Which one offers the highest rates?
The two major cashback players in the UK are Quidco and TopCashback. But is one better than the other?
I’ve compared the cashback rates they offer, the extras and the membership schemes, to help you decide which cashback site you should be using.
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What are cashback sites?
When you buy something online, rather than going directly to a website, you can go via a cashback site and get paid for it. Cashback sites like Quidco and TopCashback earn commission when you click through to a merchant via their website and some of this commission is passed back to you and is known as cashback.
When it comes to purchasing goods and services online, you really should be using either Quidco or TopCashback unless you have a voucher code that will beat the cashback they offer.
Which offers the best welcome bonus?
If you’re not already a member of either site then you’ll want to join via a welcome offer. You’re most likely to find refer-a-friend promotions where you and your friend both get a cut. However, these can be more lucrative for the referrer than the new customer.
Instead, newbies are better off going via a different route. Both sites offer regular promotions that offer extra money back, linked to specific retailers.
But better still are the rare generic offers. Not only do these mean you can spend where you want, they also tend to be higher in value.
At the time of writing you can get £20 extra with a £10 spend via the bespoke links we’ve blagged from each brand. Though you can sometimes beat these, they tend to be the best deals going.
Which offers the best rates?
Both cashback sites offer good cashback rates and have exclusivity with some brands. Yet they both claim to offer the best cashback.
So we looked at a variety of online retailers and compared the rates for current customers between both cashback sites, to see if we could spot a winner in this category.
The provider with the highest rate has been highlighted in bold.
| Quidco cashback rate | TopCashback cashback rate | |
| Adidas | 8% | 7% |
| Amazon (devices only) | 1.6% | 2.6% |
| Argos (existing customers) | 0.5% | 1% |
| ASOS (existing customers) | 0.8% | 1.05% |
| Boots (existing customers) | 2% | 4% |
| Boohoo (existing customers) | 7% | 5.25% |
| Dunelm (existing customers) | 0.8% | 1% |
| eBay | 1% | 1.05% |
| Evans Cycles | N/A | 1.05-3.15% |
| H&M | 0.8% | 1.05% |
| Iceland (existing customers) | 1% | 1% |
| JD Sports | 10% | 6.3% |
| John Lewis | 1% | 1% |
| M & S (existing customers) | 1-6% | 1-8% |
| New Look (existing customers) | 2% | 1% |
| Nike | 4% | 5% |
| River Island (existing customers) | 1.05% | 3% |
| Sainsbury’s (existing customers) | £1.20 | £1.40 |
| Sephora (existing customers) | 4% | 4% |
| Tesco (existing customers) | 40p (orders over £70) | £1 (orders over £70) |
| Very (existing customers) | 1-2%% | 1-2% |
| Virgin Media | up to £125 | up to £125 |
And the clear winner here is TopCashback with 12 out of 22 higher cashback rates. Quidco only had a better rate with three of our retailers. The remaining seven were a draw. When we did a comparison in April 2024, the results were similar.
That said, most cashback rates only differ by a tiny percent so it doesn’t make too much of a difference.
And it’s worth noting that the cashback rates change regularly. Also, both sites have plenty of flash offers with higher rates being offered for a day or two.
The best rate on Hotels. com for example can change on a daily basis. I’ve seen it at 2% one day, and 15% the next – on the same site!
So on another day it could be a very different result overall.
TopCashback does have something extra that Quidco doesn’t – you can buy gift cards from them and earn a good rate of cashback in return. TopGiftcards allows you to purchase gift cards and earn as much as 16% cashback from your purchase.
How do the withdrawal rates differ between Quidco and TopCashback?
So you’ve made your cashback, but who gives the best rates for withdrawing your earnings?
Both TopCashback and Quidco allow you to withdraw to your bank account or Paypal at the amount you’ve made. However, both sites allow you to transfer your earnings to e-vouchers and will give you more for your money.
This table compares the extra bonus you get withdrawing your cashback from the premium accounts of TopCashback and Quidco. If you’re on the free tiers you might see a lower rate.
| Bonus on withdrawal from Quidco | Bonus on withdrawal from TopCashback | |
| Amazon gift card | 2% | 2% |
| Argos e-voucher | 6% | 6% |
| Cafe Nero e-voucher | 12% | 11.5% |
| Costa e-voucher | 10% | 10% |
| Deliveroo e-voucher | 5% | 5% |
| Dining Out Card e-voucher | 15% | 15% |
| Hotels. com | 5% | N/A |
| John Lewis e-voucher | 5.5% | 4% |
| Just Eat e-voucher | 5% | 7% |
| Tesco e-voucher | 4% | 5% |
| Ticketmaster | 8% | 6% |
And the slight winner here is Quidco with higher bonus rates on withdrawals as e-vouchers than TopCashback for the partners we looked at. On the whole though the rates were the same.
