Abstract

As a subject of study, rebates have been investigated by researchers who are interested in understanding the characteristics of individuals who are likely to use rebates as well as the decision-making process that leads shoppers to redeem rebates or not. Additionally, researchers have studied the most effective rebate vehicles. An unrelated, but well-established research stream is dedicated to cause marketing. No extant studies, however, look at cause marketing campaigns that utilize rebates. In this theoretical paper, we review the key findings of the literature on rebates, discuss how cause rebates and typical rebates differ, and offer propositions to guide future research on rebates for a cause.