“Is FreeShipping.com legit?”
I have seen this question being asked on online forums more times than I can remember.
And for good reasons…
We all love free shipping.
And while there are many stores that offer free shipping, most online retailers don’t.
How many times have you abandoned your online shopping cart because of shipping costs?
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Probably a few times at least.
You are not alone!
More than 65% of online shoppers have done so, according to surveys conducted by BigCommerce and Square.
FreeShipping.com aims to change that by offering free shipping at over a thousand online retailers.
But that’s not all…
You also earn 10% cashback
And you can compare prices and coupons instantly!
It may sound too good to be true, but it’s not.
So why are shoppers worried and asking whether or not it’s a legit site?
It’s because you have to pay to become a member (more on that later.)
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But first, let’s find out how it works.
Table of Contents
How it Works
FreeShipping.com helps you save money before, during and after making online purchases.
The online shopping portal lets you compare prices and coupons instantly.
You can also earn 10% cash back and receive both free shipping rebates and price protection on your purchases.
Once you’re a member, you can click “See All Retailers” for a complete list of participating merchants.
The list includes:
- Walmart
- Best Buy
- Target
- QVC
- Macy’s
- Kohl’s
- Amazon
- eBay
- Lowe’s
- GoPro
- LEGO
- Barnes & Noble
- 1-800-BASKETS and
- More.
Note: Usually when we review a site, one of the things we look at is their Better Business Bureau profile and rating. But at the time of writing this review, the site had no BBB rating.
Getting started
Getting started is really easy.
First, you need to join the site.
To do so:
- Visit freeshipping.com and enter your email address in the box (top right side of the screen) and hit go.
- On the next page, enter your info (name, shipping address, credit card, etc.)
- That will start your 7 day trial for $1.97.
- After the initial 7 day trial, if you don’t like it, simply log in and cancel your membership. If you do like it, you don’t have to do anything as it will automatically extend your membership to the full $12.97 a month plan.
Shopping via the site is also easy.
You can do it in a few easy steps:
- Step one: Login to your account.
- Step two: Find (you can either search for it or go through the list of available retailers) and click on the link to your desired online retailer.
- Step three: Visit the retailer’s site and shop as you normally would.
Once they receive notification of your purchase, they’ll apply your 10% cash back to your account.
You’ll receive your full cashback earnings once a month.
FreeShipping.com cost
As mentioned, this is a membership-based program.
Like any good business, they offer an introductory trial period.
Theirs is only $1.97!
After your introductory trial, the membership is $12.97 per month.
If you do a lot of online shopping and follow the rules of the site, you can actually save a lot of money.
Cancelling your membership
If for some reason, you change your mind and want to cancel your membership, you can do so in three ways:
- Cancel online: Login to your account and click on the “Help” tab. Then click the “Cancel Membership” tab and follow the instruction.
- Cancel by Phone: Contact their customer service department by calling 1-800-869-5597 (toll-free) and ask to cancel.
- Cancel by email: The third option is to request a cancellation by email via CustomerService@FreeShipping.com.
Benefits of FreeShipping.com
As I mentioned earlier, saving on shipping costs isn’t the only thing you’ll get with your membership.
1. Quick and easy Comparison-Shopping
The site has a search and comparison-shopping tool that helps you find the lowest prices.
You can search for either retailers or specific items on the site.
When searching for a particular item, you can compare prices from multiple retailers.
Narrow down your search by:
- Price
- Category
- Brand and
- Store.
You can also search to see if items/retailers are included in the 10% cash-back network.
2. Earn 10% Cash Back
You can earn 10% cash back on your online purchases at more than 1,000 online retailers.
During limited-time promotions, you can even earn 20% cash back from certain retailers.
But, to earn any cash back you have to follow some simple steps.
You must find and click the “Visit Store” button for the retailer via the Freeshipping.com website.
Pro tip: Be sure to shop and make your purchase using the same browser window that opened when you clicked “Visit Store.” Otherwise, you will not earn your cash back.
Once Freeshipping.com is notified of your purchase, the site applies your 10% cash-back earnings to your “Savings Center.”
You receive a check each month for your cash-back earnings from the previous month.
Members can earn up to $1,000 cash back every year.
3. Get access to exclusive Coupons
Membership includes exclusive retailer coupons for additional savings.
The coupon offers are frequently updated, so shop regularly to find more coupons and deals.
Some retailers will require that you enter a coupon code to redeem their offers, while others will not.
Many retailers will only allow you to redeem one coupon per purchase.
