You might have heard of websites that will pay you cash back for shopping – they really are a no brainer that everyone should take advantage of.
As this BeFrugal Review will show you, cash back sites are literally something for nothing.
I have been a member of BeFrugal since 2017 and love making money for doing nothing other than making one extra click on the mouse.
The key to making the most cash back from your shopping trips is to do a lot of comparison shopping.
Having a few options for cash back sites you can use will help you to maximize your savings.
That’s why I like to use BrFrugal but also check with other cash back sites to see which offers the best % of cash back (although BrFrugal does have a best rate guarantee – more on that later).
If you haven’t signed up for BeFrugal yet, keep reading for all the details and get a $10 sign up bonus just for signing up.
This page contains affiliate links meaning I earn a commission if you use those links. Please read my Disclosure for more information.
RELATED POSTS
10 Ways To Earn Money With Swagbucks
Get Paid To Refer A Friend
BeFrugal Review For 2024
As I’ve been a member of BeFrugal for a number of years, I’ve had some time to experience using their site and to see if it really lives up to the claims of great cash back and an easy to use site. Here are my thoughts:
What Are Cash Back Sites?
Cash back sites are websites that offer consumers the opportunity to earn cash back rewards on their online purchases.
In a nutshell, cash back sites will pay you a commission (normally a percentage of the amount you spend), just for using their affiliate link.
Why would they do that?
If you wondering how cash back sites like BeFrugal make money, its actually pretty genius –
- The retailer/brand offers the cash back site a certain commission for referring you to their site.
- Cash back sites provide you with a unique link to retailers’ websites.
- You go ahead and make a purchase on that site
- The cash back site then shares a portion of their commission with you in the form of cash back rewards.
There are a number of cash back sites that you can check out. My personal favorites are:
and of course, BeFrugal.
These sites offer varying amounts of cash back rewards and may have different payout thresholds and methods. Cash back sites can be a valuable way for consumers to save money on their online purchases and can help to offset the costs of everyday expenses.
Although they all have their strengths and weaknesses, I find that by comparison shopping at all of them before I make a purchase, ensures that I always get the most cash back for my money.
What Is BeFrugal?
BeFrugal is a site that offers cash back rewards on online purchases made via their platform.
The website partners with over 5,000 stores, including popular retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Macy’s, to offer users the opportunity to earn cash back on their purchases.
BeFrugal also offers coupons and other deals that can be used in conjunction with cash back offers to maximize savings.
BeFrugal has been around since 2009 and has grown in popularity over the years as a valuable tool for consumers looking to save money on their online shopping.
How Does BeFrugal Work?
BeFrugal combines internet coupons and cash back to ensure you get the best deal possible when shopping online.
They also offer printable coupons and coupons for restaurants including Red Lobster, McDonald’s, Olive Garden, and Potbelly among others.
When shopping online you can search for the store you are interested and the current coupons and cash back amount will come up as you can see the in the example below.
The cash back amount is always a percentage of your purchase price (before taxes).
Stores that offer cash back through Be Frugal include Target, Walmart, Ann Taylor, Carters, Shutterfly, and tons more.
Cash back ranges from 1-40% depending on the store.
As an example, I did a search for Sephora and various coupon codes came up plus the current offer of 5% cash back
.
To take advantage of the offer, all you have to do is click through to the Sephora site from the “shop now” BeFrugal link and your purchase will be tracked.
A few days after completing your purchase, your BeFrugal account will reflect the new cash back balance.
Some stores will offer a straight cash back amount per purchase. For example, right now, Grubhub is offering $10 per purchase you make on BeFrugal.
The BeFrugal Extension
One problem I always have with cash back through online sites is that I forget to click through before buying online. You don’t know how many times I have kicked myself at lost free money because I forgot to visit Rakuten or BeFrugal before buying.
The solution to this is add the BeFrugal chrome extension to your browser.
This makes earning cash back for your online shopping even more hassle free as you don’t even need to remember to visit BeFrugal before shopping.
Whenever you visit a store that offers cash back through BeFrugal, the chrome extension will alert you to the deal.
Here you can see what happened when I visited BestBuy this morning:
What is the BeFrugal toolbar?
When you are add the BeFrugal chrome extension, you might get asked if you also want to download the “Daily Deals” toolbar.
This changes your entire browser to one that shows the top cash back deals from BeFrugal every day plus it adds a tool bar at the top of your browser showing you the daily deals.
Personally I found the toolbar and daily deals to be a bit annoying and not that useful.
It can also cause you to be tempted to shop just because of the great cash back offer (which I’m sure is the idea) so I recommend not adding that extension but just the regular BeFrugal chrome extension.
How Much Cash Back Can I Earn With BeFrugal?
Every retailer offers a different amount of cash back and it can change at anytime. BeFrugal does advertise that they have retailers paying up to 40% cash back but most are in the 1-10% range.
