Ebates Reports Back to School Shopping is More Frugal Than Ever

From Kindergarten to College: Ebates Helps Students and Their Families Head Back to School with Money in Their Pockets

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ebates®, the leader and pioneer in online cash back shopping, says families are more frugal this year than last when it comes to back-to-school purchases. As gas prices and the unemployment rate remain high, Ebates has seen more activity from online shoppers wanting online coupons, free shipping, and cash back through Ebates.com.

“I always check on Ebates first before heading to the store or mall. The cash back usually adds up to about $300 for the year”

“We’re seeing a 50% increase in purchases through Ebates compared to this time last year and we suspect it’s because Americans are more frugal than ever,” says Kevin Johnson, CEO of Ebates. “Not only can you get better deals on back-to-school shopping through Ebates, but you can also save time by avoiding long lines and traffic at the store,” Johnson added.

This comes as Ebates special back-to-school sale begins - offering up to 12 percent cash back at dozens of leading retailers including: Barnes & Noble, JC Penney, Kohl’s, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Sears, Sephora, and Walmart.

It’s free to sign up on Ebates.com and families have saved millions on everything from clothing, shoes, and school supplies for the young students; to laptops, dorm room furniture, and even textbooks for the college students.

Amanda Tripp of Portland shops on Ebates throughout the year and saves the cash she gets back just for these types of back-to-school items. “I always check on Ebates first before heading to the store or mall. The cash back usually adds up to about $300 for the year,” says Tripp. “When back to school time comes around, I use that cash for my children’s clothing and shoes.”

“It’s really that simple,” Johnson concludes. “We pay you to shop online.”

In addition to the exclusive back to school sales that run through August 31, Ebates shares 5 tips to give online shoppers the best bang for their buck while purchasing items for the students in the family:

1) Do the Math on Big Savings

On big-ticket items such as laptops, smartphones, and video games you can save big if you do a little homework. Free shipping offers are available at a number of stores; while others may be offering increased savings for back to school products, like you’ll find right now with extra cash back offered at 12 stores on Ebates including Dell and HP Home. Make a list of total savings, add them up, and go with the store that offers the best overall deal.

2) Click on Coupons

Just because you don’t have a coupon in hand, doesn’t mean you can’t get big savings. Find DOUBLE cash-back offers, over 5,000 online coupons and free shipping codes on anything from clothes, shoes, accessories and even school supplies on Ebates right now.

3) Curb Impulse Shopping

Not only are you saving on gas by not driving to the store, but you are also less likely to put items in your basket that you don’t really need. You may even help your diet by not being tempted by that candy bar at the check-out line!

4) Deals on Daily Necessities

Need contacts for class, or a new supply of make-up? Purchase everyday items through stores like 1800Contacts and Sephora, where you can get 5% and 8% cash back. You just made extra money on something you had to buy anyway!

5) Rent to Save

College students can save by purchasing used and reduced-price textbooks through Ebates on sites like Chegg, Textbooks.com, and TextbookStop. Even these sites offer coupons or cash back with a check in the mail or money in your PayPal account.

About Ebates®

Over 1,200 online stores have joined the roster of retailers that offer cash back, special deals including free shipping, and over 5000 coupons to members of Ebates.com. The free membership allows consumers to shop online at their favorite retailers while earning a percentage of every purchase they make; paid quarterly in the form of a "Big Fat Check" or through PayPal. From niceties to necessities, members of Ebates benefit from incentives at top-name merchants for everything from furniture to fashion and appliances to airfare. Because shopping with Ebates is hassle-free: no rebate forms to fill out and no points or miles to redeem, the site supports a strong community of savvy shoppers across the country and around the world.