Top cashback sites: Make £100s when you shop online – MSE
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Top cashback sites

Kelvin Goodson
Kelvin Goodson | Edited by Martin Lewis
Updated 4 June 2024

Cashback websites pay you when you go through them to spend with retailers or providers. You can make £100s a year using them properly. Here are the top cashback sites, along with some serious rules to make sure you protect yourself. You can also earn an extra 5% on top using a cashback credit card.

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How do cashback sites work?

If you want to buy something online or sign up to a finance product, rather than going direct, click to the company via a cashback site and you get paid for it. The sums range from pennies for groceries to more than £100 for some mobile or broadband contracts.

You'll have to sign up to the cashback site, which should be free (though you can sometimes pay an annual subscription cost, and potentially benefit from boosted cashback). Then simply log in and search for the online retailer you want to buy from, such as Argos or BT. If it's listed, click the cashback site's link to visit that company.

Your visit is then tracked. If you buy something, an amount is put into your cashback site account once the transaction's processed. You can withdraw this once it arrives, which can take a few weeks, or even months. For some cashback sites, you need to reach a set threshold before you can withdraw.

The following table gives you an idea of the possible savings – though remember rates fluctuate every day and differ between sites:

Typical cashback site payments

Admiral travel insurance £3.75 to £12 per policy
Asos 0.75% to 5.1% of purchase's cost
BT broadband
 £34 to £80.75 per package
Currys 0.75% to 16.5% of purchase's cost
JD Sports 1.5% to 5.1% of purchase's cost
Lastminute.com 1.5% to 9% of purchase's cost
Nike 1.5% to 10.2% of purchase's cost
O2 mobile £24 to £106.25 per contract
RAC breakdown cover £32 to £165 per policy
Tesco groceries 37p to £5.10 per order

Last updated June 2024. Based on rates from Topcashback and Quidco, which may differ based on product/spend and customer type (new or existing).

Why do they pay out?

Cashback sites take advantage of the way commercial payments from one website to another work. They use affiliate links, which allow the retailer to track where the traffic is coming from and then pay the cashback sites for the lead.

This is a common system, used by sites that send people through from comparison results, unique content (MSE does this – for more details, see How this site is financed) or using links on advertising promotions. Cashback sites simply drive traffic by giving their users some of the money they're paid.

The amount of money depends on what's spent on what as well as the commercial deal, so can vary widely. The cashback site may earn its money per click, transaction, application, or accepted applicant.

The technology's simple. Ready-made paying links are available from 'links warehouses'. Big cashback sites also have direct relationships with companies, which means they can offer a wider range of providers, earn more and negotiate their own exclusive deals.

How much money could I make?

The total amount depends on how much you buy, what you buy, and the cashback being offered. But many MoneySavers make £100s a year using cashback sites. Here are a few examples...

So far I have got back around £300 from buying things that I would normally have bought and not received anything back for. Things like my garden shed, washing machine, car insurance, home insurance and every day items.

I've made £2,500 from Topcashback alone over the last three years – booked holidays, offered to book hotels for family members for occasions like weddings, and bought all insurance and Christmas and birthday presents.

Let us know about any success you have using cashback sites, and any other feedback, on the Top cashback sites forum thread, or by emailing successes@moneysavingexpert.com or contacting us on X, formerly Twitter, using @MoneySavingExp.

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6 MAJOR cashback safety rules

While cashback sites can generate some users £100s a year, it's very important you understand there can be substantial pitfalls in using these sites – and you need to understand them BEFORE you begin.

  • 1. Think of cashback as a bonus only – it's NOT guaranteed

    Tracking problems can occur when using cashback sites. There are times when you'll expect to be paid but won't be.

    However, problems don't only arise with tracking. Cashback sites get the  money they pass on to you from retailers and service providers. Disputes in this area are common, so sometimes the cashback site doesn't get the cash – and therefore can't pay it to you.

    You've few rights to claim unpaid cashback. The best way to approach this is to consider cashback as a bonus if you get it, but not to let it drive your purchasing decisions.

    If you do have problems, remember you need to contact the cashback site directly, not MSE – we just tell you what the top-paying sites are.

  • 2. Cashback sites can take a long time to pay out

    When eyeing up the rates offered by the top-paying sites before buying something, it's easy to think of the cashback as being as good as yours already. Yet as well as not being guaranteed, earning cashback is rarely a quick process.

    This is because once you've made a purchase through a cashback site, it needs to be tracked by the site from the retailer or service provider back to your cashback account. According to the top sites, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a week in most cases.

    And that's the (relatively) speedy part. Once your purchase has been tracked by the site, it needs to be approved by the retailer or service provider before it's payable, which can take anywhere between a few days and a few months.

    Unfortuntely this isn't something cashback sites have a lot of control over – for example, MSE Liv has been waiting for cashback to be approved for over six months now, and the cashback site in question says it's waiting on the retailer she purchased from before it can pay her.