Some stores do regular promotions where they offer double cash back for a week or so.
To see how much cash back is being offered, just go to BeFrugal and do a search for the store
For example:
Let’s say you want to go shopping at Old Navy.
BeFrugal offers 6% cash back at Old Navy as of this writing.
So that means that if you spend $100 before tax, you will get $6 cash back from BeFrugal.
Can I really get 40% cash back on BeFrugal?
It is possible to earn 40% cash back with BeFrugal, but it is not the norm.
BeFrugal offers varying cash back percentages for different retailers, and some retailers may offer cash back rewards as high as 40%.
However, it’s important to note that such high cash back percentages are not common and may be limited to certain categories or products.
How Do You Get Your Money From BeFrugal?
You can see along the right-hand side the average tracking speed for your cash back to be confirmed and the estimated payment date.
You can choose check (US only), PayPal or an Amazon gift card for the payment.
If you choose Amazon, you will get an additional 3% bonus so it is worth considering. (and then using BeFrugal again when you go to Amazon to spend your gift card!).
You can still earn cash back on select categories on Amazon although not all.
How To Get A $10 Welcome Bonus From BeFrugal
BeFrugal is completely free to use, in fact, they actually pay you $10 when you become a member!
Click here to sign up for BeFrugal, and when you earn $25 cash back, you will receive a $10 cash welcome bonus as well!
What Are BeFrugal Coupons
BeFrugal coupons are discount codes that can be used to save money on your online purchases
BeFrugal coupons are discount codes that you can use to save money on your online purchases.
These coupons are available on the BeFrugal website and can be used in conjunction with cash back offers to maximize your savings.
The coupons are usually specific to certain stores or products and may offer a percentage off your purchase, free shipping, or other discounts.
How Do BeFrugal Coupons Work?
Unlike some other cash back sites, BeFrugal has a coupon section and for printable and online coupons.
They might be for groceries at local stores or other online retailers.
You can check all current coupons at the “Coupon” section of the website.
To use a BeFrugal coupon, simply click on the coupon link and follow the instructions provided.
Do The Coupons On BeFrugal Actually Work?
Yes! In fact, all online coupons at BeFrugal are guaranteed to work.
If you use an online coupon from BeFrugal and and it doesn’t work, they will pay you $5.
Just make sure you tell them within 24 hours in order to get the credit and bonus $5.
How long has BeFrugal been around? Is it new?
BeFrugal is based in the Boston, MA, and has been around for over 10 years. Here is the blurb from their website:
“BeFrugal features coupons and deals for over 50,000 stores including all of the largest 500 online stores in the USA.
All of our online coupons are guaranteed to work.
We offer Cash Back for online purchases at over 5,000 stores and guarantee that our rates are the highest. To ensure the best experience, we offer both email and live chat customer service, all based out of our USA offices.”
If you are wondering whether BeFrugal is legit, you will be happy to know that BeFrugal has an A rating from the Better Business Bureau and an excellent 4.4 rating on TrustPilot.
The BeFrugal apps also get great reviews on both The Google Play store and the App Store.
How does BeFrugal Compare To Other Sites?
BeFrugal guarantees that for eligible stores, they have the best cash back rate in the business.
If you make a purchase and then find a better % cash back through another site, they will match the competitor 125%.
Note that you can only use this cash back match once per merchant.
BeFrugal vs Other Cash Back Apps: What Makes It Stand Out?
- BeFrugal offers some of the highest cash back rates available
- BeFrugal has a browser extension that automatically finds and applies cash back offers
- BeFrugal has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate and redeem cash back reward
Which Is Better, Rakuten or BeFrugal?
Rakuten used to be called Ebates and is more well-known than BeFrugal because of all the TV commercials they run.
But which is better?
I check both Rakuten and BeFrugal all the time for online shopping to see which has the best rates.
Both sites are completely legitimate and they often go head to head with the cash back rates that they offer.
I always check both sites before I shop to see which one offers the best.
Not all stores are on both sites so it is worth becoming a member of both sites and checking them before you shop.
Note that you cannot use BeFrugal and Rakuten at the same time – you have to click on one of them before shopping and that will cancel out the other one.
The one advantage that BeFrugal has over Rakuten is that you can cash out with Direct Deposit, PayPal, Venmo or different gift card options (Amazon etc).
There does seem to be more reporting issues with BeFrugal – meaning that cash back earned is not reported on the customer’s statements however, I have also had that happen multiple times with Rakuten so it seems to happen on both sites.
I’ve found I get more cash back using BeFrugal than any of the other sites so I think it’s worth having a few options to check when you do online shopping.
BeFrugal v Rakuten and BeFrugal v TopCashBack
Out of interest and for the sake of making sure this BeFrugal Review is honest, I have done a few comparisons on the top cash back sites you can use.