Pro tip: Make your purchase using the same browser window that opened when you clicked “Visit Store.” If you don’t, your coupon will not be applied.
Restrictions will be displayed when you click “Visit Store” while viewing a specific retailer’s coupon.
4. Earn up to $500/yr in shipping rebates
If for some reason you don’t get free shipping at checkout, you can claim a rebate of up to $10 on each shipping charge.
Pro tip: You must make your purchase through the browser window that opens when you click “Visit Store.” Otherwise, you can not receive your rebate.
After you make your purchase, complete and submit an online Shipping Rebate form.
You will need to send in a proof-of-purchase documentation that displays the:
- Price
- Website information
- Shipping charges and
- Sales date.
Acceptable documents include:
- Receipts
- Packing slips or
- Order confirmations.
Members can claim up to $500 in shipping rebates each year.
5. Earn up to $1000 in Price Protection Rebates
Price Protection Rebates guarantee that you will find the lowest price or get a rebate!
If you make a Freeshipping.com purchase and then find a lower price, online or offline, you can claim a rebate of up to $100 of the price difference.
You must complete and submit an online Price Protection Rebate form within 90 days of your purchase.
You will need to submit the following:
- The original sales receipt, credit card statement, packing slip or order confirmation that shows the price, item, manufacturer, model number, retailer information and sales date;
- A valid advertisement or printed copy of a web page that shows the price, item, description, manufacturer, model number, retailer information and sales dates for the lower-priced item.
Members can claim up to $1,000 in price protection rebates each year.
6. Earn up to $500 in Return Shipping Rebates
You can claim a rebate of up to $10 on any shipping charges when returning an item bought via the site.
To complete and submit an online Return Shipping Rebate form, click “Rebates.”
You will need to send two pieces of proof-of-purchase documentation:
- A sales receipt, packing slip, or order confirmation that shows the price, retailer information, and sale and shipping dates; and
- A receipt for the return shipment displaying the date, retailer information and price paid.
Members can claim up to $500 in return shipping rebates annually.
How Much Can You Really Save?
Let’s recap the possible savings.
For less than $160 per year, you have could earn:
- $1,000 cash back
- $500 in shipping rebates
- $1,000 in price protection rebates and
- $500 in return shipping rebates.
You can also save money with exclusive coupons.
That’s more than $3,000 in potential savings annually!
And that’s on top of all the money you save by avoiding shipping costs throughout the year.
Alternatives
Free shipping, 10% cashback, exclusive coupons, lowest prices guaranteed…
These are all great reasons to join the site.
But some of us are just put off by that $12.97/mo membership fee.
If you like the benefits that FreeShipping.com provides, but hate paying $155 a year for it, there are cheaper and free alternatives out there.
Here are a few alternatives you can try:
1. Amazon Prime: As I explained in our recent Amazon Prime review, if the bulk of your shopping is done through Amazon.com, then Prime is a no-brainer. It costs around $90 a year and it gets you free 2-day shipping on thousands of items.
And if you don’t want to pay for it, try these ways to get free shipping without Prime.
2. Swagbucks: Swagbucks isn’t just for earning rewards for watching videos, playing games and searching. You can also earn cashback at 100s of stores. It actually has one of the highest cashback rates in the industry. And if you sign up with this link, you’ll get a free $5 sign up bonus.
Here’s the sign-up link to get your $5 bonus.
3. Ebates: Ebates is a 100% free cashback shopping portal that offers high cashback rates. You can earn up to 25% (in sometimes double that through their Double Cashback feature) at over 12000 online stores.
What’s more is that they also give you $5 for every single friend you refer to the site. The friend also gets a free $5 when they sign up.
And just for joining you’ll get a free $10 Walmart gift card.
Here’s the signup link that gets you that free $10 gift card.
So is FreeShipping.com Worth It?
The site has its fair share of online complaints and praises on Reddit and other online forums.
But, most are from those members who did not follow the rules.
It is very important to make your purchases through the site and complete your transaction in the browser window that opens when you click “Visit Store.”
Ultimately, if you do a lot of online shopping and play by the rules, you can earn a lot of cash back and rebates.
The site also allows you to find the lowest prices and exclusive coupons.
If you love to find online deals, why not give the low-cost introductory trial a try?
If you don’t like it, you can cancel it anytime, no questions asked.
Your Turn
Have you used Freeshipping.com?
If so, what are some of your favorite perks?
How much money have you saved?
Let us know if this review of FreeShipping.com has helped you decide whether or not to join.
Share your thoughts