Best cashback sites people still trust? - discuss

[Highland Builder]

Wanted practical answers rather than financial services marketing.

I am not looking for financial advice, just honest experiences from people who have done this.

I am trying to avoid the mistake of spending time or money on something that does not actually solve the problem.

Worth discussing properly

[CosmicRay40]

That works if you are disciplined about it, most people are not. Every bit helps at the moment.

Most people have at least one subscription they forgot about that could go

[GreenEcho]

That is genuinely helpful, cheers. That is actually one of the clearer ways I have seen it explained.

That is genuinely useful

[BretHart]

TopCashback and Quidco are still the big two people mention, but trust really depends on what you're cashing back on. For groceries and everyday shopping, I've found TopCashback tends to have slightly better rates on Tesco and Sainsbury's, while Quidco often wins on travel and insurance comparisons. That said, both have had their moments where payments felt slower than advertised.

The key thing I've learned is to treat these sites like a bonus, not a budget item. If you're counting on that £15 from a supermarket shop to pay a bill, you're setting yourself up for stress. I had a payment from Quidco take nearly 8 weeks last year because the retailer disputed the tracking, and it was genuinely frustrating.

That's why I keep a separate email just for cashback sites and set calendar reminders to check pending payments. It's not glamorous, but it stops the "where's my money?" anxiety. Some people swear by Swagbucks for smaller everyday tasks, but I find the payout threshold means you're basically working for pennies until you hit £25.

[Joanne_24]

Reading some of these threads makes me wonder if people are using cashback sites for the wrong reasons entirely. The whole point is you're getting money back on spending you'd do anyway, not creating spending to chase cashback. I've seen folks sign up for credit cards they don't need just for the signup bonus, then panic when they can't clear the balance. That's not saving, that's paying interest to feel clever.

My approach is boring but it works: I pick one site, stick with it, and only use it when I'm already buying something. For me that's TopCashback, mainly because their PayPal integration means payments actually land in my account within 48 hours once confirmed. No faff, no minimum withdrawal thresholds, no "please wait 90 days" nonsense.

The travel angle is where things get interesting though. If you're booking hotels or flights, the cashback percentages can be genuinely substantial, sometimes 5-10%. I booked a weekend in Edinburgh last month and got £47 back on a £520 hotel bill through Quidco. That's not pocket money, that's a nice dinner sorted. But you absolutely must read the terms - some retailers exclude certain room types or booking methods.

[Velvet Sentinel]

Bit of a tangent, but has anyone noticed how cashback sites have basically become the new comparison sites? Ten years ago you'd go to MoneySuperMarket or CompareTheMarket for insurance quotes. Now you're getting 5-10% cashback on top of the quoted price if you route through Quidco or TopCashback. It's the same game, just with an extra step and a delayed payout.

I've started using them strategically for big purchases rather than everyday spending. The mental accounting is different when you're getting £80 back on a washing machine versus £1.20 on a book. That bigger payout feels like a proper windfall, even though it's the same percentage. Psychology is weird like that.

The trust factor really crystallised for me when my sister lost £200+ in pending cashback because a retailer went bust before the payment window closed. The cashback site couldn't do anything, technically, because the commission never arrived. That's the risk nobody talks about - you're not just trusting the cashback platform, you're trusting the entire chain. One weak link and your "guaranteed" money vanishes. Makes you think about whether chasing the highest rate is worth the extra risk.

[CompiledVulture]

Loving the cynicism in some of these replies, but let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater. I've made over £400 in cashback in the last 18 months, mostly from stuff I'd have bought anyway. That's a weekend away, or a decent chunk off a new phone. It's not life-changing, but it's not nothing either.

The trick is treating it like a side project rather than a financial strategy. Set up a dedicated email, bookmark your chosen sites, and only use them when you're already committed to a purchase. Don't let the cashback dictate your spending. If you find yourself browsing retailers you'd normally ignore just to chase a percentage, you've already lost the plot.

Also, pro tip: always check if the retailer has a direct loyalty scheme that might be better. Some shops like Boots and M&S have their own points systems that, when combined with cashback, can stack up nicely. I've done "cashback site + store loyalty card + credit card points" on a few big purchases and effectively got 15-20% back in total value. That's the real sweet spot. Just don't tell the banks I'm gaming their system.

[Glacier53]

Interesting to see no one's mentioned Rakuten yet. Maybe that's because they've been quiet on the UK consumer front lately, but they're still operational and actually have some solid partnerships with American retailers if you're buying from the US. I've used them for ASOS and Nike purchases, and the rates are competitive with the big UK players.

One thing that bugs me about these discussions is the assumption that cashback is "free money". It's not. You're being paid for your data and your shopping loyalty. The retailers are essentially buying your future custom by sharing a slice of their marketing budget. That's fine, but let's not pretend it's charity. It's a transaction, and like any transaction, you should know what you're giving up.

For what it's worth, my personal ranking after three years of using multiple platforms: 1) TopCashback for speed and reliability, 2) Quidco for range and travel deals, 3) CashbackHut for tech and electronics. Everything else feels like signing up for a mailing list that pays you £3 once a year. Not worth the inbox clutter.

[Joel96]

Can we talk about how half these "cashback" apps are basically data harvesting operations with a loyalty scheme slapped on? I'm not naming names, but if an app is asking for access to your entire transaction history just to give you 2% back at Pret, maybe the real product is you.

That said, I do use CashbackHut for certain electronics purchases, mainly because they seem to have exclusive deals with retailers like Currys and John Lewis that the bigger sites don't match. Last Black Friday I got 8% back on a laptop, which was £72 on a £900 spend. The payment took 12 weeks, but it arrived as promised, so I can't really complain.

The trust question really comes down to track record and transparency. Sites that publish their payment statistics, have proper customer service (not just a contact form), and don't hide behind endless "pending" periods are the ones I'd recommend. I've completely abandoned three different cashback apps in the last two years because they either changed their terms mid-purchase or made withdrawal so difficult it wasn't worth the hassle. Life's too short for that kind of faff.