FreeShipping.com Review: Is This Paid Cash Back / Rebate Program Worth It?

Thank you to FreeShipping.com for sponsoring this post and providing a trial membership so I can share my experience. All opinions are my own.

FreeShipping.com is a paid subscription offering cash back and rebates on online purchases. I have been a member since early May and am sharing my experience so you can decide if FreeShipping.com is right for you.

Here’s the overview: I have earned almost $175 from FreeShipping.com in less than two months. At this rate, the savings I’ve earned just about cover the annual cost of a membership. This is a membership worth keeping. 

Your earnings potential will depend on your shopping habits. Dive into the program details below to learn more.

What is FreeShipping.com?

With FreeShipping.com, you can earn at least 10% cash back on online purchases made through more than 1,000 retailers on the FreeShipping.com network. You can also earn rebates on shipping charges, return shipping charges, food delivery fees, and price decreases that happen after your purchase.

How much you can earn

The maximum annual earnings by category are:

• Online cash back: $1,000
• Shipping rebates: $500
• Return shipping rebates: $500
• Food delivery rebates: $250
• Price protection rebates: $1,000

Those add up to a total earnings potential of $3,250 annually. 

Cost of membership

FreeShipping.com’s membership price is $19 monthly or $228 annually—about 7% of the $3,250 earnings potential.

When and how you get paid

Your earnings accumulate monthly, and you receive payouts by the 15th of the following month. You can choose to receive payouts to PayPal or mailed check. PayPal is the faster option since no mailing is required.

I received my first PayPal payout on June 11 for cash back and rebates earned in May. No fees were deducted from my payment, so I received the exact amount earned in the prior month.

My FreeShipping.com earnings

In May, the first month of my membership, I earned $119 from 10% cash back on four purchases plus two rebates. Here’s the May breakdown, followed by an explanation of my transactions:

1.       $241.91 purchase from Chewy.com
2.       $83.94 purchase from Gap
3.       $671.14 purchase from EyeBuyDirect
4.       $73.95 purchase from Horse.com
5.       $7.99 shipping rebate from Horse.com
6.       $3.92 food delivery rebate from GrubHub

EyeBuyDirect

More than half of the month’s earnings came from the EyeBuyDirect transaction for two pairs of prescription glasses. This is not a purchase I make regularly, so it’s logical to assume my future monthly earnings will be much lower.

Chewy and Horse.com

I will make additional Chewy and Horse.com purchases going forward, though it may not be monthly. I own two horses and a dog that are regularly in need of supplies and supplements. One point to note here is that FreeShipping.com cannot track auto-ship purchases. If you want to earn cash back, you have to click through to the merchant from FreeShipping.com for each new purchase. 

Gap

The Gap purchase was to update my summer wardrobe with two modern tops. I shop at Gap often because the clothes have classic, easy styling and the sales are fabulous.

Grubhub

I don’t often have food delivered because it feels indulgent and expensive. But alas, now that I get reimbursed for the service fees and I have a free GrubHub membership courtesy of Amazon Prime, food delivery seems far more appealing. Already in June, I have ordered another GrubHub meal and requested a second FreeShipping.com food delivery rebate.

June earnings

My second-month earnings with FreeShipping.com are still in process, but here’s where my account stands now:

1.       Chewy.com purchase of $68.93 for more horse stuff
2.       The Home Depot purchase of $320.41 for a home decor project 
3.       Tractor Supply purchase of $33.99 for more horse stuff
4.       Gap purchase of $102 for my husband’s Father’s Day gift
5.       GrubHub rebate of $3

I earned 10% cash back on each purchase plus the $3 rebate. With no other purchases, my next payout should be $55.53.

How to maximize FreeShipping.com earnings  

If you use the FreeShipping.com network for your online shopping and request rebates as needed, the membership can easily produce more cash than it uses. In my case, I nearly paid for a whole year of membership in two months.

