Raise has joined a plethora of other sites and apps by launching a new Chrome Extension which you can install in your Chrome browser to make it easier to apply coupons. Their offering is a little different to similar Chrome Extensions though because it includes the added feature of being able to buy instant gift cards when shopping online.
As seen in the images below, the process is fairly simple. When shopping on a site where Raise has a list of coupons and/or sells gift cards for them, you’ll be able to apply the coupons using the extension button.
Then, when checking out, you can buy a gift card to pay for your purchase. This uses Raise’s Cash Back gift card feature which means they’re first-hand cards which you can buy in specific amounts. That means that rather than having to buy a $100 gift card for a $92.43 purchase, you can simply buy a gift card for $92.43.
On the one hand, this Chrome Extension seems like it could be useful, simplifying the checkout process as it means you don’t have to go to Raise’s website to buy a cashback gift card or open up an app like Fluz, MPX, Pay With Ibotta, Slide, etc. There are a couple of potential downsides to using the Extension though.
First, there’s no guarantee that Raise will be offering the highest rate available for the gift cards. Their rates for Cash Back gift cards tend to be fairly competitive though compared to Fluz, Pay With Ibotta, etc., so this hopefully won’t be too much of an issue.
The bigger potential problem is if using the Raise Chrome Extension overrides whatever shopping portal you’ve clicked through from. If it does, you could be missing out on a large chunk of cashback, points or miles. If the Raise Chrome Extension does indeed override the shopping portal earnings, it’s presumably because they insert their own tracking code/affiliate link to the transaction, thereby pocketing the cashback/rewards for themselves that you should’ve earned.
That’s the case with most of these kinds of Chrome Extensions, so it’s not like Raise is doing something particularly untoward compared to other sites and apps, but it’s something important to be aware of. I therefore don’t tend to install these kinds of Extensions to prevent that from happening. All you’re gaining by installing the extension is a few seconds of saved time by having the ability to apply the coupons and buy gift cards right there whilst on the site you’re shopping on. You can easily search Google for eligible coupon codes and then buy gift cards from Raise (or any other site/app) separately, thereby ensuring you also earn the portal cashback for yourself.