Money for Shopping

Shopping portals offer different types of rewards; usually points, miles or cash.  At this point I use cash and points portals more than ones offering airline miles.  The ratios are better.

How do you find the best rewards when shopping?  There are two sites I use; Ev'reward is more user-friendly and RewardsDB is more comprehensive.  Since programs change quickly or offer special limited promotions, both are not perfectly accurate; check for yourself as well.

The best way to get cash back?  Decide on your purchase and where you can find the best price and service for what you want.  Then check the databases above to find the portal that gives you the best reward for it.  If prices are within 1-5% apart the reward might make a difference.  Don't forget tax and shipping costs.

The newest development in cashback portals are those allied to credit card reward programs.  Several credit card issuers (Chase, Discover, Capital One, Citi) now have them; their rates are competitive and should be explored.  For instance, Discover gives 5% cashback on Hotwire; more than anyone else. The downside is that these rates take longer to find; Citi's and Discover's are up at Ev'reward, but not Capital One or Chase.

There is no one portal that is consistently the most advantageous. Special offers pop up from time to time as well; recently Northwest's World Perks Miles Mall offered a promotion of 500 bonus miles for every $50 spent.  That's 10 miles to the dollar, so I shopped there during the promotional period.

For casual users who can't be bothered comparing portals with each purchase and want simpler, reliable cashback, I'd recommend Big Crumbs and Fatwallet.

Shopping for Cash or Reward Points


Name Referral link -
please use and throw me a few bones!
Value of individual unit Expiration Type of reward Cash out level
Shopping portals. These sites are straightforward.  Do your shopping through them and get back cash or points.
Big Crumbs http://www.bigcrumbs.com/crumbs/frontpage.jsp?r=lwitchel .01
None
Cash Monthly payout via Paypal.
This cash back's program's gimmick is a two tier referral system.  Sign up as a "Crumbsaver"; the cash back ratios are far higher (some of the best, in fact) and unless you intend to aggressively find referrals, being a “Crumbearner” just makes it less rewarding to shop there. Monthly payout of whatever you have on account (they paid me .04 the first time!)





Fatwallet Good customer service and reliable. Always a competitive ratio, usually the best (but I would suggest checking others as well). Best for Priceline.  I’ve gotten about $170 back.  .01 None Cash No minimum for paypal; $10 for a check.






Ebates Click on the program name at left or my referral email is lwitchel@aol.com. .01 None Cash $5
I use Ebates for eBay and a few other  vendors; I’ve gotten about $100 back.  Decent customer service. Update 7/2009: Ebates has dropped their cashback for eBay from 3% to 2%, so I switched to Mr. Rebates (see below.) Cashback ratios are fluid and can change without notice; it's more work, but if you buy enough online to make payout threshholds, it makes sense to participate in several and chose the most advantageous for each purchase.
   
Airmilesmart The payback ratio here is low, however the customer service is quite good.  (8/7/08 - recently posting of points has gotten a great deal slower, but it happens) Most importantly, it's the only site I know of that offers Starpoints.  Points can be converted 1:1 in blocks of 500 into Starpoints, AA, DL or US miles, or 1250 points gives you a $25 gift certificate.  As Starpoints can be converted into 32 other airline points, I think they're by far the best deal.  I've earned at least 5,000 Starpoints here. Update 7/09: Starpoints and DL miles now convert in blocks of 1,000. US miles still can convert at 500. .01 None Points 500 points

Shopathome Would you write me so that I can refer you?  Or click on the program name at left and my referral email is lwitchel@aol.com. .01 None Cash $20
Updated 8/7/08 Shopathome has become less attractive recently.  I originally used them often because you were amazingly able to double-dip via the now defunct Milesource.  They also had good cashback ratios for several uncommon travel booking engines (Octopus Travel and even sweeter, Booking.com at a 12% cashback rate) that are now no longer offered.

