Is Microsoft's Cashback putting pressure on Google Checkout?

By Jacqueline Emigh | Published August 25, 2008, 6:32 PM

Although Google might not have much to fear from Microsoft, on the whole, could a new promotion in Google Checkout represent a response to Microsoft's Live Search Cashback feature?

In a new back-to-school promotion, Google is now offering a $5 to $10 discount on purchases made at partner sites that use its Checkout Service.

Unlike previous promotions from Google of this kind, the current one lets you use the discount as many times -- and on as many partner sites -- as you'd like.

Meanwhile, on the merchant side, Google allows participating sites to process orders and charge customers' credit and debit cards without fees.

Google has also been running additional promotions for merchants but on a limited time basis, such as offering 50 free AdWords to sites that agree to take part.

As previously reported in BetaNews, according to many accounts, Microsoft's Cash Back services -- which gives cash back to consumers buying products through LiveSearch -- seems to be faring well in helping to improve the company's search share, in recent figures from comScore.

To find online stores that accept Google Checkout, you need to search Google for items you're interested in buying. Sites participating in the Checkout program show up as sponsored links with shopping cart icons.

Comments

Been using Google Checkout for over a year, and I *love* it and use it more and more. I like how it blocks communication between the original vendor and myself, so I don't get followup spam.

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Argh Jaq... It's completely unrelated. You DONT BUY through live search. You SEARCH! *SIGH!!!*

I recently used it: Search with live; Pay with Google Checkout; Use a Yahoo reference email account.

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Check it out and learn. Create an account with live its free. Login to said live account and use search function. If you search for a product you want to buy you will see a little live icon next to a retailer. Buy from that said link and the discount will be deposited into your account which in turn sends the finds to your paypal account. Don't say you can;t if you don't know what you are talking about. Look on slick deals or hardocp and the practice that you say doesn't exist is more fully explained.

Once again you don't know what you are talking about. Its called cashback and it is real.

http://www.live.com/

Hope the link works

http://search.live.com/r...0&go=&form=QBLH

See the discounts that you say don't exist.

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LOL!
Just another abstraction layer from PayPal?

Pass.

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You should really cut out the crack dude.

What is described above is a successful purchase across these systems highlighting that live cashback works with Google checkout.

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I'll stay with live thank you. Got a cool 15% refund on a $275 purchase. That is much better than a 5 or 10 dollar discount from google.

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Funny....I've never heard of either.

Love the BN slant though. Offering a discount (God forbid they ever announce "Double Coupon Days"!), means they're reacting to competition.

Riiiight.

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I don't think Google responds that way.
Maybe Google has data to suggest that their first $10 free promotion increased avg order value and this has nothing to do with MS. I know I used the $10 promotion the first time around.

http://afewtips.com

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Are either making significant headway?

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