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When it comes to saving money, coupons are an incredibly popular tool. In a 2020 Statista survey, 88% of respondents said they had used coupons to save money within the past year. Additionally, mobile coupon apps and searching for coupons online are also popular for consumers.
However, if you try searching for coupons online, you probably find coupon codes that don’t work or have expired recently. After wasting your time on dozens of websites, you might give up your quest to save with coupons entirely.
If this experience sounds familiar, you need to make the switch to RetailMeNot, a free coupons and cash-back rewards website. With thousands of coupon codes and hundreds of retail partners, RetailMeNot is an effective way to save money the next time you shop online or in-store.
Key Features
RetailMeNot is similar to websites like Rakuten and shopping browser extensions like Honey. The platform helps you find coupons for thousands of stores and has a healthy range of cash-back offers to help you save on your next shopping trip.
Creating an account is free, and you just need your email address to sign up. You can also sign up through your Google, Facebook, or Apple account. You don’t need an account to find coupon codes, but creating an account is how you unlock all of RetailMeNot’s useful shopping features.
1. Online Coupon Codes
RetailMeNot’s greatest strength is its immense database of online coupons. With over 400,000 existing coupons and new coupon codes every day, there’s no shortage of savings. Plus, RetailMeNot has a diverse range of coupon categories, including:
- Auto
- Cosmetics
- Books
- Apparel
- Food & dining
- Sports
- Travel
You can search for coupons by category or for specific stores. RetailMeNot works with retailers like Amazon, DoorDash, Costco, Target, Sephora, Kohl’s, and dozens of other popular stores.
Clicking on a store brings up a page of coupon codes and cash-back deals that are available. A useful feature is that codes and offers often have a “verified” tag that shows how many users have successfully redeemed it that day.
Coupon codes also have a “show coupon code” button that reveals the coupon code. You then copy and paste the code to use at checkout.
Discounts are the most popular coupon type on RetailMeNot. However, you can also filter for coupons that provide free shipping, buy-one-get-one offers, and free bonus gifts following a purchase.
Ultimately, the depth of stores and variety of categories means any shopper can benefit from trying RetailMeNot.
2. Printable Coupons
Sometimes printable coupons are your best bet for finding savings in-store. After all, with a printable coupon, you know your coupon will work in-store as long as you review the terms and use it before the expiry date.
RetailMeNot has fewer printable coupons than online codes. However, using printable coupons is just as simple. If you find a deal you like, clicking on it expands the coupon and displays the offer details so you know how to qualify. If you want to use the code, you then print it from your computer.
Alternatively, the RetailMeNot app for Android and iOS lets you redeem in-store coupons from your smartphone. Plus, the mobile app also helps you save on groceries and restaurants by highlighting food deals in your area.
Like the website, RetailMeNot’s mobile app is free. If you always want to have coupons and top deals at your fingertips, give the app a try.
3. Cash-Back Rewards
Most coupons on RetailMeNot provide a percentage discount or special in-store offer like a certain dollar amount off. Additionally, some RetailMeNot offers actually pay you cash-back rewards for your loyalty.
RetailMeNot claims they’ve paid members more than $30 million through their cash-back system. If you want to earn cash back, the process is rather simple:
- Find Offers. Search RetailMeNot’s website or mobile app to see if a store you’re shopping at has cash-back rewards. You can also search the cash-back offers category to find a list of eligible stores. Clicking on an offer redirects you to that store and also displays the promotion details and requirements. Most offers have a maximum reward of $50 but you can sometimes find lucrative sign-up bonuses, especially for streaming services and Internet plans.
- Shop. Once RetailMeNot redirects you, you’re ready to shop and earn. Note that you must visit RetailMeNot and have it redirect you in order to earn cash back for your purchase. If you want to maximize your savings, try stacking a coupon code with your order.
- Get Paid. Cash back appears 45 days from your purchase date in your RetailMeNot account. You can redeem your balance with PayPal or Venmo once you accumulate $5.
RetailMeNot has cash-back offers for popular retailers like The Home Depot, Adidas, Macy’s, Lowe’s, Best Buy, and Staples. It’s worth comparing the cash-back rewards on RetailMeNot to Rakuten to ensure you get the best deal. You can also shop with a cash-back credit card or use cash-back apps like Dosh to earn even more.
4. Deal Finder Browser Extension
Another key feature of RetailMeNot is its Deal Finder browser extension for Chrome. If manually searching for coupon codes and cash back in RetailMeNot’s database sounds too time consuming, this extension is for you.
The Deal Finder extension, formerly known as the RetailMeNot genie, automatically applies coupon codes and checks for cash-back rewards at checkout on eligible websites. In other words, this extension lets you benefit from RetailMeNot’s online features automatically.
