All About Ebates! The Basics of Getting Cash Back!

I’ve had a lot of people email and request that I tell you all how Ebates works.  It is a different idea, so it can make people a little nervous to use it.  But I am here to tell you that it is an awesome service that I use all of the time!  And, a great way to make a little money back every time you purchase something online!

Stores like JC Penney, Victoria’s Secret, Aeropostale- they all pay Ebates to basically advertise for them.  Instead of keeping the money themselves, they are willing to share it with you! 

Before you shop anywhere online, I would recommend checking out if Ebates has partnered with them on their website.  If they do, then you can make cash back on top of whatever deal you were getting online!

You will sign in or create an Ebates account.  Then, you can search in their search engine for the store you want to shop at.  Let’s say it is JC Penney.

You can then click on the JC Penney SHOP NOW link on the Ebates site.  Ebates will then forward you to the real JC Penney website.  Going through this process ensures that you came from Ebates and that is how they know to give you cash back.

You will place your order just the same as you always would through JC Penney.  You can enter in promotional codes and get the same great deals.  But because you started at Ebates, you will get a percentage of cash back (it is different for each store and changes all of the time). PLUS, if you are making your very first order on Ebates, they will give you a $5.00 bonus!

After you have finished placing your order on JC Penney’s site, you can close the webpage and be done. In about 2-3 days, JC Penney will tell Ebates the amount you spent and Ebates will put the percentage of Cash back into your Ebates account.  They will also add the $5.00 bonus to your Ebates account.

Once every quarter, Ebates will mail you a check or use your Paypal account to give you your cash back!  It seriously is awesome!  You may think that the little cash back amounts aren’t much.  But, if you are always using Ebates to get cash back and then still using your promo codes at the online stores, you are getting an even better deal!  And it’s fun to get a check in the mail.

I have received a few checks from Ebates over the last year.  They always come and it is a great bonus- especially when you were already planning on buying something online.

There are other cash back sites out there.  I may mention them sometimes if it is a much higher cash back percentage.  However, the reason why I like Ebates the most is because you only have to have a cash back balance of $5.00 and they will send you your money quarterly.  Other sites require that you have $20 cash back before you get your money.  Also, Ebates has the Paypal option to get your money back.  I like that because it is an instant payment instead of waiting for a check.

I hope that answers some of your questions about Ebates!  Everything is completely secure.  You are not placing your orders through Ebates, but rather just changing from Ebates to the store you want to shop at.  You still place your order through JC Penney, or whatever store it is and they still handle returns and any problems.  Ebates just wants to pay you by starting at their website first!