Of course, there are many other retailers listed, and the rates can change.,
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Quidco and TopCashback features compared
Number of retailers
When it comes to brands available on the two cashback sites, they don’t differ very much at all. TopCashback claims to feature over 5,000 retailers and the same for Quidco. You might find the odd exclusive retailer that’s on one but not the other, though this can change.
Extra bonuses
They both offer bonuses and voucher codes to increase your savings.
Generally Quidco tends to offer more of these bonus cashback promotions for specific retailers, and you can find them on the home page. They’re particularly strong around Black Friday.
However, these offers are only any good if you plan to use the specified retailers when the limited time offer is running.
TopCashback is more likely to offer flash generic bonuses, such as £2 back on a £10 spend.
The best cashback site welcome offers
Find out how to get a bonus when you first sign up and spend at all the leading cashback sites
Premium memberships
Though both can be used for free, they both offer Premium or Plus memberships which are very similar, differing mainly in payment terms rather than what they offer.
TopCashback is a yearly fee of £5 and Quidco is a monthly fee of £1. So Quidco could end up costing more – but you pay only in months where you have earned cashback.
Price guarantees
Both sites guarantee to beat each other with their highest cashback guarantees. You can get even more cashback from either site if the other offers a higher rate as they also give you a little extra on top of matching the competitor’s rate. It’s even higher if you’re a Premium or Plus member.
But be cautious of how many times you submit a claim, as they both state there is a maximum number of claims that can be submitted under their fair usage policies.
Payouts
Ultimately, it’s going to take a while to get your money from either site, and often it’s dependent on the brand you’ve shopped with.
Customer service
Over at our sister site Smart Money People, Quidco has been scored 4.23 out of 5, while TopCashback has scored a slightly higher 4.67%.
Which cashback site is best – TopCashback or Quidco?
We think TopCashback has a slight edge when it comes to the rates available, but it’s marginal. It’s similar for the increased payouts. Though Quidco seemed better here, it wasn’t by much.
Really it’s best to go with whichever site is offering the highest rate for the product you want. It’s also well worth keeping an eye out for special increased rates and bonuses.
If you are paying for Premium though, it might be wise to stick with just the one site, or at least being aware that if you go via Quidco there’s a £1 charge in months you use it.
However, don’t rely on cashback sites being the best money saver. Always check voucher codes first as you could get an instant discount that’s better than the cashback rate and remember that the cashback is not always a definite payout.
If you want to learn more about each site, we have full reviews and analysis of both Quidco and TopCashback.
Other cashback sites
You can also get cashback from sites like Rakuten and Complete Savings, as well as from a growing number of banks and other apps. Ultimately we still prefer the TopCashback or Quidco for most users.
Alternatively you can use apps that offer cashback on gift cards and use those to spend. Sadly it’s rare that you can stack the two together.
If we are looking at customer service then Top Cashback wins hands down. Quidco are a disgrace with the way they treat some – just have a look at Trustpilot reviews (and not the obvious planted ones by….well I’m sure I could not say).
Get involved with someone called Ruby and its game over for your account – that is if you can get past the useless chatbot.
I am not saying Top Cashback are angels – I have had some issues with them BUT I have been able to communicate with them and get matters resolved unlike Quidcon.
What needs to be mentioned is the time it takes for these two sites to pay out – ages! Once again, I will make a plug for the cashback site, Complete Savings. I know the monthly payment of £15 is a drawback but this can be easily recuperated. The percentage cashback is always at least 10%, the cashback almost always tracks (much more reliable than either of the big boys) and the cash is paid into your bank account within a month (often quicker).
I did post a reply yesterday but looks like it did not post or has been deleted.
Anyway, to make it shorter so I am not wasting my time – go with Top Cashback – better communication, aren’t condescending like Quidco, they might have employees like Ruby working for them but I have not encountered them in my many communications unlike Ruby at Quidco who just refuses to engage to help sort out issues of their own making – oh and Top Cashback don’t close accounts stealing cashback – check out the reviews on Trustpilot that have not been mysteriously planted.