By Erin Bennett
Test Data Lead | Hautū Raraunga Whakamātautau
Keen to get the best deal on a new printer? Check if the manufacturer is offering cashbacks for buying their printer!
What are cashbacks?
Cashbacks are where you can claim back an amount of money from a manufacturer for having purchased one of their products recently. Manufacturers often use cashbacks to get purchasers to register the product bought recently.
Registering means you’ll get updates about your model or new products and possibly special offers from that manufacturer – you can always unsubscribe from promotions if they get annoying.
Often, claiming a cashback is a simple process. You click a ‘Claim Now’ button on the manufacturer’s website and fill in your details (you might need to create an account first). You might need to provide proof of purchase, often a photo of the receipt is fine.
But other promotions might require you to get a bit more creative. For example, one competition we describe below asks you to tell the manufacturer in 25 words or less why you bought their printer. The answers are judged on skill, creativity, quality and originality. That’s a big call for any writer – except maybe Shakespeare.
Registration is often touted as a way of ensuring you get all your warranty rights. However, that doesn’t change your existing rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA). Any manufacturer’s warranty is in addition to your rights under the CGA. Find out more about the Consumer Guarantees Act.
There are three major brands of printers: Brother and Epson offer cold, hard cash back on 6 models (4 from Brother; 2 from Epson). Epson also offers the chance to enter a competition if you buy one of their eligible printers. Canon has offered a special printer pack in the past but has nothing at present for printers.
We’ve tested two of the Brother models, and they performed well enough to earn our recommendation, find out which below.
Brother – recommended products with cashbacks
Brother is the only manufacturer currently offering straight cash back for purchasing one of their eligible printers:
Brother DCPL1630W
$20 cashback
Not tested.
Brother DCPL3560CDW
$30 cashback
Not tested.
Promotion period: These cashbacks are on offer if you bought one of the above printers between 1 August and 30 September. You have until 14 October to claim your cashback.
Epson
Buyer beware: Epson is offering higher cashbacks for both models if you bought the printer with its extended CoverPlus. Remember, you have many rights under the CGA, and extended warranties often aren’t worth what you pay. We say stick with the straight cashback offers above.
Canon
Check the fine print
Most cashback or special promotions require you to have purchased the printer within a set time, so check your receipt or bank statements and read the fine print carefully. You will also have to make your claim before a certain date. Keep an eye out to make sure you don’t miss the window for free money.
Check what retailers are included in cashback offers if you’re planning to buy a model because of a cashback. For example, Epson’s fine print says models bought from Epson’s own website are excluded from its cashback offer.
Want to know more about cashbacks on other products? We explain the basics and what to be aware of in our article Cashback websites – what you need to know.