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FAQ |
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Use the frequently asked questions here to help you if you have any general questions or you are having difficulty. If you cannot find the answer to your questions here, don't hesitate to contact our support group for further help.
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Transaction Status
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Depending on the network, this status has 5 possible values:
- Tracking - the transaction has been recorded on the affiliate network;
- Approved - the merchant has approved the transaction, on some networks transactions don't go through this stage;
- Cancelled - the merchant or network has cancelled this transaction, any moneyback owing will not be paid for this transaction;
- Paid - the merchant via the affiliate network has paid us the moneyback for this transaction;
- To account - we have transferred the moneyback for this transaction into your MoneyBackCo account.
Examples of typical transaction stages:
Successful transaction
Tracking -> Paid -> To account
Successful transaction (different network)
Tracking -> Approved -> Paid -> To account
Cancelled transaction
Tracking -> Cancelled
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Enquiry Status
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This status has 9 possible values:
- Queued - the enquiry is waiting to be sent to the network. Enquiries are processed twice a month, on or around the 1st and the 15th of each month. While an enquiry is in this state it can be edited at any time;
- Sent to network - the enquiry has been sent to the network for their investigation. The enquiry cannot be edited in this state;
- Awaiting info - either we, or the network or the merchant has requested some extra information which is required to complete investigation. The reason for the request will be included in the "Additional information" field of the enquiry. The enquiry can be edited in this state;
- Partial resolution - either we or the network or the merchant have agreed to a partial resolution of the enquiry. The resolution details will be included in the "Additional information" field of the enquiry. You will also see the resolution details appear in your 'transactions' or 'account';
- Full resolution - either we or the network or the merchant have agreed to a full resolution of the enquiry. You will also see the resolution details appear in your 'transactions' or 'account';
- No resolution - either we or the network or the merchant have failed to find the transaction and therefore no moneyback will be paid against this enquiry. The resolution details will be included in the "Additional information" field of the enquiry;
- Closed - this enquiry has been closed for the reasons given in the "Additional information" field of the enquiry;
- Re-queued - this enquiry has been re-queued for submission to the network, this usually occurs for long outstanding enquiries or when you request an update (after at least a month after the initial submission to the network). The enquiry cannot be edited in this state;
- Re-sent to network - the enquiry has been re-sent to the network due to the reasons stated above. The enquiry cannot be edited in this state.
Examples of typical enquiry stages:
Full resolution
Queued -> Sent to network -> Full resolution
No resolution after requesting additional info
Queued -> Sent to network -> Awaiting info -> Queued -> Sent to network -> No resolution
Re-sent enquiry, partial resolution
Queued -> Sent to network -> Re-queued -> Re-sent to network -> Partial resolution
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Estimated Payment Date
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This field shows the estimated payment date for transactions in the 'Tracking' and 'Approved' state.
This is the date when we estimate we will receive payment for the transaction from the network. |
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About tracking and transactions
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In order for you to get paid moneyback, the merchant has to track your transaction as a referral that originated from the MBC site. If anything causes the referral to come from any other source, the MBC transaction won't track. This means the merchant won't pay us, and we can't pay you.
Most tracking is done by cookies, often in combination with a small image embedded into the checkout page (sometimes called a web beacon), although technology varies from affiliate network to affiliate network.
To give an example, say you by some old rope from MoneyForOldRope.com, you log in to MBC and click through the MoneyForOldRope link on MBC, you are transferred to the MoneyForOldRope website where you choose and buy your old bit of rope. When you complete the checkout process on MoneyForOldRope you see a confirmation page showing the amount of your purchase and thanking you for shopping with MoneyForOldRope.com. Your old rope purchase is shipped from MoneyForOldRope and you see a 'Tracking' transaction appear on your MBC 'transactions' page. A few weeks later you see your MoneyForOldRope change to the 'Approved' state, and a few weeks after that it changes again to 'Paid' and the 'To account'. You will receive your MoneyForOldRope moneyback in the next monthly payment cycle.
The simplified course of events is:
- Log in to MBC, click on the merchant link
- You're briefly directed to the affiliate network's server, which sets a cookie unique to your visit, then re-directs you to the merchants website
- You shop and complete your purchase wholly online at the merchants website
- The merchant's purchase confirmation page calls the web beacon from the affiliate network's server, tying your cookie (and MBC's referral) to the transaction
- MBC's server queries the affiliate networks server and retrieves details of your tracked transaction and it appears in your 'transactions' view
There are several factors that can affect each of these steps, see the other help sections for ways to avoid the most common pitfalls and make sure your computer is set up in the most optimum configuration for tracking. As with any technology, there is always the chance that glitches beyond your control or ours may make a purchase fail to track, but if you follow the advice given in these sections, you can maximise the chances of a transaction tracking correctly.
