It might sound funny but some brands will pay you if you buy something from them by going via an external website first. These brands are called cashback sites because they give you reward for shopping online.
If you’re looking for more ways to boost your income and make money online, cashback sites are a good place to start. If you shop online frequently, you could be earning thousands in a year by using a cashback site.
What are cashback sites?
To put it simply, a cashback site rewards you for shopping online. You pay the same price for an item at a retail store as you would on a cashback site but get money back.
Most sites offer cash for shopping online and some rewards for watching videos, reading emails, using social networking accounts, and completing surveys.
Cashback sites will reward you for shopping online. These allow you to make money by shopping online. Many merchants pay commission to these sites when they refer customers.
But before you begin the sign-up process, you’re required to enter your credit card details. These sites will then track your purchases and send you an email when you have qualified for the pay-out.
You simply click on the link in the email, click through a couple of pages to confirm the purchase, and that’s it! The money is already in your account.
Why do cashback websites pay you?
Cashback sites will pay you back because all the purchase you are making through them earns them more money.
The cashback website will pay you a small fraction of what they make for referring you, and the payments are then generated by affiliate marketing programs that offer commissions and performance-based incentives to websites that provide traffic for companies.
These websites pay you for shopping with online merchants.
How do cashback sites reward you?
Points! Typically, cashback sites will have different redemption rates or tiers. Some high-end purchases may earn more points than smaller ones. You only get credit for the purchase price, not tax and shipping.
These sites pay you a certain percentage of what you spend as an incentive to use their site instead of others. It’s much like earning points with a credit card, only with cashback sites, the more you use their service, the more you save!
Cashback sites will pay you, the merchant will pay you, and sometimes manufacturers or credit card companies themselves payout as well. Sometimes you’ll only earn a small percentage back of what you spent, other times it can be double or even five times as much.
Things to do on cashback sites
Always clear your cookies
Remember to clear your cookies before shopping. This will delete the current cashback cookies and all your links. It is as if you’ve never been on a cashback site before.
Transfer money made out of your cashback account ASAP
There are a ton of things to do on your cashback sites. The quickest and easiest thing you can do is transfer the money that you have made from your bank account to another bank account. This is known as being cashed out and you don’t want to leave your cash sitting in a site for very long.
Be smart in spending
Buying on cash rewards sites can be lucrative, but it’s important to do the maths before making your purchase.
First, figure out which site will pay you the big dollars and what percentage of the sale they will cashback. Once that has been established, sprinkle in a few perks such as a free gift with purchase.
Register with your credit card
Sign up for your cashback account today and be sure to register your credit card so you can automatically earn cash back every time you make a purchase.
Referral is important
Refer your friends, and you will each get £5 when they make their first purchase. They’ll also get a 10% cashback bonus every time they shop, which must be used within 90 days. So spread the word.
Don’t forget to use the price match
Cashback sites (such as TopCashback, eBates, FatWallet) are a great way to save shopping online. With these services, you can earn cashback on every purchase. But by being strategic with your shopping choices, it can be easy to find some serious savings.
For example, you may be able to price match something while shopping at one store and get cashback for the same goods at another online retailer. This process effectively lowers the cost of your purchase even more.
What should you avoid on cashback sites?
Don’t make hasty assumptions
Don’t pay attention to the order in which the products are listed. We’ve seen sites with clearly inferior products listed above the better-ranked ones before.
Also, do not assume that these sites have investigated and verified all product features. Some manufacturers may add advertising language with no relevance to how the product will perform in real life.
Beware of flashy deals
Don’t let a flashy deal on a one-day deal site lead you astray. Done properly, cashback shopping allows you to find cheaper prices on products from the comfort of your own home or mobile device.
It’s still important to always compare prices, but when you do, make sure you’re comparing the best price available for that particular product. Low-priced items often have surprisingly high profit margins.
Beware of sites that promise unbelievably low prices. It’s either too good to be true, or it requires an adjustment of business practices.
Prices can change anytime
You can buy a deal and then use the cashback website to track back how much you’re saving. Sometimes you will find the price has changed or conditions have been added. So, it is definitely worth checking your purchase a number of times before handing over any money.
