Category
Cashback & Rewards
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Important: This guide provides general information, not personalised financial advice. Financial products, rates and eligibility rules can change, so check the provider’s current terms before applying. Some links are referral links — we may earn a commission. You can check a firm’s details on the FCA Register.
Quick answer
Want a bit back on spending you’d do anyway? Start here. This page covers cashback sites, card-linked apps, gift-card apps and survey sites: how each pays out, and where it can catch you out.
Quidco or TopCashback? For everyday online shopping, both work the same way. You click through to the retailer, buy as normal and get paid once the retailer confirms. If you’d rather not click through anything, card-linked apps like Airtime pay out on spending with a linked card.
Gift-card apps (Cheddar, JamDoughnut) pay when you buy a gift card first. Survey sites pay for your time rather than your shopping.
Key decision routes
Pick the question you’re trying to answer.
Cashback and rewards services compared (last checked 27 September 2026)
How eight UK services work, how they pay out and the main rules.
| Service | Type of service | How rewards are earned | How you’re paid out | Membership options / fees | Minimum payout | Notable restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cashback sites | ||||||
| Quidco | Cashback site (plus app, In-Store card-linked offers and gift cards) | Click through to a retailer from Quidco, then buy as normal; tracked by cookies | BACS, PayPal, or retailer gift cards | Basic (free) or Premium. Premium keeps £1 from your cashback in any month you earn, and nothing in months you don’t (quidco.com, 3 Oct 2026). | £1 for BACS and PayPal; gift-card minimums vary | 16+ and UK resident. One account each. Balance may be removed as “dormant” after 6 months without a login, but can be reinstated on request. Retailer decisions can take up to several months. |
| Rakuten (UK) | Cashback site (plus browser extension) | Start a shopping trip on rakuten.co.uk or the extension, then buy as normal; cookies must be allowed | Bank transfer or PayPal, paid monthly (the 15th of the following month) | No membership tiers in the UK Terms of Use | £5.01 of confirmed cashback (help centre) | 18+ and normally UK resident. One account each. Confirmation usually takes 60–90 days. Report missing cashback within 90 days. Account may be closed after 36 months of inactivity with a zero balance. |
| TopCashback | Cashback site (plus app, browser extension and in-store/online gift cards via TopGiftCards) | Click through to a retailer from TopCashback, then buy as normal; tracked by cookies | Bank transfer (BACS), PayPal, or gift cards via Reward Wallet | Classic: free. Plus: £5 taken from cashback earnings each membership year | No fixed minimum for BACS, PayPal or Reward Wallet (“1p or £100”); gift-card minimums vary by retailer | 18+; log in at least once every 6 months or the account may be disabled as dormant; cashback shows as pending, then payable once the retailer confirms; UK residency: check provider site |
| Card-linked app | ||||||
| Airtime Rewards (now Airtime) | Card-linked rewards app (plus affiliate offers and gift cards in-app) | Link a Visa/Mastercard debit or credit card, or a bank account via Open Banking, then spend at participating retailers | Credit on your mobile phone bill, pay-as-you-go top-up, bundles, or other rewards listed in the app | Currently free to use; the Terms allow a £2.50 admin debit no more than once a year | £10 balance to redeem (Airtime’s own guide) | 18+, UK phone number on a supported network (currently O2, EE, Three, Vodafone, giffgaff); balance may expire after 180 days of inactivity; missing transactions can take up to 14 days to appear |
| Gift-card apps | ||||||
| Cheddar | Gift-card cashback app | Buy retailer gift cards in the app, paying from your bank; cashback is added when you buy | Bank transfer (cash-out to your bank) | Check provider site | £5 (homepage: “£5 minimum. Zero fees.”) | 16+; needs a UK personal current account that works with Open Banking and a UK mobile number; one account; make at least one qualifying transaction every 6 months to keep cashback valid; profile may be treated as dormant after 6 months without logging in |
| JamDoughnut | Gift-card cashback app | Buy digital gift cards in the app and earn Cashback Points (100 points = £1) | Bank transfer (30p fee per bank cash-out) or digital gift cards (no fee) | No membership tier mentioned in the General Terms | 1,000 points (£10) | 18+, UK resident with UK phone number, one account; points expire 12 months after your last gift-card purchase (bonus points after 6); gift-card purchases generally can’t be cancelled |
| Surveys and tasks | ||||||
| Cashback.co.uk | Tasks-and-offers site | Complete tasks such as free trials, sign-ups and surveys, arranged in 10 “levels” | PayPal or bank transfer | Free to join (homepage) | First cash-out only after all 10 levels are completed and confirmed; after that, once confirmed balance is above £10 | 18+ with a permanent UK address. Balance is void after 6 months of inactivity, and the account closes after 13 months. Claim missing cashback within 90 days. Some tasks involve gaming or gambling sites with their own age limits (some 21+), so read each task’s terms. |
| InboxPounds | Surveys-and-offers site | Paid surveys, paid emails, web searches and offers | PayPal or gift cards | Check provider site | Check provider site | UK residents only; ID check may be requested (via Persona); offers usually credited within 30 days (some take 30–45); age and inactivity rules: check provider site |
Some links in this table are referral links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Rankings are based on our review methodology, not commission.
