Microsoft Gives Back with Cashback - Test It Out
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Live Search cashback is based on the technology of fellow comparison shopping site Jellyfish.com, which Microsoft purchased back in October 2007. The search and purchase process is very straightforward, so anyone can use the program and sign up for its benefits. A customer will be granted the chance to register an account when they make their first purchase and receive a rebate via check, direct deposit, or PayPal 60 days after each purchase.
The first step is conducting a search at the Cashback website. Just as an example for this article, I am going to run a search on digital cameras. As you might imagine, a search as broad as that brought up a number of results with several different vendors for each item. Since I have not done any product research at this point, I merely went ahead and clicked on the first result, the Samsung S860.
The following page displays a selection of vendors selling the camera along with price information, including cashback opportunities. It seems to me that the higher the "Total Store Price" is, the higher percentage of cashback you will receive. In my case, the first option offered two percent cashback, which is a total of $1.90 out of $94.95. I know, that doesn't sound like much, but each purchase adds to your account. Speaking of which...
If you click on "Go To Store," the next page will have a place for you to enter your email address, where you will get an email from Microsoft explaining how to claim your rebate. You must then continue on to the store and make your purchase. Keep in mind that you will not see the cashback feature on the store's website.
Once you make the purchase through the store's website, you can check your email for the aforementioned message telling you how register your Cashback account. The email will provide a link to the setup page, where you will be instructed to provide the standard information required to set up an account.
The cashback account is actually part of the overall Microsoft Live account. In it, you can see your cashback rewards and set up your various payment preferences, among other things.
So, as you can see, the process is not very difficult. The only major problem will be whether users actually trust Microsoft to pay these rewards in the long run. That 60-day grace period does seem like a bit of a pain, especially for $1.90. However, if Microsoft can live up to its end, they should be able knock Google down off its ever-rising perch, at least for the time being.
Next: Attack on Google >>
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