If you were surfing the web trying to find some honest Mr. Rebates reviews, you're in the right place. If you don't want to hear the shocking truth about this company then move on. There is nothing to see here. But if you want to know the good and bad, then read all the gory details below. Okay maybe I'm exaggerating about it being so gory. lol Either way enjoy it.
What is Mr. Rebates?
Sounds like Ebates right? Then it should not be a surprise if I told you that Mr. Rebates offers the same kind or opportunity that Ebates does. Started in 2002 by Craig Cassata, and located at www.mrrebates.com, the site offers its members the opportunity to earn cash back from shopping online. So let's get down to some brass tacks, shall we? After all, you're not just reading this review to shoot the breeze.
How does Mr. Rebates work?
Mr. Rebates has over 2500 plus stores you can choose from to shop online. These are well known stores that you already shop at such as Walmart, Target, etc. The Mr. Rebates site just links to these sites using their affiliate link. So when members of Mr. Rebates clicks on these links they earn a commission from each sale that they generate from their site. This commission is then shared with you; their members, in the form of a cash back, when you make a purchase from a store that's on their site. Sounds pretty simple, right?
How to earn money with Mr. Rebates?
So you already know that as a member you can get cash back when you shop online via Mr. Rebates. But that's not the only way you can earn money with Mr. Rebates.
Refer-a-friend
You can earn money with their refer-a-friend program as well. When you refer others to use the services that Mr. Rebates offers, you earn 20% of whatever cash back they earn. Let's face it most of us suck at referring people since we only know but so many folks. So you might want to check out my Top Free Work At Home Recommendation which teaches you how to bring tons of people to you where you can refer them to this opportunity or something else that makes you money.
How does Mr. Rebates Pay?
Rebates are credited to your account 1-35 business days. Once you've accumulated a balance of $10, you can request a check or have the money sent to you via PayPal. Payments are made on the beginning of each month for the previous months pay request.
How do you join Mr. Rebates?
Joining Mr. Rebates is free, easy and anyone can join. Visit MrRebates.com simply click on the “Join” button and fill out the registration form. The required information is as follows; your email address and preferred password, if someone referred you (optional), and your address, so they'll know where to send your check.
Mr. Rebates Hacks and Tips
Comparison shopping
Don't do it! Mr. Rebates works with a tracking system and if you've got too many windows or tabs open, this can confuse the system. A confused tracking system just might award your cash back elsewhere. If you really need to do comparison shopping, make sure you close all the windows or tabs when you're done. Clear your browser cookies and cache. Restart your browser then visit Mr. Rebates to make your final purchase.
Don't use outside coupons
Hey who does not like using coupons when they shop? But using coupon codes from outside of Mr. Rebates to make your purchase, will void cash back on your purchase, as well as negate the cash back tracking. So stick to using the coupons offered by the merchants at Mr. Rebates. This way you'll pay less and still get your cash back.
Mr. Rebates Complaints and Concerns
While there have been a few complaints, they aren't anything to write home about. A few complaints centered around not getting cash back for purchases, which you can check out below. But overall, Mr. Rebates has been good on addressing their customers' complaints and they've got an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Even so, there are a few things that may be of concern to you.
Not every item carries a cash back
As mentioned above, a few of the complaints were related to customers not receiving cash back from purchases. See, now this is what happens when we don't read the fine print; the terms and conditions. For example, cash back claims are accepted for a specific category of Amazon products only. So you have to pay careful attention to ensure that you're purchasing items eligible for cash back.
This is not the place to buy in bulk
Sometimes you just might see a sweet deal and you want to buy a few of that particular item. But this is not the place to buy in bulk. Because according to their terms and condition “Bulk/Reseller purchases may void cash back.
No guaranteed cash back
I am so not playing that game! This often relates to international orders. While most international purchases are eligible for cash back, there is no guarantee that you will receive said cash back. Apparently, some merchants have a “special” policy for international orders.
Hey, where did that store go?
Well, sometimes you just may not find that particular store you wanted to make that special purchase from. The thing is from time to time, some stores end their participation in the affiliate program. When that happens, the stores are removed from the list.
Store link does not work properly
Hey I hope you weren't in a rush to buy an item. There are times when a listed store might be temporarily down for maintenance. In a case like that, you won't be able to access the store at that point in time. So you'll have to wait a bit.
Missing cash back rebate
Oh no, say it ain't so! Wish I could but I can't. Rebates don't always post automatically so you may miss a cash back or two. Since your cash back is dependent on Mr. Rebates earning commissions on your purchases, if they don't receive a commission, then you don't get anything either. Once the merchant verifies that it will compensate Mr. Rebates, then a manual rebate can be added to your account.
Cash back claim appeal denied
If for some reason you make a claim for a cash back, this can take any where between 1-4 weeks to be resolved. So you need to be patient. However, if your cash back claim appeal is denied by the merchant, then that's it. The merchant's decision is final and is under no obligation to provide further information.
Is Mr. Rebates Legitimate or A Scam?
Mr. Rebates is absolutely legitimate. It's not an opportunity to quit your day job over but if you're a regular online shopper, then it might be a nice little income earning opportunity for you. However, if online shopping isn't your thing but you are looking for an opportunity to earn serious cash, then you might want to check out my Top Free Work At Home Recommendation and my Work At Home Courses. With multiple streams of income, you can earn way more than what Mr Rebates might ever offer you.
So that's it from me. If you've had experience with cash back shopping with Mr Rebates, I'd love to hear your take on it. As always, I hope this was helpful to you and I look forward to hearing from you.
