TopCashback Review UK: How I Earned £2,000 in Cashback – and How You Can Too!

Think cashback is too good to be true? I get it; I used to think the same, but after using TopCashback for a couple of years, I’ve now earned over £2,000 back on things I was buying anyway, from my weekly grocery shop to booking holidays.

In this review, I’ll break down exactly how it works, how much you can realistically earn, and why this is one of the easiest money-saving tools every UK shopper should be using. Whether you’re new to cashback or just wondering if it’s worth it, here’s everything you need to know.

So, First Things First, What Is A Cashback Site?

Cashback is one of the simplest and most effective ways to save money on your everyday purchases. By using cashback services like TopCashback, you're essentially getting paid to buy items you were going to purchase anyway. It costs you nothing more than a few seconds of your time, and requires minimal effort, yet the rewards can really add up! A cashback site is like a friendly helper that gives you a portion of the money you spent on your online shopping back to you. Here's how it works:

1. Sign Up: First, you need to sign up to a cashback site. It's usually free and easy to do. Think of it like creating an account for a game or a social media site.
   

2. Browse Stores: Once you're signed up, you visit the cashback site and look through the list of online stores they partner with. These could be household name big brand stores you're familiar with or smaller or independent shops.
   

3. Click and Shop: Let's say you find a pair of shoes you like in one of the stores listed on the cashback site. Instead of going directly to that store's website, you click on the store's link from the cashback site. This link helps the cashback site track your purchase.
   

4. Make a Purchase: You buy the shoes as you normally would on the store's website. You complete your order and pay the full price.
   

5. Cashback Time: After you've made the purchase, the store gives a little thank-you gift to the cashback site for sending you their way. This thank-you gift is a percentage of the money you spent.
   

6. Getting Money Back: Now comes the cool part. The cashback site gives you that thank-you gift! The money adds up in your cashback account on the cashback site.
   

7. Withdraw Your Earnings: Once you've got enough money in your cashback account (usually, there's a minimum amount), you can withdraw it. This could be through various methods, like sending the money to your bank account, PayPal, or even getting a gift card.

Think of it like a little bonus you get for doing your regular online shopping through the cashback site. It's like getting some of your money back as a reward for being a savvy shopper. Just remember that it might take a bit of time for the cashback to show up in your account, so patience is key. So, in simple terms, a cashback site helps you save money while you shop online by giving you back a part of what you spent. It's like an online shopping buddy that enables you to put some of your spending back in your pocket!

What Is TopCashback, And How Does It Work?

TopCashback is the UK’s most popular conventional cashback site, and in my opinion, it’s hands down one of the best, if not the best, for earning serious cashback on everyday purchases.

As you can see from the image, I’ve earned over £2,300 since I joined. That’s £2,300 of free money just for buying things I was going to buy anyway. If that doesn’t get you excited about what you could be earning, I don’t know what will!

How Can You Earn Cashback With TopCashback? Is TopCashback The Best Cashback Service?

TopCashback partners with over 5,000 popular retailers through its user-friendly website and mobile app, including well-known high-street names and small independent businesses. By making any purchase on these partnered sites, you’ll automatically earn cashback, which is conveniently applied to your TopCashback account. ​ The cashback offers are competitive, and it's unusual for rival cashback sites to beat TopCashback on cashback rates. Rates are checked regularly to ensure they are market-leading or at least matching those of their rivals, so you can generally be pretty sure you're getting a decent cashback rate on your purchases.

Here's How TopCashback Works:

TopCashback is a free service that enables you to earn money back, or “cashback,” when you shop online from retailers featured on their website.

To earn cashback, use the TopCashback website or smartphone app to click through to the retailer you intend to purchase from. Once you’ve clicked, TopCashback will track your click and monitor any purchases you make with that retailer.

TopCashback will then credit a percentage of your purchase to your ‘wallet’ as a reward for your shopping. Once the retailer confirms the purchase with TopCashback, you can withdraw the cashback to your bank account or use that money to buy a gift card for your favourite retailer, for which you'll get bonus cashback to put towards.

Will I Earn Cashback On The Full Purchase Price?

