# What is the minimum $ rebate worth your time mailing in? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 14, 2018, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618 "2018-08-14T21:17:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/1 "2018-08-14T21:17:08Z")
I have a receipt and a mail in rebate form in my glove box for a $20 Kohls gift card for a Keurig I bought last week. I don’t have any envelopes at home or any stamps and I don’t know if it’s worth my time to aquire these things just so I can get $20 of my next Kohls purchase. Last time I mailed in a rebate was for $200 on a $400 Canon printer. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/2 "2018-08-14T21:24:03Z")
An actual rebate, like them mailing me a check (or prepaid credit card), I’d say my threshold is around five dollars. A “rebate” which is actually just a coupon to use at the store, I don’t know…probably around the same, however, I don’t count that as a rebate. Menards is notorious for this. They have “11% off everything” sales a few times a year. It’s okay if I’m spending a good amount of money, but I’m not going over there to buy $20 worth of stuff to get a $2 coupon in the mail a few weeks later. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/3 "2018-08-14T21:29:24Z")
I think $20 would be worth it, you’ll eventually use the envelopes and stamps anyway. I’d say $10 is about the minimum that I would bother with. Thankfully, with mobile deposit, it’s easy enough to deposit a physical check when i get them. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/4 "2018-08-14T21:30:09Z")
I think $5 is my threshhold for making any kind of effort - and then only if it’s real money. I’m not much for coupons - I’ve held far too many past their expiration dates. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/5 "2018-08-14T21:37:00Z")
Hard to say. I’d probably lose a $5 rebate slip before I got around to mailing it in. Maybe a $10 rebate, $20 or more would go on the list. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/6 "2018-08-14T22:23:38Z")
I’ve filled out forms that were $2 minimum rebate but it applies to multiple items so technically I got more. But I probably would’ve done it with one. Rebate Visa cards I’d forget about, so they get immediately converted to Amazon gift cards and applied to my account. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/7 "2018-08-14T22:31:26Z")
I _might_ bother to try to find my stamps for a $50 rebate. Maybe. (I think I bought some of those everlasting stamps a half-decade or two ago, I think. I do haven envelopes though. In my closet. Don’t I?) For $100, I’d almost certainly jump through a hoop or two. I mean, that’s real money. Even faced with my epic laziness, that’s real money. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/8 "2018-08-14T22:36:02Z")
$20, provided the form doesn’t take more than a minute or two to complete. But I already have forever stamps and envelopes in my desk, so that makes it easier. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/9 "2018-08-15T01:12:29Z")
I think I’ve sent in a rebate for $3 but like \*\*TriPolar \*\*it was two of them, so I got $6. But yeah I’d definitely do it for $5. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/10 "2018-08-15T01:30:49Z")
**What is the minimum $ rebate worth your time mailing in?** Do I have peely stamps or do I have to lick 'em? mmm ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/11 "2018-08-15T01:34:19Z")
Last night I was walking down the road and found a shiny nickel. Woo-hoo! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/12 "2018-08-15T01:36:35Z")
A $5 rebate is worth my time. It takes two minutes to prepare and my time is worth less than $150/hr of _post-tax_ income. But in reality I ain’t gonna do shit for less than $20. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/13 "2018-08-15T01:43:22Z")
I got a $1.87 rebate. Considering it cost me 49 cents to mail in the form, I guess that makes my minimum $1.38. Who am I kidding? I’d probably do it for $1.25. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/14 "2018-08-15T05:00:34Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > An actual rebate, like them mailing me a check (or prepaid credit card), I’d say my threshold is around five dollars. > A “rebate” which is actually just a coupon to use at the store, I don’t know…probably around the same, however, I don’t count that as a rebate. Menards is notorious for this. They have “11% off everything” sales a few times a year. It’s okay if I’m spending a good amount of money, but I’m not going over there to buy $20 worth of stuff to get a $2 coupon in the mail a few weeks later. We purchase a good number of “staples” at Menards - cleaning products, toilet paper, paper towel, laundry detergent, Swiffer refills, laundry detergent and other stuff like that - so it’s definitely worth our while to send the receipts in at 11% time. Some might be small, but hey, if you save them up, they can make a real dent in future purchases. And they do the 11% thing often enough that it is definitely worth our time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/15 "2018-08-15T12:10:20Z")
I have rarely done rebates in recent years. I consider them a disincentive and online shopping usually doesn’t have those. I did one for $20, I think, last winter. So that’s an upper bound. Note: I’m glad I discovered that I can buy myself an Amazon gift certificate with those pre-paid card type rebates and such. No need to worry about spending every last penny of it, expiration, etc. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/16 "2018-08-15T20:09:44Z")
About 8 or 9 years ago I bought an oil additive that had a 50 cent mail in rebate, limit 1 per household. Subtracting the cost of a stamp and an envelope my net profit would have been a measly nickel. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/17 "2018-08-15T21:36:10Z")
Here’s another vote for $20. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/18 "2018-08-15T21:41:44Z")
Self addressed stamped envelope maybe $10.00 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/19 "2018-08-15T22:52:32Z")
I generally won’t bother at all. If they want to lure me in with a low price, they can damned well give me that low price at the checkout stand. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618/20 "2018-08-16T06:00:07Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > I _might_ bother to try to find my stamps for a $50 rebate. Maybe. (I think I bought some of those everlasting stamps a half-decade or two ago, I think. I do haven envelopes though. In my closet. Don’t I?) > > For $100, I’d almost certainly jump through a hoop or two. I mean, that’s real money. Even faced with my epic laziness, that’s real money. You think $ 100 are worth leaving your seat and search for an envelope? And write the adress on it? Put a stamp on it? And then you need to mail it, right? Well, maybe you’re right. But I guess all this can be be done later, tomorrow maybe? Especially since you’re dealing with an emergency : someone is wrong on the internet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-rebate-worth-your-time-mailing-in/819618.md?page=2)