Top cashback sites 2023

Wouldn't it be great if you could earn money back every time you bought something online? Oh wait, you can! And we could be talking big bucks...

It might sound like a crazy idea, but some brands will actually pay you cash if you buy something from them by going via an external website first.

These are called cashback sites. They're a great place to start if you're on the hunt for ways to save a bit of money while at uni, without having to completely freeze your spending.

If you're a frequent online shopper, you could be earning £100s a year by using a cashback site.

In five years, our very own Jake Butler has earned over £900 in cashback with TopCashback! Read on to find out how you could be doing the same thing.

Ways to get cashback

Here are some of the best ways you can earn cashback with minimal effort:

1. Get a cashback bank account

   Some banks offer cashback current accounts, where you'll receive some cashback every time you shop with certain retailers or pay your bills, for instance.

   While this is a great way to get cashback with minimal effort, watch out for potential drawbacks. Most of these accounts will charge a small monthly fee and expect a certain amount to be deposited in the account each month for you to retain the perks.

   Also, check whether the cashback deals on offer actually match your spending habits. Otherwise, you might be better opting for other bank account benefits instead.

2. Sign up for a credit card

   If you're good at managing your money, a cashback credit card might be a better option. These basically work by giving you – you guessed it – cashback on some or all purchases (depending on the card).

   Most only offer around 0.5% – 1% back on each purchase, but this soon adds up if you're spending a lot. Again, check if the offers will work for you and watch out for any monthly fees. Use our guide to student credit cards to find the best deals.

   Also remember that if you don't pay off your credit card in full at the end of each month, you'll be charged interest. This could end up being more than any cashback you've earned, so only use it to buy things you know you can afford. And remember, if you don't pay it off at all, your credit score will likely suffer.

3. Switch energy provider

   Many energy providers offer deals to entice new customers which include a certain amount of cashback. Just make sure to do the calculations and ensure the new deal is the cheapest overall.

   For instance, there's no point in going for a deal that offers £30 cashback if you're going to end up paying £70 more across the year in bills. Use our guide to comparing and switching providers to keep your bills as low as possible.

   IMPORTANT: Because of the current energy crisis, you're unlikely to find a cheaper provider. Our general advice is to stay with your current provider for the time being.

4. Do online shopping

   If you don't fancy making a big commitment in the form of a new bank account or credit card, you can still earn cashback when you make purchases online using cashback sites.

   They're super easy to use and you can earn some serious cash over time if you stick at it. Keep reading to find out exactly how they work.

How do cashback sites work?

Credit: Kalamurzing - Shutterstock

Cashback deals vary widely. You could see yourself earning as much as £100 or just a few pennies on a single transaction, depending on what you buy and which brands you buy from. It might sound complicated, but it's very easy.

To get started, simply follow these steps:

1. Sign up to a reputable cashback site like Quidco, TopCashback or Swagbucks.
2. Whenever you decide to buy something online, open a new tab and sign in to your cashback site account. Alternatively, you could head straight to the cashback site to see which companies are offering the highest rates or best deals.
   
3. Search for the retailer you want to buy from in the cashback site search bar (e.g. 'ASOS', 'Currys' or even 'Sky Broadband' etc.).
4. Follow the brand's link on the cashback site and it will take you through to their homepage.
5. Simply make your purchase as normal. The cashback site will have tracked your click so it knows you made your purchase through them, and they'll register your cashback.

How much cashback can you get online?

The amount of money you'll actually receive will vary. For smaller purchases, cashback rates can be around 5% – 10%, but if you're making a bigger investment (a new mobile phone contract or broadband package, for example) you could earn £100 or more.

Here's a list of typical cashback rates for some retailers at the time of writing:

1. ASOS: up to 8.4% cashback
2. Expedia: up to 11% cashback 
3. Game: up to 2.1% cashback
4. O2 Mobile: up to £110 cashback
5. Paperchase: up to 10.5% cashback
6. Travelodge: up to 8% cashback
7. Virgin Media: up to £115.50 cashback.

Remember that rates will vary depending on what purchase you make, which cashback site you use, whether or not you're a new customer and any special offers available.

Does cashback cost anything?

Credit: CBC

No, using cashback sites won't cost you anything. A lot of people worry that these sites are a scam – free cash does sound a bit suspicious after all.

However, they have quite a nifty business model that makes it all possible.

Cashback sites make their money by earning a commission for sending customers to online shops, and you get a large slice of it (or, in some cases, all of it). Genius!

Companies like Argos, ASOS and even broadband providers pay cashback sites to advertise them and direct customers to their websites. When a customer makes a purchase, the cashback site earns referral money which it then passes on to you.