How do I use cashback sites?
Signup
There are lots of cashback where you can sign up. You can join them for free, but you can pay a monthly fee if you want to be a premium member.
Look for a retailer
If you are looking for a specific item, use the search column to look for the retailer.
Click on the link
You will be able to view the different packages the retailer has. Before you begin shopping, you will see a “GET CASHBACK” button then click on it.
Start your shopping
Start shopping while your spending will be monitored by the website. The app will sum up the amount of cashback package you are to receive. Then the total figure will appear on the homepage of your account.
What cashback website do I use?
If you are in doubt about the type of cashback website you should use, then read on:
1. TopCashback
If not the best then TopCashback is definitely one of the best out there. TopCashback is a cashback website that was launched in the UK in March 2008. The website enables shoppers to get cash back, or a certain percentage of their order subtracted from the original price when they shop at over 3200 stores.
TopCashback offers you one of the lowest rates online and it provides its members with earnings deposited into their own bank accounts.
Shop through TopCashback to Spotify, iGraze, eBay, and lots more and earn cashback every time. It’s a great way to save money on everything you buy!
Earn cashback on what you’re already buying. It’s easy to use, join today and start earning. TopCashback gives you cashback for almost everything you buy online and in-store.
Over 2,000 shops which include Amazon.co.uk, Argos, ASOS, and John Lewis are part of the price comparison network, meaning that TopCashback will compare prices at thousands of leading retailers to find you the most competitive price – guaranteed.
Pros
- Good customer care
- Earn 3% across everything
Cons
- Few offers for increased cashback rates
2. Quidco
Sign up for Quidco and make sure that you are getting the very best deal when shopping online. They’ll make sure you get the lowest price on the net and save you time too! Quidco is a savvy online shopper’s best friend; they’ll help you choose where to shop, what to buy and how much it should really cost.
Every £1 you spend in-store and online earns 100 cashback points. When you collect 1,000 points they repay the cost of your purchases in cash giving you an additional 10% bonus off everything you buy.
It’s free, easy and there are no gimmicks so collect as many points as you like.
Just like TopCashback, you can elect to go for the premium membership package that will get you good payout bonuses, higher cashback rates, and other benefits.
Pros
- They repay the cost of your purchases
Cons
- Unable to scan receipts
3. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is the web’s leading rewards and loyalty platform for online users, giving people more ways to earn real money for the things they do online they already do every day. From taking surveys, shopping online, watching videos, playing games, answering trivia, and more.
If you are a regular Swagbucks user, then you know how enjoyable it is to earn points for free stuff. It’s a painless way to go about making money online. You can take surveys and watch videos to earn Swagbucks which can be later turned into cash.
Also, the membership is free and Swagbucks offers a money-back guarantee if you are not happy with their service.
Pros
- Referral bonuses
- Sign up
- Points are redeemable through paypal
Cons
- They didn’t design it like a cashback site
4. Rakuten
Rakuten was known as eBates. Cashback is a free service from Rakuten that gives members a lot of flexible shopping choices. It’s simple too. Choose bonus point categories that you like and earn points for every dollar you spend on eligible products in these bonus categories.
Then redeem your points for shopping vouchers from partners or directly back into your bank account.
For each dollar spent on eligible purchases when you shop at Rakuten, you’ll receive an automatic 1% Cashback into your Rakuten Super Points account.
As a member, Rakuten will award one Super Point for every dollar spent after your first $100 and then 3.5 Super Points for every dollar spent on eligible purchases over $500.
Pros
- Receive cash
- You can receive a cashback percentage that is high
Cons
- Cannot scan receipts
5. Ibotta
Ibotta is free to join and available on Android, iOS, and the web. Every time you purchase groceries, take a picture of your receipt. Ibotta will search for special offers from top brands and if you’re eligible, cash back rewards will be added directly to your account.
Create your personalized savings plan with ibotta. Earn cashback on the things you purchase daily like foodstuffs, pet supplies, and even electronics! Redeem your cash when you reach $10 in savings or invite friends to join you on your trip to meaningful savings. When you go ibotta, you’re going cashback!
