Do you use Ebates?

I have heard about Ebates pretty much since I started couponing, but never really gave it much thought or consideration. I didn't know how much it would be worth my time and thought it might be more hassle than it was worth.

Well, I've been using Ebates for a couple of months now, and boy was I wrong! It's totally worth it and only takes an extra second when ordering online.

:What Ebates is:

Ebates is basically a portal to all of the online stores where you shop. A starting point before you do any onling shopping. When you use it as your starting point, you earn cash back on your purchases! You also get exclusive coupon codes, as well as printable coupons to use in-store, and can often score free shipping on merchandise!

:How you earn cash back:

Every purchase you make at a qualifying store when you go there through Ebates, will earn you a percentage in cash back. The percentage you earn back varies from store to store and depends on the current promotions. As you continue to make purchases, you simply keep racking up your cashback amount.

:How do I get my cash back:

It really is SOOO simple. YOU get to elect how Ebates pays you back. They can either send you "big fat check," deposit it into your PayPal account, or you can even have it donated to charity or sent to someone else! Every three months Ebates will send you a cash-back check (or however you elect to get your cash back) for all purchases made in the previous quarter. You must make at least $5.01 in cashback in order to receive a payment. If you earn less than that, the balance will carry over into the next quarter.

That's it! Even if you only do a little bit of online shopping (like me), wouldn't it be nice to get PAID to do it? Plus, when you let them know I referred you, you get a $5 sign-up bonus, JUST FOR SIGNING UP. Then, once you have signed up, start referring YOUR friends, and for every friend you refer, you will BOTH get $5! There is no limit to how many friends can get to sign up or how many referral bonuses you can earn! Pretty neat, huh?

:Ready to get started?:

Just go HERE and give them your email address. That's all you need to get started. By going through this direct link from my blog, you are using my referral link and you will automatically get your $5 bonus! If you don't go through that link, just enter my email address (coupons (at) compuseniors (dot) com -- I just put my email address like that so that those spam-happy web snoopers have a little harder time finding it) where it asks if someone referred you and you will still get your $5 sign-on bonus. Once you've given them your email address, you can go into your account and give them all of your payment info and create a password to protect your privacy.

Once you've signed up and are ready to start shopping, all you do is go to Ebates.com first. Do a search for the store you want to shop at, click on it, and click on "Shop Now." It will port you through to the store and you shop from the online store's very own website as if nothing were different. If you place an order, you will get the designated cach back added to your Ebates account once your order ships (sometimes it can take a few days for it to post).

:Which stores are part of Ebates?:

Seriously, just about any place you would ever shop online, you can find a coupon code or cashback incentive through ebates. Of course not ALL stores are included, but there are far too many to list. Here are just a few:

Barnes & Noble
American Eagle
Macy's
Sears
Disney Store
JC Penney
See's Candy
Apple Store
Magazines.com
Office Max
Vista Print
The Children's Place
Target
Wine.com
Borders
Home Depot

...and SOOOOO many more.

This would be GREAT for someone who does do a lot of online shopping, but can still be beneficial for even the occasional shopper. Your amount continuously carries over each quarter, so even if you don't earn enough in the three-month quarter to get your cash back, it will carry over to the next until you do.

Already, after just two months of using Ebates, I'm accumulated $22.12 in cash back! I still have until Feb. 15th to continue earning for this quarter!

I am really excited about this program and hopefully now you are too. I will do my best to keep you up-to-date on new specials, promos, and deals through ebates, and feel free to pass any you learn about back to me to post. :) Or, if you're already a member of Ebates, I'd love to hear about your experience with it and any critiques you may have.

Happy shopping!