Cashback websites are one of the most simple but effective online ideas – shoppers who access a retailer’s store via the website will receive money as a reward for linking from the UK Cashback Websites.
The most popular and best-paying websites offering cashback will link to retailers that sell products from insurance to groceries.
The amount of money paid to shoppers can range from pennies to more than £100 for those who buy specific insurance policies.
How they work
Most cashback websites will ask you to sign up as a member before you can then link on to retailers. Signing up is usually free and once you have logged on, you will see the links to their partner websites.
From there you simply go to the site you want to buy from and your visit there will be “tracked” so that when you buy the item you’re after and your payment is processed, the cashback amount is then paid into your account on the cashback website.
Tracking allows online retailers to find out how their buyers landed on their website; for example, from “affiliate links” on cashback websites. The more traffic deriving from a specific website, the greater the rewards available as commission for the websites driving customers to the online retailer.
The money made from retailers is then “shared” with their members with the biggest sites enjoying more lucrative, direct deals with sellers that give them a wider range of providers and better earning potential for members.
Many sites advertise themselves as 100% cashback sites, meaning they pay every penny they earn on commission back to their members – they can do this and still make money because the affiliates they link to will pay them bonuses for directing a certain amount of traffic to them.
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Key rules for using cashback websites
There are important things to remember for anyone signing up as a member of a cashback website and the most crucial is that there is no guarantee of payment and any money you do receive should be considered a bonus.
The cash is only yours once it’s actually paid into your member’s account and you should withdraw your money as soon as is practicable so it’s earning interest for you in your own bank account.
The UK’s leading cashback sites
The top cashback website in the UK in 2012 has been named as TopCashBack, based on its market share, user feedback, and overall payouts. TopCashBack does not charge members any annual fees and pays out 100% of the commission it receives.
Quidco is another of the top cashback websites. While it does charge a £5 annual administration fee, Quidco offers more than just online cashback, providing its members with up to 5.4% back on in-store spending with big retailers including Debenhams and Sports Direct.
At CashMachine.co.uk, more than 1,000 UK retailers are available for members to earn cashback from. Membership is free and CashMachine also gives its members the chance to pick up discounts and voucher codes that will get the money off and other details online.
More than a 1.2million UK customers use Rpoints to earn cashback on online purchases, pick up codes for discount vouchers, and find out the best offers from retailers and service providers. Rpoints’ purchasing power means it can negotiate directly with its clients for exclusive deals for its members.
Fat cheese aims to take the frustration of non-payment to its members by guaranteeing that it will honor all transactions completed via its site even if the merchant does not pay the cashback with 95% of the online retailers present on the website covered by the Fatcheese cashback guarantee. Membership of the site is free.
Membership of cashbacktoyou.co.uk is free and there’s even a £5 welcome bonus for new members. Cashbacktoyou is partnered with more than 1000 retailers and service providers and has links to discount codes and exclusive online offers.
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Here is the Top best UK Cashback Websites list.