Revenue Sharing for Shoppers

Many secondary retail sites, from PriceGrabber.com to DealTaker.com, earn money for sending traffic and sales to respective retailers. And while that revenue model isn't a secret, most Web sites don't go around advertising it.

That is, until Web marketers Frank DeBlasi and Tom Cangley teamed up to turn  shoppers into revenue-sharing partners for the launch of their new Web site.

Hoopla Doopla promises users discounts and more than half of the commission the site makes on your purchases. To qualify for the cash-back deal, users must sign up for a free account and use Hoopla Doopla as the entry to a retailer's site.

The terms offered from retailers vary, but these details are disclosed and range from nearly 10% cash back for shopping at 1-800-Pet-Meds to a piddly 1% cash back for shopping at the Apple Store.

Is this for real? Yes. Member-shoppers are paid their share every quarter, and the money is considered earnings under the tax law. You can find more details on the site's FAQs page.

It's a competitive field,  Kiplinger's Cameron Huddleston may indeed be adding this one to her list of 20 Top Sites to Find a Bargain. We'll have to see. 

What's your take?