Is it worth using Quidco?
To me, Quidco is like a verb. “Did you Quidco it?” I’ll ask my friends when they talk about an expensive purchase. It’s often met with a blank look and I’m equally perplexed, wondering how they haven’t heard of Quidco!
Well, it’s an easy way to get money back on your purchases almost every time you spend – though that money isn’t always guaranteed.
Our review will take you through everything you need to know about earning cashback from Quidco, and how you can get a huge welcome bonus when you first join up.
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How does Quidco work?
Quidco earns commission from a brand when you click to their site via Quidco and this money (well some of it) is passed back to you as cashback. In essence, you get paid a percentage to shop with a particular retailer.
They are partnered with over 5,000 brands so you’ll find plenty of retailers all offering cashback when you click through to them from Quidco.
How do I use Quidco?
Before you sign up, check for any welcome deals that’ll get you a bonus on your first purchase. We list the best ones here.
Once you’re signed up, click on the retailer you want to shop with and Quidco will track your purchase. It’s vital to close down open browser windows for those retailers first, and even clear your cookies so that tracking from Quidco to the retailer works efficiently.
Once Quidco receives confirmation of your purchase, the retailer pays them commission and Quidco passes some of this cashback to you.
But be warned, it’s not always a quick process and can take months for the cashback to come through.
Quidco cashback reminder
If you’re not used to using it, you might forget to visit Quidco before shopping. Fortunately there’s a browser extension for Safari, Microsoft Edge and Chrome that tells you when you can earn cashback.
If you’re using a search engine or have visited a site directly, the Quidco cashback reminder will prompt you if cashback is available. Then you just click on the pop-up and go through Quidco to receive your cashback.
Can you combine Quidco with other offers?
Using a cashback credit card such as the ones suggested in our best finds article or using already discounted vouchers as per our discounted gift card article means you’ll be saving even more on your purchases.
But be warned, some merchants will not award cashback if you use gift vouchers to pay or add voucher codes at the till, so always check the t&cs before you purchase.
If you have a voucher code that is worth more than the cashback being offered by Quidco, you may be wiser using that rather than going through a cashback site, as this discount is guaranteed whilst cashback is not.
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Retailers on Quidco
The chances are you’ll find almost all your favourite retailers, booking sites, travel agencies, airlines, insurance, banking, utility sites, takeaways and more on Quidco. It doesn’t matter what you are looking to purchase, you’ll probably be able to find it through Quidco and get cashback for doing so.
You can even find online giants like Amazon on Quidco although the cashback is only for Amazon products like the Echo, Fire tables and Kindles.
Quidco Compare
Just like comparison sites like Go.Compare or Money Supermarket, Quidco also has its own version for comparing deals on insurance, broadband, mobiles, loans and energy. When you use Quidco Compare and follow through with a purchase, you’ll be rewarded with cashback.
How much can I earn from Quidco?
Earning a percentage back on everything you buy online is not something to miss out on. Quidco says that its average member makes around £300 a year. That’s money they would have missed out on if they hadn’t clicked through Quidco.
Cashback rates vary depending on retailer but here’s some of the best cashback rates I found at the time of writing
| The Range | 1.5% |
| Schuh | 6% |
| Screwfix | 1.5% |
| Hotels.com | 8% |
| Lastminute.com | Up to 6.5% |
| Boots | 1.5% |
| Sephora | 6.5% |
| RAC | Up to £112.50 |
| Pandora | 2.25% |
| George at Asda | 3.75% |
Do the cashback rates change?
Retailers vary their cashback rates and you might find a competing cashback site pays more one week, but Quidco is better the next.
Quidco often runs special flash rates, especially over events such as Black Friday. There have been times when some of my go to retailers have had 50% cashback, which is such a great offer if you were already going to make a purchase from them anyway.
Quidco highest cashback guarantee
If you find a higher applicable cashback rate for your purchase on any other UK cashback site, such as TopCashback, then Quidco will match it and give you a top up too.
Premium members will receive a cashback top up of double the difference and basic members will receive a 2% top up.
An eligible purchase must be made first via Quidco before the guarantee is applied and the higher cashback rate must be found within 72 hours of the member’s original purchase.
Boosted cashback offers
Quidco also offers a lot of opt-in rates such as extra bonus if you spend at a one or particular group of retailers. For example one day there could be a £5 bonus on flower shops, and the next £40 for switching your broadband. These are all on top of the main cashback rates.
Keep an eye out for these offers and don’t forget to opt in if you want to get the extra discount or cashback. They’re often limited in number, so you’ll need to be fast.
How much does Quidco cost?
It’s free to use Quidco as standard. There’s no catch attached to it, you really are earning money for free. However you need to choose this “Basic” membership level.
When you sign up you’re put automatically on a higher level membership known as Quidco Premium. This costs £1 per month, but only if you’re active in that time (that is, you only pay each month that you use Quidco to shop).
Benefits include up to a 10% top-up on some cashback rates as well as premium rates for cashing out as e-vouchers. Premium members also get up to 20% higher payout bonuses and double the difference top-up on their highest cashback guarantee.
It’s easy to downgrade to basic whenever you want – just remember to do it!
How long does it take to confirm cashback with Quidco?
You can find out how long a retailer takes to track your purchases, how good they are at paying out and how long it usually takes them to pay in the information Quidco provides with each retailer link.
Once your purchase tracks, you’ll be given an estimated payout date and this can be months and months away so don’t expect a quick turnaround.
