When I first joined CashCrate I had a lot of questions about how it worked, and from reading around on the web I've seen a lot of people with similar questions too. So I've put together this CashCrate FAQ, which will hopefully help those who are interested in making money with CashCrate, but want to know more first.
How do I sign up for CashCrate?
Joining CashCrate is very easy – simply go to their homepage, click the 'Join Free' button at the top of the page, complete the necessary details (name, email address and password), select your country of residence, click the box to say you agree to the terms of use (after you've read them of course!), and click the 'Join' button. You'll then be sent a confirmation email – just click the link in the email to confirm your membership, and you can then log into your account via the 'Members' area at the top of the page.
Can anyone join?
Anyone who is over 13 years of age can join CashCrate, so it's a good way for teenagers and students to earn some extra cash, as well as adults (some of the individual offers are for adults only though, so always check the terms of each offer before completing it). CashCrate is also open to people around the world, but people in the US and (to a lesser extent) Canada and the UK will get the majority of the offers. People in other countries can still make money on CashCrate by referring others to the site however.
Is CashCrate a scam?
No, CashCrate isn't a scam – there are a lot of dodgy survey and 'get paid to' type sites out there, but fortunately CashCrate isn't one of them. See Is CashCrate A Scam? for more information.
How do I make money on CashCrate?
You can make money on CashCrate by completing surveys and signing up for offers from advertisers (the advertisers pay CashCrate for referring people (i.e. you and me) to them, and CashCrate in turn passes some of that commission on to you. You can also make even more money by referring others to CashCrate via your affiliate link (you get a percentage of what they make – this is paid by CashCrate, so the person you're referring doesn't lose out). Plus if you're shopping online, you can get cashback if you click through to the retailer from CashCrate's site before making your purchase. Finally, CashCrate runs regular contests with cash prizes for members, and you also earn points as well as cash, which can be exchanged for a wide variety of prizes in the prize shop. Read more about the different ways to make money on CashCrate, and the contests and points system.
How do I get started after signing up?
After signing up and validating your email, log into the member's area, and you'll see a line of links across the top of the page, beginning with 'Complete Offers'. Offers are the easiest and quickest way to begin making money, and they're neatly laid out into sections (Cash Offers, Points Offers and Research Surveys), with a description of what each offer involves, the amount you'll be paid for completing it and any associated cost for doing the offer (the majority of offers are 100% free – however, there are a few that have a small few such as postage and packing charge if physical products are involved. These typically pay more, but you can ignore them and just do the free ones if you want – you can make money on CashCrate without paying a penny). After finding the offers you're interested in, just click on the links to be taken to the advertisers' sites, and follow the instructions (obviously make sure you read the terms of any offer before signing up – these are all reputable sites that have been vetted by CashCrate, but you should always be fully aware of what you're signing up for!). There's also a short tutorial on the CashCrate site, which should help to get you going. See my CashCrate Tips and Tricks article for more information about getting the most from CashCrate when you've joined.
How much money can I make on CashCrate?
This really depends on how much time you put into completing the offers and on where you live. Unfortunately for those outside the US, there are fewer offers available (and no daily survey), so you probably won't be able to make as much from offers alone as the Americans. You can refer others to the site and make money that way however. Many people report a monthly income of around $100 - $300, whereas those who really make an effort to promote the site and get lots of active referrals can earn $1000 a month or more. It's important to realise that the income isn't guaranteed, and CashCrate certainly isn't a get rich scheme – see it more as a way to earn a nice side-income from home, rather than the means to quit your day job or make your first million!
How / when do I get paid?
CashCrate makes payment by check after your combined earnings (from offers, referrals, cashback etc) reaches $20. Members in the US who are Silver level and above also have the option to be paid directly into their bank account (see below for more about levels).
What does payment 'pending' mean?
This means that you have completed the offer, but it has not yet been validated by the advertiser. CashCrate cannot pay you until they themselves have been paid, and this only happens after the advertiser has approved the transaction. Once this happens, you'll be credited. This normally takes anywhere from a few hours to several days, depending on the advertiser. If CashCrate still hasn't received payment from the advertiser after 14 days, the pending transaction will be removed, and the offer will be available to complete again. If CashCrate should receive payment after that period, you'll still be credited, even if the offer is no longer in the pending list.
Why didn't I get paid for the offer I completed?
On rare occasions, advertisers will fail to validate an offer that has been completed, and CashCrate will not get paid, meaning that you don't get credited for completing the offer either. This can happen for various reasons, such as you giving incomplete or incorrect information when signing up, completing the offer on more than one site, using a gift card or prepaid credit card for offers requiring card details, or cancelling a free trial immediately after signing up. On such occasions, there's not much that can be done, but fortunately the majority of offers that are completed honestly and completely are validated and paid without problems.
How does the CashCrate referral system work?
When you join CashCrate you're given a link to the site which contains your unique referral (or affiliate) number. If others visit CashCrate through your link and sign up, you'll get paid a commission, which is dependent on the number of active US referrals you have. Also, this is a two-tier referral system, meaning that if the people you refer make referrals of their own, you'll also make some extra money from their activity on the site. See my article on referrals for more info.
How do I sign up for CashCrate?
Joining CashCrate is very easy – simply go to their homepage, click the 'Join Free' button at the top of the page, complete the necessary details (name, email address and password), select your country of residence, click the box to say you agree to the terms of use (after you've read them of course!), and click the 'Join' button. You'll then be sent a confirmation email – just click the link in the email to confirm your membership, and you can then log into your account via the 'Members' area at the top of the page.
Can anyone join?
