• BeFrugal

2018 CUSTOMER CHOICE AWARD

BeFrugal

Overview

BeFrugal has a rating of 4.02 stars from 881 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. Reviewers satisfied with BeFrugal most frequently mention customer service, cashback sites, and gift card. BeFrugal ranks 4th among Cash Back sites.

This company responds to reviews on average within 3 days

Positive reviews (last 12 months): 62.5%
Positive
25
Neutral
1
Negative
14
15
See all photos

What reviewers want you to know

Positive highlights

Critical highlights

  • If they find the system failed, they will often take the hit in the name of customer service.
How would you rate BeFrugal?
Top Positive Review

“Great services”

Grace D.
3/21/24

Very Good experience and I find it very helpful and beneficial offers. Services offered have a variety and significant discounts including a large variety of options and different stores and brands. The array of offers from groceries, footwear, clothing, eletronics, etc. The options are endless and for sure the cash back accumulates faster then you think.

Top Critical Review

“Cash Back Takes Forever”

El g.
11/27/23

I opened the account in August, have $31 dollars sitting in my cash back account. All verified, none payable, even meeting the minimal withdrawal limit. & when I ask, I always get the same answer "merchants gives 120 days to mark as payable. When that's done, they will notify us & we will notify you." The deals are great, but you don't actually get to use the cash back. If you want your cash back quick, don't use this site.

Reviews (881)

Rating

Timeframe

Other

Reviews that mention popular keywords

customer service (72)
Thumbnail of user graced568
1 review
0 helpful votes
March 21st, 2024
Verified purchase

Very Good experience and I find it very helpful and beneficial offers. Services offered have a variety and significant discounts including a large variety of options and different stores and brands. The array of offers from groceries, footwear, clothing, eletronics, etc. The options are endless and for sure the cash back accumulates faster then you think.

Thumbnail of user fernandam53
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

They do say, "times go by when you are having fun"! We understand that it can take some time until you see a "Verified" status becoming a "Payable" status. Although, before you know it, your cash back is already Payable and you can make that Payout Request! If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out and we will assist you!

Thumbnail of user randomstranger420
1 review
0 helpful votes
November 27th, 2023

I opened the account in August, have $31 dollars sitting in my cash back account. All verified, none payable, even meeting the minimal withdrawal limit. & when I ask, I always get the same answer "merchants gives 120 days to mark as payable. When that's done, they will notify us & we will notify you." The deals are great, but you don't actually get to use the cash back. If you want your cash back quick, don't use this site.

Thumbnail of user arianaf1
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Hey El g.!

Thank you for reaching out and leaving us your feedback. We understand that the wait time can be difficult. We are always here to guide and inform our users of information regarding cash back. Feel free visit the FAQs section for more information. You are always welcome to reach out and ask questions!

Thumbnail of user nadern15
1 review
0 helpful votes
March 2nd, 2024
Verified purchase

I am very happy with me be frugal account.and every one should join this site they will save money

Thumbnail of user fernandam53
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

This makes us so happy! Feel free to use your Refer-a-Friend link when it comes to friends and family signing up. That way you can earn a little bonus for referring!

Thumbnail of user kestasv1
1 review
0 helpful votes
February 1st, 2024
Verified purchase

This is the most reliable cash back program of all that I have used.There was never any trouble.Recommend!

Thumbnail of user fernandam53
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Hey Kestas! We appreciate you taking the time to leave us your feedback. Our mission is to help our users earn and maximize on their earnings. We hope that you have been able to check out our new Rewards Program! BeFrugal Rewards is a new extension, which you can collect daily points to later convert to cash! Another great way to maximize on cash back.
Feel free to reach out for more information. A Team Member would be happy to guide you through it!

Thumbnail of user janetc1938
1 review
0 helpful votes
March 26th, 2024
Verified purchase

Forgot password.
Was a painless fix.
Love that you make sure it is really me.

