One of the best life hacks, if you ask me, is getting paid to spend money.
It's usually referred to as cash back but the way I see it is, you're getting paid for stuff you were going to buy anyway.
All you need to do? Sign up for some sites and start getting paid on every single purchase you make. Read this guide to learn how to get paid to shop online like a pro.
3 Main Ways to Get Paid to Shop Online
There are 3 main ways to get paid to shop online:
- Cash back apps and websites
- Cash back credit cards
- Coupon Sites
I've made over $1000 already in just 2 years using these methods.
The best part is you can use all 3 to triple-up your rewards and make the most money possible.
Top Cashback Apps and Websites
How It Works: Cash back portals are free to join and give you anywhere from 2% to sometimes 50% cash back from popular stores. These sites partner with stores and earn a commission when you shop through their site. Then they split that commission with you and that's how they're able to pay you.
Not at all cash back sites are the same. You obviously want the highest rewards and the fastest payments. I researched the major players so you can choose the best one(s) for you:
1. Rakuten
Overall: Most popular option on this list with 3%-40% cash back rewards |
Payment Methods: Check or PayPal |
Minimum to Cash Out: $5.01 |
Rakuten gives you cash back from over 2500 stores and it also automatically finds coupons for you. It's one of the highest paying cash back portals and thus one of the most popular.
Their cash back offers range from 3%-40% and they have all the popular stores (Amazon, Target, Wal-Mart, etc). They pay you every 3 months with a "Big Fat Check" or PayPal and it feels like free money every time.
How To Use It:
- Sign up for free
- Install their browser extension
- It will automatically tell you if there's a deal or coupon when you're shopping online
- You can also visit their website for hundreds of stores and offers happening right now
2. BeFrugal
Overall: Best alternative to Rakuten. Their website says they have the "highest rates" and they have 5000+ stores |
Payment Methods: Check, Direct Deposit, PayPal, Venmo, or Gift Card |
Minimum to Cash Out: $0.01 (except for check which is $25) |
BeFrugal offers cash back at over 5000 stores and coupons for over 50,000 stores. Their website says they guarantee the highest rates because they give shoppers 100% of the commissions from their partners.
BeFrugal might not be the prettiest website or the most popular option, but they offer the most payment methods and most stores from my research.
How To Use It:
- Sign up for free
- Install the browser extension
- It will automatically tell you if there's a deal or coupon when you're shopping online
- You can also visit their website for hundreds of stores and offers happening right now
3. Lolli
Overall: Not the highest rewards or most stores but it's a fun option if you want to earn Bitcoin |
Payment Methods: Bitcoin transfer or bank transfer |
Minimum to Cash Out: $15 |
Would you rather get paid cash back in the form of Bitcoin? If so, there's an app for that called Lolli. It lets you get free Bitcoin when you shop at over 1000 stores and it offers up to 30% rewards.
The downside is it doesn't have as many offers as sites like Rakuten or BeFrugal. And it takes 30-90 to verify your rewards. However, if you want to earn Bitcoin, Lolli is a fun option that's available!
How To Use It:
- Sign up for free
- Install the Lolli browser extension
- Whenever you're shopping, the extension will notify you if rewards are available
4. Ibotta
Overall: Good mobile app but you'll probably save more with Rakuten or BeFrugal |
Payment Methods: PayPal, Direct Deposit or, Gift Card |
Minimum to Cash Out: $20 |
Ibotta is a free browser extension and mobile app that is partnered with hundreds of stores. You can get paid to shop online, in-store, and by connecting your debit or credit card.
It might be a good option if you want a good mobile app. But if you want to save the most money, Rakuten or BeFrugal have more stores, more deals and more savings.
5. ShopKick
Overall: Gives you up to 6 ways to earn rewards. Good option if you want more ways to get paid for shopping |
Payment Methods: Gift cards of your choice from popular stores |
Minimum to Cash Out: $2 |
I like ShopKick because it gives you up to 6 ways to earn rewards. You can earn by watching videos, walking into stores, scanning barcodes, shopping online and more. It doesn't pay the highest cash back rewards but it's good if you want additional ways to earn.
6. Drop
Overall: Not the best rewards but can be used in addition to Rakuten, BeFrugal or something else |
Payment Methods: Gift cards |
Minimum to Cash Out: $25 |
Drop works slightly different than the options above. On Drop, you link your debit or credit card inside the app and you automatically get points when you spend on your card.
It doesn't give you much rewards but Drop can be used in addition to cash back portals and cash back credit cards. So if you want to maximize every dollar, sign up for Drop as well.
How To Use It:
- Download the app
- Link your debit/credit card
- Pick your 5 favorite cash back stores
- Automatically receive rewards when you shop at those stores
Cash Back Credit Cards
On top of rewards sites, you can double your rewards by also getting a high cash back credit card.
By using a credit card you'll get 1%-5% cash back for every purchase you make. This adds up and you will save thousands over the years.
All it takes is 20 minutes to apply for a credit card and you’ll also be building your credit score. Just make your payments on time and don’t buy anything if you don’t have cash for it.
How To Use It:
- Google: "Highest cash back credit cards"
- Apply for one (or more) that you like
- Start using credit for every purchase you make and earn rewards
Coupon Finders
Coupons are the third way to save when you're shopping online.
Luckily, you don't have to manually search for coupons anymore. It comes built in to most of the cash back browser extensions like Rakuten. It will automatically search the internet for coupons for you so you always get the best deal.
Tips to Make the Most Money
If you want to maximize every dollar when shopping online (because who doesn't?), here are a few tips:
Combine Offers - To get the most possible rewards, sign up for Rakuten, a cash back credit card, and link your credit/debit card with Drop to get rewards from 3 places! Set this up once and your earnings will be maximized for every purchase.
Don't Spend Extra Money - Only make purchases you were going to buy anyways. Increasing your spending because "it's on sale" is very counterproductive.
Compare Offers - Each portal has different offers all the time. You can check multiple websites to see which store has the best cash back at that time.
The Bottom Line
Shopping online won't make you rich, but you might as well get paid for it.
If you invest a little bit of time, you can get paid for every single purchase you make.
All you have to do? Set up the tools above and you're ready to save thousands of dollars over the years!