Waiting for your cashback to be paid is one of the downsides of cashback sites like Quidco and a reason to always check if discount codes work out as a better deal, as that is an instant saving.
If your purchase has not tracked, after 14 days you can get Quidco to investigate. It’s really easy to do and requires minimum effort but is worth initiating as some purchases do slip through the net or are declined for no obvious reason.
Why doesn’t my Quidco cashback always work?
Sadly, cashback is never guaranteed. There are terms and conditions associated with each retailer on Quidco so read these to find any restrictions in place that may prevent you receiving cashback.
For example, if you use a voucher code that isn’t approved by Quidco then you may not get cashback with all retailers. Another example is where you may have purchased sale items and the retailer only pays on full price merchandise.
There are other examples where cashback may be declined, so it’s always best to read the small print for each retailer. You can read about Andy’s cashback rejections here.
And, as already mentioned, Quidco recommends you clear your cookies first before clicking through to another site from them to ensure the tracking works.
How do I get my cashback?
Once your cashback has been awarded, you can choose either to withdraw it to your bank account or Paypal (£1 minimum) or alternatively you can withdraw it as e-vouchers and get even more for it.
For example, withdrawing your cashback as John Lewis e-vouchers will get you an extra 6% on your earnings or withdraw as an e-voucher for Costa and you’ll get an extra 10%.
Quidco welcome offers
When you join Quidco for the first time it’s possible to get an extra bonus. The best ones are generic and not tied to a certain product or retailer.
Exclusive BCWYC offers
We’ve blagged some of the best ever sign up deals just for our readers, including an even higher one for those who sign up with to our newsletter.
Refer your friends
Referrals don’t pay as much for the new users, but you’ll get a kickback yourself. Usually you will earn £15 and they’ll get £5 once they’ve earned their first £5 in cashback.
Quidco pros and cons
Pros
- Large range of retailers
- Frequent boosted ‘Flashback’ rates and bonuses
- Can withdraw cashback earned in lots of different ways, with e-vouchers offering increased value
- Usually the biggest welcome offer
Cons
- You need to manually downgrade to Basic if you don’t want to pay for Premium
- You often can’t use Quidco alongside voucher codes
- It takes months to get your cashback so don’t rely on it for an instant saving
- Cashback can be declined if you don’t follow T&Cs
Is Quidco worth it?
If I’m buying anything online, then I’ll check for voucher codes and I’ll check Quidco and also compare it with TopCashback. I’ll go with whatever’s best in terms of saving.
Over the years I’ve used Quidco for my utility providers, flights, hotel bookings, tickets, supermarket online shops, breakdown cover, credit cards, pet insurance, mobile phone contracts, Sky TV, holidays and I’ve got well over £1,000 in the bank just by clicking through Quidco for many of my online purchases.
Yes I’ve had a few declines for cashback, but the majority have tracked effortlessly and I’ve made easy money I would have missed out on if I hadn’t clicked through Quidco.
Just make sure you don’t buy something just because of the cashback. Treat it as an extra saving – just in case it doesn’t track.
Yes, Quidco can be frustrating – if cashback doesn’t track and you have to claim for it, or you book a holiday getting 8% and then a few days later the same travel company is on special offer at 15%. But despite these occasional frustrations, generally it works pretty well, and you’re never any worse off than if you didn’t use it.
I have been a member for thirteen years, now, and my total cashback is approaching £4,000, on top of which I have received a few per cent extra as I take the reward in retail vouchers. They have so many retailers, including some really obscure ones, that it really is worth checking before buying absolutely anything online. My biggest paybacks have come from travel and hotel bookings, but the steady stream of small payments from supermarkets and other well known high street retailers all add up, as do the lump sums for using their compare service to change insurance or utility companies.
I am equally perplexed that people don’t know when I have claimed back literally £1000s with Quidco and and Topcashback over the last 10 years I have been a member. And I have told my family about them (and signed some of the family up) and they still don’t use it!?
And yes there are occasions where I have to raise a claim but 9/10 times they pay out. IF you are super paranoid and block all cookies then this is not the service for you. I have lots of security controls in place but with just a few clicks turn them off to avoid problems, make the purchase, then turn them back on.
Note that there are some bigger savings to be made than shown in the article, 10% or more is not unheard of, and car insurance can be as much as £50.
Be warned that if you use e-vouchers then these can be restrictive, e.g. I got a couple of extra percent by getting one for Uber Eats but then could not use that with the other 10% voucher I had meaning I lost out on several percent – I expected the Quidco/Topcashback vouchers to behave like cash but they don’t!
I actually hate the very short notice boosted rates as I usually miss out (don’t act in time or nothing I want to buy) – this just serves to irritate!
I find customer support is variable – they try NOT to help at first but usually pay out if you persist (4/5 times), but that does seem too much effort. You also have to abide by their somewhat unfair one-sided timescales that suit them.
Beware. Quidco relies on browser cookies and anyone with a modicum of security on their computer will find Quidco refuses to pay out because to cookie didn’t track. I’ve had several purchases where they haven’t paid out, even though I supplied screenshots to prove I had made the purchase. One claim was an insurance purchase after I had used their own insurance comparison service. As someone who cares about my computer security their system simply doesn’t work. I’d have to turn off several layers of protection in the hope their cookie would stick.
Trustpilot shows others who have had their claims denied. I don’t know why Quidco couldn’t give out a code or something similar which doesn’t rely on the hope that a cookie would stick.
I have deleted my account and will not be using Quidco or TopCashback again.
Quidco is so unhelpful in these situations. Definitely ‘computer says no’ and no further discussion. Avoid.