You sign up for all three sites here (by the way, they all offer $10 minimum cash as a welcome bonus so why not join all three?)
Obviously, the cash back offered by these sites changes day to day depending on deals but here is a snapshot from the time of writing this post (June 2021):
As you can see, if you are comparing BeFrugal and Rakuten, in the examples above, BeFrugal wins out.
However, TopCashBack often has better cash back than both BeFrugal and Rakuten.
Does BeFrugal Have An App?
Yes!
If you like to do your online shopping on your phone, then make sure you download the BeFrugal app from the app store. It is completely free to download. (Just make sure you sign up for your account via this link on your desktop first to get the $10 bonus).
Does BeFrugal Work In Canada?
Canadians can get in on the act and use BeFrugal too for cash back on their shopping purchases at Canadian sites.
Unlike Rakuten which has a Canadian specific website, Canadians can still use the regular BeFrugal.com site for their shopping. Most of the stores that offer cash back to Canadians are US stores such as BestBuy,
Adding BeFrugal to your arsenal of Canadian cash back sites is definitely a good idea although you may find some other sites have better rates for Canadian stores.
BeFrugal Reviews: FAQS
Is BeFrugal.com a legitimate site?
The number one question that I get about BeFrugal.com is “is BeFrugal legit?”.
Here’s the good news, BeFrugal is a legitimate website that offers cash back rewards on purchases made through their platform.
The website has been around for over a decade and has a positive reputation among users, with an average rating of 4.5 stars on Trustpilot.
I’ve been using it for years myself and have never had a problem.
BeFrugal has partnerships with over 5,000 stores, including popular retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Macy’s.
Furthermore, BeFrugal is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has an A+ rating, indicating that the company has met high standards for trust and transparency.
Overall, BeFrugal is a legitimate cashback website that offers a great way to save money on your online purchases.
What is the minimum payout for BeFrugal?
The minimum payout on BeFrugal is the minimum amount of cash back you need to earn before you can get your money.
This is currently set at $25.
Once you reach the minimum payout threshold, you can request a payment via PayPal, check, or gift card.
It’s important to note that cash back rewards may take some time to show up in your account, and some stores may have longer waiting periods than others.
Additionally, BeFrugal may charge a processing fee for some payment methods, such as check payments.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Using BeFrugal?
One of the major pros of using BeFrugal is the opportunity to earn significant cash back rewards on your online purchases.
BeFrugal also has a user-friendly website and browser extension that make it easy to find and redeem cash back offers.
Additionally, BeFrugal offers a $10 bonus for signing up.
However, there are some cons to using BeFrugal.
The cash back rewards can take some time to show up in your account, and they may expire if you don’t use them within a certain period of time.
BeFrugal also has a minimum payout threshold of $25, which may take some time to reach.
Finally, not all stores are available on BeFrugal, so you may not be able to earn cash back on all of your online purchases.
How do I get $10 cash back free?
BeFrugal offers all new members a bonus $10 cash back just for joining and trying out the site.
Sign up for BeFrugal through my link to get your $10.
Once you have signed up, your account will be credited with a free $10 as a welcome gift once you earn $25 or more in cash back.
5 Tips for Maximizing Your BeFrugal Cash Back
Always start your shopping journey through the BeFrugal portal
The most common way for people to miss out on their cash back is because they forget to click through to BeFrugal before they shop.
Take advantage of BeFrugal’s browser extension for automatic cash back
If you find it hard to get into the habit of using BrFrugal, the easiest thing you can do is to download the extension to your computer.
That way, you will get your cashback automatically and never have to worry about missing out again.
Combine coupons and promo codes with BeFrugal cash back offers
Although many cash back sites don’t allow you to combine coupons and promos, with BeFrugal, you often can maximize your savings this way.
Look for coupons and promo codes and use them when you checkout (just don’t forget to click through BeFrugal first).
Keep an eye out for bonus cash back opportunities
Every so often, there are bonus cash back offers of up to 40%.
There are almost always offers during the holidays and shopping events such as Black Friday but they also happen throughout the year.
3 Ways to Stack BeFrugal Cash Back with Other Savings
- Use BeFrugal cash back with credit card rewards for double savings
- Check for cash back offers on top of store discounts and sales
- Use BeFrugal cash back for online purchases in conjunction with in-store pick up or curbside delivery options
- How to Use BeFrugal to Save on Everyday Expenses
BeFrugal Review – Final Thoughts
After spending time comparing BeFrugal and the other popular cash back sites, I believe that BeFrugal is worth signing up for.
Many times BeFrugal offers better cash back than other sites and with the cash back guarantee, you are definitely going to get the best cash back available.
Added to the fact that you get $10 back just for signing up and there really is no argument to not use Befrugal.
More Ways To Make Money Shopping
How To Make Money As A Mystery Shopper
Why I Love The RBC Ampli Cash Back App
How To Make Money Flipping Items