Thumbnail of user fernandam53
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

You're welcome, Janet! We care about the safety of our customers and their accounts. You worked hard to earn cash back, now it's our job to protect it!

Thumbnail of user caitlync55
1 review
0 helpful votes
January 17th, 2024
Verified purchase

I use a few different Money Back/Earning websites and this one is the slowest one for payouts to be available to payout, but the rates are decent and higher than some.

Thumbnail of user arianaf1
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Hey Caitlyn! We appreciate you leaving your feedback.
BeFrugal is an online cash back portal that connects you directly to the cash back with the Merchants. Merchants can sometimes take some time when it comes to approving. Feel free to reach out whenever you have a question or need assistance. We are here to help!

Thumbnail of user edwardl1135
1 review
0 helpful votes
March 2nd, 2024
Verified purchase

Ok--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---

Thumbnail of user fernandam53
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review!

Thumbnail of user lisak2509
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
February 14th, 2024

They advertise higher payouts then other stores like Rakuten, but actually lots of times don't provide any cash back at all and deny any claims. I have never been denied cash back on Rekuten when I've actually completed the purchase, unlike here. Don't use!

Products used:
cash back from purchases

Service
Value
Quality
Thumbnail of user fernandam53
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Hello Lisa! Thank you for taking the time to send us your feedback. Your feedback is very important to us.

BeFrugal is an online Cash Back Portal that connects you to the cash back from the Merchants. BeFrugal works solely with the Merchants when it comes to cash back, meaning that it comes from the Merchant, not us. Once you place a purchase, the Merchant will acknowledge the pending cash back within 7 days, making it "Verified". Due to the cash back coming from the Merchants, they have given us an Estimated Time Frame of Up to 120 days for the Cash Back to go from "Verified" to "Payable". BeFrugal does not get paid until the Merchant has approved of the Verified cash back. Since we pass on the savings to you, once we get paid, you will get paid, and your cash back will become set and eligible for payment.

I hope this information helps! If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out. We are here to help you!

Thumbnail of user esperanzaf13
1 review
0 helpful votes
January 17th, 2024
Verified purchase

I thought this was optional. Anyway, this is a great way to save money and at the same time get rewarded with cash.

Thumbnail of user arianaf1
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Hi Esperanza! Feedbacks are always optional. We appreciate you taking the time to send one in. Enjoy those earnings, you deserve it!

Thumbnail of user joer490
1 review
2 helpful votes
January 24th, 2020

I happened to log in today and saw $16 was deducted from my account because of monthly inactivity fees. I was so angry and left a 1 star review (below) I then started a chat and the rep said that happens if I don't log in for a year and before I had a chance to type more, I saw my $16 was credited. So that me feel a lot better about this site. I hope Befrugal reads this because if the point of the inactivity fee is to get people on the site more regularly, not emailing customers of the inactivity fee defeats that purpose and just alienates us.

-------------- Prior review:

They have been charging me inactivity fees without notifying me! I know they have my email as I get promotional emails from them. You would think they have the technology to put in a gentle reminder saying how I'm being charged $2 a month! So I lost their promised bonus AND paid them $6! Uggh!

Thumbnail of user arianaf1
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Hi Joe, I am sorry that you are not satisfied with your BeFrugal experience. To clear things up BeFrugal is always 100% free to use. We do not and did not charge you or anyone a fee for being active. The only fee that may have been applied to your account is a monthly $2 maintenance fee that is only applied to dormant accounts that have had no activity (clicks, logins, etc.) for over 365 days. Fortunately, if you wish to get all maintenance fees voided and your balance restored 100%, just send a message to our support team here: https://www.befrugal.com/contactus/. Other Cash Back sites will either close your account after 365 days or will apply non-refundable maintenance fees then close your account when the balance reaches $0. I hope this clears up any confusion. Thanks!

Thumbnail of user juliep1729
1 review
0 helpful votes
February 11th, 2024
Verified purchase

Cash back moves to verified and stays there for a while before moving to payable. Customer service is less helpful than other sites. However, there are certain merchants that are only on BeFrugal, and sometimes cashback rates are higher than competitors.

