My Top Cash Back Sites: Save Money Every Time you Spend Money Review

I rarely shop on a site that doesn't partner with a cash back website or for which I don't have a hefty money off/free shipping/percentage off coupon code. Usually I have both a coupon code and go through a cash back site.

What is a cash back site? It is a free site that you join with an email address and password. Then, when you are ready to shop online, you log onto the site. If the online store you want to shop from is a partner of the cash back site, you will get a percentage of your purchase price back if you click through the site to do your shopping. Percentages vary from 1% to 20% and the cash back sites also have coupon codes and other perks for savvy shoppers. I belong to several cash back sites because I compare cash back percentages and one site may not partner with a site I want to shop on but another will.

I learned some are not reliable and some are really great. Here is a list of the top three cash back sites I use and why they are so good. I also added a new one I joined which, if it is gets its act together, will be an awesome site to be a part of. I have faith in it but I'm not ready to fully recommend the site to you just yet.

These are in no particular order. I like all three equally but each does have its own advantages.

• Mr. Rebates (www.mrrebates.com)

This cash back site has a large number of common and uncommon stores that offer cash back. They often have stores that I can't find on the lists of the other cash back sites I frequent. They also often have higher percentages back than the others do. Mr. Rebates offers coupon codes on the site that you can use in conjunction with their cash back incentives. You don't have to run around looking for codes because they are all right there.

The site is easy to navigate and, so far, has not missed any of my transactions,  crediting my account fast. As with all the cash back sites I have been a part of, you must wait 90 days to collect your cash back earnings. This is so that, if you make a return, the cash back amount can be adjusted. The minimum payout is $25.00 - a tad high if you're infrequent shopper - and you can get the payment through paypal or a check.

I have received a payout through paypal with absolutely no issues and I have not had any issues with missing cash back credits.

The best part about this site is that, for every friend you refer to the site, you earn 20% of their cash back amounts for as long as they shop through the site. There is no cost to them - they still get their full cash back amount. But you also get 20% of the cash back for every single friend you invite. They have links, emails, and banners for you to encourage friends to sign up through you. You can make some serious cash if you have a blog or website that gets a lot of hits. Either way, you get a $10.00 registration bonus just for signing up!

• Ebates (www.ebates.com)

Ebates was the first cash back site that I joined. It was THE cash back site back then but so many new ones have come along that Ebates has become fairly average now.

This site has many stores listed for you to click through and receive cash back and their percentages back are pretty high in general. I'm not a fan of their navigation but it isn't mind boggling, just a bit annoying. If you refer a friend, and they join and make a purchase, you'll get $5.00 credited to you. New members can choose either a $10.00 gift card at various stores or $5.00 cash credited to their account at sign up.

Every three months, you will get a check or a deposit into your paypal account for your cleared cash back. If your balance is less than $5.00, the amount will roll over until the next payout. I like that I get my money automatically without requesting it and I only have to have $5.01 in my account to get it!

I have never had a payout issue or an issue with being credited. They are responsive to inquiries about cash back transactions and often credit you while they investigate a cash back transaction that you believe you are owed.

• Fat Wallet (www.fatwallet.com)

Fat Wallet is becoming my favorite cash back site. Not only do they have many stores to choose from and good percentages back, they have amazing forums that savvy shoppers post freebie links, great deals, special savings, and ways to stack cash back and coupon codes to get the best deals. These people make me look like a novice shopper. I have saved a ton by looking at their forums for the "Hot Deals".

This site has coupon codes as well as cash back links. Fat Wallet stands out because they alert you if they see that you clicked on a site but didn't get cash back. They ask if you made a purchase or were just browsing. I like that they are on top of my clicks and remind me that I may have shopped through them. They are also amazingly friendly when you have a cash back inquiry. They have a great system for communicating on the site and always err on your side. They are the friendliest cash back site I have been a part of. I feel very secure that all my purchases will be credited to me and they will investigate any transactions I may have made but not gotten credit for. This is also the only site where I have seen consumers be able to get 1% back on all eBay auctions won.

Like the others, there is a 90 day wait for your cash. You can then request a payment via check or paypal. New members are automatically credited $5.00 in their account to get them started on their way to saving cash whether they are referred or not.

* One to Watch - Cashbaq (www.cashbaq.com)

This new cash back site has fewer stores to choose from but often the stores they do have listed aren't anywhere else or their percentage back is higher. This site offers a $5.00 sign up bonus and has coupon codes as well as cash back links. What makes this site stand out is that you get 10% of what your friends earn, 5% of what their friends earn, and 2% of what their friends earn when you refer a friend to the site. That adds up fast! The problem with this site is that they don't seem to have their act together yet as far as following up on your clicks.

I have shopped several times through the site and only one transaction was recorded. I had to fight to get the others credited. A friend that I referred is also having trouble being credited. I don't get the impression in any way that this is a rip off site. I have spoken with someone from the site and I understand that it is just starting up and they are trying to get their act together. They did credit me and I have earned $10.00 in referral bonuses in a short time.

However, right now, the site is undergoing growing pains and, while I believe they have the best intentions, I would wait a bit to see if they get the kinks out before using the site on a regular basis. They have credited me for everything but had to go through too much to get that credit when I have the above sites that pay out as well or almost as well and Cashbaq does without the hassles. Still, if you want to shop on a site that doesn't offer a percentage back on other cash back sites, give Cashbaq a try. It is free to join, you get a $5.00 sign up bonus, and you'll probably get your cash back - maybe painfree or maybe with a little nudging. I'm hoping the site becomes more reliable so I can add it to my list of favorites.

There you have my top cash back sites. There are many, many others out there. There are sites that put money into a college account for your kids and sites that donate the cash back to charity. There are sites that pay in points (like MyPoints.com) which are redeemable for prizes and there are sites that pay in cash like the above. I have tried others and wasn't pleased with them for one reason or another. I can vouch for my top three though. I trust them and I know they are honest. I have saved thousands of dollars shopping through those sites and continue to rack up cash back nearly every time I shop.

I hope this helped you to choose a cash back site or enlightened you to the very fact that these sites exist. Never shop without getting cash back and looking for coupon codes! There's money to be saved!

Thanks for reading,
Patty

PS: Know any reliable cash back sites? Let me know! I'm loyal to no site. The more to choose from, the higher the chances are that one of the sites has the store I want to shop from listed!