FutureFuel.io, a San Francisco-based student loan fintech, has rolled out a feature that harnesses consumer purchases to accelerate paying down educational debt.
Giveback, announced on Tuesday, is a browser extension for Google Chrome that links online purchases to cash-back offers from more than 450 brands and merchants.
“More than ever, hardworking Americans need to find smart, simple and accessible ways to make their money work for them,” said Laurel Taylor, Founder and CEO of FutureFuel.io, in comments released on Tuesday. “During a time of mass unemployment and financial distress, we are launching this important innovation to help every American household find dollars outside of their own wallet to help pay down student debt as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
The extension searches for an automatically applies cash-back offers to users’ online purchases, then directs the dollars to their student loan balance carrying the highest interest rate. Users can use the FutureFuel.io platform to track the cash back they earn and the progress they make towards paying down their debt.
According to FutureFuel.io, by enrolling in Giveback and claiming just $25 in cash-back offers per month, users can reduce an average of $4,900 in interest and take 23 months off of the average student loan.
FutureFuel.io works by optimizing student debt repayment plan enrollment, automating the management of loans and gamifying the ability to use “spare change” to pay back loans. The firm claims that its platform saves users an average of $15,000 and takes approximately 5 years off of the average student loan repayment period.