Anyone who is over 13 years of age can join CashCrate, so it's a good way for teenagers and students to earn some extra cash, as well as adults (some of the individual offers are for adults only though, so always check the terms of each offer before completing it). CashCrate is also open to people around the world, but people in the US and (to a lesser extent) Canada and the UK will get the majority of the offers. People in other countries can still make money on CashCrate by referring others to the site however.
Is CashCrate a scam?
No, CashCrate isn't a scam – there are a lot of dodgy survey and 'get paid to' type sites out there, but fortunately CashCrate isn't one of them. See Is CashCrate A Scam? for more information.
How do I make money on CashCrate?
You can make money on CashCrate by completing surveys and signing up for offers from advertisers (the advertisers pay CashCrate for referring people (i.e. you and me) to them, and CashCrate in turn passes some of that commission on to you. You can also make even more money by referring others to CashCrate via your affiliate link (you get a percentage of what they make – this is paid by CashCrate, so the person you're referring doesn't lose out). Plus if you're shopping online, you can get cashback if you click through to the retailer from CashCrate's site before making your purchase. Finally, CashCrate runs regular contests with cash prizes for members, and you also earn points as well as cash, which can be exchanged for a wide variety of prizes in the prize shop. Read more about the different ways to make money on CashCrate, and the contests and points system.
How do I get started after signing up?
After signing up and validating your email, log into the member's area, and you'll see a line of links across the top of the page, beginning with 'Complete Offers'. Offers are the easiest and quickest way to begin making money, and they're neatly laid out into sections (Cash Offers, Points Offers and Research Surveys), with a description of what each offer involves, the amount you'll be paid for completing it and any associated cost for doing the offer (the majority of offers are 100% free – however, there are a few that have a small few such as postage and packing charge if physical products are involved. These typically pay more, but you can ignore them and just do the free ones if you want – you can make money on CashCrate without paying a penny). After finding the offers you're interested in, just click on the links to be taken to the advertisers' sites, and follow the instructions (obviously make sure you read the terms of any offer before signing up – these are all reputable sites that have been vetted by CashCrate, but you should always be fully aware of what you're signing up for!). There's also a short tutorial on the CashCrate site, which should help to get you going. See my CashCrate Tips and Tricks article for more information about getting the most from CashCrate when you've joined.
How much money can I make on CashCrate?
This really depends on how much time you put into completing the offers and on where you live. Unfortunately for those outside the US, there are fewer offers available (and no daily survey), so you probably won't be able to make as much from offers alone as the Americans. You can refer others to the site and make money that way however. Many people report a monthly income of around $100 - $300, whereas those who really make an effort to promote the site and get lots of active referrals can earn $1000 a month or more. It's important to realise that the income isn't guaranteed, and CashCrate certainly isn't a get rich scheme – see it more as a way to earn a nice side-income from home, rather than the means to quit your day job or make your first million!
How / when do I get paid?
CashCrate makes payment by check after your combined earnings (from offers, referrals, cashback etc) reaches $20. Members in the US who are Silver level and above also have the option to be paid directly into their bank account (see below for more about levels).
What does payment 'pending' mean?
This means that you have completed the offer, but it has not yet been validated by the advertiser. CashCrate cannot pay you until they themselves have been paid, and this only happens after the advertiser has approved the transaction. Once this happens, you'll be credited. This normally takes anywhere from a few hours to several days, depending on the advertiser. If CashCrate still hasn't received payment from the advertiser after 14 days, the pending transaction will be removed, and the offer will be available to complete again. If CashCrate should receive payment after that period, you'll still be credited, even if the offer is no longer in the pending list.
Why didn't I get paid for the offer I completed?
On rare occasions, advertisers will fail to validate an offer that has been completed, and CashCrate will not get paid, meaning that you don't get credited for completing the offer either. This can happen for various reasons, such as you giving incomplete or incorrect information when signing up, completing the offer on more than one site, using a gift card or prepaid credit card for offers requiring card details, or cancelling a free trial immediately after signing up. On such occasions, there's not much that can be done, but fortunately the majority of offers that are completed honestly and completely are validated and paid without problems.
How does the CashCrate referral system work?
When you join CashCrate you're given a link to the site which contains your unique referral (or affiliate) number. If others visit CashCrate through your link and sign up, you'll get paid a commission, which is dependent on the number of active US referrals you have. Also, this is a two-tier referral system, meaning that if the people you refer make referrals of their own, you'll also make some extra money from their activity on the site. See my article on referrals for more info.
Do I have to refer others?
No, you can make money on CashCrate just by doing the offers, surveys etc. Although CashCrate's referral plan is two-tier and very generous, this isn't one of those scammy MLM schemes where you can only make money by signing up other people, rather than from the product itself. There's no need to refer anyone if you don't want to – you can make money regardless. But if you have a website, or a blog etc, I do recommend posting your link there, as it's a great way to boost your income while helping others to earn extra money in a legitimate way too. You can also post it in your email signature and elsewhere – see my article on how to get CashCrate referrals.
How does cashback work?
With the cashback scheme, you buy from any of the online retailers by visiting the merchant site via the links on CashCrate's website. If you make a purchase, the merchant pays CashCrate a commission for referring your custom to them, and CashCrate share the commission with you. This is a great way to get a discount on shopping that you were going to do anyway!
What is the CashCrate points system?
As well as giving you cash for completing ofers etc, CashCrate also has a points system which gives you 1 point for every $1 you earn. There are also some 'points only' offers, which pay you in points rather than cash. When you get enough points, you can exchange them for a variety of prizes, including lots of different gift vouchers, cameras, iPods and much more.
Hopefully this has answered your questions about CashCrate. There are also more in-depth articles elsewhere on the site (see the sidebar for a complete list), and you might also be interested in my CashCrate review, which talks about the things I like and don't like so much about the site.