Until next time,
Eddy with a y
I’ve used Mr. Rebates now for several years and I’ve gotten nearly $2k back but I do a lot of online shopping but I must say I have never experienced a price increase.
I am so hooked on cash back,I sometimes will purchase online for the cashback and convenience and pickup in store. So far I’ve never had issue with any of my purchases. I even when I purchased my hot water heater online from home Depot for the cashback and it was picked up by my plumber the desk day which was a win win in my book.
I do have a few referrals and it’s not a big contributor to by final dollar amount but I enjoy sharing the site with friends and family. However, my favorite feature of the referral program is that it shows up totally anonymously on my account. I don’t know how, what, or where it only shows me my share.
Thanks for sharing your experience Anne!
0As a frequent online shopper, take my advice to stay away from this type of setup where the buyer will pay a higher price for lower-quality merchandise.
Read on to see why.
1. Well-known key to success in best value at least expense is COMPETITION. Not captivity of one market where Eddy says this happens if you dare to compare prices:
“Don’t do it! … A confused tracking system just might award … cashback elsewhere.”
But no live creature is confused by the above scenario as a feature to make non-loyalty abused twice by high price and lost fractional cashback. Guess who gets to keep those tiny crumbs that become tidy sums in the long run.
2. So many middlemen paid on a sale leave no profit for end retail consumers.
Once again, Eddy tells us …
“This is not the place to buy in bulk … According to terms and condition ‘Bulk/Reseller purchases may void cash back.'”
Golly, gee whiz! Why?COMPETITION by littlemen who’d buy the same huge quantities that gain middlemen big profits?
Why else do T&Cs also have fine print like the line below?
“Don’t use outside coupons.”
Extra discounts are decided in-house with most to gain if amounts stay low but those who pay more remain shut out.
2. Distant suppliers prove liars that vanish off Cyberspace with no trace for victims holding empty trick bags v. cashback.
De ja vu: “Hey, where did that store go?”
3. No remorse or legal recourse on affiliate marketer agents v. principal makers of bad products bought with good funds lost by parties at no fault in their high cost but 0 profit
One last big flaw in every cash-BACK scheme is quite easily seen as cash-IN a far higher sum prior to a much later date that may not ever come but guarantees 0% interest rate.
I’m not really sure about your argument about paying more. Essentially all sites like this are affiliate middlemen. You’re getting the same prices visiting the partner stores as you would going through the middlemen. To my knowledge if I click on a mr rebates link to target, the prices on the target store automatically get higher.
Now where I do agree is that you might be able to find coupons that make items way cheaper than the cash back a site like mr rebates provides. So I agree you should price shop beforehand to determine if you’re saving more by skipping sites like mr rebates that don’t honor your external coupon.
Eddy, I think Mr. Rebates is good for people who love shopping and save money or do something to get something more out of it, 10$ minimum payout it cool.
But honestly, I would not be joining it because I am not buying things online regularly and I am rather interested in something that lets me make a living out of what I am doing online, I mean it would be better to promote an affiliate program rather than referring this to people right? Thank you for this post, your site is awesome, I am going to check the other programs that you have suggested as well!
Even if you don’t buy online often, it’s still worth using sites like this to get some money back. I also think it is worth promoting this program as well if it makes sense for your niche.
I have never heard of Mr. Rebates before! Thank you for your thorough review.
I am a regular Ibotta user. Have you heard of this app before? It sounds similar. If you regularly use Mr. Rebates, about how long can you expect until you hit the $10.00 cash out? Super interesting stuff!
Thank you, Eddy with a y!
Yes it’s similar concept as ibotta where ibotta is more focused on grocery shopping for the most part. Mr rebates covers more type of shopping. But it’s the same concept. I’ve reviewed ibotta in the past and still recommend it regularly. I have no idea how long it would take to reach the $10 cashout. I guess it all depends on how much you shop and what you buy.
I’ve never used any of those apps or programs where you can earn cash for your purchases, but I’ll admit it had been tempting to try some of them out.
I like that you can use it for your purchases online which a lot of us do more these days. I know not every retailer is supported, but still it’s worth a shot to earn some money. Thanks for posting this review.
You’re welcome Brian. I definitely encourage you to try these type of programs out. They are easy ways to earn a little money for something you’ll do anyway.
Thanks for the review. I appreciate it.
I had not heard of this way of getting rebates before at all. It’s definitely something to consider and investigate a little further. Thanks for the tip about the cookie and browser to make sure I get my cash back credited to me.
You’re welcome.
Hi Eddy – thanks for the thorough review of Mr. Rebates. I’ve never actually heard of them before, but I have heard of Ebates, which you said is the same idea. I do like that Mr. Rebates will let you cash out once your account hits $10; with Ebates you get paid once per quarter, regardless of account balance. That said, it does sound like you have to take a lot of steps to make sure this site operates the right way (no comparison shopping, and having to get up on them to credit you for commissions, etc). That said, passive income is passive income, so it’s good information!
Yeah I agree the fact you can cash out at $10 makes it better than ebates in that way. Thanks for chiming in.
Greetings,
Well, I thank you not only for the information, but providing a chuckle, Eddy!
I believe I came across Mr. Rebates over a year ago; it looked interesting, but it can be so difficult to separate the real from the fake, that I opted not to move forward. So glad I read your article; like you said, this really isn’t a way to make the substantial income one may desire.
Hey Veronica,
I’m glad you enjoyed the review and I could entertain you at the same time. Mr ebates is legit but definitely not a sustainable way of earning money. But it can be a nice way to earn for something you’re already doing.