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Home » HOW TO MAKE MONEY » Shop Smarter Cash Back Reviews: Is It Really Worth the Money?

Shop Smarter Cash Back Reviews: Is It Really Worth the Money?

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Home » HOW TO MAKE MONEY » Shop Smarter Cash Back Reviews: Is It Really Worth the Money?

You are welcome to my Shop Smarter Cash Back reviews. Is Shop Smarter free, safe, legit, real, or a scam? Can you make money with Shop Smarter? 

It is good you are doing your research and investigation about ShopSmarter cashback; it is how to discover legitimate business and avoid many online scams. 

how-to-make-money-online-usa-from-home

Expect an honest and unbiased review of all about ShopSmarter cashback. 

You will learn why it is not my best Cash Back option because it will be challenging to make your monthly contribution of $9.97 as a Cash Back. 

Please read on to discover many red flags, complaints about Shop Smarter and how they are making massive money from members. 

Estimated reading time: 19 minutes

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Shop Smarter at a Glance

shop smarter reviews

Name: Shop Smarter
Business Type: Online Retailer
Industry: Cash Back Website,
Parent Company: Clarus Commerce
BBB Review Rating: Not on File
Headquarters: Wethersfield, Connecticut, USA.
Area Covered: USA & Canada
Price: $1.97 (First 7 days), $9.97 Monthly
My Rating: 35%
Recommended: Yes { Only If You Make Online Purchase of over $1,200 a Year}

Summary Review of Shop Smarter Cash Back

Shop Smarter promised to help you save money by paying you back 10% as a Cash Back on every item you buy via their over 1,000+ online store. 

But can you make money with Shop Smarter Cash Back? Is Shop Smarter safe, legit, real, or a scam online shopping platform? 

Shop Smarter Cash Back is legit, real, safe, and not a scam online shopping program. You will earn 10% on every item you purchase on qualified items from their over 1,000+ online stores in their consortium. But you have to pay a monthly subscription of $9.97, and you can only make $1 000 Cash Back in a year.

Shop Smarter has better alternatives that you don’t need to pay monthly fees to earn Cash Back from your purchase, e.g., the Rakuten reward program. 

Can you make your monthly contribution back via Shop Smarter cashback? 

Why It Will Be Difficult to Make Your Money Back?

You will be charged a monthly contribution of $9.97 as soon as you join and become a ShopSmarter member. The problem is that the monthly debit will not stop even if there is no purchase for that month.

Suppose you get charged for a whole year, I.e., over $120. 

For you to make your monthly subscription money back in the form of Cash Back through your purchase, you must be spending an average of over $100 monthly (i.e., $1,200 yearly).  

How many people shop and spend over $1,200 online yearly? 

But how is Shop Smarter making money? See full details in the body of this article.

You get paid 10% of your purchase via the online store they are affiliated with. 

They are taken advantage of the power of affiliate marketing. 

They partner with many online stores, and they make your purchase from those eCommerce stores through their affiliate links. It is why you must go through their website to qualify for Cashback.

Suppose they partner and bargain 15% for every sale they make for those online stores, and they decide to offer you 10%, i.e., they pocket 5% of every sale.

I make money via my website using the same method; It is called affiliate marketing.  What is affiliate marketing? 

How to Become an Affiliate Marketer with Your Website 

You will earn a commission for every sale you make online. 

 You can learn all about affiliate marketing and how to start your online business just like Shop Smarter. 

Check out this affiliate marketing training. Level-1 with ten lessons is FREE to join. Learn all about the FREE affiliate marketing training here. 

What do you think of Shop Smarter Cash Back reviews? Can you earn enough Cash Back to make money with shop Smarter?

Is Shop Smarter safe, legit, real, or a scam online shopping program? 

What is Shop Smarter?

Shop Smarter is an online platform that has partnered with over 1,000+ eCommerce stores and offers to pay you 10% Cash Back on every purchase through their partner eCommerce companies. 

They claimed that you could make as much as $1,000 Cash Back from every purchase yearly if you buy through their partner’s stores. 

I am sure you are wondering how this works. 

How is Shop Smarter making money? Is Shop Smarter legit, safe, real, or another online shopping scam? 

Can you make money with Shop Smarter? 

Is Shop Smarter free, safe, legit, real, or a scam

Who is Shop Smarter for?

