Cash Back: Ebates.com

Ebates.com is the oldest (since 1998) and arguably still the best cash back site on the web.  Sign up today and get a $5 as a thank you bonus after you make your first purchase.  Registration is free!

The site posts consistently good cash back rates and offers a "daily double" double cash back promo on a different retailer every day.  Right now, in lieu of the regular daily double program,  Ebates is offering doubled cash back at a number of back-to-school retailers including BarnesandNoble.com and HP.com.

Once you've set up a Free Ebates profile, you are automatically paid the balance of your cash back account via your preference of check or PayPal on regularly scheduled dates.  You'll see the next pay-date is 11/15 from the image above.  For most merchants you are paid back ~2-10% of your purchase, which may seem small but it adds up.  Obviously if you buy a big ticket item like a TV or a computer, you earn substantially more (I earned $50 on a recent laptop purchase).

Better yet, unlike some other cash back sites, Ebates allows and encourages coupling the cash back savings with Coupon Codes (more on this in later posts).


DON'T FORGET!: If your plan is to buy something at your local brick-and-mortar store, see if the merchant has a "for in-store pickup" option on its website (many do).  You'll get all the benefits of a regular store (easy return policy, same-day receipt, etc.) and you'll still get cash back!

Ebates.com [website]