Please note that after you make a transaction it may take a few days, or longer, to track into your account. This depends on both the merchant and the affiliate network. Financial programs, gambling programs and contract mobile purchases are especially slow to track, as they must verify that you are a genuine user. They may take a month or two, depending on the merchant. |
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Missing transactions, the why and wherefore
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Missing transactions happen when the merchant does not report back to us that a sale has happened. All MoneyBackCo links go through a third party network which drops a cookie in your browser, this cookie is then later checked when you complete checkout/registration at a merchant. If the cookie is not there or if your computer blocks the network from checking for that cookie or calling up a tracking image then your sale is not reported to the network and thus nothing tracks on MBC.
Most of the time this problem is due to ad-blocking or internet security software on your computer. Most people these days run some kind of ad-blocking software (whether Norton, McAfee, Firefox plugin or built-in to Internet Explorer) - this software can see the tracking cookies as ads and ad-tracking and block them. Now you may want this to be blocked when doing general internet browsing but for MBC transactions to track that needs to be allowed.
We have many members who use a second browser just for MBC so that they can run strict anti-ad rules when doing normal browsing but loose ones for MBC tracking. For example IE7 for regular browsing and Firefox for MBC.
This is the most common reason but there can be many others like competing cookies (tracking cookies set from another website you visited with ads), using a discount code, changing the merchant url after going through MBC, not completing your sale online, not completing the offer, or problems with the merchant's implementation of tracking.
Basically MBC needs to be seen as the last referrer so that we can claim the moneyback for you.
If you do have persistent problems with tracking we do recommend carefully going through your computer setup. We are working on a more comprehensive troubleshooting section to help you with this.
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What to do when something doesn't track
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If you have a missing transaction then we can make a manual claim for this. This takes longer than if something tracked normally but as long as another company/site is not already considered the referral agent and you completed the offer then we should be able to get it resolved successfully provided the network is able to follow up on the enquiry on your behalf.
You can start the process for filing a missing transaction claim by completing an 'enquiry form' from your transactions page. |
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Why do enquiries take so long to process
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In the trasnaction chain there can be up to five parties involved, which includes, you, MBC, the affiliate network, the merchant and the merchant's agent. Getting cohesion between all parties can be difficult and time consuming and is the reason why enquires take a long time to process. |
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Why do we charge an annual fee
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In order to keep running!
Unlike other cashback sites we pass on 100% of the marketing commission that merchants offer to affiliate sites like MBC. If we didn't withhold the annual membership fee there would be no way we could continue to operate. |
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Why does it take so long to receive payment
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The affiliate networks have processes and procedures in place to protect the interests of the merchants. After you complete an online order there is a chance that you may cancel it or return the item after delivery and so the networks impose waiting times for receipt of moneyback so that the merchant doesn't end up paying commission for a sale that didn't happen or resulted in the return of the item. |
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What fees are there when I receive a payout
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If you choose to be paid via PayPal we use 'Mass Pay' which incurs a fee of 2% of the payment amount capped at $1.25. As we only take a fixed annual membership fee every year we cannot absorb these costs ourselves unfortunately, so the payout fee will be that incurred by Mass Pay.
We strong advise members who currently have payouts paid to PayPal to swap to Bank Account payouts, see below.
If you choose to be paid via your Bank Account these are FREE, no payout fee will be incurred. |
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Why can't I join
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Due to inappropraite activity from users in some territories we have implemented a geo-targetting database to prevent users in those territories from joining MBC.
In some cases where an ISP changes IP address range it is possible that users within Australia are denied access to the Join page. In this case please contact support providing your current IP address (found via http://showip.net/ or similar) and we will add it to our database as soon as possible. |
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Why can't I click through to a merchant
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Due to inappropraite activity from users in some territories we have implemented a geo-targetting database to prevent users in those territories from clicking through MBC links.
In some cases where an ISP changes IP address range it is possible that users within Australia are denied access to the Visit page. In this case please contact support providing your current IP address (found via http://showip.net/ or similar) and we will add it to our database as soon as possible. |
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What does 'Transfer to MBC account' mean
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This means that the moneyback has been transferred into your MBC 'account', not PayPal or your Bank Account.
