You shop online anyway, so why not get paid for it!

Learn my pro tips for which sites to use and how to maximize your cash back!

I feel like I save a lot of money by shopping online because I don’t add (as many) impulse items to my cart like I do in store (Target = a 2 hour budget-buster, am I right?)

But, DON’T leave free money on the table by not shopping SMART online. #moneyhacks

Here are my top 3 ways to get money back for shopping you were going to do anyway.

1. Ebates 

Why I Love It: When you install the ebates button, it’s easy to remember and simple to earn cash.
Stores: Hundreds of retailers. My favorites are: Kohl’s, Target, Nike, Amazon, Walmart, Old Navy, Groupon, JC Penney, Snapfish, Hotels.com

How-To: Before going to a retailer website, go to ebates.com, search for the store, then click on the link to earn CASH BACK on your purchases. You MUST use the window that pops up with the store’s site in it to get credit!  The % cash back varies by store and by time. There are also usually some stores on Double Cash Back and they have great Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.

Pro Tip: Add the ebates button to your Chrome browser and it will remind you anytime you’re on a site that has cash back to activate Ebates! It will also show up in your search results.

What you earn: Straight % rebate based on what the listed rebate was at the time of purchase. So, if you click the link to get 6% back at Kohl’s and spend $100, you’ll get $6. 

Payment: Big Fat Check* (that’s what they call it) sent by mail every quarter, no minimum for payout.

Sign-up Bonus: Use my link to get $10 free if you’re a new member!

Referral Program: Changes every quarter and there is usually bonus for your friend, bonus for you! Click on “Refer + Earn” for details.

2. TopCashBack

Why I Love It: It sometimes has higher rebates than ebates and I can earn even more when I cash out for Amazon.com gift cards.

Stores: Over 3500 online retailers. My favorites are Snapfish, Old Navy, Target, Kohl’s Walmart, Under Armour, Nike, Macy’s, Cabela’s, The Children’s Place, Lindt

How-To: Before going to a retailer website, go to topcashback.com, search for the store, then click on the link to earn CASH BACK on your purchases. You MUST use the window that pops up with the store’s site in it to get credit!  The % cash back varies by store and changes often. You can only go “through” ONE site to get to the retailer site, so you can never stack ebates AND topcashback.

Pro Tip: Before shopping check both ebates and topcashback and then go to the store site through the one with the higher rebate % listed.

What you earn: Straight % rebate based on what the listed rebate was at the time of purchase. So, if you click the link to get 10% back at Under Armour and spend $100, you’ll get $10. 

Payment: ACH to your bank account, PayPal or get a bonus when cashing out for an American Express Rewards card, or Amazon.com gift card. Cash out* anytime with no minimum.

Referral program: Refer your friends to get $10. Click on “Tell-a-Friend” and then share your link.

3. Trunited

Why I love it: You can earn money back for buying gift cards (ebates and topcashback exclude gift card purchases) plus you can grow your earnings by a referral network.

Stores: Many online retailers to shop through in the same fashion as ebates and topcashback. Some of my favorites are Walmart, Sam’s Club, Priceline.com, Best Buy, PetSmart, Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, Gap, Lowes, Home Depot

Gift Cards: Get rewarded for buying gift cards for Target, Walmart, Shell gas and many restaurants like Starbucks, Panera, Chipotle, Chik-fil-a, Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonalds

How-To:  Sign up for a free account at Trunited using this link. Click on “National Brands” to do online shopping through stores (similar to ebates or topcashback) or go to “Gift Card Shop” to buy gift cards. Each will tell you the % of Profit Points you’ll earn for the purchase.  You can also put items or gift cards in your “TruBox” for auto-shipment every month with free shipping on $100+ and get 10% more profit points.

Pro Tip: Pay attention to the points earned at different price points. You may earn more points buying 4 gift cards at $25 than one at $100. Just know how many gift cards you can use on a single transaction at that store (you can use 4 at target.com!)

What you earn: A % of your purchase is earned as “profit points”. At the end of the month, the profits of all sales are distributed back to all members. Profits are the sales minus the cost of goods/gift cards (the site negotiates for a discounted rate). Your cut is determined by the number of profit points you earned that month. The more sales overall, the bigger the pool. The more profit points you have,  the bigger your cut. 

Payment: Once per month, you are paid into your truWallet which you can then use to buy goods or gift cards next month, or you can cash out*.

Referral program: Earn more points by referring friends and reaching milestone levels such as “PaceSetter” which is inviting 3 friends who invite 2 who invite 1 and all make a purchase that month. You will earn on purchases of friends-of-friends instead of just the people you directly refer. Click My Account, then My truDashboard, then Refer Friends and customize and share your link.  Disclaimer: There may be a fee to participate in the affiliate part of this program (earning on friends of friends) but you can join free as a member and earn from the profit pool based on just your purchases. The affiliate portion is subject to change, but you do not need to pay a fee until you know what payment you would be eligible for as an affiliate.

*You should consult with your tax adviser on how to report income earned in the form of gift cards or cash back.

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Those are my TOP 3 ways to earn money while shopping online. There are many other ways to find COUPONS (Retailmenot.com is my favorite) but all of those coupon codes can be STACKED with any of these sites. You can even buy a gift card off Trunited, then go through ebates OR topcashback, then use a coupon code (and a Target Redcard discount…) and double-, triple-, even quadruple-dip!

But for now, let’s keep it simple. Remember to:

1. Sign up for Trunited and buy digital gift cards online.

2. Shop through Trunited, ebates or topcashback to get to a retailer site. Pay with your digital gift card.

3. EARN MONEY for shopping online!