The very best cash back online shopping sites

With prices rising, cashback shopping sites and cashback apps can help you save. Best of all, they’re free to use. All it takes is a little work on your part to research, register and use the sites most appropriate for your spending.

Some sites may offer a sign-up bonus when you first register or make your first purchase. Others offer the option of donating your cashback to charity. Here are six popular cashback sites to consider.

1. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is an online rewards program that enables you to earn points you can redeem from favorite retailers such as Amazon or Walmart. You also have the option of getting cash back from PayPal. The Swagbucks website advertises that it gives out over 7,000 free gift cards every day. In addition to online shopping, you can earn points by searching through the Swagbucks search engine, taking various surveys, watching certain videos, and reading news through Swagbucks.

2. Rakuten

You might be familiar with eBates. It’s now called Rakuten, which was the name of its parent company. According to Rakuten’s site, stores pay them a commission for sending you their way and then Rakuten shares the commission with you as cashback viaPayPal or check. You can sign up through the website, and shop viathe website or app. Stores include Target, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Saks, Nike, Ulta, Sam’s Club and more. Since it launched as Rakuten, the site started offering cashback on new categories such as rideshares and food delivery.

3.Shopkick

Shopkick rewards both in-store and online shoppers with reward points called “kicks.” You redeem your kicks for free digital gift cards. This retail app lets you earn points for visiting stores, scanning barcodes, watching videos in the app and more. It has partnered with major brand retailers, including Target, Best Buy, T.J. Maxx, eBay and more. Once you download and register your app, you can start earning kicks. While you can earn for some of the things we mentioned above, you earn the most points for purchasing an item and scanning the receipt into the app.

4.MyPoints

Earn points by shopping at your favorite retailers, including Home Depot, Walmart, Best Buy and Amazon with MyPoints. There are more than 1,900 participating retailers. With MyPoints, you can get alerts in your browser for point-earning opportunities and coupon codes when you shop online. You can also earn points for completing online surveys. Redeem your points for gift cards, travel miles or get a transfer to your PayPal account. Once you’ve completed your profile and registered, you’re free to start earning points.

5.BeFrugal

BeFrugal advertises the highest cashback guaranteed, with no points or rewards to monitor. Register online, shop through BeFrugal at any of 5,000+ stores and earn cashback whenever you make a purchase. You will receive earnings through your choice of check, PayPal, direct deposit, Venmo, Zelle or gift card. You don’t have to worry about collecting coupons because BeFrugal automatically applies them to your purchase. Check out the site to see daily top cashback offers and deals from outlets including Macy’s,

Walgreens, Staples, JC Penney, Hotels.com and more.

6. Dosh

The Dosh app gets you automatic cash back at thousands of places where you shop, dine or book online. Simply download the Dosh app and link your credit card, debit card or check if your favorite way to pay offers a cashback experience option through Dosh. No need to scan receipts— just swipe your linked card. Dosh deposits the cashback into your wallet automatically. Once you have a minimum of $25 accumulated, you can transfer to your bank, PayPal or Venmo. Dosh advertises over 10,000 places to get cashback including Instacart, Uber, Grubhub, Apple Music, Dunkin’, Sephora and more.

Safety and security on cashback shopping sites

Whenever using an app, you’ll want to make sure it is focused on safety and security. Many use multi-factor and two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access. When you’re researching the best app for your needs, be sure to check their safety information. Benchmark Federal Credit Union offers a continuous news feed of security alerts at https://www. benchmarkfcu.org/security-center/

Rebecca Worthington is the Vice President of Community Relations at Benchmark Federal Credit Union. The only federal credit union to exclusively serve Chester County, Benchmark was named Business of the Year by the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce and honored with the 2021 Corporate Partner Award by Arc of Chester County. For more information on credit union eligibility and protecting your financial well-being, visit BenchmarkFCU.org.

Rebecca Worthington