Indigo (aka Chapters/Indigo) is Canada’s largest bookstore chain and one of my favorite places to shop. Not only do they have a wide selection of books, but they also sell accessories, home decor, stationery, electronics (like the Kobo e-reader) and toys.
With Indigo’s Black Friday sale (up to 40% off) and Christmas sales, learn how to earn some extra cash back with your online purchases at Indigo!
How you may ask?
Well, in this article I’ll explain how to earn up to cash back at Indigo.ca with cash back apps and cash back websites.
Cashback apps
The first way to earn some extra money is by using cashback apps on your smartphone. These apps allow you to earn cash back with your everyday purchases with partner brands.
So how does it work? Easy.
- Create an account and link your debit and credit cards.
- Shop at partner retailers (online or in-store).
- Receive cash back on your purchases.
- Cash out your money once you’ve reached the minimum threshold.
Now it might seem worrisome linking your financial debit/credit cards to some third party app. But keep in mind that these apps do not get access to your bank account or login credentials. Nor can they withdraw money from your account.
The reason for linking your banks cards to the app is to keep track of your transactions with partners and automatically credit you the cash back.
There are two Canadian cash back apps, Paymi and Ampli, that are offering cash back with purchases with Indigo.ca this holiday season.
Paymi – 3% cash back
Paymi is a cash back app that appeared in 2018 and is supported by CIBC. They have partnered with many brands and stores including Staples, J. Crew, Burger King, Leon’s, Avis and Indigo.
It’s FREE to join Paymi and their app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Download the app, create an account with basic personal info (email, birth year, postal code & gender) and then link your debit/credit cards to your account.
Also, don’t forget to use referral code : NBMN7J when you sign up. Thanks for your support
If you’re a CIBC customer, you can register for Paymi using your CIBC online banking info.
Right now, Paymi is offering 3% cash back on purchases with a connected card at Indigo.ca!! There’s no end date for this promotion but the app does state that it expires soon!
Lastly, the Paymi payout minimum threshold is a reasonable $2 and is paid out by Interac e-Transfer. Note – there is a $1.50 fee to withdraw which is waived for redemptions over $25.
Ampli – $5 cash back on purchases over $60
Similar to Paymi, Ampli is a great cash back app available to Canadians. It launched in summer 2019 and it’s supported by RBC Ventures.
There are many offers from various Canadian partners and stores. Some featured brands include Indigo.ca, DoorDash, The Source, H&M, and Rexall. Plus, you can earn cash back on your DoorDash orders!
It’s FREE to join Ampli and their app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Download the app, create an account with basic personal info (email, phone & postal code) and then link your debit/credit cards to your account.
Currently, Ampli is also offering a max of $5 cash back on online purchases over $60 at Indigo.ca until December 5, 2021.
The offer does state that you can earn 2% cash back but the maximum amount to earn is $5.
Lastly, keep in mind that the Ampli payout minimum threshold is $15 and is paid out by Interac e-Transfer.
Cashback websites
In addition to cash back smartphone apps, you can also earn money with your online shopping through cash back websites. These websites reward with your cash back by going through them to shop with their online partners.
The process is quite easy.
- Log into the cash back website before doing your online shopping
- Search and click the retailer you wish to shop with. This usually opens a a new Internet browser tab.
- Proceed with your online purchase as normal.
- Some time later, receive cash back in your account!
These are the general steps but may vary depending on which cash back website you use.
Some Canadian cash back websites include Rakuten.ca and Great Canadian Rebates (I’ve previously written about how to earn $50 cash back by applying for a credit card with Great Canadian Rebates).
Also, there’s a higher than usual sign up bonus for joining Rakuten. Join Rakuten with my referral link before December 31, 2021 and you can earn a $30 bonus (instead of $5)!! Thanks for your support To qualify for the $30 bonus, you just need to make $30 or more in online purchases (that earn cash back) via the Rakuten website within 90 days of signing up.
Currently, Rakuten.ca is offering 2% cash back on online purchases at Indigo.ca on books, toys, gifts and more. Plus, they’re offering 1% cash back on electronics and gift card purchases.
On the other hand, if you rather earn airline miles instead of cash back, check out the Aeroplan e-store. They are offering 5X miles for every dollar spent at Indigo.ca until Nov 30, 2021.
Plus, pay for your purchase with your Aeroplan credit card and earn an extra 5pts/$ spent at Indigo from November 25 to 29th, 2021. This means you could earn up to 10x Aeroplan points per dollar spent at Indigo!
No doubt, this is a fantastic offer to top up your Aeroplan account!! Plus, learn more about the highlights of Air Canada’s new Aeroplan program and the best Aeroplan credit cards.
Amex offer – spend $50 online and earn a $20 credit (targeted)
Finally, there’s a great online holiday shopping offer for targeted American Express cardholders. If you received the offer, you can get a $20 statement credit when you spend $50 or more online at Indigo (or other stores) until December 31, 2021.
Note that purchases must be made online or via the Indigo’s mobile app.
Registration is necessary on the Amex website (or under Amex Offers on the Amex Canada app) to participate in this promotion. Terms and conditions apply.
Summary
There are many opportunities to earn cash back on online purchases in Canada. This includes cash back apps like Paymi appPaymi and Ampli and cash back websites like Rakuten.ca and Great Canadian Rebates.
Remember that if you’re shopping at Indigo.ca this Black Friday weekend, you can earn up to 5% cash back through various sources:
- 3% cash back with the Paymi app.
- 2% cash back via the Rakuten.ca website (Plus, $30 bonus for new members who spend over $30).
- Plus, $5 cash back with Ampli if your purchase is over $60.
- Also, targeted Amex cardholders get a $20 statement credit for online purchases over $50.
So, if you have an Amex credit card, make sure to link your account in the Ampli app! Thus, if you spend over $60 with Indigo.ca, you would earn $25 cash back (Ampli + Amex) and 5% cash back (Paymi & Rakuten). This certainly makes for fantastic savings with Indigo this Black Friday!
Also, don’t forget to sign up for Rakuten for FREE and earn a $30 bonus!
None of these methods are mutually exclusive so you’ll be able to use them all! Just remember to register your credit card with both Paymi and Ampli before your Indigo.ca purchase.
Happy Holiday shopping
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