Shop Smarter Review – Is Shop Smarter A Scam?

A very quick look at Shop Smarter reveals that they are what we would call then new internet phenomena cash back sites, also known as rebate sites or retail rebate.

Which is exactly what it sounds like, cask back for your purchases made. This particular organisation offers a healthy 10% cash return on all purchases you have made through them. 

Pretty nice huh? 

The catch is though...and what I don't particularly like is Shop Smarter obliges you to be a member in order to get that 10% cash back. 

Pretty weird and odd in my opinion because all the other famous site such as Swagbucks, Paribus, Dosh Cash App,  TopCashBack, BeFrugal And the Famed Ebates in the industry are all free to use and completely free of membership fees!.

A basic and quick calculation of the membership fee would mean you will have to spend $100 minimum online to save a whopping...$0.03!

$10 cash back (10% of $100) - monthly fee of $9.97 = a massive savings of $0.03, yes, 3 measly cents. 

This straight away makes shop smarter a very big turn off, unless you spend a note worthy amount online with the companies associated with them.

Do you really want to spend $200 online every month just so that you can get an extra cup or two of coffee at Starbucks every month? 

Kinda really makes Shop Smarter not worth the membership fee or almost non-existent savings. In all probability you could find those saving by shopping around and checking out other free to use cash back sites. 

What Are Shop Smarter Costs?

Just to reiterate, so that nothing was lost on you. The cost of Shop Smarter is $9.97 per month with an introductory fee of $1.97 for your first 7 days of membership. 

This is where is get a little bit interesting. Your 10% discount is 10%. That much is crystal clear and straight forward. 

After all 10% is 10%!

But, it is how they calculate your discount and where and when. Your 10% discount is NOT applied to the total transaction amount that you paid. 

It your total minus taxes and any shipping and handling AND any discount code that you may (or may not) have applied at the check out. 

Example: Your card was billed $100 for a transaction amount. Your 10% Cash back is not $10. 

It would be something like

• Total Price: $100
• - $9 tax (for example) 
• - $15 typical S&H

Which bring us to $9 (tax) + $15 (S&H) = $100 (total price) - $24 = $76 and a lovely 10% discount of you $100 spent to...$7.60. 

Any further discount such as a coupon that you entered at check out would further reduce the dollar amount of which you get as cash back. 

Which to me makes their cash back look much closer to 6% - 8% fully depending on taxes, shipping and handling and any other discount that you may have added at check out. 

No, Shop Smarter Is NOT a scam, Shop Smart is a Legitimate business. 

The business model in which they are operating from is affiliate marketing. The discounts that you receive from these companies are simply a share of their commission received, a "kick back" so to speak. 

After all, no sales, no commissions and no cashback for you. 

Shop smart is not particularly a cash back rebate company that I would recommend that you go out of your way to use due to unlikeliness of you being able to get or save any money in real monetary terms when you consider the membership fee and how your 10% cash back is calculated. 

You have far better opportunities for cashback rebates with BeFrugal, Dosh Cash App,  TopCashBack, and Ebates 

The "Yes" Part Explained - A Hidden Opportunity For You!

The only situation in which I would recommend the use of Shop Smart is if you joined their referral program and started your very own frugal living website and helping other people to save money and get cash back. 

For each individual that joins a program through you you can earn a set payment of between $5 to $25 depending on which rebate company you are working with and monetising your blog with. 

These kind of sites, frugal living, earn a really good income, talking full time living here...and more! and have the tendency of being easy to operate once you get them going. 

The content is simple and highly visual by nature - just keep updating you site with new fresh content regularly with what offers are on and where your audience can save money or get cash back. 

One of the best things you can do with this type of site is to have a "enter your email to get the discount/cashback code" which, your visitor is all to willing to do because they really want to save cash or get that cash rebate. 

And your autoresponder software, which is set up in advance automagically send out the email with the special code. 

The visitor buys something and you get your agreed referral fee!