Some sites give their customers 100% of the commission, and instead, they make their money through bonuses received for referring large numbers of customers, or from premium memberships which typically cost a few pounds (more on this below).

Therefore, although you're paid by the cashback sites, the money you eventually receive comes from the brands themselves.

Best cashback sites 2023

These are the top cashback sites:

1. Quidco

   

   BONUS: Get £10 cashback on your first spend over £5 here.

   Quidco is definitely one of the best cashback sites out there, if not the best. They generally offer higher rates than their competitors, and most users give them glowing reviews.

   They claim their average user makes £300 a year – that could bag you an extra holiday!

   You can also choose to pay for a Premium membership that will get you higher cashback rates, better payout bonuses and other benefits. In exchange, you'll need to sacrifice £1 of your earned cashback each month you're active.

   Check out Quidco »

    

2. TopCashback

   

   TopCashback are another leading cashback site and are normally seen battling it out with Quidco in the quest to offer users the best exclusive rates.

   Their Classic membership is free, but the Plus membership offers bonus cashback on most transactions, as well as extra money for referring friends and other perks. However, they will keep up to £5 of the cashback you earn every year as payment.

   Be careful when you first sign up, as you'll automatically be assigned a Plus membership that you have to opt out of.

   You can also trade your cashback cash for vouchers through Reward Wallet, and get up to 20% value added!

   Also, look out for their Free Cashback feature. This enables you to earn cashback just by completing certain tasks online, like filling out paid online surveys or checking your credit score.

   Check out TopCashback »

    

3. Swagbucks

   

   Swagbucks is a site leaning more towards rewards than just cashback.

   As well as getting cashback offers, you can also earn rewards by completing surveys, watching videos and even downloading apps.

   Earn your cashback and rewards by saving up 'Swagbucks' (or SBs as they call them) as a sort of currency that can then be exchanged for rewards. For more information, check out our Swagbucks review.

   Check out Swagbucks »

    

As all of the sites we've listed are free to join, we'd recommend joining a few of them so you can compare the cashback amounts between them. What's there to lose?

Top tips for using cashback sites

Credit: Paramount Pictures

If you're keen to give cashback a go, there are a few things worth taking into consideration before getting started.

Here are our ultimate cashback dos and don'ts:

Things to do on cashback sites

Here are our top tips on things to do when using cashback sites:

• Clear your cookies – Cashback sites use your cookies to track if you have arrived at a retail site through them or another site. Therefore, if your browser history gets pages mixed up and doesn't register that you've come via a cashback site, you won't get your reward. Clearing your cookies just before making your purchase will ensure this doesn't happen.
• Transfer any money you make out of your cashback account ASAP – Leave it in your account too long, and it won't be protected if the website goes bust.
• Do the maths before making your purchase – Cashback won't always necessarily get you the best deal. Shop around for student deals and check for promo codes and daily deal sites to work out what the best option is before making your decision.
• Register your credit card with your cashback account – Do this so you can start earning cashback on purchases you make online and in stores too.
• Refer your friends – You'll earn extra cash for getting your friends to sign up with a referral link. At the time of writing, Quidco offers you £5 in their referral scheme, whereas TopCashback will give up to up £30 per referral.
• Remember to use the price match – Both TopCashback and Quidco guarantee to match each other. If you find you could have got a better deal elsewhere, you can submit a claim and get extra cashback. However, there are strict time limits on this (Quidco only give you 72 hours), so don't hang about!

Things to avoid on cashback sites

Here are some things to avoid when using cashback sites:

• Don't be led astray by flashy deals – It's easy to get excited by a £100 cashback deal on a new broadband package, but if you don't actually need a new contract, don't go for it. Broadband providers also don't have the best reputation for being easy to understand. Even if they're offering great cashback, they might be stinging you with other charges.
• Don't assume anything – Just because you've followed the instructions, it doesn't mean that the money is yours. Complications can occur that might lead to you missing out on your cash. To avoid disappointment, try not to rely too heavily on getting your rewards – just think of it as a bonus if you make some cash. If you have any issues, contact the cashback site's customer service department.
• Don't think that every deal is set in stone – There can be disputes between brands and cashback sites that might prevent you from getting what you're due. Admittedly, this is a pitfall of going for cashback – nothing is guaranteed until it's safely in your bank account.

There you have it! You should be armed with all the info you need to get started on earning back some serious cash when you shop online.

On the hunt for a quicker way to earn some cash online? We have a whole list of tried and tested methods to make money online.