I discovered Ebates a while ago in my quest to save money while feeding my online shopping habit (okay, addiction). I think I was looking for coupon codes for Ebay or something, but I ended up stumbling into the magical world of Cash Back Shopping. It was like going through the wardrobe to Narnia, only more lucrative (and fewer talking lions). And it’s about to be really lucrative for the winner of our Flash Contest.

Getting Paid to Shop—Literally

It’s a simple concept, but I’ll explain it the way I would need it explained to me (because the world is a bit foggy these days, with a 4-month-old): say you’re about to buy a stroller on Shop.ca. Instead of going directly to the website, you first go to Ebates and log in, then click on the Ebates link to Shop.ca. Shop as you normally would, check out, and bounce up and down excitedly as you wait for your stroller to arrive. The retailer sends Ebates a commission on your purchase. Ebates, instead of keeping that money for themselves, shares it with you, and you can see it pop up on your Ebates account balance. Ebates then automatically sends you your account balance, directly to your bank account or PayPal account, every 3 months, provided your balance is over the $5.01 minimum (I could earn that in my sleep! Even taking into account the sleep deprivation!).

You’re basically getting paid to shop—you can earn cash back on whatever purchase you were about to make anyway, at any one of hundreds of major retailers online. Think Carter’s | OshKosh, Baby Gap, Home Depot. It’s incredibly easy, and surprisingly rewarding.

But PLN’s latest Flash Contest offers yet another incentive to join: one lucky registrant will win $1,000 just for creating an Ebates account. It could be you!

Enter Contest