You'll be awarded cashback on your purchase, minus any shipping costs you've paid and, importantly, minus the VAT. So, if your purchase was for £120, you'll only earn the cashback on the £100, as that extra £20 is the VAT paid.

Does The Cashback Have To Be Earned Via The TopCashback Website?

TopCashback rewards you cashback on purchases made via their website or mobile phone app (unless it tells you otherwise, as some retailers can't track app purchases, so make sure you read the information on the TopCashback page before you buy!)

Website users can install a TopCashback browser extension that runs in the background while browsing the internet. When you go to a partnered retailer's website, the extension will pop up and allow you to earn cashback at that website. It's handy as it's fast and the easiest way you can earn cashback on your purchase, and it has earned me extra cashback that I otherwise would have forgotten to earn!

Does TopCashback Only Offer Website/App Cashback?

The website and app are TopCashback's main cashback-earning channels. It rewards you mainly for your online purchases. It's not great for earning cashback in physical stores, but it occasionally offers some in-store cashback earning opportunities. However, this isn't their bread-and-butter way for you to earn cash back, and I've earned virtually nothing with in-store opportunities.

They do offer the TopGift Card gift card cashback option. This rewards you with cashback for buying a gift card from them, which you can then print off or store on your phone for using as the payment method for an in-store purchase.

This works fine and is an option, but you'll typically find higher rates for gift card cashback and faster cashback payouts using a dedicated gift card cashback service such as JamDoughnut.

It's rare for TopCashback to offer a better rate than JamDoughnut or its competitors, but it's always worth checking to see which service is offering the best gift card cashback rate before you buy, as rates change frequently! ​

How Does TopCashback Make Money?

TopCashback makes money by charging retailers to use Its Platform and for advertising opportunities. However, it actually passes all the cashback earned on purchases made through its platform to its members and doesn't keep any of it, so what you earn is all yours!

TopCashback earns revenue from advertisements and sponsored links displayed on its website, and commissions are earned on zero cashback offers. They may make an extra commission on a service you may take out; they'll pay you any cashback offered, but may receive an extra 'sign up' bonus or similar.

They may also make money directly from the retailer by increasing the retailer's trade or website traffic. They may also earn money from cashback that their members haven't redeemed after a set amount of time, and also make money on premium account members who pay £5 a year for a higher level of cashback and more offers.

They'll also often make a small percentage of profit on gift card sales. If you choose to cash out your wallet for a gift card, they'll likely earn a small commission from their gift card supplier.

Overall, though, TopCashback doesn't make money from your actual purchase made through their service; they claim that 100% of the cashback earned from that purchase goes to you!

Where Can You Earn Cashback Using TopCashback?

TopCashback has partnered with a huge number of different retailers, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to earn cashback on many of your purchases. That said, not every retailer is included.

It’s often a bit of trial and error. Some retailers offer cashback, others don’t. As a general rule, the smaller the retailer, the less likely they are to offer cashback simply because they may not have the margins to support it.

🔍 Can’t find the retailer? Try this:

• Check other cashback sites. Some retailers may have exclusive partnerships with a rival cashback platform, and so you might be able to earn your cashback through that site instead!
  

• Search on Google Shopping. You might find the same product available from another retailer that does offer cashback via TopCashback, and who knows it might even be cheaper!
  

💡 Just be sure to compare prices first, if another retailer is charging more, the cashback might not be worth the extra cost of switching to them instead. Always do the maths before making the switch!

You can earn cash back on physical and non-physical products purchased from online retailers.

For instance, you could earn cashback for obtaining a new car insurance policy, taking advantage of a free trial of a service, or signing up for a new internet or TV service provider, an airport parking booking, a new phone contract, perhaps a new credit card or bank account, or even booking a hotel or holiday. There are numerous options available.

You'll often get higher cashback rates on non-physical purchases. For example, if you sign up for Sky TV at the time of writing this blog post, I could earn up to £130 cashback on a new subscription, which is a decent amount of cashback. Alternatively, I could earn £6 cashback by taking out a FREE Experian credit account, which is literally money for nothing! ​ You can also earn cashback by purchasing gift cards from TopCashback via its TopGiftCards service. Once you buy a gift card, it is available almost immediately for you to spend or give as a gift, etc.

