How to Earn Cashback in Canada

Did you know you can get cash back for almost everything you purchase online?

Online shopping is convenient, easy, and cheaper than ever. One advantage that many people do not know about: you can earn cashback for buying things using these websites (as discussed below)! I have been using these cashback websites for quite a few years now and I’ve really been able to rack up the moolah.

In this post, I will show you how to earn cashback in Canada.

How does it work?

The general gist of these cashback websites/apps is that they work as an affiliate partner. These websites refer customers to the retailer’s store, and when a purchase is made, the affiliate earns a percentage of the sale at no cost to the customer.

Whenever you decide to buy something online, consider using one of these cashback websites listed below. It is free and easy to join. Either look for the store based on categories or by the search box to see if they have a partnership with that store. If so, the website will show you how much cashback you’ll earn from your purchase.

In order to get cashback on your purchases, you have to make sure that you’re using the website’s link to the site. Once you check out, your purchase will automatically be recorded on your account. Depending on the website, you will need to wait a certain period until the cashback “clears” (making sure that you don’t return the product) and becomes available for payment. The common pay out method is usually either by cheque or via Paypal.

Rakuten.ca

With over 750 stores to choose from, Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) is arguably the most popular cashback site in Canada.

The cashback can vary from anywhere between 0.5% to 15% depending on retailers and promotional periods. Rakuten also has promo codes and coupons available, helping you save even more when shopping!

Rakuten was able to save me money while travelling especially with accommodation costs. Read more about it here!

Currently Rakuten offers three ways to receive payment: Cheque, PayPal, and Amazon e-gift cards. They send the cashback payment every three months, for purchases posted during the previous quarter. I like getting my cashback through PayPal because I can directly transfer it to my bank right after. Here is a screenshot of my last cashback payment:

Rakuten also has a Google Chrome extension, notifying members if they are eligible for cashback when they’re on their partner retailer’s websites.

Earn your first $5 CAD in cashback with Rakuten.ca with my referral link below!

Great Canadian Rebates

This Canadian owned and operated website is the original cashback website in Canada. It has since overshadowed by Rakuten due their marketing dollars. However, there are still some great cashback deals with Great Canadian Rebates.

Their website is not as intuitive or as visually appealing as Rakuten but works just fine.

What I like about Great Canadian Rebates is their cash back offers on credit card applications. I applied to the MBNA Alaska Airlines Mastercard which had an annual fee of $120, but was reduced by $50 cashback I got from using Great Canadian Rebates.

They also have cashbacks for other popular credit cards such as:

American Express Gold Rewards Card
American Express® Cobalt Credit Card

There is a minimum 58 day wait to get the rebates as they need that time to track returns for purchases and to collect money from the merchants. They are then paid out to members through PayPal, cheque, or Amazon.ca gift cards.

They have a great referral program, where if you refer a friend or relative, you’ll even be able to earn 15 percent on all of their Cash Back Rebates in referral bonuses.

Drop

This fintech company founded in Canada in 2016 is targetting Millennials and Gen Zs. Only available through its mobile app, Drop rewards its users with points for linking their debit or credit cards and shopping with their partner retailers. The Drop app looks directly at your transaction history and rewards you automatically.

Drop uses a points system rather than straight cashback. Currently, every 10,000 drop points is equivalent to $10 CAD.

They have recently created an extension for Google Chrome so you can get points when you shop online. They also have surveys and quizzes available to earn even more drop points!

When signing up, use my referral code “lliwf” to get $5 CAD or click on the link below!

Cashback Credit Cards

There are many cashback credit cards available for Canadians, but this one in particular is the best out there, IMHO.

Scotia Momentum VISA Infinite Card

Apply Now!

The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card offers more cashback for everyday spending categories than any other credit card in Canada. MoneySense deemed it the Best Cashback Card (with a fee) in 2019! Here are the cashback rates:

4% cash back on groceries and recurring payments
2% gas and daily transit
1% on everything else

As it is Visa Infinite, there are exclusive benefits that comes with it such as a 24/7 concierge service, access to the Visa Hotel Collection and Visa Dining and Wine Country program. What’s more is that the card also comes with travel medical insurance, trip interruption, flight delay and car rental insurance. Scotiabank also just added a New Mobile Device Insurance.

There is however, a $120 annual fee. But for a limited time, The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card is offering the first year annual fee waived.

Conclusion

The only real downside to these cashback programs is that it can be tempting to see your cashback or points accumulate. The point of these programs is to get consumers to spend more. That is why it’s important to make sure to buy things you’ve already decided on and not splurge on the basis of seeing those cashback balance increase. Other than that, I really do not see any downside of this!

If you are a big online shopper, I highly suggest getting started with these cashback programs!