Ebates Review 2019: Best Cash Back Site And App In Canada And USA (Legit & Safe)
The ability to earn free cash back on your normal online shopping habits is a great way to help put some extra money in your bank account. There are free websites, apps and browser extensions to help you do that in a safe, legit and easy manner. This Ebates review will highlight why it’s the best cash back option for you in 2019.
Ebates gives Canadians and Americans the opportunity to get cash back from over 2,500 different online retailers.
There is free money just sitting out there waiting for you through a simple click on a website or tap on an app with your phone. Follow along below to see just how easily and valuable a simple cash back solution like Ebates can be.
What Is Ebates And Ebates Canada?
Ebates is a rewards platform that gives their American and Canadian users the opportunity to earn cash back ranging from 1% to 40% when they purchase almost any item through their Ebates account.
Ebates has relationships with over 2,500 major retailers. Including Amazon, eBay, Walmart, GroupOn, Sephora and almost every other online retailer you can think of. Plus they have 10,000+ coupons at any time to also help users save money.
Literally (almost) everything imaginable is on the Ebates portal for you to earn cash back on:
- Birthday or Holiday Gifts
- Travel Bookings
- Household Items
- Clothing
- Books
- Beauty Products
- Electronics
- Sporting Goods
- …and every other product category
Ebates offers new members a special welcome registration bonus of $10 FREE for Americans and $5 FREE for Canadians.
Is Ebates Legit And Safe?
Yes! 100% legit and I wish I would’ve started using it from day one. I could’ve earned some serious cash back on the online shopping I was doing.
Ebates was created in 1998 and has since gone on to be purchased by Rakuten Inc. for $1 billion in 2015.
According to data on Statista, gross sales on Ebates in Q1 of 2018 was over $2.13 billion. In addition, they hold an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Ebates is 100% legit and ripe with opportunities for you to earn free cash on the normal spending you were already doing. They have millions of members across Canada and the USA taking advantage of the value their platform delivers.
How Does Ebates Work?
The Ebates process is about as simple as the graphic above showcases it to be.
Essentially, when you click a link on the Ebates portal it drives you directly to that retailers website. If you make a purchase on that site, the retailer pays Ebates a referral fee for helping them drive sales. Then Ebates kicks a percentage (roughly 40%) of that referral fee back to you.
Ebates is a mutually beneficial relationship for all three parties involved:
- You: earn cash back on your purchase by going through the Ebates portal.
- Ebates: makes revenue by getting a referral fee from the retailer when you purchase. This is at no extra cost to you, they pay you a portion of that referral fee back to you.
- Retailer: generates sales and reaches wider audience by being affiliated to Ebates.
That’s how Ebates works and how you earn free cash back while the other parties involved benefit as well. Similar services to Ebates are Swagbucks and BeFrugal.
How Do I Use Ebates To Earn And Save?
The important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t change your spending habits to earn some extra cash back. The math doesn’t add up so please don’t start spending more online. Stick to your normal shopping and reap the rewards of now getting something back in the process.
We’re just taking advantage of the cash back opportunities presented to our standard spending habits.
The system is the same for both Americans and Canadians Ebates members.
Ebates gives you three main platforms to earn and save:
- Website: the home portal website for Ebates houses all their offers, partner stores and anything you could need for your account.
- App: the app will help you earn on the go if you do online shopping on your phone.
- Browser Extension: if you’re browsing websites and they have any affiliation with Ebates, the Browser Extension will notify you so you don’t miss out.
The idea and process behind all three is the same that we noted in the “How Does Ebates Work?” section above. This mutually beneficial relationship for all three parties (you, Ebates and the retailer) is consistent across the website or app.
Steps To Earn With Ebates
Earning with Ebates is a pretty straightforward process. Whether you’re on the app or website portal, the basics of how you generate cash back are the same.
The three step process to earning cash back is:
- Log In And Use The Portal or App: If you’re doing any online shopping whatsoever head to the Ebates portal (or app) to search for retailer or browse the site.
- Click The Offers And Purchase: Clicking through the Ebates portal (or app) initiates the tracking and through the magic of links and cookies, Ebates will know if you purchased something with one of their partner retailers via their referral link.
- Get Paid: Ebates will then automatically pay you out based on their payment schedule and preferred method.
Even if you don’t go through the Ebates portal, the Browser Extension can bail you out to ensure you’re notified of any deals.
If you’re convinced already, you can get a FREE welcome bonus. After signing up with Ebates and making your first purchase, you will get $10 for FREE (Americans) and $5 for FREE (Canadians).
An Awesome Way To Boost Your Earnings: The Ebates Referral System
I earned $150 with a single email thanks to Ebates.
This isn’t the standard cash back earning that Ebates would generally be used for. This was through the referral system that Ebates uses to incentivize their current members to invite their contacts to join the platform.
