Ebates is currently offering cash back on gift cards at a select number of stores. I wonder if it makes sense to purchase gift cards for myself. I’ll not only receive cash back for purchasing the cards but I’ll also earn additional cash back if I use the cards to make online purchases via Ebates. In essence it seems that I could earn double cash back. I’m thinking of trying this technique at half.com where I tend to buy inexpensive used books from time to time.
It appears 39 stores offer cash back for the purchase of gift cards. Here are a few:
- Zappos.com — 6%
- Home Depot — 4%
- Borders — 3%
- Sephora — 4%
- Kohl’s — 2%
- Half.com — 3%
- Buy.com — 1%
- Cooking.com — 6%
- RedEnvelope — 6%
- Container Store — 4%
If you aren’t a member of Ebates yet you can sign up via this link and earn an extra $10 in cash back if you make a purchase by December 31st.
Just be sure to watch out for the fine print. Gift cards are notoriously stingy when it comes to expiration dates and hidden fees. They also provide an incentive to spend when you otherwise might not, so be sure you were already planning on spending that money at that particular store. Happy shopping and great blog (today was my first visit)!
Hmmm.. not a bad idea… I do love half.com… thanks for the tip… I’ll have to think about doing that..
A while back I actually tried purchasing gift cards as a way to curb my spending. I bought gift cards thinking I wouldn’t spend more than the alloted value of the card. It didn’t work so well for me. So you might be right, I might be better off not purchasing gift cards at sites where I might poke around and spend too much money.