Has anyone used Upromise?

[sweet angel]

I'm going to convert the money to a CD or bond or something.

Did I miss something? Where does it say you can do that?

EDITED TO ADD:
Preb, we posted at the same time. If you can, please post the link. Thanks!

 

[mommytotwo]

Thank you for all the responses. I tried to sign up my mom and sister, but they are not buying into it since it is the first time they are hearing about it, and you need to give out your credit card information so that the company is able to link them.
Someone here mentioned about having to go to the Upromise site to get points in purchasing online items, how does that work?

 

[Toby'sFriend]

yes, you can withdraw the funds. They don't make it very easy to do however.

b. You can withdraw your Upromise contributions at any time during your membership in the Upromise Rewards Service. To withdraw company contributions from your Upromise account, submit a letter in writing to Upromise requesting a withdrawal from your Upromise account. The letter must state your full name and the exact amount that you would like to withdraw, up to total amount available in your account, pending contributions are not eligible for withdrawal.

For the protection of our members, we require a Signature Guarantee on all withdrawal requests in excess of $200. A Signature Guarantee is a guarantee you can obtain from a financial institution, such as your bank, that your signature is yours and that it is genuine. It is not the same as a notary, as a notary states that a document was signed in the presence of the Notary Public, it does not validate the signature itself. This Signature Guarantee should be placed next to your signature on the withdrawal letter.

Withdrawal letters should be sent to:

Upromise
ATTN: Customer Care
P.O. Box 55555
Boston,MA 02205-5555

Checks are sent once per calendar quarter, so you should typically receive your check within 12 weeks of your request being received.

 

[sweet angel]

Thank you for all the responses. I tried to sign up my mom and sister, but they are not buying into it since it is the first time they are hearing about it, and you need to give out your credit card information so that the company is able to link them.
Someone here mentioned about having to go to the Upromise site to get points in purchasing online items, how does that work?

All of their participating online retailers are listed on their site. You just have to locate the retailer and click on their link for their special Upromise site. I never remember to shop thru their links.

 

[mommytotwo]

yes, you can withdraw the funds. They don't make it very easy to do however.

b. You can withdraw your Upromise contributions at any time during your membership in the Upromise Rewards Service. To withdraw company contributions from your Upromise account, submit a letter in writing to Upromise requesting a withdrawal from your Upromise account. The letter must state your full name and the exact amount that you would like to withdraw, up to total amount available in your account, pending contributions are not eligible for withdrawal.

For the protection of our members, we require a Signature Guarantee on all withdrawal requests in excess of $200. A Signature Guarantee is a guarantee you can obtain from a financial institution, such as your bank, that your signature is yours and that it is genuine. It is not the same as a notary, as a notary states that a document was signed in the presence of the Notary Public, it does not validate the signature itself. This Signature Guarantee should be placed next to your signature on the withdrawal letter.

Withdrawal letters should be sent to:

Upromise
ATTN: Customer Care
P.O. Box 55555
Boston,MA 02205-5555

Checks are sent once per calendar quarter, so you should typically receive your check within 12 weeks of your request being received.

Thank you for this very useful information.

 

[Buttercup26]

I love Upromise. We earn between $30 - $80 per year. I have my grocery cards and credit cards linked. I do all my online shopping thru them, unless I am shopping a non-participating retailer. Many restaurants in my area also participate. It's not HUGE amounts of money, but any amount of money helps. I have a 529 plan for my dd that is I also linked to my Upromise account, every time my Upromise account reaches $50 it autmatically transfers to my 529 plan.

I do a lot of online shopping, Gap, Old Navy, Disney Direct and Oriental Trading are all particpants and I shop those place way too much!!!

 

[mommytotwo]

I shop at Gap, Old Navy, and Disney Direct-thanks for the tip on those merchants. I had taken a look at the online participants, and there seems to be a wide range.
Buttercup26-what is the 529 plan?

 

[liznboys]

We have been signed up for years. I have no idea how much we have in there now. I just tried to look, but I don't even know what our password is anymore! But we figure it's free money, so even if it's not much, oh well! We got our parents to link some of their cards to it, I remember they were hesitant at first. Maybe your family will do it after you're in it for awhile.

 

[Buttercup26]

I shop at Gap, Old Navy, and Disney Direct-thanks for the tip on those merchants. I had taken a look at the online participants, and there seems to be a wide range.
Buttercup26-what is the 529 plan?

A 529 plan is a college savings plan. Every state offers one, but some states plans are better than others (lower fees, more investing options, etc..) you do not have to use your state plan. For example, I live in Washington but am in the Nevada plan. The Nevada plan is better than the Washington one and can be linked to Upromise.

Here's a link to Clark Howard's website with his info on the best 529 plans.

http://clarkhoward.com/topics/529_guide.html

Clark Howard's website is a great resource for anyone who is 'budget' minded.