However they still do have double and triple cashback specials.  Certain portals credit quickly but I had trouble with others (Priceline in particular).  Their customer service is slow albeit well-meaning. They offer a downloadable "rebates toolbar" that I would strongly advise againt using as it will probably interfere with using any other portal. There is a $5 sign up bonus using my referral email when you join.
Bing Cashback .01 None Cash $5
Microsoft has entered the cash back portal game by purchasing Jellyfish and after about a year of operating as Microsoft, has been rebranded as Bing. The ratios are quite high and worth checking out.  The program credits promptly (I was credited for a purchase almost instantly) and makes the payment available in 60 days.
Cashbaqhttp://www.cashbaq.com/?refer=489571.01NoneCash$10
A straightforward cash back portal similar to Fatwallet or Ebates. Use the one with the best deal for what you're buying.  My referral link gets you $5 to start.
Mr. Rebateshttp://www.mrrebates.com?refid=347700
Another straighforward cash back portal. As of 7/09, the best cashback on eBay (3%). My referral link gets you $7.50 to start.
MIXED PROGRAMS
All the mixed programs (CreationsRewards, Mypoints, Inbox Dollars or Memolink) have somewhat less attractive reward ratios for shopping (though during its promotional Pointpaloozas, Memolink is competitive with any other portal), but you can augment them with clicks or surveys.  They may also have a vendor that isn't with one of the other portals.  
Creations Rewards http://www.creationsrewards.net/?referid=_26_59_D1_8F_CB_AC_19 .005 None Points 1000 points = $5
I've used CreationsRewards for shopping occasionally.  In my experience, customer service and payment is prompt. 
Mypoints Would you write me so that I can refer you? .007 None Points 1400 points = $10 cert.
Points can be used for merchandise gift certificates (including Marriott gift checks) or United miles (2:1 in 5000 point blocks) ). Their ratio of spend to reward is not usually at the top, but every now and again it has been.  Keep your email receipt of whatever shopping you do and make a note; they almost always need to be reminded to award credit (but then do it quickly.)  Both merchants and rewards can change without notice so check before shopping.  Since 9/03  I have gotten $375 of gift certificates.  Redemption is very quick and I do not believe that points expire. 
Inbox Dollars http://www.inboxdollars.com/?r=lwitchel .01 None Cash $30
This program is a sleeper that I thought would be less attractive than it's turned out to be.  Inbox Dollars is a mixed site offering shopping, surveys and pay-to-read emails.  I have made most of my money here on surveys; their shopping ratios are not bad, but not the best.  I've needed to remind them for shopping credit when I've used them, so save your receipt.
Memolink Would you write me so that I can refer you? .005 I believe points do expire, but I didn't touch my account for three years to find the points still there. Points 19,200 for a $10 Gift Certificate.
Memolink has a low payback ratio, but their customer service is a good deal more responsive and reliable than it once was and reward payment is very prompt now. Worth considering if they have a decent ratio or a store your other programs do not. Update 7/2009: Memolink has twice this year offered a promotional "Pointpalooza" with significantly raised ratios - oftened doubled - that often beat the other portals.  There is one currently until the end of July 2009 - they are worth checking out.


Quizpoints http://www.quizpoints.com/dollar.asp?ref=91616 .02 unknown Points 500 points = $10
Quizpoints is a mixed program that primarily seems to contain trial offers and surveys, but it does have a cashback mall with some uncommon offers - want to join gay.com?  You get 18% cashback here!
Cashcrate http://www.cashcrate.com/235603 .01 unknown Cash $10
Like Quizpoint, Cashcrate is primarily trial offers, but there is also a cashback mall with some high ratios.


Shopping for Miles

These are more straightforward.  I've only listed a few malls; there are more.  Check Ev'reward and RewardsDB to maximize your return.

I think the best strategy with miles and shopping is to shop at the portal giving the best return, but alternatively, especially for small purchases, at the portal that gives you points in your slowest or weakest programs to keep your miles from expiring.  Got Continental miles that would expire after a year of inactivity?  Make a purchase at the Onepass mall.

Airline Malls
Continental  Delta  American Airlines  United Airlines  Northwest

Train Malls
Amtrak           

Hotel Malls       
Marriott  Priority Club 

Page last updated July 25, 2009.