Shopping online through TopCashback
Earning cashback through TopCashback is an easy way to make money on the purchases you make online. But how easy is it to use a cashback site and what are the pros and cons?
We’ll take you through everything you need to know about using TopCashback.
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What is TopCashback?
TopCashback claims to be Britain’s biggest cashback site with over 11 million members and over 5,000 retailers to earn cashback with.
TopCashback works by earning commission when someone clicks through one of its links to a retailer. When that retailer pays commission to TopCashback, some of that money goes to you and is known as cashback.
So in essence, you get paid when you shop online via TopCashback.
How to use TopCashback
First up, check for a new member bonus before signing up – these can be worth up to £15, if not more.
Then once you’re signed up, find the retailer you want to shop with, click on their link and TopCashback will track your purchase and pay you a percentage back.
Cashback rates differ from retailer to retailer and from day to day as well as there being enhanced rates for certain occasions such as Christmas shopping deals for example.
Watch out if you’re using the app as sometimes cashback won’t work if you then shop via a retailer’s own app. You’ll see a warning for this when you click through.
TopCashback browser extension
With the browser extension, you’ll be notified if you can earn cashback when you visit a site where it is available. A pop-up will appear to remind you to claim cashback, and you just click on the activate button and your purchase will be tracked by TopCashback.
It’ll work on Google Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge.
Retailers on TopCashback
With over 5,000 retailers on TopCashback, you’ll be able to find your favourites and earn cashback you would have missed out on if you had gone directly to the site rather than through TopCashback.
It’s not just shopping sites either, you can earn cashback on things like credit cards, breakdown cover, hotel bookings, takeaways and more.
TopCashback Compare
TopCashback Compare also allows you to compare quotes for insurance, utilities, broadband, mobiles, loans and mortgages so as well as finding the best deals, you’ll also get a percentage back as cashback.
Cashback on gift cards
TopGiftCards offers gift cards to buy and you’ll earn cashback on your purchase. Different gift cards have different cashback rates but say, for example, if you bought a gift card with £20 credit on it for a brand offering 5% cashback, you would get £1 cashback in your account.
At the time of writing, there were over a hundred gift cards to choose from. You’ll receive the gift cards as e-vouchers which you can use online or instore for most brands. This is great for gifting and you’ll make some cashback on the gift too!
In-store cashback
If you register a credit or debit card with TopCashback, you can earn cashback on purchases made in-store. At the time of writing, there was in-store cashback available for Yo! Sushi, Selfidges and John Smedley.
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How much money can you make?
Cashback rates vary and change often and you can frequently find higher rates for new customers at certain retailers. At the time of writing, for example, cashback rates for Argos were 8.5% for new Argos customers and 1.27% for existing customers.
You’ll also find varying cashback rates depending on total spend, such as higher rates if you spend over £100 for example.
You’re not going to make millions on cashback sites, but you will earn a percentage back of everything you buy online and this is money you would have missed out on if you hadn’t gone through TopCashback. TopCashback claims the average member earns £345 cashback a year.
Here’s a snippet of the some cashback rates you could be earning on your purchases.
| Holland & Barrett | Up to 12.75% |
| Currys | Up to 20% |
| Boohoo Man | Up to 10.2% |
| Rentalcars.com | 12% |
| Tu | 4.25% |
| National Express | 4% |
| Very | Up to 8.5% |
| Crocs | 7.65% |
| Agoda | 8% |
| Hollister | 5.1% |
Earn extra when you refer your friends
You can earn £20 when you refer a friend. You’ll need to send them a unique link and once they join and earn £10 in payable cashback, you’ll get your bonus. However, the best deal for them is to join via a high paying welcome bonus.
Boosted offers
It’s worth keeping an eye on TopCashback’s emails or the home page for any extra offers that might be sent through. It’s common to see offers like £1 extra when you spend £5 that can be spent on most retailers – including TopGiftcard purchases.
Highest Cashback Guarantee
If you see a better cashback offer elsewhere, TopCashback will beat the offer and uplift your cashback. You will need to submit a claim, and provide proof, within 14 days of the initial purchase tracking on your account.
TopCashback Plus
Plus members have access to higher cashback rates on their online purchases, earning an average of 16% more cashback than Classic members according to TopCashback. It does cost £5 a year, which is taken from your cashback earnings.
Plus members also get higher payout bonuses on gift cards and can earn up to £25 per friend referral.
As a note, you are automatically signed up to the Plus account when you join, so don’t forget to downgrade your membership if the standard membership works better for you or you’ll end up paying £5.
What will stop my cashback being awarded?
Each retailer has terms and conditions for receiving cashback such as they only pay cashback on full price items or cashback isn’t awarded if a voucher code is used that is not approved by TopCashback. And some don’t allow you to pay with gift cards and earn cashback, so read the terms and conditions before you make your purchases.
You will often find that TopCashback posts voucher codes and if you use these, you’ll get the instant discount from the voucher code plus the going rate for cashback. Like double discount!
If you find a voucher code that isn’t approved by TopCashback, compare what you would save using that with what you’d get as cashback and go with the best deal. And don’t forget, with voucher codes, the discount is applied instantly, but with cashback sites, it takes months for the cashback to be rewarded and it is not guaranteed.
How do I withdraw the cashback?
You can withdraw your cashback in a number of ways including a bank transfer, via Paypal or for the best deal, you can swap it for e-vouchers and get a bonus payout on top of the cashback you earned.
TopCashback also allows you to split your payout by various payment methods so you could receive some into our bank account and some as vouchers.
Unlike some other ways to earn cashback, there’s no minimum required for a payout – though some brands might have minimums if you’re looking to cashout with a gift card.
TopCashback welcome offers
TopCashback has lots of welcome offers, often for a specific retailer. But it’s better to use a generic promotion that you can use with most retailers – we’ve often got an exclusive offer that will get the best bonus.
TopCashback pros and cons
Pros
- Tends to have higher rates most of the time
- Regular bonuses for existing customers
- Withdraw cashback earned in multiple ways
- Decent welcome offer
Cons
- It takes a long time to receive the cashback
- No guarantee you’ll receive cashback
- Automatically signed up for Plus membership
Should you be shopping through TopCashback?
Definitely. TopCashback is easy to use when you’re shopping online and a way to make money on all your purchases. I’d definitely recommend using the browser extension, so you never miss out on cashback you’re entitled to.
It’s always best to compare the cashback rates to competitors such as Quidco and also to compare against voucher codes, since the instant discount could be more than the cashback offered.
Some retailers allow you to earn cashback and use gift cards to pay. You can double up your savings by purchasing gift cards from TopCashback and receiving cashback on them, then using those gift cards to purchase at a retailer who offers cashback and allows you to pay with gift cards. It just takes a little bit of planning and patience.
Just remember you are never guaranteed cashback!