iMyne lets shoppers pay it forward
Some of the biggest names in the retail industry have partnered with a new online shopping and fundraising platform called iMyne, which aims to make it easy for consumers to earn money and give to their favorite causes after shopping online.
Like other rewards sites, imyne.com gives shoppers the option of earning cash back. But it also allows them to send their cash back to charitable causes. Top retailers such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Target, Sears, Home Depot, Gap, Best Buy, Saks, Zappos and more have all signed up as retail partners.
Whenever shoppers visit a retailer’s website, a button pops up on the Internet browser telling them how much they can earn from that store. Then, after they make a purchase, a donation is automatically sent to a charity on their behalf.
"When it comes to online shopping, retailers offer numerous cash incentives that often go unclaimed," said iMyne Founder and CEO Bob Molhoek. "The iMyne platform makes it easy for consumers to access this money. It's then just as easy to automatically give those dollars to the person's favorite charity, every time they shop online. It's not cash back, it's cash forward, and we believe the change in your pocket can change the world."
Consumers and charities can automatically increase their earning and giving potential by inviting friends, family and supporters to sign up for iMyne through social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
In addition to the cash received for purchases, iMyne members get additional dollars for the purchases of all consumers in their network. Through direct referrals, iMyne members can earn up to $1 for every $10 that their friends earn. iMyne members can direct their cash-back shopping proceeds to any of the over 1 million registered charities in iMyne's database, including Project ALS, Gridiron Greats, I'm Bully Free, Taste of the NFL, and many others.
How iMyne works:
Online shoppers sign up for a free iMyne membership, pick their favorite charitable cause and download an iMyne button for their web browser.
Whenever iMyne shoppers are on a participating retailer site, a button pops up alerting the shopper to potential iMyne earnings that typically range from 2% to 5% of the total transaction.
With every purchase, money is placed in the consumer's iMyne account and donations are automatically made to the shopper's selected charitable organization. The shopper can then cash out their earnings or easily give those earnings to their selected charity.
Each iMyne member also has a special referral link to share with family and friends that connects each person's account, creating an online community that maximizes earnings for all members and their selected causes.
"There is good in everyone, and we are tapping into that. We see iMyne as the future of shopping," Molhoek said. "It's a movement, and real impact will come when the charities connected to iMyne start to put the money to good use. I hope in the future that instead of asking someone what charity they support, we're asking them who they iMyne for."