AIR MILES versus Ebates?

[Newcastle]

Hello everyone! I have been following along on the AIR MILES threads as of late and the info has been very helpful since I have recently become more serious about collecting AIR MILES (thanks to everyone who has taken the time to post on those threads!). I have collected Ebates for many years now and I was wondering, for those who participate in both rewards programs, if you have any strategies for determining which reward program to choose for any given purchase. I am referring to any online shopping for which rewards are offered for a specific retailer for both AIR MILES and Ebates. I will be honest, I don't have a ton of time to conduct cross comparisons to see what the better deal would be every time I need/want to purchase something online although perhaps that is what I would need to do to actually determine the best deal. The reason I started becoming more serious about collecting AIR MILES is that I was looking to use miles towards our upcoming Disney World trip but sometimes I wonder if it would be better to just take the reward cash from Ebates and put that towards the trip expenses (e.g. tickets, airfare). I've also been thinking that perhaps I should just focus on AIR MILES when there are more significant reward offers such as the upcoming Shop the Block promotion and then just stick with Ebates for the rest of my online purchases. Anyhoo, sorry for the long post but if anyone has any suggestions as to how I could optimize the benefits from both of these programs, I would really appreciate hearing them .

Thanks!

 

[Donald - my hero]

Since I've never used ebates I'm just going by what I've seen others say .... unless it's a big promo like the recent online shopping and the soon to start Shop the Block I'd say stick to ebates for more immediate return!! Airmiles online shopping is a real crap shoot ... they either post within days or not until you chase them down at the 60 or 75 day mark.

 

[hdrolfe]

90% of the time I prefer Ebates. They are faster to post, normally post correctly, and I can follow up in short order.

I will use AM when there is a BIG promotion, such as the recent one where you had to shop at 5 places to earn a bonus of 1000 AM. I will probably do so for the shop the block promotion as well depending on the terms and conditions of the offer. However it is not my first choice. Until AM gets their act together in terms of posting in a timely manner and with fewer issues, I prefer ebates. I do not find the rewards really worth it, normally 1 or 2 AM for a purchase. Sometimes they do have bigger bonuses, like 10x the AM, but I prefer not to go through the trouble...

 

[marchingstar]

while we're waiting for details on the next big air miles promotion...anyone want to explain ebates?

I do a fair amount of online shopping, and usually just use air miles. Most of the year, it means a few extra miles here and there. I've been luckier than most and I don't often have to chase missing miles, but at the end of the day, outside of big multiplier events or when the bonuses count towards a significant promotion, the rewards for shopping online seem pretty minimal. how is ebates different, and what kind of rewards/returns do those of you who use it get?

 

[Newcastle]

Thanks for the responses! To attempt to answer your question marchingstar, I would say that Ebates is actually quite similar to Air Miles in the sense that you really have to look for the good/limited-time offers as if you're only shopping when the cash back is 1% or 2%, you can imagine how minimal the return is. So I think in the same way that people are suggesting that you use Air Miles primarily when there is a big promotion, you would want to do the same for Ebates. I've also run into a lot of difficulties in terms of having to track down cash back for most US stores. I have not received cash back on several occasions and when I contact Ebates about this, they seem oblivious as to why I am not being credited with cash back for those US retailers. Similar to Air Miles, there is a process for tracking down missing cash back which is certainly an inconvenience. I suppose though, if you shop at mostly Canadian retailers and look for the bonus cash back offers, it might be a good option. I have never tried to do a detailed analysis as to which program might be better or, for example, whether there is more value to redeeming a toaster oven through Air Miles dream rewards versus purchasing one from the cash back earned through Ebates. There are too many variables involved and I have neither the time nor energy to sort that all out .

 

[marchingstar]

thanks, newcastle really appreciate the info!

 

[Newcastle]

thanks, newcastle really appreciate the info!

No problem marchingstar although I don’t think I was terribly helpful .

 

[hdrolfe]

while we're waiting for details on the next big air miles promotion...anyone want to explain ebates?

I do a fair amount of online shopping, and usually just use air miles. Most of the year, it means a few extra miles here and there. I've been luckier than most and I don't often have to chase missing miles, but at the end of the day, outside of big multiplier events or when the bonuses count towards a significant promotion, the rewards for shopping online seem pretty minimal. how is ebates different, and what kind of rewards/returns do those of you who use it get?

It's pretty much cash back, paid out quarterly I believe (cheque or paypal or... I think there is another option or two? I always do paypal). The chasing is much easier, they have a form, and I have never had an issue. I usually get the money added to my balance within minutes of the form if I have needed to use it, with a few days of the purchase (sometimes before it's shipped).

 

[starvenger]

I use Ebates more than AM. But I always look for opportunities to double dip Ebates with whatever bonus program the merchant site has.