RetailMeNot Review: Cash Back And Coupons At Your Fingertips

Many people are looking for ways to make ends meet. If you find yourself in that situation, you’ve probably considered reducing your costs through cash back apps like Ibotta, Fetch, or RetailMeNot. If you’re unfamiliar with the latter platform, or if you’ve heard about it but want to learn more, you’ve come to the right place. In this RetailMeNot review, we’ll cover what RetailMeNot is, its features, its pros and cons, and everything else you need to know to decide if it’s for you.

What Is RetailMeNot?

RetailMeNot is a cash back and rewards program that also offers money-off coupons and travel rewards. It's part of the Ziff Media Group which also owns offers.com, blackfriday.com, and Mashable. RetailMeNot is available in the U.S. and has a sister site in Canada. It was founded by Guy King and Bevan Clark in 2006 in Australia. It has been through several buyouts and name changes before settling on RetailMeNot in 2013. It's now headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Available online, as a browser extension and smartphone app, RetailMeNot aims to help shoppers save money on purchases and earn cash back rewards at the same time. It's rated at 4.6 out of 5 stars on the Google Play Store and 4.8 on the Apple Store. However, it has a Trustpilot score of only 2.0 out of 101 reviews. This may be because people are more likely to review services like this if they have something they want to complain about.

The most common complaints are about poor customer service and cash back not received for offers. Regardless of this, RetailMeNot has a Better Business Bureau rating of A+.

RetailMeNot Review: Features

RetailMeNot offers a range of free services for shoppers, some with strict conditions. We will review each feature and conclude whether RetailMeNot is worth it or not.

#1 Cash Back Offers

Members are able to browse the available cash back offers on the website and select those that they want. There are over 20,000 stores offering a range of percentage cash back on purchases. Stores include Samsung, Macy's, and Target. By clicking the link, the offer is activated and the browser will be redirected to the retailer's site.

Once the purchase is complete, the offer becomes ‘pending' while the cash back is being processed. This may take up to 45 days. Cash back balances will appear in the RetailMeNot Wallet.

Offers must be activated before the purchase, otherwise, they are ineligible as the merchant cannot confirm the sale with RetailMeNot. Customers can take advantage of up to seven offers per retailer per month and a maximum of 20 offers in total each month. Offers have a maximum value of $50 cash back.

Once a year, RetailMeNot runs a special event called Cash Back Day. Members can earn up to 5 times the amount of cash back. It runs in early November so you can prepare for the holiday season and then receive the subsequent cash back at the end of the year.

#2 Coupons

Retailmenot offers money-off coupons for members to use. To apply coupons, you simply click on the offer and copy the code that appears. Paste the code into the Promo Code field at the retailers' checkout and it will be applied. Some coupons have a single-time use. They can appear anytime as you shop or be sent to you by email. Usually, these codes are limited in number and they may run out. Shoppers should take advantage of them quickly.

Some coupons don’t have a code but are activated when you click the purple Get Deal button. You will be directed to the store’s website and the discount will be applied automatically at checkout. These special coupons are often used when there is a general sale or free shipping.

Members are encouraged to share coupons with RetailMeNot. Click the link on your profile page and choose from the following options:

• Online code.
• In-store coupon.
• Online sale.
• General tip.

The coupon link and the amount of discount and expiry date should also be added (if possible). Once you have clicked the Submit Offer, the deal will be reviewed by the RetailMeNot team and will then go live. Members can track how much money they have saved other members.

#3 Browser Extension

RetailMeNot offers a browser extension called Deal Finder that can be downloaded for most internet browsers. At present, only the browser extension for Google Chrome can be personalized. This service is also available to non-members, but they will have to download the browser extension. Deal Finder helps shoppers find coupons and other cash back deals. In order to access some of the offers, you will need to sign up to RetailMeNot first. You can also install Deal Finder on your smartphone's web browser.

It's possible for RetailMeNot members to combine savings by applying coupons and activating offers through the browser extension. This service only applies to RetailMeNot partner stores.

#4 The RetailMeNot Blog

RetailMeNot has a comprehensive blog called The Real Deal. It contains numerous sections to inform and guide its members. There are also special offers.

It also offers an email subscription service so users get regular updates. We thought the most useful section was the Budget page. It has a rather clever tagline: “Because if it doesn’t save dollars, it doesn’t make cents.” The page includes useful tips about filing your taxes and current deals.

#5 Travel Rewards

• The Blog includes a good section on travel. It offers tips on saving when preparing for travel and on flights.
• The Coupon page has money-off discounts at a range of travel providers.
• The Offers page has numerous cash back offers for travel bookings.

Cashing Out On RetailMeNot

Members can cash out through PayPal and Venmo once they have a minimum balance of $5. Balances can be found in the Reward Centre and cash back is also requested from there.

Pros Of RetailMeNot

• There are a good number of participating stores including Target, Macy's, and eBay.
• The range of cash back offers is extensive.
• Coupons can be printed or used straight from the app.
• You can use the coupons on RetailMeNot even if you have not created an account.
• The coupons section is great with promo codes and coupons for a wide range of retailers and brands.

Cons Of RetailMeNot

• It can take up to 45 days for cash back on offers to be processed.
• There are many reasons why offers may be ineligible which means shoppers may not receive them.
• It's hard to find answers about how RetailMeNot works, even in general terms. The website help page just directs you to a very long page of Terms and Conditions.
• Most people complain about coupons and discount codes failing. RetailMeNot says this is beyond their control but we're not so sure about that. Other coupon sites don't seem to have the same issue.

Pricing

RetailMeNot is free for consumers to sign up for. In addition, anyone can download and use the browser extension and coupons. RetailMeNot may receive commissions for referring customers to specific brands and retailers.

In Summary

RetailMeNot offers cash back deals and money-off coupons. The cash back deals can be found by shopping through their website, the app, or by installing the browser extension which searches for them as you shop. Coupons and discount codes can be used either online or in-store (in which case, they may need to be printed).

although RetailMeNot has some things going for it, it's more complicated than necessary and people have complained about coupons not working for different reasons. This lack of eligibility and complexity makes it far from ideal for people who just want a simple way to get cash back from their purchases. If that's your case, you can try Fetch Rewards instead, which pays cash back by scanning any receipt of any purchase.

RetailMeNot Review FAQs

Is RetailMeNot worth it?

Yes, RetailMeNot is worth it if you are prepared to sift through the offers and coupons and possibly change your shopping habits to take advantage of them. The number of cash back offers and coupons is huge, so you should find something you can take advantage of.

Is RetailMeNot safe?

Yes, RetailMeNot is safe to use. It regularly features in lists of the most trusted sites. One way to judge the trustworthiness of a program is to check its social media pages and blogs. Are they updated regularly? Is there a clear way to contact them? Is there plenty of information on the help pages? For the most part, RetailMeNot does well on these criteria, which is a good sign.

Is RetailMeNot legit?

Yes, RetailMeNot is legit. It has good reviews and over a million users. The only reported issue is of coupons not working. This is a common problem with coupon sites and happens because of expiry dates and limited redemption numbers. This is difficult for coupon websites to keep updated.