The cashback from the gift card purchase is allocated to your TopCashback account immediately, and it is set to payable straight away, which puts it in the same type of instant cashback you'd get from sites such as JamDoughnut.

Does TopCashback Always Work Properly? What Might Go Wrong?

Occasionally, you may find that a cashback transaction hasn't been tracked properly and isn't showing up on your account. If this happens, you can submit a cashback claim, and customer service will then contact the retailer to confirm the transaction. Once the claim has been agreed upon, the claim is updated, and you'll have the cashback allocated to your account, or not if the claim is denied. ​ You can also find that the retailer can decline some cashback claims, which can be annoying! The most common reason for this is that you've used a discount code on your purchase that hasn't been authorised or issued by TopCashback, and as you may have already received a significant discount, you can't then receive cashback as well. ​ Important: Cashback is only tracked when you click through to the retailer directly from the cashback site. If you visit multiple cashback sites and click through to the same retailer several times, it can confuse the tracking systems, and you might not get the cashback at all. To be safe, stick to one cashback site and avoid repeated clicks to the same store.

If you have been a bit 'click happy', I suggest signing out of the retailer's website, clearing your computer's cookies, then clicking back into TopCashback, revisiting the retailer, signing in, and refreshing the process. You should then have no problems!

How quickly does TopCashback pay out your cashback?

Like most cashback sites, your cashback will typically appear in your account within 24 hours of the purchase. It’ll appear as pending until the retailer confirms the transaction with TopCashback. Once approved, it moves to payable. This process can take weeks, sometimes even months, and here’s why:

One of the biggest reasons for delays is the retailer’s returns policy. For example, if a store offers a 60-day return window, your cashback won’t be paid until that period has passed. Otherwise, the retailer risks paying cashback on items that might be returned, leaving them out of pocket.

Similarly, if you’ve earned cashback on something like a holiday booked for next summer, your cashback won’t become payable until after you’ve actually travelled. Again, this ensures cashback isn’t paid out on bookings that could later be cancelled.

It’s not a scam or delay tactic — it’s just how cashback works to keep it fair for everyone involved.

How Is My TopCashback Cashback Paid To Me?

Cashback can be paid out in a few different ways. Firstly, you can withdraw your available funds via a BACS payment/bank transfer to your bank or have the money sent to your PayPal account if you prefer.

Your cashback rewards can be boosted by transferring your payable cashback into a 'Reward Wallet.' This wallet allows you to exchange your cashback into gift cards that can be redeemed at hundreds of high-street stores, including supermarkets. You can earn up to a 20% bonus for doing this, which is a great way to increase your savings on your shopping.

What are the different types of TopCashback account options?

TopCashback: Classic vs. Premium Membership

TopCashback offers two account types for UK members: Classic and Premium.

• Classic is completely free. You’ll earn cashback at standard rates and can withdraw to your Reward Wallet with a 10% bonus.
  

• Premium costs £5 per year, deducted from your cashback earnings — and it’s well worth it if you use TopCashback regularly. You’ll get:
  

  • Higher cashback rates

  • Exclusive promotions

  • A 20% Reward Wallet bonus

  • A larger New Member Welcome Bonus
    

If you're likely to shop through TopCashback often, Premium can easily pay for itself , and then some, by boosting your overall cashback earnings.

TopCashback New Member Welcome Bonuses

TopCashback Referral Bonuses

TopCashback rewards both you and your friends when you refer someone using your unique referral link. Once the person you refer earns £10 or more in payable cashback, both of you receive a bonus!

• New members can often get a welcome bonus between £10 and £15.

• Referrers can earn between £20 and £35, depending on their account type (Classic or Premium).
  

It’s a great way to share the savings and boost your own earnings at the same time. So, if you have friends or family who haven’t signed up yet, it’s definitely worth inviting them!

If you’re thinking of joining TopCashback, we’d appreciate it if you used our referral link. It helps cover our website's running costs and keeps our content free.

Top Tips for Maximising Your TopCashback Earnings

•  Watch for Global Bonus Events TopCashback often runs special Global Bonus Events — especially around bank holidays and seasonal promotions. These deals typically offer a bonus, such as: “Spend £5 at any retailer today and receive a £2 bonus on top of your cashback.”
  