Shop Smarter is only for people that make a frequent online purchases. Otherwise, you will be losing money with their monthly subscription of $9.97 if you make a minimum online purchase of $100 monthly or a yearly online purchase of $1,200. 

Anyone that is doing less will be wasting his or her money subscribing on this platform. 

What do you think of my Shop Smarter Cash Back reviews?

Is Shop Smarter legit, safe, real, or a fake and scam Cash Back site? 

Can you earn money with Shop Smarter Cash Back?

How Does ShopSmarter Work?

Every ShopSmarter member will earn 10% Cash Back for every purchase made on qualified items in any of over 1,000+ e-commerce stores affiliated with Shop Smarter. You will get back 10% of every of your spending. But you can only earn accumulated maximum Cash Back of $1,000 in a year with Shop Smarter. 

The first step for you to make money with Shop Smarter is to join and sign up.

If you join via seven days trial period, you will be charged $1.97; if you upgrade to a monthly period, you will be paying a membership subscription fee of $9.97 monthly.

Note: The seven days trial is as good as the real deal. You will have access to start earning the total 10% Cash Back on items purchase via the platform. 

What do you think of my Shop Smarter reviews? 

With this subscription amount, considering other websites charging nothing. Is Shop Smarter free, safe, legit, real, or a scam? 

Can you make money with Shop Smarter Cashback? 

Is Shop Smarter Free and Safe to Join?

Yes, Shop Smarter is free, safe, legit, real, and not a scam. You can join the seven days trial for $1.97. Also, you can upgrade to $9.97/month if you like it. You have the option to cancel this subscription at any time of your choice.

So, what is the actual cost to join Shop Smarter?

Why are some members been charged $9.97 and others $12.97?

All members of Shop Smarter are now paying $9.97. The issue of some members paying 12.97 has been removed from the Shop Smarter platform. 

What do you think of my Shop Smarter reviews? 

Do you think you can make money with Shop Smarter with this subscription? 

Is Shop Smarter worth the money? 

Why Should You Join ShopSmarter? 

The first primary reason you should consider joining this platform is because of the assurance of getting 10% off of every one of your online purchases. 

The good news for online buyers is that all significant eCommerce stores have a partnership relationship with Shop Smarter online shopping program. 

Aside from the 10% Cash Back that is off all your purchase. You also have access to all the coupon packs in one place for ease of access. You don’t need to search for various coupon codes, BOGO discounts, free shipping offers, and many percent-off coupons. 

If you make a lot of purchases via online retailers, then you should consider this platform. Otherwise, it is a waste of money. 

The reason is that you can not make back your $9.97 monthly subscription if you don’t buy goods that are over $100 every month via this platform. 

How to Make Money with Shop Smarter Cash Back?

After your first monthly payment of $9.97 and subscription as a Shop Smarter member, you will get a gift of $10 after your first purchase. Then, the site will calculate 10% of the total monthly purchase. You will get a check for your 10% Cash Back for the previous month.

Ensure you look out for Cash Back Restrictions on every site before you conclude your purchase. Otherwise, your purchase may not qualify for Cash Back.

Please know that you have a yearly limit of a total of $1,000 Cash Back you can earn; when you get to this limit, you will no longer qualify to earn Shop Smarter Cash Back for that year. 

Also, it is not only Cash Back earned with 10% total purchase that will add up to make your $1,000 yearly limit, but those special promotions of 20%, 30%, etc. 

The good news is that you can make money with this Cash Back website if you can purchase an item worth over $100 monthly or $1,200 yearly. That is only when you can make your monthly subscription payment back.

You can save more money with Shop Smarter if you are constantly using coupons, percent-off codes, free shipping, BOGO coupons while purchasing this platform. 

The money you can save will add-up with the Cash Back you will earn on your total purchase. 

What do you think about my Shop Smarter Cash Back Reviews? Can you now make money with Shop Smarter? 

 Is Shop Smarter free, safe, legit, real, or a scam and fake Cash Back website?

Can I Earn ShopSmarter Cash Back on In-Store Pickups?

Yes, but not all online stores on the Shop Smarter platform are eligible for Cash Back on In-Store Pickups. All qualified stores will show an “In-Store Pickup” icon on their page. Ensure you look out for this icon before deciding to purchase via In-Store Pickup. You may lose your Cash Back if otherwise. 

