Here’s a way to get your college savings started with a quick $25 bonus! Now until 12/31/2007 when you open a new Upromise account and make a purchase through their online mall Upromise will give you a $25 bonus credit. To get started, visit Upromise or click the link to the left where you can read all the details on the offer and sign up.
I have used Upromise for quite a while and have been impressed with the service. If you aren’t familiar with the service, it is pretty cool. You register your credit cards and frequent shopper cards with Upromise and when you make a qualifying purchase you earn contributions toward your account. You can earn contributions for various purchases, including:
- Shopping at participating brick and mortar merchants with a registered credit card;
- Dining out at participating restaurants with a registered card;
- Grocery purchases of participating brands at participating grocery and drug stores (yes, CVS is one of the participating drug stores);
- Making purchases online through their online mall.
Although I haven’t changed up my spending patterns or used the online mall, I have still earned $66.21 on my account for purchases I would have made anyway. My favorite rewards have been the 1ยข per gallon earned for Exxon and Mobil brand gas purchases and the up to 8% back at participating restaurants. One of my favorite places in downtown Houston participates at 4%, so a good portion of my rewards have come from that one restaurant. (On a side note, if you are ever in downtown Houston go to Hunan Downtown in the Houston Club building. It’s great stuff – especially the Return of the Phoenix. Yummy!)
You can link to a 529 plan to have your earnings deposited to that account. I believe you can also simply request a check, although the process is said to be somewhat slow and difficult. Overall though, it is a great service and one I would highly recommend.