The first site I ever used to earn money back for making purchases online was Upromise. It works very much like many of the other cash back sites except its basic premise is to save the money you earn and use it for college. There are so many ways to earn money, too.
Warning… Warning… Warning…
This is going to be one long post.
Shopping Online
Start your online shopping at upromise.com. From there you can search for an item and find comparison prices or search for a certain store. You can use the convenient drop down box to see the stores available or click on the link to the right of the search box to see all stores and services.
Each store has its own cash back rate. This can be 1% or 10% or even more. Every so often Upromise will send you an email listing stores currently doubling their cash back amount.
When you find the store or item you want, then click on the link to be taken to their site. Upromise will track your transaction and, if you make a purchase, then your account will be credited based on the percentaged offered. Remember, the cash back is earned on the purchase only, not the shipping or taxes paid. Much of my initial earnings were accumulated by shopping through Upromise.
Shopping Offline
Did you know you can earn cash back on every single purchase you make? With the Upromise MasterCard you earn 1% on every purchase made, anywhere you shop. Earn 2% on eligible gas purchases from Exxon and Mobil. And earn 10% on thousands of participating grocery and drugstore items. Click here to see the list.
As you can see from the image above, you will earn an additional $25 after your first qualified use. I do not believe this was offered when I signed up.
if you are paying interest on what you buy, then that 1% you are earning is not worth it
Now, I do not condone charging things if you do not have the money to pay for the item. I use my Upromise card for everything. I pay my phone bill and cellphone bill with it. I swear I would pay my mortgage and Jeep payments, too, if I could. This is done to maximize my earnings. The majority of my Upromise earnings are through the use of my Upromise MasterCard. My credit card is paid off every single month. I am not judging or telling anyone what they should or should not do, but if you are paying interest on what you buy, then that 1% you are earning is not worth it.
Grocery and Drug Stores
Register your CVS, Kroger, Food Lion, etc. Those are the stores in my area. Just enter your zip code and find what stores participate in your area. After you have activated all your eligible cards, then head on over to the Upromise e-coupons page. Currently there are 3 pages of e-coupons available. When you purchase an item using your shopper’s reward card your account will be credited the amount of the e-coupon.
I recommend printing a list of the coupons you save for easy reference. I have saved $4.75 with Upromise e-coupons during the course of the current year. No windfall, but $4.75 more than I had and for things I would buy anyway.
Upromise e-coupons are different than Cellfire or Shortcuts. Whereas Cellfire and Shortcuts e-coupons come off your receipt at the time of payment, Upromise e-coupons do not show on your receipt, but in your Upromise account.
TurboSaver
I know, all you wanted was another toolbar on your browser. Well, with the Upromise toolbar, when you visit a participating store’s site, the toolbar will alert you to potential savings so you never miss out when you are shopping online. This saves you the trouble of going to the Upromise site and seeking the store there first. Just surf the web as usual and Upromise intuitively knows and reminds you of potential savings.
Oh, and right now, having TurboSaver installed on your computer automatically enters you into the Upromise $50K Pre-Holiday Giveaway. And who couldn’t use $50,000 for the holidays or life in general, am I right?
Friends and Family
Enlist your friends and family to help you increase your college savings. Click on friends and family savings to the left while you are on your account page. You will be taken to another page listing your friends and family already set up to help you. There will be a link to invite others to help. You will send an email to anyone you wish to enlist. Once they sign up for their free Upromise account, then they can elect a portion or all of their savings to be given to you. Nifty, right?
Eating Out
Upromise can save you money when you eat at participating restaurants, too. Enter your zip code to find the list or restaurants in your area and save every time you dine. Make sure you register your credit or debit card [does not have to be the Upromise MasterCard] with Upromise, then use that registered card to pay for your meal and your account will be credited.
Using Your Earnings
There are several ways to use your Upromise savings. Pay student loans, invest in a 529, give to others, or you can request a check. That is right, you can cash out and use your savings for anything you want.
CONGRATULATIONS
You made it all the way to the end of my very long post. So, there you have it. The long and short of Upromise. Why not join today and start saving for – anything.
All images courtesy of Upromise.com.
Disclaimer: I was not paid nor asked to write this post. I wrote it of my own free will because I believe it to be a program worth [my] and your time. Any links used are affiliate links and I will earn a small pittance if you join after clicking through one of my links.
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[...] I am a college student. I am the mom of a college student. I use Upromise and have earned just over … (anneonlife.com) [...]