4x better. I dont have a problem with too many emails but I also use a junk email account for stuff like this usually. Right now I’m on a kick of combining RMN cash back gift cards with the ebates portal and basically double dipping. Needed to buy some new clothes for the kids and RMN has a 10% cash back GC and then I used that through ebates at gap for 10% cash back. Plus gap is 50% off everything right now. I also used this strategy to buy wedding gifts through Macy’s for a friend’s upcoming wedding.

Is the app for shopping on your phone? I end up doing that more now than on my computer and I lament the lost opportunity for cash back.

 

[smallsy]

Is the app for shopping on your phone? I end up doing that more now than on my computer and I lament the lost opportunity for cash back.

Yes! I do my shopping almost exclusively on my phone or tablet now.

 

[Shughart]

Yes! I do my shopping almost exclusively on my phone or tablet now.

SAHWEET. Going to go download it now! Thanks!

 

[bcwife76]

I love ebates! I'm in Canada and have been a member of ebates.ca since the end of 2012, have made just over $850 cash back since joining. I do have an account with ebates.com as well, but since our CDN $ tanked I haven't been shopping much in the US. I've made about $200US through ebates.com. I get my "big fat payments" through Paypal so I usually get paid about 4 days in advance (payments are sent on the 15th). No cheque to cash, free to transfer over to my checking account.

 

[ID_Dismom]

I absolutely love ebates. Just got a $115 check last week! I always check each cash back site when online shopping so I can get the best $$ back. At Christmas, they had some pretty sweet deals, which is where the bulk of this last check came from.