How to Profit from Cashback Offers
A very warm welcome to cashback - one of Quidsy members favourite ways to earn!
Why is this? Simply put, you get free money for things you already do. It's one of the smartest and simplest ways to grow your profit pot. With a total of £50 in sign up offers plus £100/year from cashback.
What is Cashback?
Cashback is a simple concept: you shop online, you get money back.
Brands pay cashback sites money for sending them customers. The cashback sites then share that money with you. Everyone wins.
It's not a voucher - it's actual cash that lands in your bank account.
You're just getting paid cash back for shopping you'd do anyway.
You can join 3 cashback sites with sign-up bonuses worth a total of £50, plus you earn ongoing cashback from your shopping and other offers. In this guide we will cover:
- Why do retailers give you free cash?
- Two types of cashback offers
- How easy is it to start?
- Which cashback sites to join
- How does Quidsy help?
- What do I do now?
Retailers pay cashback sites as part of their marketing spend.
They'd rather pay for real customers than for adverts that might not work. So when you shop through a cashback site, the retailer pays the site a commission, and that site shares most of it with you.
There are two main types of cashback:
Type 1) Shopping Cashback
You earn a small percentage back when you shop at retailers via a cashback site.
For example:
✓ 5% back at Argos
✓ 8% back at Boots
✓ Around 10% back on insurance or broadband
This type adds up fast if you regularly shop online.
Type 2) One-Off Cashback
You earn a bigger, one-time reward for completing a specific action.
These are sometimes called sign-up offers and include actions like:
✓ Signing up for a bank account (£20 to £100+)
✓ Joining a broadband provider (£30 to £80)
✓ Taking out an insurance policy (£20 to £60)
Perfect if you want a quick hit of profit, awesome!
It's very easy!
Each cashback site takes less than 10 minutes to join — and then you're earning! Each site has its own app, so you can track your cashback in one place.
The 3 main cashback sites in the UK are:
TopCashback - Highest rates across 5,000+ retailers. £10 welcome bonus. Payout is instant once you earn £10 total cashback.
Quidco - Simple website, popular high-street brands. £20 welcome bonus. Payout is instant once you earn £5 total cashback.
Rakuten - International brands, occasional double-cashback. £25 welcome bonus. Payout within 30 days of spending £60.
Each has a Refer a Friend offer listed in Quidsy, so you can earn your sign-up bonus.
We've put together a step-by-step roadmap, called the Quidsy Plan, which obviously includes cashback site offers. We order them for you, in the optimal way - factoring in the profit amount, ease to complete and and future offers that benefit from cashback.
Plus, when you complete other Quidsy offers like broadband switching or insurance sign-ups, we'll tell you exactly which cashback site to use for each one so you maximise your profit.
This is thanks to our super handy, Cashback Comparison tool
For gift card cashback specifically, our best gift card cashback rates page compares the current app rates so you can quickly see where to start.
You need some new skincare from Boots - a £50 shop. Instead of going straight to boots.com, you log into TopCashback first. Boots is offering 8% cashback today. That means you'll earn £4 just for shopping the way you normally would. Nice!
✓ Log into TopCashback
✓ Search for Boots
✓ Click through to Boots website
✓ Shop as normal and pay with any card
✓ Close your laptop - you're done!
| When | Right | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | You complete your Boots purchase | |
| 24-72 hours | Cashback appears as "Pending" in TopCashback | |
| 30-45 days | Boots confirms the purchase wasn't returned | |
| Day 45-ish | Status changes to "Payable" | |
| Day 46 | Withdraw £4 to your bank account |
Why the 30-45 day wait? Retailers need to confirm you didn't return the item. It's like a cooling-off period for them. Once confirmed, your cashback is guaranteed.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
✗ Using an ad blocker - it can stop the tracking cookie
✗ Using third-party discount codes - they can override the cashback tracking
✗ Opening a new tab mid-shop - always stay in the same session
✗ Having cookies blocked - cashback sites need them to track your purchase
When that £4 hits your bank, you'll remember: this was just for buying what you needed anyway. Now imagine doing this for every online purchase - cashback is awesome!
Join all cashback sites below (takes about 30 mins total) and you'll earn £45+ in sign-up bonuses - plus ongoing cashback on everything you buy online!
That's it! Once you've joined all 3 sites, you'll never miss out on free money again. Every online purchase = automatic profit!
