If you're anything like me you have done some shopping online and you're not alone. According to research, eight out of ten Americans shop online. Surprised? I am not. Some companies like BeFrugal give you even more of an incentive to show online since they offer cash back to shoppers.
You have probably checked BeFrugal reviews online, but you're not sure if they're actually legit. Well, after weeks of research, we have compiled our findings down below. So read up before joining BeFrugal.
What is BeFrugal?
BeFrugal found at BeFrugal.com is a web-based Cash Back and coupon website. If you're familiar with Ebates, then it's pretty much the same thing. BeFrugal is owned by Capital Intellect, Inc. Founder and current CEO Jon Lal started BeFrugal.com in 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. Back then the website featured both online and printable coupons and promo codes for restaurants, grocery stores and the like. It was not until 2011 that BeFrugal.com added the Cash Back system to the website. By end 2014, BeFrugal.com members had spent a whopping $250 million worth of shopping through the website.
How Does BeFrugal Work?
BeFrugal partners with several online retailers to drive traffic to their websites. In exchange, these online retailers pay commissions to BeFrugal. This is actually referred to as affiliate marketing and how I make a full time income online. But BeFrugal flips it a bit by using a portion of the commissions they earn reward its users for shopping through their website. There are basically two elements of their website.
Cash Back
At the time of this review, BeFrugal boasts of having partnered with over 5,000 online stores to offer rebates to customers who shop through their website. Once you create an account with BeFrugal and shop through it, they will refund you part of the amount you spent on your purchase. They claim to be able to give back 100% of the commissions they earn from the stores that feature in their website. They even go further to announce that in 2016, they gave out 102% of the commissions they earned from driving shoppers to the partner stores.
Coupons and Deals
BeFrugal claims to be in partnership with over 50,000 stores, including the largest 500 online stores in the United States to offer coupons and deals to users who shop through their website.
How to Earn Money with BeFrugal
The process of earning money with BeFrugal is pretty straightforward.
Step 1: Sign Up
Go to BeFrugal.com and sign up. Immediately you sign up you will receive a $10 sign up bonus. You can then proceed to choose whether you want to receive cash back, get deals on various items, or receive coupons plus cash back.
Step 1: Shop
Once you select whether you want cash back, deals or coupons, you can then proceed and make a purchase. Start shopping the normal way you would shop on Amazon, for example. The percentage cash back you receive depends on which store you are shopping at. While writing this review, for example, I would be eligible for up to 11% cash back if I chose to buy products from Lenovo.
Step 3: Get Paid
After completing a purchase, the amount of cash back will reflect on your account. Sometimes it takes a while (up to 60 days) for the cashback to appear. Different stores have different policies concerning this.
Did you know that there are websites like Swagbucks.com and Fusioncash.com where you don't have to shop for anything to earn money? Well, now you know. You can also check out My Best Work At Home Recommendation, for a guaranteed way of earning income online.
How Do I Get Paid by BeFrugal?
At the time of this review, BeFrugal has three types of payment; Check, PayPal and Amazon Gift Cards. The minimum amount is $25, and it will take up to 10 business days for your payment to process. As per their terms, BeFrugal will pay you once they get paid from the partner you shopped from.
BeFrugal Features, Hacks and Tips
Here are some insider tips that you can use to make sure you get the most out of the website.
Browser Integration
Enable cookies on your browser. The cookies will allow the website to track your transaction history and keep your cash back amount up to date. Also, install the BeFrugal Toolbar on your browser. It assists you track your progress while accumulating cash back and coupons.
BeFrugal Weekly Ads and Offers
The website has a special page that advertises the best deals available from different stores. You can keep checking these offers periodically, as they change with time.
BeFrugal Mobile App
IPhone and iPad users can use the BeFrugal app to shop on the go. The app is available in the App Store.
CouponoMatic
This new feature is available on the Toolbar. Once you are done shopping, the coupons you are eligible for will be added automatically to your cart, instead of adding them yourself the traditional way.
Drive or Fly Calculator
This travel assist feature enables users determine whether it would be cheaper to fly or drive to any destination within the United States. The feature bases its calculations on your vehicle model, the route, toll fees, hotel costs and taxi charges to and from the airport.
How Much To Spend On a Car
This feature assists you to determine how much you should spend on a car vis-?-vis how much you can. It basically assists you to reduce the expenses on the car you drive.
BeFrugal Referral Program
Another way to earn through BeFrugal is through their referral program. You will earn $15 for every person that signs up using your referral link. Your referral also gets a $10 sign up bonus.
What We Like About BeFrugal
The website markets itself as being the cashback company with the best rates out there. Well, here's our version of what makes them stand out.
Positive BBB Rating
At the time of writing this review, their BBB rating is an A+, for some of you this rating is a must. This could be owed to their elaborate customer care system that features live chat sessions.
Bonuses Everywhere
They pay you to be a member, and then pay you to shop. The website is all about making you save while shopping. Their partner list portfolio is as titanic as they come. Almost every other online store is a partner.
