Show not tell: Cashback sites

This month, Deb in the marketing team tries her hand at using cashback sites to earn some extra money. Here’s what she learned, and here are her top tips to make the most of cashback-ing.

I’d heard of cashback sites, but never thought it would be worth the effort to register and shop through them. It’s just a few pounds here and there, right? Wrong. I’ve already earned quite a bit of money simply by clicking through from a cashback site rather than going direct.

The first thing I did was Google ‘how do cashback sites work?’ so I could understand what’s involved and how it could earn me some money.

And, it’s simpler than you might think – when you buy something online, such as a product or service, you simply click through to the retailer’s website via the cashback site rather than going direct. When you make a purchase, you’ll earn a percentage of the cost back.

I researched different providers and chose to download the Top Cashback app, but some purchases need to be made via a desktop browser. Here’s what I learned.

My top tips for cashback sites

• Check if the whole purchase is eligible for cashback, or just part of it

The cashback company will tell you how much you’ll earn on specific purchase types, but make sure you read the small print before you click through. For example, when it comes to flights, I discovered the hard way that taxes and fees weren’t eligible for cashback, so I didn’t earn as much as I expected.

• Patience is key

If you’re looking for instant payout, then cashback sites might not be for you. You’ll have to wait a certain amount of time before the cashback appears in your account and you’re able to withdraw it to your bank account. This is to make sure you’re not getting cashback for refunded or cancelled purchases, but it’s worth the wait.

• Double up on discounts

I tried my luck at clicking through from the cashback site and also using a discount code at the checkout, and it worked! I got a discount on my purchase, plus money back for buying online. Just remember, you’ll only earn cashback on the amount you spend after the discount code is applied.

I also had a referral link from a friend who was already using Top Cashback. That meant extra money in both our cashback accounts after my first purchase.

• Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves

At first, I didn’t think it was worth using the cashback site for small purchases when the cashback percentage was also small. But, a few pounds and pence here and there really starts to add up if you’re doing a lot of online shopping.

• Enable cookies and tracking

If you don’t accept cookie tracking on both the cashback and retailer’s websites, then the cashback company won’t be able to track your purchase. Don’t worry, you can delete the cookies later in your browser if you don’t want them to be stored.

So, are cashback sites work it?

Overall, my experience with cashback sites was a good one. In just a month, I managed to rack up nearly £100 worth of cashback that I’ll be able to withdraw in a few months’ time. I did make a few larger purchases such as flights and home electronics, which might mean this month’s earnings were higher than average. Still, over time, if you commit to spending via cashback sites, you could start building up a nice savings pot. You could either use this as extra spending money for the month, or squirrel it away in a savings account and start earning interest on it.