What is TopCashback?
TopCashback.co.uk is a site that offers cashback and discount codes on your online shopping. Whenever you want to buy something online, simply log in to TopCashback, search for the name of the shop (or browse by category), and see what offers are available. Then, simply click through to the shop website using the TopCashback link, and shop as normal.
For example, last month I needed to buy single-trip European breakdown cover for a weekend trip to Belgium :). I searched the car insurance providers listed on TopCashback and decided to go with RAC European Cover. They had an offer for cashback of 26.25% on any insurance policy. The insurance cost me £13.60 (exactly the same as it would have if I went directly to the RAC site) and I now have a pending cashback payment of £3.57!
The downside is that it takes a few weeks for the cashback to be approved before I can withdraw it.
TopCashback has offers with hundreds of merchants in almost every category, from fashion to homeware to utilities to holidays! You can almost always find a great deal on something you would be buying anyway.
They also have some ‘no purchase necessary’ cashback offers. You can earn money for doing things like online surveys, comparing car insurance and checking your credit report – even if you don’t buy anything!
There are other cashback sites around too. The main one I hear a lot about is Quidco, but so far I only have experience with TopCashback so I can’t comment on the others. I plan to join some others soon so I can compare!
How much can you earn?
- TopCashback claims that the average user earns £356 per year.
I’ve been using TopCashback for just over a year now and I’ve earned a total of £154.90. To be honest, I forget about this site a lot of the time. Sometimes I forget about it for a few months on end – think of all the lost earnings! I’ve made a resolution to check the site before every single online purchase from now on and I think I can at least double my payout over the next year.
The amount you can earn on TopCashback is directly linked to how much you spend. Personally, I don’t shop a huge amount online, but if you do, you can potentially earn a lot more than me.
You can request pay out as a bank transfer, Paypal payment, Avios points, or as a gift card to one of about 20 different shops! The gift cards usually give you a small bonus as well.
Maximise your earnings
One of my favourite tricks that I discovered recently is pairing TopCashback with matched betting. Some bookmakers offer pretty generous cash bonuses when you sign up. I recently earned £26.25 cashback just for signing up to Betway through TopCashback, and then made £19.63 from the £30 free bet signup offer. That’s a total of £45.88 FREE just from one offer! Be warned though, sometimes TopCashback earnings don’t pay out if used in conjunction with another offer, like a free bet code. Make sure you check the T&Cs.
I have found some of the most generous offers come from utilities providers and insurance companies. It’s always worth checking TopCashback when you are signing up or switching your household bills.
You can also maximise your pay out by requesting it in the form of a voucher rather than cash. For example, currently you get a 5% bonus when you request your pay out as an Amazon voucher.
Tips
If you have been browsing the shop website before using TopCashback, your click might not be logged as coming from TopCashback and you might not get the offer. To prevent this, clear your cookies before shopping through TopCashback.
Don’t get misled into thinking this is free money. In most cases, you still have to buy something with your own money in order to get the cashback! It’s better to think of the cashback as a discount on whatever you buy. Sometimes you can save move by going for a cheaper item with little or no cashback, rather than an expensive item with more cashback. Do your research before big purchases and don’t be blinded by generous cashback figures!
TopCashback pros and cons
Pros:
- Get money back on products you would be buying anyway
- Extra bonuses when you chose to cash out in Amazon (or other shop) vouchers
- You can get a lot of money for very little work!
- Generous referral scheme – you can earn a free £15 every time a friend signs up using your link! (disclosure: I’m using mine in this article :))
Cons:
- Cashback has to be approved by each individual retailer before you are able to withdraw it. Sometimes it can take a month or more for cashback to be approved
- It can take time doing the research to find the best deals
Limited offer – get a FREE £5 Amazon Gift Card
TopCashback will credit you with a FREE £5 Amazon Gift Card if you signup using my referral link before 7 November 2016. You have to earn £10 cashback before the gift card is awarded.
Boost My Budget rating
4/5
The site can be a bit fiddly, and you have to wait a while to cash out – but this is essentially free money for buying what you would be buying anyway!
Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own!
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