You should still download the mobile app and look for printable coupons if you have an in-store shopping trip coming up. However, for avid online shoppers, this extension saves time and money.
5. RetailMeNot’s Cash-Back Day
RetailMeNot began its Cash Back Day event in 2019, and this event is certainly an amazing opportunity if you’re doing any holiday shopping or are a fan of shopping events like Black Friday.
Cash Back Day takes place in early November and lasts for two days. During this time, RetailMeNot members can earn up to 20% cash back at hundreds of stores. You earn cash back the same way as regular cash-back offers, so you still need a RetailMeNot account. However, with many offers paying three times their regular cash back amount, this event is worth keeping in mind.
You can also find Flash Offers during Cash Back Day, which are time-sensitive, exclusive offers. If you’re planning on buying a new TV, camera, or another big-ticket item, it’s worth checking RetailMeNot throughout the event to see what offers appear.
6. Community Giveaways
One fatal flaw with many online coupon websites is that the majority of codes have already expired or never worked in the first place. RetailMeNot largely solves this problem by rewarding active community members for sharing working coupon codes with other members.
As a member, you earn points for submitting coupon codes, voting on codes you try, and leaving comments on offers to help other RetailMeNot members. There’s a weekly and all-time leaderboard, and you earn badges over time that showcase how helpful you are to the community.
RetailMeNot occasionally rewards active members with prizes like free gift cards and t-shirts. Plus, you get to enter community giveaways that occur throughout the year. RetailMeNot regularly gives away thousands of dollars to the most active members, and you can also win smaller cash prizes for sharing coupon codes and getting lucky in a giveaway.
Ultimately, this reward system benefits you even if you don’t submit coupons because it helps ensure that codes on RetailMeNot usually work.
Advantages
There’s a reason RetailMeNot holds its own in the competitive world of daily deal websites. A healthy range of brands and a variety of ways to earn makes RetailMeNot a realistic option for trimming your shopping bill. Plus, there are several other advantages worth noting:
- Real Cash Savings. Many reward apps like Fetch Rewards only offer gift card rewards. Being able to redeem cash through PayPal or Venmo lets you spend your RetailMeNot cash back any way you please.
- Low Redemption Minimum. A $5 redemption minimum is incredibly low in the world of reward platforms. Apps like Ibotta usually require $20 to cash out, making RetailMeNot faster to benefit from.
- Extensive Coupon Database. With hundreds of thousands of coupon codes and plenty of retail partners, any shopper can save money by using RetailMeNot.
- Online and In-Store Offers. Between RetailMeNot’s website, printable coupons, and the mobile app, you can save money whether you shop online or in-store.
- Multiple Countries. RetailMeNot works in the U.K., Canada, and the United States.
- Optional Membership. You need to create an account to earn cash back with RetailMeNot and to join the community leaderboard. However, you can still search for coupon codes on the website without signing in.
- Customer Care Team. If you have trouble redeeming rewards or using the website, you can find assistance using RetailMeNot’s help page. There’s also the option to chat with an expert if you need immediate help.
Disadvantages
Despite a variety of ways to save and real cash rewards, there are several downsides to RetailMeNot you should consider:
- Cash-Back Reward Selection. Unfortunately, RetailMeNot usually offers only several hundred cash-back offers at a given time. In contrast, Rakuten and TopCashback have more retailers you can earn from.
- Time Requirement. If you don’t use RetailMeNot’s Deal Finder extension, you have to spend time manually searching for coupon codes and cash-back offers.
- Layout. Overall, RetailMeNot’s website is relatively user-friendly and easy to navigate. However, new users might find the plethora of categories and different types of coupons overwhelming. In comparison, platforms like Honey and Capital One Shopping do a slightly better job at making managing your rewards and finding ways to save more intuitive.
- RetailMeNot Coupons Aren’t Perfect. The voting system and community enhance the quality of coupon submissions, so codes are usually active. However, no coupon website is perfect, and you might still encounter coupon codes that don’t work or have expired.
Final Word
The world of reward apps and cash-back platforms is extremely competitive. If you search for ways to save money when shopping, you’re inundated with an abundance of extensions and apps that all claim they can trim your bill. It’s sometimes difficult to filter through the noise and to find a reputable deals website that can actually find you savings.
However, RetailMeNot is a leader in this space for a reason. If you incorporate RetailMeNot with other online shopping hacks like using comparison shopping engines, you can certainly find deals throughout the year. Plus, thanks to printable coupons and its mobile app, RetailMeNot can even help your wallet for in-store shopping.
Just remember to stick to a budget whenever you shop. RetailMeNot excels at saving you money, but you still need to ensure you’re spending within your means.
