Smart Hack That'll Help You Earn Cash Back on REI Purchases
REI, an acronym for Recreational Equipment, Inc., was started in 1938 to offer outdoor equipment for enjoying outdoor activities with the best equipment, apparel, and advice available. They offer rental equipment for trying that new activity, as well as sport-specific gear for all levels of expertise. They have 168 stores and operate as a coop, with members and employees sharing in profits and dividends.
If you are a lover of all things outdoors, you may be a shopper at REI Coop. Wouldn't it be great if you could turn some of those purchases into cashback? Like many retailers, they offer a program to earn on purchases made in-store or online. The problem with the program is that there are restrictions that apply, you must pay for a membership, and as of 2022, there is no longer an option to receive the cashback in the form of a check. You must use your cashback toward purchases at REI. The rewards do come with an expiration date, so it's wise to use them sooner than later. In addition, there is a cashback program when using the REI World Elite MasterCard, that is separate from the membership rewards.
It may seem confusing and overwhelming, to get your cashback rewards from REI. That's where DoNotPay can help! With our new Get Cash Back products, we can quickly and easily get your cashback for you before the expiration date.
REI Membership Coop Reward
To begin earning REI Membership Coop Rewards, you must first sign up for membership. There is a $20 fee for a lifetime membership, and you are given a $20 bonus card at sign-up to be used on your first purchase of $50 or more. You can sign up in-store or online. Here is what you earn:
- 10% of your purchase price on qualifying purchases
- Excluded purchases include gift cards, sale merchandise, or purchases made in the outlet store. Some trips used equipment and clearance items are also excluded.
- Members also get insider tips, 10% off services for the bike and ski shop, and can trade in used equipment on new purchases.
REI World Elite MasterCard
Once you are an REI Coop Member, you can apply for an REI World Elite MasterCard. The rewards, or cash back rewards program is separate and an addition to the membership rewards earned.
- You get 5% back on all purchases at REI. That is in addition to the 10% you are earning through the membership.
- You can also use the card like any other MasterCard and earn 2% on mobile wallet purchases and 1% on everything else.
- Many of the same restrictions for qualified purchases apply.
How Can I Use My ?
- Notices go out in March to active members who earned a Co-op Member Reward and/or REI Co-op MasterCard Rewards on eligible purchases during the previous year.
- To receive your rewards, you must be an active member. To be an active member, you must have had net purchases of at least $10 during that calendar year.
- For membership rewards for 2021 and before, you can request a check for your rewards to spend as you like. Rewards earned in 2022 and beyond must be used on REI merchandise or services.
- The rewards earned from your MasterCard will be mailed in the form of a check, provided the balance is greater than $1 at the time of expiration.
- For a check to be issued, you must fill out an online form, found on the company's website.
Are There Other Ways to Save Money at REI?
In addition to saving through membership and using an REI MasterCard, there are a few other ways to save at this outdoor store:
- REI Garage Sale. Every year, REI offers a Garage Sale, with heavily discounted prices on returns, scratch and dents, and off-season merchandise. These sales, sometimes 3-4 times per year, are often heavily advertised, so shop early for the best deals.
- REI Outlet offers a Deal of the Day, with savings of up to 50% off. Find the week's deals ahead of time and put them in your cart so that you can reserve your item before the sale date. Supplies are typically very limited, but advanced listings make it easy to get your purchase.
- REI regularly schedules sales throughout the year. Even though you may be excluded from earning your cashback on sale items, you can spend those rewards when purchasing them.
Why Do I Need DoNotPay to Help Me Get Cash Back?
Several retailers, credit card companies, and manufacturers offer cashback on purchases. And many of these are never claimed! That's because consumers, just like you, find it confusing, time-consuming, and stressful, to go through all the steps to redeem their reward points for cash. And cashback rewards that go unused, go back as profit to the companies who offer them. Several companies offer cashback, such as:
Discover It, Citi, the Apple Card, and many other credit cards | Walmart, Kohl's, and other retailers |
ApplePay and PayPal, and other payment types | Apps like Ibotta and Rakuten |
DoNotPay can help you by making it easy and quick to get your cashback, so you can relax and wait for your cash to arrive!
How Do I Use DoNotPay's Get Cash Back Product?
DoNotPay makes getting cashback easy and fast. It only takes three steps:
- Search for Cash Back on the DoNotPay website.
- Kick-off the process to find the right app or website for you.
- Answer some specific questions so that we can help you start making money!
And that's it! DoNotPay will send you the best cashback options we can find and help you to start earning more cashback on your purchases!