Free Stuff On The Web

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

July 13, 1999 / 5:27 PM EDT / CBS

Retailers online are working desperately to get your business, and they're willing to offer you incentives to get it. You just have to look for them. Sometimes it's a coupon for soap. Sometimes it's a free ticket to Hawaii.

CBS MarketWatch reporter Betsy Karetnick recommends that you start by visiting the Web sites of businesses you already patronize. For example, if you are booking an airline ticket, try the airline's Web site and you might be able to get a discount by ordering online that wouldn't be available if you called the airline or a travel agent.

Here are some current tips for online freebies:

This month when you go to Dollar-Rent-a-Car's Web site you can get a free upgrade on a rental.

There also are sites that work with retailers, manufacturers, and airlines to offer deals that work like green stamps or frequent flyer programs.

A site called www.clickrewards.com allows you to shop online from retailers such as 1-800-Flowers, The Gap, and Barnes & Noble, earning "click" miles each time you make a purchase. Every click reward mile is good for a frequent flyer mile on one of eight airlines. You can add these miles to existing frequent flyer accounts or use click rewards to buy other merchandise.

Another popular one is called called mypoints.com. You can earn points every time you are on the Internet, and the key here is that no purchase is required. You collect bonus points by touring Web sites and reading email. The CEO of MyPoints calls his bonus program better than free. You can get coupons, free offers and points redeemable through MyPoints. The top current choice among MyPoints users is a Target gift certificate.

For coupons go to mycoupons.com. The site links you to six coupon sites that you can search at your leisure, for savings anywhere from fast-food restaurants to Meineke Mufflers. They also will email you specific promotions.

Another site, value-mail.com, also works through email. You provide some personal information, which they say remains private, and they send you discounts and promotions for online retailers.

When using these sites, you should be wary about giving out information about yourself. Look for statements about privacy protection, and know that using some of these services means you going to get a lot of email.