Amazon
Of all the online retailers out there, the one that has changed my life the most is Amazon. Amazon just makes it so easy to buy basically anything, from clothes to household items to food. However, what a lot of people don’t know is that there are small ways to save money while shopping at Amazon. Amazon’s online shopping rewards program comes in the form of its Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card which shoppers can use to earn a percentage back on purchases, saving them money in the future.
One of my favorite ways to save with Amazon is by subscribing to the items I buy all the time, such as paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, floss, etc. By subscribing, Amazon sends me new items whenever I’m about to run out, and I also save a few cents that add up in the end. Another thing I’m sure to keep in mind when shopping on Amazon is the fluctuating prices. Whether they fluctuate up or down, I’m always sure to find the best deal out there.
Airline Shopping Portals
Another great online shopping rewards program comes in the form of airline shopping portals. Sounds futuristic, right? You see, there are several major airlines that award you with frequent flier miles when you make purchases through their online shopping portals. And, I probably don’t have to tell you, especially if you’re as budget-conscious as I am, that those miles add up over time.
The amount of value here can vary at times between participating retailers. Some of my favorites offer as many as six points per dollar, so spending $500, for example, can earn me roughly 3,000 miles. I can then use those miles toward a variety of redemptions, including a future flight. Jet Blue, United, Southwest Airlines, and American Airlines are just some of the airlines that offer these rewards. With American Airlines, in particular, free flights start at just 7,500 miles. I’ve been eyeing a round-trip flight to Hawaii and I’m so close!
Credit Cards
If you prefer to have your shopping rewards directly linked to your method of payment, this one is for you. Many credit card companies offer you rewards in the forms of cashback, percentages back, and points when you use them to shop at participating stores.
For example, with my Barclays card, for every dollar I spend, I get a point that represents 1% savings. If I buy groceries, I get two points, which turns into 2% savings. It really adds up fast with the amount of online shopping I do. Quite frankly, I think anyone who is doing online shopping without getting some percentage back on their purchases is making a big mistake. You don’t even have to think about using this one. It just does it all for you!
Shopkick
Speaking of versatility, Shopkick is another online shopping rewards program that works with other programs on this list—it’s actually my favorite. I really like Shopkick because it turns all of my online shopping sessions into super fun scavenger hunts for points, which the app calls kicks. It’s super easy to use and the ways to earn kicks are often things I do every time I do my online shopping anyway.
Shopkick is a free mobile app that pays you to shop. The way it works is you download the app, use it to shop at featured online retailers, and earn kicks. If you watch a video to learn more about a product, you’ll get kicks. If you purchase a featured item, you’ll get kicks. Once you earn enough kicks, you can trade them for gift cards to a variety of stores.
Rakuten
Rakuten, which used to be an app called Ebates, is an app that I like to use to get cashback on the purchases that I make online, and only online because this one doesn’t work in stores. The way it works is pretty simple, too. You just download the Rakuen app, and then instead of doing your online shopping through another app or website, you do it through the Rakuten app instead.
Here’s a pro tip: you can also add a Google Chrome extension to your web browser. What happens then, is that it adds a Rakuten cashback button that appears whenever you visit a site that has a deal to offer to you. If that’s not enough, Rakuten also has a feature called Coupon Magic, which even automatically applies coupons as you shop, giving you more cashback during the checkout process.
FlipGive
FlipGive is awesome because it doesn’t help you just save, it helps you save for a good cause. The way it works is that the online deals you find through FlipGive channels the money you are saving to a charitable cause. It takes your savings and it flips it to giving toward causes such a child’s doctor bills or to a local youth sports league.
Like some of the other programs on my list—specifically Big Crumbs and Rakuten—you make purchases through FlipGive’s online portal at any one of its affiliated online retailers. I’ve definitely used it to save money for me and my family with Warby Parker, for example, which is my favorite place to buy glasses online! And what’s even better is Warby Parker makes a 15% cash-back donation to the cause I pick.