Thumbnail of user fernandam53
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Hello Julie! We are listening to your feedback and apologize for any inconvenience within our site. Your Feedback is important for us to understand things from the Customer's standpoint. We can understand how long it can take when it comes to cash back going from, "Verified" too "Payable". Since the cash back is coming from the Merchant, they give us an estimated time frame of Up to 120 days for the cash back to go from "Verified" too "Payable".

BeFrugal is just an online cash back portal that connects you to the cash back coming directly from the Merchant. Once you make a purchase, they will typically acknowledge the pending cash back within 7 days, making it "Verified". Although we hear you on how long it takes, they do not give us any updates during that time. Once they make a decision, they will notify us, and we would notify you of the "Payable Status".

I hope this information helps! If you have any further questions, you are always welcome to reach out for assistance!

Thumbnail of user johnf4544
3 reviews
1 helpful vote
December 16th, 2023

If you want that little extra reward for a purchase, you can use BeFrugal or Capital One Shopping (I don't consider Ibotta or Honey to be competitive currently).
BeFrugal usually wins in terms of the percentage back and their system has some slick and attractive features, like the ability to add user notes to a shopping trip. You WILL need them later if you have trouble actually getting your rewards... and you WILL have trouble.

BeFrugal's greatest failing is that their customer service is not your partner.
They are your adversary.
Think of them as an insurance company trying every loophole to NOT pay out. If there is an error, they will not try to find or fix it. They do the bare minimum and blanket themselves with the excuse "If we don't get paid, we can't pay you". Imagine if your boss said that to you? "I can't give you a paycheck this week 'cause business is slow."

BeFrugal, boss, I sympathize with you not getting paid, but use customers as a tool to FIX errors, don't just deny paying them what you promised.

Capital One Shopping seems to usually take a more sympathetic approach to issues. If they find the system failed, they will often take the hit in the name of customer service.

That will NEVER happen at BeFrugal. It makes you, the customer, want to just take everything you bought with BeFrugal and just return it (oh course, they won't pay you until long after the return window is closed*, so that is not an option).

So, If you use BeFrugal, be prepared to let 25% of your earned rewards get lost in the system OR be prepared to diligently and actively fight, research, and document (but even that will only get you so far: "we don't get paid, you don't get paid" is the BeFrugal motto).

*Another common complaint about BeFrugal is how aggressively long the payout window is. I currently, as an example, have a payout from a purchase over 100 days ago verified and just in payout limbo. I have been asked to at least wait 120 days... 4 months! A third of a year! But I could live with that IF they actually cared about me.

EDIT after BeFrugal's response on 12/28/2023: You are a separate company from the merchants. You exist to encourage sales through promised discounts. You are not a non-profit. Your company needs to STAND BY promises and FIX errors. You need to work to improve, and use customer feedback and mishaps to guide that. In my 20+ support tickets, you have never made any attempt to fix a specific issue with a specific merchant beyond cutting and pasting an "advice script" (which is helpful ticket #1, but just insulting by ticket #20) and saying "Sorry, tough luck. It is the merchant's fault, not ours, now go away. You will not get what was promised". Actually, I am not sure you have even said sorry.

You need to admit to yourselves that too many cash-back attempts just get lost*. When that happens, the merchant wins (with a sale) and you win (by continuing to have a relationship with the merchant and customers and making money somewhere). The only loser is the customer who wonders 3 months later what ever happened to that 8% cash back they were promised.

*I fear this "% of expected cashback failure" is not only known, it is an integral part of your business model.
"... and customers won't even notice they never got their rewards..."

Service
Value
Quality
Thumbnail of user arianaf1
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Hey John! We truly appreciate your feedback and the details given. We value each one of the types of feedback we receive. We genuinely understand the frustration around the cash back waiting time. Our team members value assisting our users, not only by guiding them but also informing them of how cash back works.

