According to a 2014 report by the NCH Marketing Services, customers who used coupons saved $3.6 billion in that year. Most of these customers included people who obsessively flip through newspapers and magazines looking for coupons. Although sometimes it can be rewarding, the flipping process is time-consuming and laborious. Thanks to changes in mobile and computer technology, you don’t have to do that anymore. Online rebates are a fast, easy, and suitable method of saving on purchases.
So what are they? How can they help you save money?
What Does the Term Rebate Mean?
Rebates are used to entice consumers to purchase services or goods by decreasing costs in several ways. Companies have been using this method since the late 1800s when Coca-Cola offered people certificates to try a new drink.
Thereafter, couponing came in and ultimately transformed into the mail-in and online rebates—which are currently quite prevalent.
What are online rebates?
Online rebates are special discounts offered to buyers by online sellers after purchasing goods and services through their websites instead of physical stores. They include discounts or refunds that can be redeemed exclusively online.
Walgreens rebates and Amazon are some of the companies using this discount strategy. If you consider yourself an extreme saver in the digital world, this process is the most accessible and efficient. However, like in mail-in rebates, you’ll need to buy a product or service first – this means that you’ll be required to have the total amount of the commodity beforehand.
How Does the Process Work?
• Set up your rebate account: The first step includes setting up an account with a notable rebate company. This allows the company to keep track of your identity.
• Shop around: Look for a product that has an attractive rebate or one that interests you.
• Report after purchasing: Get back to the company and report your purchase. This may require contacting the company personally or using a URL that the rebate company mailed to you.
• Get paid: Receive your cashback. You can either choose cash or check. If you use certain online rebate companies you can even get Amazon cashback, which means you can use the cashback to make future purchases on Amazon.
Saving Money with Online Rebates
Now that you’ve got an idea about how online rebates work, it’s time you know how you can save money with them.
Let’s say if you use RebateKey to purchase products, you’ll receive a percentage of your purchase back as an Amazon cashback rebate. One product with the most attractive offer is the Bonsai Tree Kit that offers an 85% rebate. So if you were to purchase such a product and sell it elsewhere, you’d make an 85% profit. Even if you choose to use it in your household, you’ll still be able to save.
Another scenario is that involving a free 10% rebate. If you spend $200 per week at Amazon for supplies, food, and other household goods, you’ll save $20 per week or $1040 per year. However, since different rebate sites offer even more discounts and cashback, and some go even as high as 85%, your saving will be considerable.
When you save all that money and implement other actions to cut off your bills, you’ll realize substantial financial progress by the time a particular year ends.
However, you should know that the rebate process may change from one company to the next, so it is essential to select a company that’s well respected and has outstanding testimonials. Moreover, when signing up for a rebate site, take your time and review all deals and retailers available. Or better yet, sign up for all the deals for the highest saving and most options.
Explore Online Rebates today!
Unlike the mail-in rebates, where you have to go through many processes or do too much work to get your cashback, online rebates are pretty easy, as we’ve seen above.
Remember that coupons are also very difficult to find — you can spend hours flipping through magazine pages until your fingers become sour online for a small price. In the current busy world, they aren’t worth it.
Why don’t you consider online rebates for saving on your grocery and entertainment purchases? Because you’re already going to purchase things regardless of whether these rebates exist or not, while you’re at it, use them.