See the Icon below:

is shopsmarter legit

You will earn 10% Cash Back on every of your purchase through Shop Smarter online. Ensure you look out for “free store pickup” or “select ship to store.” You can earn 10% Cash Back when you pick up your purchase in-store at:

  • Macy’s JCPenney, 
  • Kohls, 
  • Barnes & Noble, 
  • Walmart, 
  • Barnes & Noble, 
  • Petco, 
  • Home Depot, much more. 

How to Calculate the Shop Smarter 10% Cash Back?

The Cash Back of the eligible purchase is done by calculating 10% of the subtotal purchase order. Subtotal order is the total cost of your purchase minus taxes, handling, shipping, and all fee added while checking out (i.e., Subtotal Order = Total Cost – (Taxes + Handling+ Shipping + Promo Codes/Coupons).

Note: If any promo codes or coupons are used at the checkout. The 10% Cash Back will only be applied to the new subtotal after the discounts are applied. 

What do you think of my Shop Smarter Cash Back reviews? Is Shop Smarter worth it? 

Can you make money with Shop Smarter seen the above Cash Back calculation? 

Is Shop Smarter free, safe, legit, real, or a scam?

What Is the Payment Method for Shop Smarter Cash Back Earnings?

You will receive your Cash Back earnings for all the qualified purchases made in a specific month on the 15th of the following month via Check payment. I.e., the Cash Back Check will be paid out by the company .for the purchase you made between 1st of January to 31st on 15th of February of the following month.

 You can get a glance on the saving page of your membership Cash Back earnings for a whole year and the following payout check amount you will get. 

 You will always get your Check via your mailbox. Check is the only payment method on the Shop Smarter platform.

How is ShopSmarter Making Profits

The answer is this: ShopSmarter is an affiliate marketing website. The site has partnered with over 1,000+ eCommerce stores to get commission on every customer they direct to their affiliated websites. They made a deal of affiliate commission that is well more than 10% paying out to members. 

Okay, many people want to know how this company called “ShopSmarter.com” makes money. They are giving members 10% Cash Back on their purchases.  

For instance, they may decide to partner with eBay to be getting 16% on every sale that results from their member’s purchases. 

When you purchase items on eBay, ShopSmarter will get a commission of 16% on the amount you spent. While they pay you a Cash Back of 10%, and they pocket 6%. 

Know that ShopSmarter has thousands of customers. 

Suppose you purchase an item that costs you $30 on eBay via ShopSmarter affiliate links. eBay will pay

The ShopSmarter $4.8 (i.e., 16% of $30) affiliate commission. 

The ShopSmarter will pay you 10% of $30 (i.e., $3); while they get the remaining $1.8.

Can you imagine $1.8 multiplying by their over 50,000 users monthly? I.e., $90,000 profits in a month for ShopSmarter owners.

They also make even much more; some promotions and discounts that are over 30% sometimes.

Have you seen how ShopSmarter makes huge profits?

What about your monthly membership subscriptions? 

Many people use the platform once or twice, and they will keep on taking the subscription monthly! Sweet money.

What do you think of my Shop Smarter Cash Back reviews? Do you think I am wrong about how Shop Smarter makes profits? 

Can you make money with Shop Smarter Cash Back? 

Is Shop Smarter free, safe, legit, real, or another scam Cash Back? 

 Why You May Not Earn Shop Smarter Cash Back

Did you use the Shop Smarter platform but did not get Cash Back? 

You usually ought to get a cash pack in your account section after 5 to 7 days of purchase. One of the following must-have happen to your transaction:

Cash Back Restricted Items

You will not get Cash Back on your purchase of “Ineligible Items” such as Gift cards or any purchase you paid for via gift cards and Apple products. 

Browser Extensions, Coupons, and Plugins of other Company

If you use the browser extension, plugin, or coupon code of other companies either intentionally or by mistake on the Shop Smarter platform, you will not get your Cash Back rewards. 

Always ensure that your coupon code is from Shop Smarter.

Don’t Leave Shop Smarter Website.

Shop Smarter is an affiliate marketing website. 

They get rewards for directing you to those third-party eCommerce sites; that is why they pay you some margins of their earnings (I Explain that under the summary section).

You will only get paid Cash Back only if you click the link from Shop Smarter, leading you to where you make a purchase. 

If you go directly to go and purchase your item, those sites will not reward Shop Smarter. Hence you will miss your Cash Back payment. 

Canceled Orders and Retuned Order

If your order cancels or returns before it arrives at your destination, your purchase is not void. 

