The $152 billion in economic stimulus payments making their way to 130 million households through July are supposed to jump-start the economy. But with news that about half of Americans planned to use their IRS-issued rebates to pay off debt, retailers are offering wallet-friendly incentives to cut your costs—and attract your business. At supermarket chains Kroger, Albertsons, Fry’s Food Stores, Shop-n-Save and Shoppers Food & Pharmacy, you can redeem your stimulus check for store gift cards worth an additional 10 percent. That translates, for example, to $330 in store credit for a $300 rebate check. Some require a store club card to get the credit, so check ahead. Safeway has started cashing stimulus checks for free and providing a 10 percent discount certificate to Club Card members for purchases made that day or the following day. Sears and Kmart are also offering a 10 percent bonus for rebate checks converted into store gift cards. Wal-Mart is cashing rebate checks for free and says it will cut prices on various items. At RadioShack, you can save 10 percent on purchases of $50 or more made when payment is made with your rebate check (or tax refund) between May 4 and July 12; any unspent balance will be placed on a prepaid MasterCard that can be used as a cash card wherever MasterCard is accepted. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.