• Top Tip: If you don’t need anything urgently, buy a gift card for a supermarket or retailer you use often, via the TopCashback Top Gift Card section, just for the minimum spend required to get the bonus.

  
  

• If you do this, you’ll:
  

  • Get the gift card instantly

  • Earn cashback on the gift card

  • Receive the cashback bonus on top of the regular cashback rate, and both cashback amounts usually become payable immediately, with no waiting period!

  
  

• Check Retailer Pages for Extra Promotion Codes

  
  

  Many retailer pages on TopCashback include exclusive discounts or promo codes that you can stack on top of your cashback, making your savings even greater. I often forget to do this, but I try remembering, as it can save you some extra money.

• First-Time Grocery Bonuses If you’ve never placed an online order with a supermarket like Sainsbury’s, check TopCashback first! You’ll often find first-time shopper deals, like:
  

  • £9 cashback on a £45+ home delivery

  • £10 cashback on your first click & collect order
    

  These are easy ways to save money on your online food shop!
  

Is TopCashback The Best Cashback Service In The UK?

If you're only going to use one cashback site, then it should probably be TopCashback.

TopCashback reviews are generally very positive. It's unusual to see a poor TopCashback review, as it's perhaps the most generous and highest-paying UK conventional cashback site. It was voted the cashback site of the year again in 2024, which tells a very positive story!

It really depends on what you buy and where you buy it! Topcashback's vast number of offers and partnered retailers make it my go-to site when purchasing something online.

I use the cashback rate on TopCashback as my initial cashback guide. I'll then look at TopCashback rivals to see what cashback rates they offer to ensure I get the best possible cashback rate.

.Quidco is a decent alternative to TopCashback, offering many similar offers. For the more mainstream online retailers, I'll check out Complete Savings as well.

Complete Savings is different as I pay £18 a month to use their service. I do this because I can normally make a cashback bonus claim every month of £18, which covers my subscription fee.

As Complete Savings offers a minimum of 10% cash back for all its retailers, I can save a significant amount of money. However, TopCashback has a broader range of retail and service cashback partners, making it a better option for certain purchases.

As I've mentioned before, I don't use TopCashback for in-store purchases. I stick to dedicated gift card cashback services for these types of purchases, and I have earned more money from gift card purchases than from online purchases with TopCashback over the last year.

Can You Combine Gift Card Cashback With TopCashback?

I'm frequently asked this question: 'If I buy a gift card from a gift card cashback app like JamDoughnut, click through to the retailer via TopCashback, and pay for my purchase using my JamDoughnut gift card, will I earn cashback twice?'

That's a good question, but it's hard to fully answer with a simple yes or no. TopCashback now often includes disclaimers stating that cashback won't be earned on purchases made using a gift card.

The retailer doesn't want to pay you cashback twice, and so although the initial cashback might track and show on your TopCashback account as pending, once the retailer checks your transaction to make sure it qualifies for cashback, and they see it has been paid for gift card, they'll likely decline the TopCashback cashback request, and you won't get it!

That said, I've had a few transactions that I've made through TopCashback and paid by gift card go through, and I've effectively been paid cashback on the purchase twice, which is nice, so it can work sometimes!

Check to see if the gift card cashback service or TopCashback is offering the best cashback rate. If it's the gift card service, then use that and try your luck on TopCashback as well; you've got nothing to lose!

Please note that not all gift cards can be used online, so be sure to check before purchasing one. Cashback is a fantastic way to save money on your purchases; it can really save you hundreds of pounds every year and I think TopCashback is a fab cashback service, and frankly you absolutely should be signed up with it, but it's not the only one out there; make sure you sign up with several to make it easy to compare cashback rates and services and get the best possible cashback deal.

You can see all my recommended cashback sites on the 'Best Cashback Sites You Should Be Using in 2025' blog post here.

TopCashback referral: If you'd like to sign up and use TopCashback, you can use our referral code here.

If you use this referral link, you'll earn a £10 cashback bonus when you've earned £10 of confirmed cashback. Being transparent, we'll also get a bonus, and this bonus helps keep our site maintained, so we appreciate you using our link to sign up with!

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