There is no Cash Back payment for any such events. 

In-Store Pick Ups

There are selected and specific stores that you get reward Cash Back for in-store pick up if you make your purchase in another store that is not on the list. 

You will get nothing. You can visit the site to see stores that allow Cash Back for in-store pickup.

How Do I Cancel My ShopSmarter Membership Subscription?

You can email the Customer Service via customerservice@shopsmarter.com; you can use the “Contact Us” on the ShopSmarter website; also, you can do a direct phone call to the customer services:800-254-6536 or 800-255-6355, and lastly, you can use the “DoNotPay website” to cancel your ShopSmarter membership.

Do you like to get rid of Shop Smarter?

It is so easy to cancel your Shop Smarter Membership Subscription in four ways:

Cancel ShopSmarter Membership Subscription Via the Website

You can treat the cancellation via your profile page and by contacting the site through “Contact Us.

  1. First login to the website.
  2. Go to the account menu.
  3. Select “cancel membership.”
  4. Click “finalize cancelation request” to confirm your cancellation.

You can cancel via the “Contact us page,” visit that page, complete the form with your details, and submit it. 

You should get confirmation within 24 hours. 

Cancel ShopSmarter Membership Subscription Via Email

You can treat the cancellation of your ShopSmarter subscription by mail directly to the customer services. 

You will do a mail to customerservice@shopsmarter.com

Provide your full details, then wait for an email confirmation of your request. 

It will also take 24 hours for this cancellation to be effected. 

Cancel ShopSmarter Membership Subscription Via the Phone

You can place a direct call to the Shop Smarter customer services requesting them to cancel your membership subscriptions. 

It is possible to round the clock, i.e., 24/4. Place your call directly to the Customer Service Shop Smarter team at 800-254-6536 or 800-255-6355.

Your cancellation request will be processed in less than 24 hours by customer service. 

You will receive an email confirmation as soon as the cancellation of your ShopSmarter membership subscriptions is treated. 

Using DoNotPay to Cancel ShopSmarter Membership Subscription 

  1. Visit the DoNotPay website to sign up. https://donotpay.com/
  2. Click the main menu to select “Account.”
  3. Choose the “Cancel Membership.” 
  4. Then click “Finalize Cancelation Request.

You are done. 

What do you think of my Shop Smarter reviews? 

Do you think people are making or losing money with Shop Smarter Cashback? 

Is Shop Smarter free, safe, legit, accurate, or a scam? If yes, why would they be canceling their membership? 

Food for thought!

Best Apps Alternatives to Shop Smarter

There are many alternatives to ShopSmarter Cash Back that are 100% free. Yes, you don’t need to pay a monthly subscription to save money on your online purchase. 

Below are some select and alternatives to ShopSmarter that will pay you good rebates for your purchase:

Features and Benefits of ShopSmarter 

  • Shop Smarter has excellent customer service support
  • Ability to cancel your membership any time.
  • Great price comparison tool
  • They have over 1000’s retailers to earn Cash Back from
  • The Cash Back rate is far above the industry standards.
  • Great website interphase 

Shop Smarter Complaints

  • Do not all purchases qualify for the 10% Cash Back?
  • You get paid by cheque only.
  • So many negative reviews and complaints
  • Debiting members without signing up
  • Misleading Ads
  • They sometimes make life difficult for members to get Cash Back
  • You can not earn more than $1,000 Cash Back no matter how much you purchase 

Is Shop Smarter BBB Rated? 

Shop Smarter is unfortunate not on Better Business Bureau’s file. It means that the online Cash Back company is not rated, nor is it accredited by BBB. 

The parent company of Shop Smarter, the online shopping Cash Back website, is Clarus Direct, LLC, and the company is on BBB file. 

Clarus Direct, LLC is rated A+ and has been accredited since the 30th of May 2001. 

The Clarus Direct BBB file is flooded with so many complaints by members of Shop Smarter. 

As of this review, the Clarus Direct BBB page has a total of 114 complaints for the last three years. Fifty-two of those complaints were closed in the previous year.

What do you think of my Shop Smarter reviews? Why do you think that the Shop Smarter is not directly on the BBB file?

Is Shop Smarter legit, safe, real, or another scam Cash Back website? 

With so many Shop Smarter complaints on the BBB file, are members making money? 

Is Shop Smarter Legitimate Cash Back Website?

