Looking for something to keep your kids occupied this summer? Curious about the online movie rental sites and looking for more info? Here I’ve put together a summary of the costs/benefits of both Blockbuster Online and Netflix, as well as a listing of the rewards available for signing up for either program, so you can maximize your reward.
To be eligible for a reward at all for signing up for either of these programs, you are supposed to be a first-time customer. I’ve heard rumors that you might be eligible if you haven’t had an account in a year or if you use a new email address and/or credit card for the account. Let’s not defraud the system, okay? New customer means NEW customer.
Blockbuster Online
. Free Shipping (Both Ways) and No Late Fees
. A 30 day free trial IS available with code: FRIENDS but it is not combinable with the rewards listed below (see Notes)
. One free in-store rental every week
. Other special in-store discounts for BO members
. DVDS “usually arrive within 1-3 business days”
. $17.99 plus tax for up to three movies out at a time
. Offer for $9.99 first month should come up automatically when clicking the offer from the programs below (it IS combinable with the reward)
Top 5 Rewards for Joining Blockbuster Online:
1. InstantProfitz: $25.00
2. FusionCash.net: $22.20
3. FatWallet: $19.00
4. CreationsRewards.net: 3,200 points ($16.00, under Trial Offers)
5. SearchCactus: $14.00
Also-rans: QuickRewards.net: $12.00 (under Trials), Freestyle Rewards: 1,400 points ($11.20), ClubMom: 2,000 points ($10.00), BigCoop: $10.00, Freeride: 10,000 tokens (around $8.33), Memolink: 14,000 points (around $8.10), MyPoints: 1,000 points (around $8.33), BabyMint: $7.00, Upromise.com
: $7.00, Milesource: 2,500 miles (around $5.68)
NetFlix
. Free Shipping (Both Ways) and No Late Fees
. Free two week trial included (combinable with the rewards available below)
. NO free in-store rentals or discounts
. DVDS usually arrive “in 1 business day”
. Multiple pricing plans include:
. $17.99 plus tax for up to three movies out at a time
. $14.99 plus tax for up to two movies out at a time
. $9.99 plus tax for one movie out at a time
OR $11.99 plus tax for two out at a time with a cap of 4 rentals a month (the only plan with a limit to the number you can rent per month)
Top 5 Rewards For Joining NetFlix (after an included 2 week free trial):
1. InstantProfitz: $20.00
2. FusionCash.net: $19.80
3. Ebates/FatWallet/QuizPoints: $18.00
4. CreationsRewards.net: 2,850 points ($14.25, under Offers Portal)
5. Upromise.com
: $12
Also-rans: ClubMom: 2,000 points ($10.00), Freeride: 12,000 tokens ($10.00; limited time offer), Memolink: 14,000 points (around $8.10), MyPoints: 1,000 points (around $8.33), BondRewards: $15.3 BD ($7.65), BigCoop: $7.00, BabyMint: $6.00, Freestyle Rewards: 400 points ($3.20)
NOTES:
1. The free month offer at Blockbuster may be a better deal for you if you would really prefer to try it out for free for a month before committing to it. But assume you would keep the service for two months — your cost for two months of service would be $17.99 by choosing to get the free month and no reward. However, if you went through a rewards program instead, you would pay $9.99 for month one and $17.99 for month two, and get up to $25 back, for a net cost of about $3 for two months of service.
2. In case you’re wondering, yes, you do have to keep the service long enough to actually make at least one month’s payment before you can qualify for a reward. No, you’re not signing any kind of contract by joining either BO or NF and you can quit either program at any time. BUT if you join JUST to get the reward, and immediately quit the service as soon as the reward is credited, there’s a chance that your reward will be taken away and you could even lose your account at the rewards program. Don’t do either offer unless you are genuinely interested in Blockbuster Online or NetFlix!
3. You may find a different cheapest-plan offer at Netflix by clearing your cache and revisiting the Netflix site, or by clicking on a banner found elsewhere on the ‘net (I found one on YahooMail while composing this article)…like $5.99 for 1 out at a time, max of 2 per month. This will not be something you can combine with a reward. More info on these alternate offers can be found here, just as an FYI.
4. Rewards programs change their offers more often than my husband changes TV channels. The info in this post was accurate to the best of my knowledge as of this posting. You may want to double-check your favorite rewards programs before making any changes. (Rewards program owners, if you decide to change your offers for BO and NF, and you’d like me to update this post accordingly, please email me.)