BeFrugal is only a cash back portal that connects you to the Cash Back from the Merchants. We work solely with them when it comes to the Cash Back. We have useful information regarding this within the FAQs section of our site.

Once an order has been placed, the Merchant will update the account with the pending cash back. That typically happens within 7 days of your purchase date. If they were to not do so, there can mean many different things as to why. We provide the Missing Cash Back Inquiry as a way for us to reach out and get their attention on what is missing. Since the Cash Back comes from them, we need to wait for their response regarding your potential cash back. We understand the frustration around the waiting time. These estimated time frames come directly from the Merchants and not us. We provide the information for our users, which can be found under the FAQs section.

We are always more than happy to help our users with pending cash back. We will review and attempt to further reach out, if we are able to do so. Due to the cash back coming from the Merchants, not all Merchants allow us to reach out any further. Customer Service can also provide this information, at the time of the request.

I hope this information has helped. If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to us or check out our FAQs! We are here to help you.

Thumbnail of user cynthiap286
1 review
0 helpful votes
March 11th, 2020

Easy to use and a good way to save. Easy redemption. Convenient. Extension works well. Certainly recommend.

Thumbnail of user denism257
1 review
0 helpful votes
February 7th, 2024
Verified purchase

I had been working with this app for more then two years. Very satisfied with it.

Thumbnail of user fernandam53
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Thank you for choosing us to be a part of your Cash Back journey! Check out our new BeFrugal Rewards Extension. Another great way to accumulate daily points that can later be converted into cash. That's more cash in your pocket!

Thumbnail of user lauriei21
1 review
0 helpful votes
February 13th, 2020

Always great deals and bonuses. Used other apps this one is faster and much easier. I even requested cashback and with an additional bonus. I wouldn't dream of shopping online without it.

Thumbnail of user oksanag32
1 review
0 helpful votes
February 8th, 2024
Verified purchase

Love it, do my Holiday shopping with it, use cash I earned via amazon gift card.

Thumbnail of user fernandam53
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Hello Oksana! We are so grateful to hear that you are enjoying our services! We are committed to helping you save and earn cash back. We hope that you are also enjoying the new BeFrugal Rewards Extension. Points can be earned daily, that can later be converted into cash!
We appreciate you for taking time to send us your feedback. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!

Thumbnail of user katien226
1 review
0 helpful votes
February 19th, 2024
Verified purchase

Love the extra money! I make sure to make my purchases on my laptop to utilize this feature. It's free and generous money!

Thumbnail of user fernandam53
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

We appreciate you taking the time to leave us this feedback Katie! Our team works hard to find the best deals! Our mission is to help you save on your everyday purchases. Glad to hear that you are enjoying it and earning!

Thumbnail of user carolb185
1 review
0 helpful votes
September 3rd, 2017

I am new trying this site. So far everything is going very smoothly. I have put in my 1st request for a check to be issued. I am not anticipating any problems. I'm very pleased at this time and will see after completion if anything changes. Have a nice day!

Thumbnail of user tammyw146
2 reviews
17 helpful votes
June 9th, 2019

Nothing but positive experiences. Lots of help! Always get paid, would recommend to friends and family

Thumbnail of user markw928
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
February 12th, 2024
Verified purchase

I really like how BeFrugal saves me money on my online purchases. It's a very useful and valuable tool!

Thumbnail of user fernandam53
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Thank you, Mark! Our mission is to help you save and earn on potential cash back! Check out our new BeFrugal Rewards Extension. You can earn daily points that can later be converted into cash! Another great way to earn on some extra cash.

Thumbnail of user ericd256
1 review
0 helpful votes
February 2nd, 2019

Great Website. Tends to offer more cashback than others. It doesn't always catch the orders though. I wish it would.

Thumbnail of user rosemarien9
1 review
0 helpful votes
June 18th, 2020

Easy to get cash back rewards. Lots of web sites to use. Happy with the returns. Like the Be Frugal web site.