Transfer out to your PayPal or Bank Account of choosing happens around the first Monday of the month provide you have a balance which exceeds your 'Minimum payout amount at each payment cycle' set in your 'preferences'. |
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Why can't I change my preferences
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When we begin payout processing, about one week before the end of the month we lock preferences, meaning that members can't change their preferences during this period. The preferences lock is released once payouts have been processed.
This lock ensures that for security reasons, payment options cannot be changed just prior to payouts being made. |
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Technical factors that can affect your chances of transaction tracking
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The process that keeps track of your transactions is complex and somewhat sensitive, so it is of great importance that you observe the recommendations in this section. If your purchase fails to track, the merchant will not pay MBC and we will not be able to pay you. Although we will make every reasonable effort to chase merchants and secure your moneyback, by following the advice on this page, you will greatly increase the chances of a smooth transaction, and above all, may receive your moneyback faster.
As a general rule, your browser needs to allow cookies, javascript, pop-ups, and third-party images. Further information is provided in the Things to Check help section.
Please follow these steps before each MBC shopping session:
- Delete your internet cookies and temporary internet files, and ensure cookies are enabled.
Sales are tracked using third party affiliate networks. These rely on cookies to establish a link between the merchant and the MBC site. If you visit other sites with affiliate links you may have competing cookies in your browser. This increases the chance of the MBC cookie not setting properly or the sale being attributed to another affiliate. Sometimes merchants also pay commission per cookie, so if you are repeatedly making purchases from one site always delete your cookies before making another purchase
- Temporarily disable pop-up blockers and ensure javascript is enabled in your browser.
Some pop-up blockers also disable cookies from affiliate links. Javascript is required by some affiliate tracking networks
- Check your internet security settings.
Again, some networks use third party cookies; ensure your browser will accept them. Norton Internet Security has been known to disable affiliate links; check your NIS settings.
Firewalls have also been known to cause issues with cookie tracking. Check to ensure your update server tracking is enabled.
If you are using Internet Explorer, please ensure that your security settings are set at medium or lower, as anything higher than medium may prevent normal tracking
Note: Some members prefer to use a dedicated browser for MBC. This way security settings can be set appropriately and cookies can be cleared without affecting everyday use. Using a separate browser just for MBC is probably the easiest and most reliable way to maximise tracking. We'd recommend using Firefox as a dedicated browser, or if you prefer to use Firefox as your normal browser, use Internet Explorer purely for MBC use. |
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Things to Check
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The following list will show you what you need to check and change if necessary in order to improve the chances of a transaction made through MBC being tracked successful:
- Does your browser allow cookies and javascript?
Cookies are small text files stored by your browser. These are used to record the fact that MBC should receive the commission for referring you to the merchant, so we can pass it onto you as moneyback. JavaScript is also used by some merchants to track your purchases. Your browser must have cookies and javascript enabled for tracking to work.
- Does your browser already have tracking cookies stored?
Tracking your purchase back to MBC is usually achieved by using cookies. If other tracking cookies already exist in your browser, your purchases may be attributed to another site and your commission will be passed onto them, rather than into your MBC account. Sometimes merchants pay commission per cookie, so when repeating purchases it is also wise to clear your cookies.
Clear your cookies before making purchases through MBC. If you do not want to clear your cookies, perhaps to maintain the state of another website which you regularly visit, we recommend using a separate browser.
- Does your computer have security software that blocks advertisements or cookies?
This type of software is designed to protect your privacy by hiding your internet activities from websites. However, when you make a purchase through an MBC link your purchase needs to be tracked in order to credit you with your moneyback. Ad and cookie blocking must be disabled for tracking to work. You should check any internet security, anti-spyware, anti-virus or firewall software for settings that mention 'ad blocking, cookie blocking, ad tracking, image blocking' or similar.
- Do you use parental controls within your browser?
Parental controls are incorporated into browsers to protect against certain forms of inappropriate or unpleasant content. Some parental controls, however, are a little overzealous and prevent users from accessing perfectly safe sites via our affiliate networks.
If you are having trouble following an MBC link to a merchant, consider disabling your parental controls while shopping with that merchant.
- Do you use a pop-up blocker or third-party toolbar?
Pop-up blockers stop sites opening additional webpages. This causes a problem with some merchants who open extra pages in order to confirm or complete an order. Some affiliate sites also need pop-ups to work, in order to refer users onto the merchant site. Other less common pop-up blockers also block cookies, which will prevent successful tracking. Some third-party toolbars, such as the Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer, also includes a pop-up blocker.