    For more specific info on how long it takes the top sites to pay out, head over to the Topcashback FAQ section, Quidco help centre and KidStart FAQs (under the 'Earning KidStarts savings' heading).

  • 3. The cashback isn't yours until it's in your bank account

    Never count on the cashback as being yours until it's in your bank account. This isn't just because of tracking and processing issues. Cashback sites are easy to set up and many are small companies which can go bust (and some have done just that).

    If it happens, you've little protection. You may count as a creditor to the company but in all likelihood, your money will be gone.

  • 4. Never store cash in a cashback site – withdraw it ASAP

    password

    Most cashback sites set a threshold which you must reach before you can withdraw cash. The best practice is to withdraw as soon as you hit that level.

    Never leave cash building up in a cashback site account when you can take it out. Not only are you missing out on interest, but if the company goes kaput or changes its payout policy, your money could be lost.

  • 5. Focus on the cheapest deal, not the biggest cashback

    It's easy to be seduced by £50 cashback for buying an insurance policy or a 7% discount when shopping for clothes. Yet never let the cashback tail wag the purchase dog. Not because of the warnings above, but simply because it may not actually be the cheapest option.

    Regardless of the cashback, you want to get the best deal possible. If you've chosen something purely because of the cashback on offer, and the cashback doesn't happen, you could find you've dug yourself a hole.

    Example 1: You want a new telly. A cashback site brings up Korma Electrical World, offering 5% cashback, which means a £20 discount on a £399 TV. Yet two minutes using a price comparison site would've found you the same TV on sale at £299.

    Example 2: Your car insurance is up for renewal. You spot the Commodore Insurance £100 cashback offer on a cashback website, so grab its £540 policy via the site. Yet if you'd used car insurance comparison websites, you'd have found an equivalent policy from Chamberlain Insurance for £370. As Chamberlain is also on a cashback site, you could've got a further £25 off, saving £95 in total.

    This is especially important for bigger transactions, as making the wrong purchase could cost far more than any cashback earned. Check out your options using our relevant guides first, such as Balance transfer credit cards, Best bank accounts, Cheap breakdown cover, Cheap broadband, Cheap car insurance, Cheap flights, Cheap home insurance, Cheap hotels and Cheap mobiles.

  • 6. Consider clearing your cookies before buying to make it more likely the cashback will track

    Cashback sites track your visits by putting cookies (little bits of info that identify you) on to your computer, tablet or smartphone. Many other sites, like comparison sites, also use cookies.

    So when making your purchase, make sure you click through from the cashback site and not from anywhere else, as the general rule's 'the last cookie wins'.

    To be doubly safe, especially if you're expecting a lot of cashback, clear your computer's cookies first to ensure the cashback is tracked. Learn more about controlling and deleting cookies at AboutCookies.org.

Top-paying cashback sites

Don't think that all cashback sites pay the same. When we checked in June 2024, we found big differences – for example, £3.75 vs up to £15 on iD Mobile Sim-only contracts, and 3% vs 10% on Tui hotel bookings – but remember that rates can and do change very frequently, so always double check before buying.

The best cashback sites are those that pay out up to 100% of what they get from the retailer – that is, they give a large part or ALL of the money they earn to you. Here, we focus on those sites (yet don't forget there are other ways to boost cashback, which can often be used in combination with these sites).

The top-paying cashback sites

Site Key details MSE analysis
Topcashback*

- Membership is free, but you need to actively downgrade from its 'Plus' membership when you sign up.
 

- Plus membership* is £5/year – it pays extra top up on cashback and up to 25% payout bonuses via rewards.

Pays the best rates most often in our spot checks. Topcashback* offered the highest cashback rate for 22 of 30 checks (though always check both sites before buying, especially for larger purchases).
 

You can take your earnings as cash, but it's possible to get up to 25% extra by exchanging cashback for gift cards.
Quidco*

- Basic membership is free
 

- Premium membership is £1/month and gives you boosted cashback.

Can beat Topcashback, so well worth checking too. Quidco* is Topcashback's main rival, with the two sites often competing on exclusive deals. It's always worth checking both, especially if making a big purchase.
 

Quidco pays out as cash, but gives up to 20% more if you agree to take earnings in gift cards.
KidStart
 - Membership is free

- You can only withdraw once you've earned £10+, but you'll need to add a child's details to do so.		 Rare cashback on most Apple Store Online purchases. KidStart lets you earn cashback with over 2,300 retailers, and offers it on some the sites above don't.

But it isn't always competitive. For example, it pays up to £30 on Now broadband and TV, while the sites above pay up to £100, so always compare, especially for bigger purchases.

Quick question

  • How do cashback sites make money?

    In 2005, Quidco launched the first 100% cashback site. On the surface, the system doesn't seem sustainable, yet actually it's a very clever way to work. It's earned Quidco, and fellow 100% operator Topcashback, a massive share of the cashback market.

    These sites do exactly what they say on the tin. They give you 100% or more of the cashback allocated to you, meaning you get a bigger payout. It's been hugely profitable for many customers, but that doesn't mean these sites don't generate income.