After you register your Ebates account you will be provided a unique referral URL.
You can share that URL with your friends, family, coworkers, on your website (like I am now) or anywhere else to get others to register for the platform.
AT NO EXTRA COST to those using your referral link, they will earn whatever that current sign-up bonus is (generally Americans get $10 free and Canadians gets $5 free). Then you will also get a referral bonus as a thank you from Ebates.
Referral Bonuses On Ebates
It’s a win-win scenario: the people you’re referring get the free registration reward (plus are introduced to an awesome service) and you get the referral bonus.
The referral bonus system is generally (with different periods of bonuses and boosted referrals):
- Americans: Earn $25 per referral
- Canadians: Earn $5 per referral plus a $40 bonus after 2 referrals
I sent one email after I first signed up for Ebates to my family and friends that netted me $150 with the click of a button.
You can do the same after you register!
What Other Benefits Does Ebates Have?
Outside of the 2,500 cash back retailers and the referral system, Ebates also has an extensive coupon library and gift card store.
Plus there are double cash back stores that expedite your rewards earning and daily deals. Whether you’re an American or Canadian Ebates member, there are multiple ways to earn and save cash.
It can be a little overwhelming given how many offers there are actually available. I usually go in with a plan on what I’m looking to purchase and search for the retailer or keyword. This can help avoid endless searching or overspending when new offers catch your eye.
The combined powers of cash back, referrals, daily deals, gift cards and coupons can open up serious cash savings and rewards.
Don’t foget that as a new member of Ebates, you can get a sign up bonus after registration! Americans get $10 for FREE and Canadians get $5 for FREE.
How Do I Get Paid Or Cash Out With Ebates?
Congrats! If you’ve made it this far you’ll be earning cash back in no time. Don’t forget you can get a FREE welcome bonus. After registering, Americans get $10 and Canadians get $5.
How do you actually get paid by Ebates?
Once you’ve used the Ebates platform there are two ways to get paid for your cash back and referrals: Big Fat Check or via PayPal.
- Big Fat Check: Option 1 is just as it sounds, a physical check is mailed to your address for you to deposit.
- PayPay: Option 2 is just as straightforward with the funds being transferred to your PayPay account.
How often do you get paid with Ebates?
Ebates pays out their members on a quarterly basis (shown in the chart below). Three months worth of cash back earnings will be paid following that quarter.
Ideally this gives you enough time to build up a sizable cash back balance.
Unfortunately you aren’t able to cash out whenever you want and need to stick to the Ebates payment schedule to receive your check or PayPal payment.
Is Ebates Worth It?
Based on the Ebates review above, it’s safe to say that it’s a service with value for almost anyone. It’s a free platform that you can take advantage of to put extra money into your pockets.
Similar to Swagbucks and BeFrugal there are pros and cons to the Ebates service.
PROS OF EBATES
- Cash Back: “free” cash back on your standard online purchases is a great ROI.
- Referral System: the referral system I referenced above is an amazing way to spike your earning total.
- Free, Quick & Easy: it’s a free service that takes less than 90 seconds to register for and the user-experience of shopping through their site, app or extension is easy to a navigate.
- Extensive Library: the number of partner retailers continues to grow
- Multiple Ways To Save And Earn: with cash back, referrals, coupons, daily deals and double reward offers there are multiple ways for you to save and earn money.
CONS OF EBATES
- Don’t Be Tempted To Spend More Than Normal Habits: the goal is to earn rewards on your normal purchasing habits and any extra purchasing you do above and beyond will negate your returns.
- Turnaround Time On Rewards: holding for your quarterly returns can test your patience, especially if you’ve generated a nice level of cash back and referrals.
Are you going to get rich with Ebates?
You aren’t going to get rich from Ebates cash back but you can definitely pad your bank account.
The referral system, if you have a large network of contacts, has the ability to really get that free money total run up though.
Ebates Review: Sign Up Now (Free Welcome Bonus In Canada And USA)
If you’re ready to sign up to Ebates and start earning cash back for your online purchases, it will take you less than 2 minutes.
It’s a free, legit and safe way to easily put some extra money back into your bank account.
With an email address and basic account information (to help you get paid), you’ll be all set. From there you can install the app and browser extension. Just remember to stay within your normal spending habits and only get that free cash back standard online shopping you do.
You can use the links below, whether you’re Canadian or American, to get a free sign up bonus.
EBATES FOR AMERICANS (FREE $10)
Sign up today to receive a FREE $10 Welcome Bonus and be on your way to start earning free cash back.
AMERICAN EBATES USERS – SIGN UP HERE ($10 FREE)
EBATES CANADA (FREE $5)
Sign up today to receive a FREE $5 Welcome Bonus and be on your way to start earning free cash back.
CANADIAN EBATES USERS – SIGN UP HERE ($5 FREE)
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