Bing Cashback Returns as Bing Rebates—Now Microsoft Cashback

Microsoft did bring back the idea behind Bing Cashback, but not as a continuous service. The original program ended on July 30, 2010. Microsoft revived the concept in the United States as Bing Rebates in October 2020, expanded it into Edge in 2021, and now calls the consumer service Microsoft Cashback. It is a legitimate, free affiliate-shopping program, but rewards depend on eligible retailers, tracked referrals, geography and offer terms.

The short history: two programs, not one uninterrupted service

Microsoft’s first cashback experiment began as Live Search Cashback in May 2008. It returned part of advertising revenue to shoppers who clicked participating merchant offers and completed qualifying purchases. After Microsoft’s search rebranding, the service became associated with Bing.

#	Preview	Product	Price
1		$10 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]	$10.00	Buy on Amazon
2		$100 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]	$100.00	Buy on Amazon
3		$25 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]	$25.00	Buy on Amazon
4		$50 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]	$50.00	Buy on Amazon
5		$30 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]	$30.00	Buy on Amazon

Microsoft announced the retirement of Bing Cashback on June 4, 2010, saying that more than 1,000 merchants had participated but consumer adoption had not reached the level the company wanted. The final opportunity to earn original-program cashback was July 30, 2010, at 9 p.m. Pacific Time. Existing balances could be redeemed for another year under the program’s then-current terms. Microsoft’s retirement announcement explains the decision and dates.

The concept was therefore absent as a branded Bing cashback program for roughly a decade. Microsoft did not announce a 2026 revival: it announced Bing Rebates as live in the United States on October 8, 2020. Contemporary coverage dates the original Live Search launch to May 2008.

#1 Best Overall

$10 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]

• THE PERFECT GAMING GIFT — Buy an XBOX Gift Card for yourself or a friend and let them choose the games, add‑ons, subscriptions, and accessories they want most.
• USE FOR GAMES & CONTENT — Redeem for thousands of digital XBOX games, from backward compatible classics to the latest new releases, plus DLC and in‑game currency.
• GAME PASS READY — Apply your balance toward XBOX Game Pass Ultimate to play new titles on day one* and access a library of hundreds of high‑quality console games.
• PRE‑ORDER & PRE‑INSTALL GAMES — Use your balance to pre‑order and pre‑download upcoming titles so you’re ready to play the moment they launch.
• NO FEES OR EXPIRATION — XBOX Gift Cards never expire and have no service fees, so your balance is ready whenever you are.

$10.00

Buy on Amazon

Timeline of the name and product

The 2020 announcement is documented in Microsoft’s Windows Experience blog. The 2021 Edge expansion is described in this Microsoft announcement. Retailer counts cited in that 2021 post—more than 1,200 on Bing and more than 300 directly in Edge—are historical figures, not a current inventory.

What Microsoft Cashback is called now

Bing Cashback is the historical 2008–2010 program. Bing Rebates was the revival-era name. Microsoft’s current official page uses Microsoft Cashback and labels it “formerly Bing Rebates.” Legacy links and interface text may still contain “Bing” or “Rebates,” so an old URL does not by itself establish that the old program has returned unchanged.

Today, offers can appear while shopping through Bing, Microsoft Edge, MSN, Copilot and certain Microsoft mobile experiences. Availability, rates and retailer lists vary by territory, account and campaign. The current reference page is Microsoft Cashback.

Rank #2

$100 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]

• THE PERFECT GAMING GIFT — Buy an XBOX Gift Card for yourself or a friend and let them choose the games, add‑ons, subscriptions, and accessories they want most.
• USE FOR GAMES & CONTENT — Redeem for thousands of digital XBOX games, from backward compatible classics to the latest new releases, plus DLC and in‑game currency.
• GAME PASS READY — Apply your balance toward XBOX Game Pass Ultimate to play new titles on day one* and access a library of hundreds of high‑quality console games.
• PRE‑ORDER & PRE‑INSTALL GAMES — Use your balance to pre‑order and pre‑download upcoming titles so you’re ready to play the moment they launch.
• NO FEES OR EXPIRATION — XBOX Gift Cards never expire and have no service fees, so your balance is ready whenever you are.

