Fancy saving money on your shopping? Of course you do but, how? These days, the internet is stacked to the rafters with sites promising to save you cash and, unfortunately, a lot of them are no more than a thinly veiled ploy to get hold of your data. As we’re pretty sure that you don’t have the time to trawl through endless sites to find the good ones, we’ve decided to do it for you – just think of us as your fairy shop-mother. This time around, we’re taking a look at Paris based Shopmium.
Trick or treat?
Launched in 2011, Shopmium is an app which allows users to save money when they purchase everday goods. The site features a number of current offers available and, once set up, users can take advantage of these by buying the product and then uploading the receipt to receive cashback.
How does it work?
After setting up an account at www.shopmium.co.uk, you need to download the app in order to start claiming cashback. Once you’re all sorted, you can browse the site for available offers. From here, simply choose the offer that interests you and take note of the product name and the store that you need to buy it from. Next, pop out and buy the item, take a photograph of the product and the receipt and upload it to the site. Your cashback will then appear in your account and can be swapped for a payment into Paypal or your bank account. A couple of things to note:
- It’s really important that you make sure that you buy the exact item which is featured in the offer – and from the right store.
- You need to make sure that you hang onto those receipts as this is the only way to claim your cashback.
- Shopmium is only open to those with an iPhone 5 or newer.
How do I get started?
First, you need to head over to www.shopmium.co.uk and set up your account before downloading the app. You can sign up either with your email address or with your social media accounts. You’ll also need to tell Shopmium whether you want to be paid by Paypal or straight into your bank account. That’s pretty much it – you’re now ready to start browsing for bargains!
How much will I make?
This is, of course, the million dollar question and, the answer is, not a million dollars. You will, however, be able to bag some freebies and discounts – for example, a recent offer on Shopmium allowed users to get hold of a free tub of Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream after buying the product and uploading the receipt
To shop or not to shop
So, you want to know if Shopmium is worth trying – we hear ya! Here are a few pros and cons to help you decide:
To shop
Free stuff – Put simply, you can get freebies just for uploading your photos.
Easy peasy – The app is really quick and simple to use and it should only take seconds to snap and upload your pictures.
Payment – Bank and Paypal payment is made quickly and, there’s no upper limit to withdrawal of your funds.
Not to shop
Limited offers – Shopmium features only a few limited offers at any given time so you may have to wait before you find one that takes your fancy.
Over-spending – Unless you’re strict with yourself, you may find yourself buying products that you don’t particularly need or want – just because there’s a discount or freebie available.
Accuracy – It’s mega important that you buy the correct product as Shopmium won’t credit your account if you make a mistake. Having said that, the site does have a handy ‘eligiblity checker’ to help you make sure you’re on the right track – or shelf.
Shall I give it a try?
In all honesty, you’ve got very little to lose – and a little to gain. Although Shopmium is unlikely to prove life-changing for you, it can be a good way of saving money on stuff you normally buy – and a great way of trying something new without finding yourself out of pocket. As long as you’re diligent about buying the right products and keeping your receipts, Shopmium is a handy little app for the occasional treat.
