Consumers earn up to double the rewards for online purchases - just in time for back-to-school shopping.

    REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
     What:          For a limited time starting today, Microsoft Corp. is
                    offering big savings to consumers, in some cases up to
                    double the cashback rewards on millions of products from
                    hundreds of participating retailers, during back-to-school
                    Deal Days at Live Search cashback
                    (http://www.live.com/cashback).
     Why:           After the holiday season, back-to-school is the most
                    important shopping season of the year. However, a recent
                    survey from Deloitte found that during this back-to-school
                    shopping season, 71 percent of households plan on spending
                    less on back-to-school items than they have in previous
                    years. With consumers feeling financial strain from higher
                    gas and food prices, Live Search cashback is offering
                    back-to-school shoppers extra savings to stretch their
                    dollars further.
     When:          Back-to-school savings start today and will run for a
                    limited time during the month of August.
     How It Works:  Online shoppers can search, shop and get cashback rebates
                    from hundreds of participating online stores through the
                    Microsoft Live Search cashback program, which launched in
                    May. Current retailers include Barnes & Noble.com,
                    Overstock.com, Sears, Foot Locker and Zappos.com, among
                    many others. This month, the cashback return is even
                    higher with Deal Days. Here are a few examples of the
                    bargains:
                    *    Rebate of 36 percent on Jordan Men's AJF 12
                         basketball shoes from Foot Locker at
          http://search.live.com/cashback/products/offerings/3043/11054289
                    *    Rebate of 18 percent on Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet
                         PCs from Zappos.com at
          http://search.live.com/cashback/products/offerings/4005/8648093
                    *    Rebate of 30 percent on The North Face Doubletrack
                         backpacks from eBags at
          http://search.live.com/cashback/products/offerings/3072/6686999
                    Consumers can save money each time they use Live Search
                    cashback. For every qualifying purchase, the shopper will
                    be sent an e-mail message confirming the Live Search
                    cashback savings. Consumers' cash can be claimed when
                    their Live Search cashback balance hits at least $5, 60
                    days after the purchase. Microsoft will provide the rebate
                    one of three ways: via PayPal, check or direct deposit
                    into a bank account.
     Where:         http://www.live.com/cashback
    (Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.