BeFrugal Complaints
After reading all this you may think BeFrugal is a shopper's fairy tale. Unfortunately, I'll have to burst your bubble a bit. Like every company, there are complaints against BeFrugal. But we'll let you judge if they're bad or not.
Not Every Product Earns You Cash Back
Some products, for example beauty and personal care products are not eligible for cash back. Some customers complained of deceptive means of having you sign up for an account, only to find the purchase you intended to make does not have cash back.
Spam and Multiple Marketing Emails
Once you create a BeFrugal account, be prepared to receive spam. Some users complained of receiving tons of emails daily. To make matters worse, some offers turn out to be a wild goose chase.
Cash Back Takes Too Long To Reflect
A good number of users, shopped, but did not receive cash back for weeks. The customer care team might be very responsive to questions, but sometimes all the help you can get is being referred to their terms of use.
Poor Connectivity Might Cost You Cash Back
While writing this review, I ran into this complaint more than once on their BBB page. You will need to have flawless internet connectivity to ensure a seamless transaction from purchase to the cashback reflecting on your account. Just make sure you paid the internet people before making a purchase. You will also need to ensure you clear you browser ”cookies” and cache before shopping to ensure that BeFrugal's tracking works properly.
Is BeFrugal Legitimate?
Will you save money while shopping with BeFrugal? Yes. Is it a viable work from home option? Not by a long shot. It's not really meant to be a consistent source of income like a Swagbucks.com or Fusioncash.com. But it's definitely a nice way to earn money for something you would be doing anyway.
However, if you're looking for a way to make real money consistently, you may want to check out my My Best Work At Home Recommendation.
As always, if you have questions, comments or suggestions, we would love to hear from you. Chime in below!
Until next time,
Eddy with a y
BeFrugal has only worked on 1/10 of my eBay purchases. Each time, I made purchases of around $1,000-5,000. I made sure that all my purchases were within their valid categories and was careful not use any other coupon codes. When I contacted customer service, they gave the generic response that they cannot look into cash back inquiries for that site. I am thinking they did not want to pay out… I lost a over $400 cash back by choosing BeFrugal over Ebates and not using any of my eBay coupons in the process. I wish they would at least give a clear explanation what went wrong.
Thanks Eddy!! I just found your site today & bookmarked it & put you in my favs. I will be back soon & I mean real soon. I have to leave for an appt that I’m going to be a few mins late to BC I couldn’t stop reading & checking out everything on your site. I be back ASAP & again thank you so so much. Your website is GREAT, WONDERFUL & PACKED WITH KNOWLEDGEABLE INFO.
Sincerely
Julie
I’m glad you find it useful Julie!
Hi Eddy, thanks for a great article! I have heard of BeFrugal before and I was convinced it was a scam so steered clear, but I’ll be rethinking that now!
I see that you can shop via amazon, where else can you shop to get these benefits?
Thanks for the review, I’ll check it out
You’re welcome. You can check out their site to see what other shops they have. But it seems to be all the big ones you’re accustomed to.
Thanks for your review, I’ll definitely check this out. Being financially strapped at the moment, I am always looking for ways to save money. I am also going to check out some of the other companies that you mentioned. I appreciate your information and I am definitely going to check it out.
You’re very welcome!
Hey Eddy, great article.
I love to learn about more ways that I can earn a little extra cash on the side, and this article was a great way to get introduced to Be Frugal! I’ll be sure to check out the other sites you recommended as well. Thanks again for this review.
You’re welcome.
Thanks a lot for clarifying and posting a review on this man. There are sooo many scams online and honestly, it’s soo hard to differentiate scams from real opportunities. I have quit my job to work from home, but had a few difficulties recently that stopped my income flow for a bit, so am looking for ways to supplement my income. Thanks for the recommendation, will definitely look into this!
You’re very welcome.
Great information! I had never heard of BeFrugal before. I have heard of EBates. Although you have a great description and information regarding BeFrugal, but I’m skeptical about another “cash back” type of services. I really don’t have time to have several types of accounts. Can you tell me what benefits I would get if I use BeFrugal that I don’t get with EBates?
Honestly, I don’t really see any huge benefits. Most of these cash back sites work the same. But it never hurts to check. Maybe one has stores that aren’t covered by the other.
Ebates/Rakuten is a company based in China, whereas BeFrugal is a US company. US shoppers using Ebates is another drain on our economy. Also, because the entire rebate is passed on to the shopper, small retailers can better afford to offer rebates on BeFrugal. It’s tough to compete against the big corporations.
Ebates was recently purchased by Rakuten. And I’m not sure how an rebate is a “drain on our economy”.
Correction: Ebates is Japanese.
Hello Eddy, thanks for your informative and thorough article on Befrugal.
I’m usually skeptical of companies like Befrugal. Can a person really earn money online from companies as such online businesses? I’m on disability and would love to supplement my income.
I’ll be watching for more ideas on your website and any good advise that you have.
You’re welcome. But this isn’t a home business opportunity. It’s just a way to get paid for shopping you may do online. The recommendations I listed on this page are more inline with ways to supplement your income. So check them out. They’re actually legitimate.