Looking for 5% cash back on debit? It’s not an April Fools’ joke. This month, you’ll not only earn PowerPerks as you support independent hardware stores, but double down on group activities as you save cash and earn bonus perks.

Groupon™

5% back on deals from Groupon.com will make spending time (and saving money) with those you love doubly sweet this month. Whether you are planning on treating yourself to a frugally fun meal, are thinking of skydiving (I did via a Groupon offer!), or just want to explore the something new this Spring, enjoy 5% cash back on all online Groupon purchases this April.

Ace Hardware®

Looking for some extra incentive to start that next home improvement or gardening project? We have just the thing. Earn 5% PowerPerks locally when you shop at your nearby, independently-owned Ace Hardware store. One of the 4,600 nationwide Ace stores not in your neighborhood? Don’t worry. You’ll earn bonus perks with online purchases, too, at AceHardware.com. Celebrate local commerce, national Lawn and Garden Month, and extra perks, too, this April.

How did we pick these places?

We didn’t. You did! Each month, we select a handful of options based on places where our customers shop often and allow everyone in our customer base and community to vote for their favorite categories here on the blog. We have to avoid extremely popular spots like Walmart and gas stations, because offering 5% on these would strain our business. However, requests for bonus earnings at places like these influenced our decision to offer 2% cash back to all customers on purchases at major online retailers beginning on April 4, 2012, including Walmart.com and others.*

Details: PowerPerks bonus perks limited to $5,000 in spend every calendar year. Unless specific stores are named, qualifying purchases are determined by Merchant Category Codes. Some redemption options require you to use additional perks beyond the redemption value, effectively reducing your cash back rate. Non-PIN debit card purchases will earn 5% cash back in April at the following retailers: Ace Hardware® (online and in-store) and Groupon™ (online only).