$100.00

Buy on Amazon

Who can use it?

Microsoft’s current information generally requires all of the following:

• An active personal Microsoft Account.
• Continuous enrollment in Microsoft Rewards.
• Age 18 or older.
• Lawful residence in a participating country or territory.
• Use of a supported Microsoft product or service and an eligible retailer offer.

Work and school accounts may not qualify in the same way as personal accounts. The visible enrollment button and retailer selection can differ by country, browser, device and account status. Check the terms shown in your own Cashback dashboard rather than assuming that a U.S. offer or interface is available elsewhere.

How a qualifying purchase works

1. Sign in. Use a personal Microsoft Account and make sure Microsoft Rewards enrollment is active.
2. Find an offer. Search in Bing or use Edge, MSN, Copilot or another supported Microsoft surface. Look for the Cashback shopping tag or offer.
3. Activate it. Some offers require an explicit activation click before you leave for the retailer.
4. Keep one tracked session. Follow Microsoft’s link to the retailer and complete the order without leaving and later returning through another route.
5. Follow the offer terms. Check eligible products, minimums, exclusions, expiration dates and coupon rules before paying.
6. Wait for validation. A purchase may first show as pending or estimated. It becomes confirmed only after the retailer reports that the transaction qualifies.
7. Withdraw eligible funds. Microsoft’s materials describe PayPal as a payout route. The 90-day confirmation period mentioned in the October 2020 launch announcement was launch-era guidance, not a universal current deadline for every merchant.

Activation is a referral step, not a guarantee of payment. The retailer must attribute and validate the order, and a return, cancellation, refund or excluded item can remove the reward.

Rank #3

$25 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]

• THE PERFECT GAMING GIFT — Buy an XBOX Gift Card for yourself or a friend and let them choose the games, add‑ons, subscriptions, and accessories they want most.
• USE FOR GAMES & CONTENT — Redeem for thousands of digital XBOX games, from backward compatible classics to the latest new releases, plus DLC and in‑game currency.
• GAME PASS READY — Apply your balance toward XBOX Game Pass Ultimate to play new titles on day one* and access a library of hundreds of high‑quality console games.
• PRE‑ORDER & PRE‑INSTALL GAMES — Use your balance to pre‑order and pre‑download upcoming titles so you’re ready to play the moment they launch.
• NO FEES OR EXPIRATION — XBOX Gift Cards never expire and have no service fees, so your balance is ready whenever you are.

$25.00

Buy on Amazon

Why cashback sometimes fails to track

Microsoft’s current guidance specifically warns that leaving the retailer’s site, using conflicting coupon codes or browser extensions, and blocking third-party cookies can interfere with attribution. Other common failure points include:

• Starting the shopping session before activating the offer.
• Clicking another cashback or affiliate link afterward and overwriting Microsoft’s referral cookie.
• Using ad blockers, privacy extensions, VPNs or anti-tracking settings that prevent the required referral data.
• Buying a gift card or another product excluded by the retailer’s offer.
• Splitting the order across browsing sessions or switching to an unsupported app or browser flow.
• Returning, cancelling, partially refunding or materially changing the order.
• Ordering after the offer expired or failing a retailer-specific minimum purchase condition.

These are typical failure categories, not a single universal exclusion list. The individual retailer’s terms control. Microsoft’s current activation and tracking warnings are at the Cashback information page.

What the status labels mean

• Pending or estimated: Microsoft has received an initial transaction signal, but the retailer has not finished validation.
• Confirmed: The retailer has accepted the transaction and applicable return or verification conditions have passed.
• Withdrawable: The amount is eligible for transfer under the current payout rules.

A displayed estimate is not the same as cash available today. Validation periods, exclusions, minimum payout rules and cancellation policies can vary by retailer and may change.

Rank #4

$50 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]

• THE PERFECT GAMING GIFT — Buy an XBOX Gift Card for yourself or a friend and let them choose the games, add‑ons, subscriptions, and accessories they want most.
• USE FOR GAMES & CONTENT — Redeem for thousands of digital XBOX games, from backward compatible classics to the latest new releases, plus DLC and in‑game currency.
• GAME PASS READY — Apply your balance toward XBOX Game Pass Ultimate to play new titles on day one* and access a library of hundreds of high‑quality console games.
• PRE‑ORDER & PRE‑INSTALL GAMES — Use your balance to pre‑order and pre‑download upcoming titles so you’re ready to play the moment they launch.
• NO FEES OR EXPIRATION — XBOX Gift Cards never expire and have no service fees, so your balance is ready whenever you are.