If you are being left with a blank page when accessing a merchant through MBC, having trouble confirming / completing an order or placing orders that fail to track, try disabling your pop-up blocker. Please note that the Firefox pop-up blocker is enabled by default.
- Does your computer access the internet through a hardware router or firewall?
Some networking hardware / software have functionality to block cookies or site referrals. Often universities or corporate networks have these kinds of connections to the internet.
If you are having difficulties with tracking, consider disabling hardware security agents or firewalls. If you are using a computer at university or in a company where you do not have control over these networking components, you will need to make your MBC purchases from another location.
- Has your HOSTS file been altered or added to?
The Windows HOSTS file is a little known file to most of us. Basically what it does is resolve an internet URL to a local location so that it won't load. If you are experiencing pages that do not load or give a 404 error when you click on a merchant's link, this is probably the culprit.
The HOSTS file should be an empty file, however some anti-virus or internet security programs can overwrite it. Also, some malware and spyware programs will overwrite it. Fortunately it is very easy to check and clean. You may also wish to run a regular anti-spyware checker, but we recommend disabling these while actually using MBC, as some of them may incorrectly block our tracking and cookies.
- Do you regularly run an up-to-date virus scanner?
Some viruses embed themselves in web browsers, adding in tracking information in an effort to steal commission for online purchases. It is always best practice to protect your PC with an up-to-date virus scanner. It's also worth running an anti-spyware program regularly to clean any infection, but as mentioned above, we recommend disabling these while you're actually using MBC to make purchases.
- Do you run Windows with the latest service packs and updates?
Problems have occurred in the past with MS Windows and Internet Explorer that have prevented successful online purchasing or tracking. It is always best practice to use the latest service pack and run Windows Update frequently.
- Have you installed any peer-to-peer file sharing software?
Some peer to peer software bundles (for example Kazaa) include a modification to your network settings (hosts file) called 'supertrick' which stops you browsing some advertising sites. As affiliate networks are based on advertising referrals, you may find that some merchant links will give you an 'Internal Server Error' or 'Server Cannot be found'.
Supertrick can be difficult to get rid of, but luckily only affects a small number of merchants. We suggest searching online for an update on the supertrick situation and possibly uninstalling software that you can identify as being the source of the supertrick installation.
- Do you use IP Camouflage or Internet Shadowing software?
Software that provides you with a false or changing IP address may cause tracking to fail with certain merchants. As the mechanism for tracking varies, this is not always a problem. To be sure IP Shadowing does not cause tracking to fail, you should disable any camouflage / shadowing software.
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Maximise your chances of transaction tracking
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Here is a list of things you should consider doing in order to maximise the chances of your transaction through MBC tracking:
- Make sure your computer & browser are configured properly
See the Technical factors that can affect your chances of transaction tracking help section.
- Clear cookies & cache, disable pop-up, ad, & image-blockers,
See the Things to Check help section.
- Log into MBC and click on the merchant link on the MBC site
Don't type anything in the address window of your browser after logging into MBC.
Don't open any other tabs or windows in the same browser, or click on any links in tabs or windows that may already be open.
If you must visit another site before completing your purchase, please use a different browser to do so. Interrupting the browser session that started from MBC can affect tracking.
- Don't use voucher or other discount codes unless they came from the MBC site
Doing so may cause the referral to come from the code issuer rather than MBC
- Don't use 'refer a friend' programs or promotional links from other sites
Remember, if the referral isn't seen as coming from MBC, you won't receive moneyback
- Complete your purchase online, all in one session
If you decide after check out that you want to purchase something else, close the merchant site window and start the process over from the MBC site.
Don't retrieve previously-saved items in your shopping cart; start completely from scratch.
If you're buying insurance, make sure you start from a completely new quote; don't retrieve a saved one or use a renewal offer if you're already a policy-holder.
If the merchant you are using allows 'reserve & collect' for moneyback, don't change the original order in any way when you collect your purchase. Adding items to the sale at the point of checkout, or using discount cards or vouchers can override the MBC referral.
Telephoning the merchant to complete or modify your order will likely over-ride the MBC referral (and therefore your moneyback).
We cannot support enquiries in these cases, as the original tracking is irretrievably lost. If you need to change something minor, it may be best to completely cancel the first transaction and start a new one from scratch.
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