On every receipt ibotta offers cashback on eligible items, protecting your most important purchases and putting more cash in your wallet. It’s simple: just take a picture of your receipt, upload it to ibotta, and you’re done! You can then use your earned cashback like cash to help pay for groceries, gas, or fun activities!
Pros
- You get to receive cashback in cash
- There are different ways to receive cashbacks
Cons
- You have to complete tasks
6. Earny
Earny is the easy way to get fast cashback on the stuff you buy online. It’s a first of its kind and an easy application that allows you to make money back for almost anything you buy.
Whenever you make a purchase through one of their thousands of partner stores, they track your purchase.
They then automatically deliver your refund when the product meets earny’s criteria. You can then transfer your earnings to your bank account or redeem them for cash using PayPal or Amazon gift cards.
Pros
- Earny is best for refunds.
Cons
- Works for drop in prices within three months of purchase
7. BeFrugal
Get cash back on your purchases through BeFrugal.com. Try by searching for the products you want on Bing, Google, or Yahoo and they’ll show you the best online retailers with the highest cash back rates.
Shop through merchants to earn 1.5% in cash back rewards when you purchase items, like apparel, sports equipment, grocery items, and much more! Best of all, new users will qualify for a bonus of $10 to start earning rewards!
The banners let you earn up to an extra 25% in commission by showing special offers to customers that come to visit the site.
Sign up free of charge to gain access to the best discounts online at over 1,500+ popular stores. BeFrugal is the right place to save big on anything from clothing & accessories, electronics, computers, autos, and more!
Pros
- High cashback rate
- Bonus for sign up
Cons
- You get cashback for online purchases alone
How do cashback sites make money
Cashback sites make money by getting commissions from merchants or affiliate advertisers when a visitor purchases a product or service.
If this sounds familiar, you may already know that cashback sites make money from the sale of products you buy and then redeem your cashback rewards. For those who are in the e-commerce industry, these sites are an important sales channel.
It costs money for a cashback site to run and it would cost extra on the merchant’s end to have the site take a percentage of your purchase.
FAQs
Is cashback real?
Yes, the cashback is extremely real. You earn cashback as you shop and redeem it on your next purchase. The rewards are paid directly to your account at the time of redemption.
What store can I get cash back?
You can get cashback with cash rewards when you shop at top retailers like Amazon.com, Target, Kohl’s, and Walmart online or in stores.
It’s simple — for every 2,500 points earned by shopping at one or more of these cashback qualifying stores, you can redeem for $25 in the reward as a statement credit towards your U.S. Bank Visa credit card account!
Are cashback cards worth it?
Cashback cards offer a simple way to earn money back on purchases you were going to make anyway. They’re designed to help you spend less and save more, but it’s up to you whether they’re worth it.
Some cards will give you the opportunity of choosing which category the cashback is paid in—meaning you won’t get additional savings on your everyday purchases, like gas or groceries. Others have set categories for their cashback. This happens so that no matter what you buy—gas, groceries, or a designer handbag—you’ll get the same amount of cashback.
Where can I get cashback for free?
There are several stores where you can get cashback. How much, and whether or not you need to pay is dependent on the retailer.
Some places will give you as much as 3% cashback, and you don’t even need to have an account with them. Some of these stores include Target, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Sears, Kohl’s – just to name a few.
How much cashback does Walmart give?
Walmart pays cashback in an amount equal to 10% of your purchases made with your Walmart MoneyCard. The minimum cashback amount is $10 and the maximum cashback at any given time is $50.
How does cashback work on debit cards?
For debit cards, it works differently due to the way a debit card transaction is processed.
Here’s how it works: When you make a purchase on your debit card using one of our partners, you will see a small amount taken out of your account to cover the cashback.
We will then pay that amount directly into your bank account within 30 days, together with the cashback that was earned from your shopping. The retailer will deduct their payment at the same time they deduct the cost of the item or service.
Final Thoughts
So that’s it, you have been provided with all you need to know about cashback. You can start earning money now ASAP.