That’s the kind of experience you want with a paid cash back program. Follow these tips to make it happen:

1. Start with bigger purchases you’ve been delaying. I needed glasses, and the 10% cash back helped motivate me to buy them. A big purchase like this pays for itself right away – and keeps you motivated to keep earning. 
2. Read the terms for each retailer. FreeShipping.com shares terms for each retailer. Read them carefully so you know what to expect from each purchase. Some retailers simply don’t allow purchase tracking for their own reasons. This can cause cash back not to appear in your FreeShipping.com savings center. I haven’t had any bad surprises with Freeshipping.com, and all my purchases have been tracked as expected.
3. Buy online and pick up in store. Don’t want to wait for your goods to be shipped? Buy online and pick up in store — as long as this isn’t excluded from the retailer’s cash back terms. You get your cash back with no shipping delay.
4. Watch for seasonal promotions. I understand there are seasonal promotions that raise the cash back percentage above 10% for participating merchants. There was a a 20% cash back promotion for Memorial Day and another one is coming in July for the back-to-school season.
5. Don’t switch browsers or windows. To get credit for your purchases, you must click through to the retailer’s website from FreeShipping.com. You must also complete the transaction in the same browser window.
6. Don’t buy in apps. Some retailers will redirect you to an app. When that happens, the retailer doesn’t share the data back to FreeShipping.com – which means you won’t earn on that purchase. Before finalizing your purchase, make sure you’re on a website and not an app.
7.  Don’t spend to earn. Resist the urge to buy things you don’t need or want just to earn 10% cash back.
8. Remember your rebates. The cash back opportunity can be substantial, but don’t overlook those rebates. It only takes a minute to complete the rebate forms, and you can forward necessary documentation by email. I requested rebates on shipping and food delivery charges and everything worked as expected. I have not tried the return shipping or price protection rebates yet. 

Pros and cons of FreeShipping.com

Based on my experience, these are the pros of a FreeShipping.com membership:

1. The earnings rules are straightforward. 10% cash back is easy to estimate when you’re shopping. Many other cash back programs pay variable percentages as low as 1%.  
2. The earnings potential is substantial. As noted, I am earning more than my membership costs. Also, FreeShipping.com pays monthly, no matter what you’ve earned. Quarterly payouts, sometimes with minimum thresholds, are more common across cash back programs.  
3. Transactions are well-documented. FreeShipping.com sends email confirmations after earnings are recorded. You can also log into your account and view your savings for the current and prior months.
4. Payments are free and punctual. My first payment appeared automatically in my PayPal account. I didn’t have to request it or pay a fee to withdraw.
5. Customer service is 24/7. If you have an issue, you can reach out to the customer service team at any time. 

The cons are:

1. You must spend to earn. To keep your finances healthy, use FreeShipping.com to offset the cost of items you would buy anyway.
2. The membership cost is monthly. With an active membership, you pay the monthly membership fee — even if you forget to shop through the links or request rebates. Try putting a sticky note on your credit card that reminds you to check the FreeShipping.com network before buying something online.
3. Some transactions aren’t eligible for cash back. Some product types, like groceries, may be excluded from cash back. Also, some browser extensions can override your FreeShipping.com tracking so that you don’t earn the 10%. These restrictions apply to most cash-back programs.

My FreeShipping.com Review: Budget Fashionista Approved

In summary, FreeShipping.com is an easy way to earn cash back and rebates on your purchases. Double-digit cash back can add up quickly, which is super motivating. I wholeheartedly recommend this program for disciplined shoppers who are in command of their budget and spending. 

My closing pro tip: Consolidate your FreeShipping.com earnings with earnings from other programs and use the funds for your discretionary spending. In June, I collected $119 from FreeShipping.com, plus about $80 from Poshmark, and $47 from selling old smartphones via EcoATM. That’s $246. I can use that for more FreeShipping.com buys to compound my savings. I can’t wait to see how far I can take it!