Thumbnail of user lisawilson06419
1 review
0 helpful votes
October 4th, 2023

I've struggled over the couple of years with BeFrugal to get all of my rebates paid especially when ordering through Kohls. I've opened various tickets (at least six and some never opened) where the orders have been received but never verified and not paid.

Unfortunately when checking on my payments recently, as they seemed low, I noted additional Kohls shipments never verified nor paid upon (one shipment being close to $270). They quickly responded my inquiry was over 60 days from order date (not received date) so they could not investigate. I find this comical as I have had previous tickets opened where it took them over 60 days to pay me.

I've never had difficulties through other rebate sites having to track rebate status to get paid and where customer service actually resolves issues quickly. It's just not worth the extra percentage point.

Thumbnail of user arianaf1
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Hey Lisa!

BeFrugal is just a cash back portal that connects you to the Cash Back from the Merchant. Since the Cash Back comes from them, they will update and track the potential cash back on the account. When you place your purchase, the Merchant typically updates the potential cash back within 7 days. If they were to not update, it can mean many different things. That is why we provide the Missing Cash Back Inquiry, as a way for us to reach out and bring attention to the cash back that is missing. Merchants only allow us 60 days, from the purchase date, to send in a Missing Cash Back Inquiry.

I hear you when it comes to waiting a certain amount of days for "Payable" Cash Back. Once the Merchant has acknowledged the pending cash back, they give us an estimated time frame of Up to 120 days for the cash back to go from "Verified" to "Payable". Since that date is just an estimated date, some can approve quick and others can take a little longer.

If you ever have any questions or need assistance, we are here to help! Feel free to reach out and we will assist you on it.

Thanks!

Thumbnail of user wendyb1486
1 review
0 helpful votes
February 14th, 2024
Verified purchase

I love everything about BeFrugal! Great customer service! Wonderful way to save a little money!

Thumbnail of user fernandam53
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Thank you, Wendy! We love hearing from our users and helping them with cash back! We hope that you are enjoying your cash back, you've earned them!

Thumbnail of user margauxmaria
1 review
0 helpful votes
March 15th, 2024

They don't pay you back. Do not use this web site! The website does not work. I'm still waiting for my 60$.

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user fernandam53
Fernanda M. – BeFrugal Rep

Hey Margaux! We understand how difficult it can be when it comes to waiting for that "Payable" cash back. BeFrugal is just a cash back portal that connects you to the cash back that is coming directly from the Merchants. We work solely with them on cash back. Meaning, that is comes from them and not us. Once the Merchant acknowledges the pending cash back, it will show as "Verified" on your account.
Merchants give us an estimated time frame of Up to 120 days, for cash back to go from "Verified'' to "Payable ". Due to that being an estimate, they can always change. Some can approve quickly and others can take a little longer to approve. Once they do, your account automatically updates. We would be notified of the Payable and you would be notified, by us, regarding your Payable Status.
I hope this information helps! If you have further questions, feel free to reach out to us. We are here to help and guide you through our services.

Sitejabber for Business

Gain trust and grow your business with customer reviews.

From the business

BeFrugal.com is a free cash back, coupon and deal website where you can shop at your favorite stores while saving an average of $27 per order and earning an average of 7% cash back. Shoppers can combine coupons, deals and cash back for maximum savings at over 5,000 stores when they shop online. To learn more or to sign up for free and earn a $10 sign-up bonus, visit www.befrugal.com.

Company Representative

Thumbnail of user chrisw2925
Chris W.
Typically responds within 3 days

How do I know I can trust these reviews about BeFrugal?

  • Sitejabber’s sole mission is to increase online transparency for buyers and businesses
  • Sitejabber has helped over 200M buyers make better purchasing decisions online
  • Suspicious reviews are flagged by our algorithms, moderators, and community members

See reviews as you browse with our Chrome extension

4.0
881 reviews
Have a question about BeFrugal?