$50.00

Buy on Amazon

If an eligible purchase is missing

1. Check that the offer was activated before checkout.
2. Verify the exact retailer, product and offer terms.
3. Review Cashback history or the dashboard for a pending entry.
4. Wait through the retailer’s stated validation period.
5. Confirm that the order was not returned, cancelled, refunded or modified.
6. Gather the order number, purchase date, amount, retailer and confirmation email.
7. Contact Microsoft Cashback support through Microsoft’s official support route.

Support may be unable to add a reward when the retailer did not report a qualifying referral, so do not treat a claim as an assured payout. Avoid duplicate claims or repeatedly reopening the same offer.

Microsoft Cashback is not Microsoft Rewards points

Microsoft’s Rewards support documentation states that points have no cash value. See Microsoft’s Rewards explanation.

The privacy and convenience trade-off

Cashback works through affiliate attribution. Edge’s privacy documentation says shopping functionality can send the shopping domain and relevant information to Microsoft’s shopping service, obtain an affiliate URL when cashback is activated, and store cookies used to attribute a purchase.

Best Value

$30 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]

• THE PERFECT GAMING GIFT — Buy an XBOX Gift Card for yourself or a friend and let them choose the games, add‑ons, subscriptions, and accessories they want most.
• USE FOR GAMES & CONTENT — Redeem for thousands of digital XBOX games, from backward compatible classics to the latest new releases, plus DLC and in‑game currency.
• GAME PASS READY — Apply your balance toward XBOX Game Pass Ultimate to play new titles on day one* and access a library of hundreds of high‑quality console games.
• PRE‑ORDER & PRE‑INSTALL GAMES — Use your balance to pre‑order and pre‑download upcoming titles so you’re ready to play the moment they launch.
• NO FEES OR EXPIRATION — XBOX Gift Cards never expire and have no service fees, so your balance is ready whenever you are.

$30.00

Buy on Amazon

In Edge, the documented control is Settings and more → Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Search and connected experiences → turn off “Save time and money with Shopping in Microsoft Edge.” Disabling it reduces shopping-service activity but also removes the integrated shopping features. Read Edge’s privacy documentation if that trade-off matters to you.

Is Microsoft Cashback legitimate?

Yes. Microsoft describes it as a free program with no participation fee and no credit card required to join. Microsoft says official Cashback email comes from [email protected] and that it will not ask you to pay to access cashback. Use Microsoft’s own Bing, Edge, Rewards or Microsoft pages instead of unsolicited links, and remember that Microsoft may receive affiliate compensation when a tracked click or purchase occurs.

When it is—and is not—a good fit

• More suitable: You already use Bing or Edge, the retailer’s rate is competitive, you accept Microsoft Account and affiliate tracking, and PayPal is an acceptable payout route.
• Less suitable: You need immediate cash, block affiliate cookies, rely on coupon extensions, want to combine several cashback portals, dislike Rewards enrollment, or live outside a participating territory.

Before checkout, compare the exact retailer, item category, exclusions, confirmation window, payout method and current rate with any competing service. Rates and terms change, so no service should be called the highest-paying option without a same-day comparison.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

$10 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]

Gift cards are region‑specific (U.S. only) and cannot be transferred once redeemed.

$10.00

Bestseller No. 2

$100 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]

Gift cards are region‑specific (U.S. only) and cannot be transferred once redeemed.

$100.00

Bestseller No. 3

$25 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]

Gift cards are region‑specific (U.S. only) and cannot be transferred once redeemed.

$25.00

Bestseller No. 4

$50 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]

Gift cards are region‑specific (U.S. only) and cannot be transferred once redeemed.

$50.00

Bestseller No. 5

$30 XBOX Gift Card [Digital Code]

Gift cards are region‑specific (U.S. only) and cannot be transferred once redeemed.

$30.00

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.