This post was written in partnership with Quidco, one of the leading cashback sites in the UK, to promote their new member bonus which is valid until 30th June 2024. If you join Quidco using this link, as well as being eligible for the free £15 Quidco sign up offer, I will make a small commission. Follow the step-by-step instructions on this post to make sure you qualify for the sign up offer. Find out more here.
If you live – and more importantly, shop – in the UK and you like to save money (who doesn’t?!) then you should already know that there are lots of cashback websites and handy apps for UK residents which will give you cashback on everyday online and/or in-store purchases.
Remember to check for cashback with every purchase you make, and receive £100s or even £1000s back each year!
Before making a purchase online, booking a service or event, browsing for holidays, changing utility providers or even doing your weekly shop, check for cashback! Whatever you’re spending money on, cashback sites and apps in the UK have you covered.
Online cashback sites and apps in the UK – how do they work?
Online cashback sites like Quidco work by using affiliate links from a huge number of different retail partners.
You can find out more about how they work in this blog post, but essentially when you make a purchase via one of their affiliated links, they receive a percentage of the sale – and pass some of that back to you, the consumer.
The cashback usually takes a few months to be processed but once it has been confirmed is able to be paid straight out to your UK bank account or into vouchers.
My top tips for using online cashback sites:
Always go for the best deal, not the most cashback. After all, the money leaving your wallet now is guaranteed, and cashback isn’t! Although I have found Quidco to be very reliable as a cashback app, the retailer may occasionally refuse cashback, so be aware of this. My advice would be that, once you’ve found a great deal, check for cashback as an added bonus.
Make it really easy for you to remember to get your cashback on qualifying sites with the Quidco Browser Extension, reviewed in depth in this blog post.
Whenever your insurance or utilities are up for renewal, make sure you use Quidco compare to check for lower prices. You’ll save money and get cashback on top.
Get an additional £15 new member bonus by signing up here before the 30th June!
Online cashback sites like Quidco are great for:
Buying online insurance, utilities, making big purchases such as holidays and white goods online. I’ve bought my home insurance and a new oven (as well as clothes online) which have made me almost £50 in cashback over the last month alone.
In store cashback apps: How are they different?
Cashback credit cards which give you cashback on purchases are fairly common place, however the long-term cashback is often capped at 1% and you have to qualify and of course, remember to pay them off in full each month. For those who want higher cashback or don’t want credit cards, there are cashback site apps in the UK which you can use in store, for example in high street shops and supermarkets.
I personally have used the Jam Doughnut app regularly over the past eight months. You can find out more about it here. As with online UK cashback apps, you build up your points in an online wallet (points are paid immediately upon purchase via the app) and when your ‘jar’ reaches the £10 threshold, you can withdraw it to your bank account or via a shopping voucher which gives you additional points.
Note that you can use the cashback vouchers online in many instances however I don’t personally do this, apart from buying Amazon vouchers.
My top tips for using in-store cashback apps:
Before you go shopping, scroll through the app and make a mental note of any shops which give cashback. If you know what you’re going for, you can buy vouchers in advance and print them out or store them in your Google Wallet for later use.
Any vouchers you have left over can be used next time, so don’t forget them! If you’ve over-bought, then make a note of what you have left to use. Unused vouchers is money down the drain and negates the point of the cashback!
Watch out for pumped-up cashback; this increases the amount of cashback you receive over a short period of time.
If supermarket shopping, combine your app with scan-as-you-shop to make sure you know how much you’re spending, so you can buy the correct value before you head to the tills. Although the vouchers are quick to load, there can be a delay and no one wants that at the tills!
This type of cashback site is great for:
Grocery shopping – a little soon adds up!
Also, making Amazon purchases; you can buy vouchers and apply them to your account in advance if you’re a regular shopper.
Cashback sites in the UK: Are they worth it?
Absolutely, yes! I’ve been using a combination of online cashback site Quidco, and JamDoughnut which allows you to buy vouchers to use in store. I’ve been using Quidco sporadically over the past 15 years and racked up an impressive £2,500, and over eight months using Jam Doughnut has netted me just over £230. All for things I’d be buying anyway!
I would definitely recommend giving cashback sites like Quidco a spin!
Additionally, if you’re new to UK cashback sites then you can usually get a new member bonus. To get £15 FREE from Quidco, join via my special link and spend £5 or more with one of their thousands of retail partners. If you fancy in store cashback, check out my JamDoughnut review for a link which will also give you a special bonus!