    • They may keep a fiver or up to £12 a year. If you join their 'premium schemes', some retain £5 of your cashback earnings each year, while others keep £1 of your cashback earnings per month that you're active. There's nothing wrong with this – it's far better than charging a membership fee upfront. And of course, it means £5 a year or £12 a year from every active member, which helps sustain the sites.

    • They get 'bonuses'. Let's say a retailer pays a cashback site 5% of every transaction. While that money is passed on to customers, many retailers will also pay affiliates bonuses – for example, if they generate £10,000 of sales, they get a bonus. These aren't and can't be allocated to customers, which is how 100% cashback sites earn a living.

How to boost your cashback by £100s more

There are a few ways to boost your cashback:

  • 1. Earn in-store cashback

    You can get money back on in-store spending at a few different retailers with Topcashback and KidStart, although there are far less of these offers than there once were:

    • Topcashback. By registering your debit or credit card to your account, you can earn in-store cashback* at a few retailers. There aren't as many offers available through this method as there once were though – when we checked in June 2024, there were 10.

      Confusingly, it launched a 'new' in-store cashback feature last year, which worked in a similar way – you linked your debit or credit card to your account using Open Banking, and it created 'tailored offers' based on your spending. But this closed down on 11 December 2023. If you signed up and redeemed any offers you'd activated by 31 December 2023, cashback confirmation and payment should proceed as usual.

      Topcashback also occasionally offers 'Snap & Save' offers on in-store grocery shopping (and sometimes on petrol and diesel), with deals on specific items. You unlock these offers using the website or Topcashback app*, then scan the barcode of the product and/or upload a photo of the receipt with your phone to get the cashback approved. Topcashback tells us these are only "seasonal and special one-off promotions" but when they're available to all members they'll be "prominent" on the website and app. For full info, see Topcashback's Snap & Save section.
    • KidStart. As with Topcashback, you can earn in-store cashback by registering a debit or credit card to your account. You'll then get an email confirming the cashback a couple of days after you use that card to make an eligible purchase. However, when we checked in June 2024, there were only seven in-store offers listed, and five were for theme parks, while one was for a retailer no longer listed.

    • Quidco. It previously offered in-store cashback, but doesn't any longer. It also used to let you earn cashback on in-store grocery shopping via ClickSnap, but that closed in December 2022.

  • 2. Cashback credit cards: 5% spending boost

    Vector image of two hands, one holding up a credit card, the other a smartphone.

    Cashback credit cards give you cold, hard cash every time you spend on them. Always make sure you pay them off in full each month though, so you're not charged interest.

    There's no conflict between cashback sites and cashback cards, as when you spend on a cashback card, whoever you spend with, the card will give you money back. The top card pays 5% back on spending over the first five months. For all the top payers, see our Credit card rewards guide.

  • 3. Make free cash from cashback sites

    You don't have to buy anything to earn cash via cashback sites – you can earn cash just for clicking links. Cashback websites give you a share of their ad revenue, and sometimes get paid just for generating traffic.

    For example, when we checked in June 2024, Topcashback paid £6 just for setting up a free Experian account. Its free cashback* section lists all the current offers, although be careful as some aren't truly free.

    Quidco has a similar page listing free cashback offers, although at the time of writing there are only two offers, and the only truly free one is just £1.50 for setting up a free Experian account.

  • 4. The big sites will beat the best rates

    Topcashback and Quidco have guarantees that mean they'll at least match other UK cashback sites if you find a higher rate on the same product or service elsewhere.

    Topcashback will beat the competing rate by an additional 1%, eg it would offer 10.1% on a 10% rate, £50.50 on a £50 offer. You have to submit a claim within 14 days of your cashback tracking, and the transaction must have tracked at no less than 1p.

    Quidco will beat the competing rate by 2% for basic members or those who upgraded to Premium before 13 November 2019, and pay double the difference to newer Premium members. It employs a more strict 72-hour policy for submitting claims after the original purchase.

    Other restrictions and limitations apply, so check all the T&Cs before making a purchase on which you're planning to claim.

  • 5. Cashback loopholes – they pay MORE than you pay them

    Some companies pay more cashback than the product itself costs. In the past, cashback sites paid up to £25 for Cahoot savings account applications, even though these could be opened with just £1.

    There are two warnings to heed with this type of cashback though. First, be careful when applying for financial products, especially bank accounts, credit cards and loans. Applications usually add a search to your credit file, which can potentially diminish your credit score.

    Secondly, each cashback site has its own rules. They may ban you if they think you're abusing the scheme, because if too many people do this, they'll lose their links as they're not generating enough money.

  • 6. Survey sites: Make money from giving your opinion

    On a similar theme, it's possible to earn £100s a year without any special skill or talent by stashing cash from filling in online surveys.

    You can earn cash or Amazon vouchers by taking part, and surveys are often short enough to fill in during breaks at work. For a full how-to, see the Top 25 online survey sites guide.

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