Shop Smarter owners is the Clarus Direct, LLC, a well-known company in the online retailing world with Headquarters located at 500 Enterprise Dr. Ste 2D, Rocky Hill, CT 06067-3913. The CEO of Clarus Commerce is Tom Caporaso. While the Ms. Rhiannon H is the Director of Operations. 

Business Location of Clarus Direct, LLC (Parent Company of Shop Smarter)

According to Trademarks Website, Clarus Commerce is the Legal owner of ShopSmarter.com. Therefore, Shop Smarter is a legitimate company. 

Clarus Marketing Group, LLC has its alternate business as listed on BBB rating as follows: 

  • Delivery Deals
  • Feecation.com
  • FreeShipping.com
  • IC FreeShipping
  • Return Saver
  • Shop Smarter
  • Travel Plus

Clarus Marketing Group started its business on 15th of April 1999 and was incorporated on 24th of April 2001. 

They file for BBB listing on the 31st of March 2003. 

Do you agree with me that Shop Smarter is legitimate and not a scam and fake company? 

The company may have issues with its members’ billings but take it from me and with the fact listed here. 

They are a genuine and authentic company that was registered correctly in the USA, as shown above. 

What do you think of my Shop Smarter reviews? Can you now make money with Shop Smarter?

Do you believe Shop Smarter is legit, real, safe, or a scam online Cash Back company? What is your take? 

Is Shop Smarter Safe and Secure?

Your credit cards and any other payment methods are safe and secure on this platform. The site claimed to take every member’s security seriously, such that they comply with the PCI DSS – Payment Card Industry Security Standard guidelines.

Shop Smarter is safe, secure, free, legit, and not a scam and fake Cash Back site.

Then, ensure you cancel your payment and subscription whenever you are sure you are no more interested in getting Cash Back from this platform. Otherwise, your card will be debited continuously every month. 

There are many complaints about Shop Smarter as regards incessant debit of members credit cards. 

Many members are calling Shop Smarter a scam, fake, and unsafe Cash Back website. W

What do you think of my Shop Smarter reviews? Have you been debited unjustly before?  

Can you make money with Shop Smarter? 

Is Shop Smarter safe, free, legit, real, or other fake and scam sites?

Is Shop Smarter Legit, Real, or a Scam?

My issue with this site is that you may never make back your monthly subscription, not to consider saving money purchasing stuff online. To save your money and earn money with Shop Smarter, you have to be purchasing over $120 monthly or a total purchase of $1,200. 

Shop Smarter is free, safe, legit, real, and not a scam Cash Back site. 

What makes up the total Cash Back of $1,000 limit you can earn in each membership year? 

Is it only the 10% benefits, or it includes 20% Cash Back promotions at some selected stores? 

The answer is this: As soon as your total Cash Back earning reaches $1,000, you will not be eligible to earn Cash Back on any of your ShopSmarter purchases until your next subscription membership years on the platform. 

The $1,000 annual Cash Back limit is an issue for me. 

What do you think of my Shop Smarter Cash Back review?

Can you make money with Shop Smarter? Is Shop Smarter free, safe, legit, real, or a scam Cash Back website?

Is Shop Smarter Cash Back Worth It?

Thanks for reading my Shop Smarter Cash Back reviews. Can you make money with Shop Smarter?

Is Shop Smarter free, safe, legit, real, or a scam?

My take is this.

There is a better alternative to Shop Smarter Cash Back that you won’t need a monthly subscription to earn Cash Back. Shop Smarter Cash is only great for you if you are sure you will be purchasing over $1,200 yearly online. Otherwise, you will be losing money via the monthly subscriptions.

Though the Cash Back rate may not be as high as that of Shop Smarter, you will find sure that you are earning and saving some money. 

You should also know that Shop Smarter is making a lot of money off their members. They are affiliate marketers to their affiliate retailers, and they thousands of dollars monthly commission for sending people to those sites.

Apart from the monthly subscription, they are charging members “either they make purchase or not.”

If you are testing Shop Smarter out, make sure you stop and cancel your subscription. If you forget it, it would be many problems for you to get your money back. 

There are many complaints about Shop Smarter online in respect of unwarranted charges.  

What do you think of my Shop Smarter review? Can you make money with Shop Smarter Cash Back?

Is Shop Smarter safe, legit, real, or another fake and scam Cash Back online shopping?

What is your take? 

Shop Smarter Review – Video