Last checked: 27 September 2026. Terms change, so check the provider’s site before relying on any detail.
Want simple cashback for everyday shopping? Compare the main cashback sites →
Check providers’ current offers
TopCashback
Cashback site with app, extension and gift cards. No fixed minimum for bank or PayPal withdrawals.
Check TopCashback’s current offer →Quidco
Cashback site with In-Store card-linked offers and gift cards. Basic is free; Premium keeps £1 from cashback in months you earn (quidco.com, 3 Oct 2026).
Check Quidco’s current offer →Rakuten (UK)
Cashback site and browser extension. Paid monthly once you have £5.01 of confirmed cashback.
Check Rakuten’s current offer →Airtime Rewards (now Airtime)
Card-linked app that pays rewards off your mobile bill. £10 balance to redeem.
Check Airtime’s current offer →Cheddar
Gift-card cashback app paid from your bank via Open Banking. £5 minimum cash-out.
Check Cheddar’s current offer →InboxPounds
Surveys, paid emails and offers. Check the current cash-out minimum on the provider’s site.
Check InboxPounds’ current offer →JamDoughnut and Cashback.co.uk don’t have referral links on this site — see their official sites.
Some links in this table are referral links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Rankings are based on our review methodology, not commission.
The catch
Cashback isn’t guaranteed until the retailer confirms it, and tracking can fail if you use ad blockers, switch devices or apply voucher codes from other sites. Usually only one site can track a single purchase.
Most services also have dormancy rules — log in or earn within a set period, or your balance can be removed. Survey and task sites may ask for ID checks and can take 30 days or more to credit offers.
Cashback usually shows as ‘Pending’ within 24 hours, though TopCashback and Quidco say it can take up to 7 days. Turning it into ‘Confirmed’ cash you can withdraw often takes 30–90 days. Some retailers take longer.
Rewards apps: card-linking vs gift cards (checked 4 October 2026)
All three apps below were still operating when we checked on 4 October 2026.
| Provider / product | Rate / offer | Key catch | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airtime (formerly Airtime Rewards) | Card-linked: link a card and earn credit towards your mobile bill; £10 balance to redeem | Needs a supported network; rewards can stay pending for weeks | Good if you’re on a supported network and don’t want to change how you pay |
| Cheddar | Gift cards: buy a retailer gift card in the app and cashback is added; £5 minimum cash-out | Needs a UK bank account that works with Open Banking | Works for planned spending, when you can buy the gift card first |
| JamDoughnut | Gift cards: instant cashback as points (100 points = £1); 1,000 points (£10) to cash out | 30p fee per bank cash-out; gift cards usually can’t be cancelled | Good for regular gift-card buyers who’ll reach £10 |
Who it’s for — and who should avoid it
Who it’s for
- People who already shop online with big retailers
- Anyone happy to click through a site or use a browser extension before buying
- People who don’t mind waiting weeks or months for cashback to confirm
- Anyone who spends with a linked card at participating retailers
Who should avoid it
- Anyone tempted to spend more just to earn cashback
- People who need the money quickly — confirmation can take months
- Anyone who doesn’t want to share card or bank details with an app
- People who find tracking and claims admin more trouble than the reward
FAQs
Quidco or TopCashback — which should I use?
Both work the same basic way, so it often comes down to the details. TopCashback has no fixed minimum for bank or PayPal withdrawals. Quidco adds In-Store card-linked offers. You can join both and compare the rate for each retailer. See Cashback sites compared.
Do referral links cost me more?
No. Using a referral link doesn’t change the price you pay. See Disclosure.
Is cashback taxable in the UK?
HMRC’s Statement of Practice 4/97 says most customers aren’t taxed on cashback and discounts. Cashback received in the course of a trade, referral rewards and survey earnings may be treated differently. If you’re unsure, check with HMRC or a qualified tax adviser.
Can I use more than one cashback site?
Yes. You can join several cashback sites. Usually only one can track a single purchase, and each site allows one account per person.
What if my cashback doesn’t track?
Use the provider’s missing-cashback claim process within its time limit (often 90 days) and keep your order confirmation. Claims aren’t guaranteed.
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