The Easiest £635 I’ve ever made – the case for cash-back sites

I was about a week into my current job when, while booking a hotel, one of my colleagues asked me: “Do you use TopCashback?”

I’m a deeply skeptical person, and I don’t believe you ever get anything for nothing. So, while I was aware of cashback sites, they never really appealed to me. But being new in the company, and not wanting to seem like a dick, I indulged the conversation.

Five minutes later, they sent me their referral code; I’d booked my hotel and had £2.14 pending in my account. Not bad.

We’re now two years down the line, and my total TopCashback earnings are at £635.78. This is money that I would not have if I didn’t use the site—but is it truly “free”? In this blog, I’m going to show you exactly how to use TopCashback

What are cash back sites?

Cashback sites work by driving traffic to companies’ websites. If you make a purchase, the company pays TopCashback a percentage of the sale; this is called affiliate marketing. The cashback site then pays you a percentage of that commission for accessing the retailer through them.

It’s extremely easy to use because all you need to do is visit the site you were already going to, but via a link on TopCashback first. Here’s a simplified example of how the money gets divided up:

• You go on TopCashback and click through to Amazon.
• You spend £100 on Amazon.
• Amazon gives TopCashback 5% (£5) to thank them for sending you there.
• TopCashback then pays you 4% (£4) to thank you for using their platform.
• Result: You get £4, TopCashback keeps £1, and Amazon gets £95.

These sites do not require you to alter your shopping habits or preferences; all you need to do is change how you arrive at your favourite online stores.

Topcashback offers “refer a friend” bonuses. If you are going to use Topcashback, sign up through my referral link and you will get £10 bonus cash back once you earn your first £10 in cash back.

How to use TopCashback to it’s full potential

To truly make the most of your cashback, you need to know how to use Topcashback properly:

Broadband, Insurances and mortgages – Some of the best cash back incentives are for new insurance policies – I recently earned £290 of cash back by purchasing my life insurance through topcashback. Insurances and mortgages aren’t purchases you do often, but remembering to use Topcashback can be the difference of a few hundred quid when you do come round to renewing. Likely to forget? Topcashback can send you reminders at your renewal date.

Cashback stacking – Many credit and debit cards offer their own rewards for online spending. If you click through via TopCashback and then pay with a rewards card, you can effectively “double dip” on the savings.

Shop normally, then pay with cash back – I usually browse for my shopping without thinking about TopCashback. Once I have a full basket, I’ll head to the TopCashback site, search for the store, and click through. My basket is usually still there, and I just need to pay. This stops the site from influencing what you buy, which keeps your spending disciplined.

Reward wallet boost – When your cashback becomes “payable,” don’t just send it to your bank. Use the Reward Wallet to withdraw it as a gift card. TopCashback partners with hundreds of retailers (Amazon, Tesco, M&S, etc.) and adds a bonus on top—usually between 5% and 25%.

What’s the catch?

I always assumed these sites used intrusive cookies to monitor my activity and sell it on for profit. However, as of late 2024, UK regulators (the ICO) officially classified cashback cookies as “strictly necessary.” This means they are seen as essential for the service you specifically asked for, rather than just “snooping” for the sake of it.

So what else do you need to be mindful of?

Time delay – Cashback doesn’t arrive instantly. It can take a few days to “track,” and after that, you often have to wait a specified period before it’s eligible for withdrawal. Sometimes this can be months…

Tracking issues – Sometimes cashback doesn’t show up at all. If you’ve declined cookies or wandered off the site after clicking the link, the tracking can break. Make a note of your purchase date, time, and amount just in case. Also, be mindful that Adblockers or VPNs can frequently interfere with the tracking process.

Spending to save – The biggest psychological catch is the temptation to buy something because of the cashback. A £100 pair of shoes with 10% cashback isn’t “making £10″—it’s still spending £90. It is very easy to find yourself justifying a purchase you didn’t need because the “deal” looks so good. If you weren’t going to buy it anyway, the cashback isn’t a saving; it’s a discount on a mistake.

Conclusion: Is TopCashback worth it?

I personally think TopCashback is a great way to mindlessly save some money. For better or worse, we’re spending more and more money online, by being clever about how you spend yours, you can have a nice little bonus at the end of each year – it’s great for Christmas time!

The trick is with these sites is to make it part of your online shopping process, but don’t obsess over it too much. Sometimes the cash back amount you receive will be different to what was promised (there’s lots of Ts & Cs), it’s not worth getting wound up over if it’s just a small claim. Save your energy and your strongly worded letter writing skills for the big claims.

If you fancy giving it a go and want that £10 sign-up bonus, you can join here. Let me know how much you manage to save

Like making money online? Check out how much money I earned doing online surveys, or how I fill my Kindle without spending a fortune.