We decided to compare BeFrugal’s coupons, cash back, customer service and sign-up requirements with website Ebates. Here is a simple chart that lists the services offered at each website, and below we break down how they compare:
| BeFrugal.com | Ebates | |
| Coupons | ||
| Online Coupons | 50,000 stores | 2,333 stores |
| Printable In-Store Coupons | Yes | No |
| Printable Grocery Coupons | 4,000+ stores | None |
| Restaurant Coupons | 250+ restaurants | None |
| Online Coupon Quality | Guaranteed to Work | No guarantees |
| Exclusive Local Deals | No | No |
| Cash Back | ||
| Number of Stores | 5,000 stores | 2,333 stores |
| Best Cash Back Guarantee | Yes, 125% match | None |
| Cash Back on Exclusive Local Deals | Yes | Yes |
| Customer Service | ||
| Email Support | Yes | Yes |
| Live Chat | Yes | No |
| Sign-up | ||
| Credit Card required? | No | No |
| Free Membership? | Yes | Yes |
| What's required to sign-up? | Email address | Email address |
| Sign-up Bonus | $10 | $10 |
| Referral Bonus | $10 | $5 Base Bonus |
Coupons
BeFrugal offers online coupons from approximately 50,000 stores. Ebates offers online coupons from 2,333 stores. Both Ebates and BeFrugal offer restaurant coupons. BeFrugal also has printable in-store and grocery coupons available; Ebates does not have these types of coupons on its site.
All online coupons are Guaranteed to Work for each of the 5000+ stores in BeFrugal’s cash back program.
Ebates does not offer any guarantee.
Cash back
BeFrugal offers cash back when shopping at 5,000 different stores, and will match 125% of a higher cash back rate through its Cash Back Guarantee. Ebates provides cash back for 2,333 stores on its site. They do not offer a guarantee on cash back rates.
BeFrugal and Ebates both offer cash back on exclusive local deals (through Groupon or similar).
Customer Service
BeFrugal and Ebates both provide email support to customers.
BeFrugal also offers live chat support from 8:00am – 4:30pm EST Monday through Friday. Ebates does not have live support available.
Sign-up Requirements
In order to sign up for BeFrugal or Ebates, only an email address is required. For both sites, membership is free, and you do not need to enter any credit card information. BeFrugal offers a $10 sign up bonus, and a $10 bonus when members refer a friend. Ebates offers a $10 sign up bonus, as well as a $5 base bonus when you refer a friend, with the potential to earn more through a tiered program.
*This post was updated in November 2017.
Photo credit to winnifredxoxo
I do like Ebates better than Be Frugal, better Cash Back and customer service.
I, too, prefer Ebates. BeFrugal advertises higher cash back percentages, but good luck getting any. Ebates may have lower percentages, but at least you get them. Also, they both offer $10 for joining, but Ebates gives you a choice of having it in cash or a Walmart gift card--without any strings attached. BeFrugal will add $10 to your account, but only if you have a certain amount of cash back in the first 90 days (and if you aren't getting any, you aren't getting that $10 either).
Hi Sammi,
Thank you for your feedback. We have made some recent updates to our bonus programs, so I encourage you to check out our terms and conditions: https://www.befrugal.com/help/termsandconditions/.
I have to agree with Sammi, BeFrugal does not pay out or least when I used it. Sites like MrRebates and Ebates may have lower rebates percentage but at least they pay out in a timely manner. The rebates seem so high at BeFrugal that it seems to good to be true. I think BeFrugal is collecting on the clicks than not paying out intentionally so they can keep the profits.
Hi there, If we could offer you any advice for bettering your relationship with BeFrugal, it would be to quickly read the Terms & Conditions of the stores where you do your shopping in advance - we make these easily accessible on each store's cash back page. Knowing the exclusions and varying rates can better set up your expectations for what you will earn when you shop.