Approximately 95 million people have an Amazon prime account. This means over 95 million people shop on Amazon regularly.

Both ease and cost lead people to Amazon. You can find great deals without leaving the comfort of your easy chair.

Best of all, Amazon now has a rebate program. You can save money and earn money by shopping on Amazon.

Keep reading to learn all you need to know about finding an Amazon rebate.

How to Get Free Stuff Online

Rebates have existed for centuries. One of the first loyalty programs began in the late 1700s when United States’ merchants gave their customers copper coins that customers could use on future purchases.

The internet only expanded opportunities for free merchandise.

Just about any business has these loyalty programs, where you trade a few pieces of information for the opportunity to win freebies. You need just an email address and your name, maybe a birth date, and then you will find yourself with an inbox full of rebates, sales, and coupons.

You can also find free stuff at Craigslist, Nextdoor, and Facebook groups. People wanting to rid themselves of their unused and unwanted items will often post them "for free" as long as you can pick them up.

You can even earn gift cards, money, and sweepstakes by answering a couple of dozen questions in the form of online surveys.

Your most sure bet for earning money and saving money goes back to the age-old coupons, though. Coupons do not look like what they used to look like. No longer do you need to clip, save, and organize the coupons from the Sunday paper.

You can access coupons from databases as well as the Sunday paper.

Enter Amazon rebates. These rebates liken themselves to coupons, where you can earn Amazon dollars back to spend on products at Amazon.

What are Amazon Rebates?

Amazon rebates are Amazon’s way of rewarding you for shopping with them. You end up saving money on future products.

Sometimes something as simple as a Chrome extension can make the rebates accessible with the touch of a button.

To rebate your goods online, you need to follow a fairly simple process and keep the small print in mind.

Begin by noting the two deadlines associated with rebates: a purchase deadline and a postmark deadline. You can find this information on the Amazon.com detail page. If you want a rebate, you must complete the order at Amazon.com before the purchase deadline.

Then, look at your Amazon Packing Slip.

Whenever you receive your Amazon package, you should find a packing slip detailing the elements of your package. The Amazon.com detail page will have two deadlines detailed on it. If you want your rebate, you should complete the order on Amazon.com before the purchase deadline as stated on the packing slip.

It does not matter when you receive your package. You still qualify for a rebate if you purchase your package before the purchase deadline.

Once you receive the package, go to the rebate page for Amazon at www.rebateshq.com/amazon-rebates. Complete the rebate form before the postmark deadline.

There is a catch: if you cash in your rebate, you cannot return your item. Once you have submitted the rebate fulfillment form, the item is yours. The rebate nullifies your return.

Filling Out the Form

When you go to www.rebateshq.com/amazon-rebates, you will find your online rebate form. You then enter the transaction information the form asks for. You can find the necessary information on your Amazon.com Packing Slip.

Amazon will keep you abreast of your rebate status. Keep visiting the rebate page to check the status of your rebate.

Read the Fine Print

Not all rebates are the same. Your qualifications may vary by promotion. Make sure you read the information at Amazon.com.

You will find other deals at Amazon.com Sometimes you can find service plan credits when you purchase a phone with a new service agreement, for example.

These are promotions and not Amazon rebates. You do not need to fill out an Amazon rebate form for promotions such as this one.

Amazon has no obligation to help you redeem a rebate, so you need to understand this process on your own. The rebate transaction is between you and the company you’re working with. Amazon is just your middle man.

Amazon does attempt to monitor the rebates on their site. After all, they do not want you to have a bad experience on their website either. Amazon will even show the new price of an item after you claim the rebate.

Amazon encourages its customers to contact them if they believe a rebate is inaccurate. Amazon can offer compensation only if the rebate is from Amazon, though.

They also encourage customers to visit their customer help page if they do not understand the ins and outs of the rebate program.

Claim a Mail-In Rebate

Online rebates certainly are convenient and appealing. On the other hand, mail-in rebates feel like a thing of the past. They still exist, though.

To claim a mail-in rebate, do the following things:

1. Go to the "Rebate forms" on the product detail page of your item.

2. Pay attention to the postmark deadline. You have to open and print the rebate form before this deadline passes. If you allow the deadline to pass, the rebate on the product detail page will disappear.

3. Once you have found the rebate forms, fill them out. Complete the entire form. Do not miss any elements.

4. Print out any necessary documentation for the rebate. Sometimes a rebate form will ask for more documentation. Keep an eye out for what you need.

5. Have your receipt handy. Sometimes you will need proof-of-purchase documentation like the receipt and the item’s UPC code. You can always print the invoice for your account.

6. Mail the rebate form in. Your company will give you a specific address. Just address your envelope, tuck in the necessary forms, stamp it, and stick it in the mailbox.

More Shopping Means More Money

Amazon has become a giant in the retail business. Now that you understand how to cash in Amazon rebates, you will have one more reason to shop there.

For more expert tips on rebate programs, visit our website.