Microsoft’s Live Search Cashback program is for real, and it saved me 20% on my new laptop.

I was initially skeptical of Microsoft’s claim that simply using their Live.com search engine would actually save me money, because quite honestly, it’s a pretty desperate business move for Microsoft to throw away cash in the hope of stealing traffic away from Google.

However, after a long wait from my $1200 dollar purchase back on July 18th, I finally have $240 bucks (a 20% cash back discount) that just arrived in my PayPal account.

If you’re not familiar with Microsoft’s newest promotion, I have included a brief excerpt from the Live Search Cashback site:

Microsoft Live Search cashback is “The Search That Pays You Back”. You will be able to earn cashback savings based on a percentage of the product price. Your savings will be paid to you via your choice of a deposit to your PayPal account, direct deposit to your bank account, or a check in the mail. It’s that simple!

How does it work?

Contrary to my past experiences with promotions like this, it was fairly simple just like it was advertised.

1. Use your existing Hotmail or Windows Live email address to sign into the Live Search database.  If you don’t have one, you can create one for free.
2. Search for the item(s) you wish to purchase by inputting your information at Live Search cashback.
3. Pay for your item using PayPal or Google Checkout.  Other methods of payment are available, but I chose PayPal since it’s the most commonly used payment on Ebay.  Notification of your purchase should arrive 1 to 2 days after your purchase.
4. Wait approximately 10 to 12 weeks later, and you will receive a second notification that your cash is available for transfer.

As a precautionary measure, take some time and read over the FAQ help section to familiarize yourself with the promotional details.

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