Cashback & Rewards
Cashback Hub
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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
New to cashback? Start here. Cashback sites pay when you click through before shopping online; card-linked apps pay when you spend with a linked card; gift-card apps pay when you buy a gift card first; survey sites pay for your time.
For everyday online shopping, TopCashback and Quidco are the usual starting points. The table below shows how eight services pay out and the main rules.
Want simple cashback for everyday shopping? Compare the main cashback sites →
How eight UK services compare on payouts and rules
Once you know how cashback tracking works, it can help to see how different services pay out. This table sticks to facts from each provider’s own pages, checked on 27 September 2026.
| Service | Type of service | How you’re paid out | Minimum payout | Notable restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cashback sites | ||||
| Quidco | Cashback site (plus app, In-Store card-linked offers and gift cards) | BACS, PayPal, or retailer gift cards | £1 for BACS and PayPal; gift-card minimums vary | 16+, UK resident, one account; balance may be removed as “dormant” after 6 months without logging in (can be reinstated on request); retailer decision can take up to several months |
| Rakuten (UK) | Cashback site (plus browser extension) | Bank transfer or PayPal, paid monthly (the 15th of the following month) | £5.01 of confirmed cashback (help centre) | 18+, normally resident in the UK, one account; 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) | Bank transfer (BACS), PayPal, or gift cards via Reward Wallet | 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) | Credit on your mobile phone bill, pay-as-you-go top-up, bundles, or other rewards listed in the app | £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 | Bank transfer (cash-out to your bank) | £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 | Bank transfer (30p fee per bank cash-out) or digital gift cards (no fee) | 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 | PayPal or bank transfer | First cash-out only after all 10 levels are completed and confirmed; after that, once confirmed balance is above £10 | 18+, permanent UK address; balance void after 6 months of inactivity and account closed after 13 months; missing-cashback claims within 90 days. Some tasks involve gaming or gambling sites with their own age limits (some 21+); read each task’s terms. |
| InboxPounds | Surveys-and-offers site | PayPal or gift cards | 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.
Cashback.co.uk: Some tasks involve gaming or gambling sites with their own age limits (some 21+); read each task’s terms.
This is the compact version. For the full six-column table, including how rewards are earned and membership fees, see Cashback & Rewards. Cards that pay cashback are a different product, covered in Cashback credit cards 2026.
This is general information, not financial advice. Cashback and rewards services set their own rules, and payout methods, minimums, fees and tracking terms can change at any time. Check the provider’s site and terms before you sign up, and if you’re unsure what’s right for your circumstances, consider speaking to a qualified, independent adviser.
Check providers’ current offers
Airtime Rewards (now Airtime)
Rewards paid off your mobile bill; £10 to redeem.
Check Airtime’s current offer →InboxPounds
Surveys and offers; check the current minimum on the provider’s site.
Check InboxPounds’ current offer →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 can fail to track, takes time to confirm and can be removed from dormant accounts. Usually only one site can track a purchase.
Cashback often tracks as ‘Pending’ within 24 hours (TopCashback and Quidco say it can take up to 7 days), but it often takes 30–90 days to become ‘Confirmed’ cash you can withdraw. Some retailers take longer.
Who it’s for — and who should avoid it
Who it’s for
- Anyone who shops online regularly
- People who want to compare how services pay out
- Shoppers happy to click through a site first
- People on a supported network who want bill credit (Airtime)
Who should avoid it
- Anyone who would overspend for cashback
- People who need payouts fast
- Anyone unwilling to share card details with an app
- People who won’t track pending cashback
Full explanation
A guide to UK cashback and rewards. Rates and tracking status change often, so this hub is general information, not personalised advice, and not a live deal table.
How cashback usually works
Cashback sites and apps track eligible purchases, then pay you a share of their commission. Tracking depends on cookies, apps and retailer rules. Always confirm the live rate and “tracked” status before you buy.
The table above covers payout methods, minimums and key rules only. It does not include cashback rates or sign-up bonuses, which change often. Check the cashback site and retailer terms for anything you rely on.
our cashback guides
Guides to individual platforms
Short guides to each platform:
FAQ
Where should I start?
Read Cashback sites, then open brand more-info pages if you want platform-specific context.
Do referral links cost me more?
They should not change the price you pay. Commission comes from the partner. See Disclosure.
Why isn’t there a live cashback-rate league table here?
Rates change constantly, so the table on this hub sticks to payout methods, minimums and key rules rather than live rates. Use this hub as a map, then check live offers on the provider’s site.
Are the Airtime links referral links?
Yes. The Airtime Rewards (now Airtime) links on this page are referral links, which help support the site. Using one should not change the price you pay.
Why can cashback take weeks or months to confirm?
Most sites only pay you once the retailer has confirmed the sale and paid them, and retailers usually wait until their returns or cancellation window has closed. Quidco says the retailer decision can take up to several months, and Rakuten says confirmation usually takes 60–90 days. Travel is often confirmed only after the trip. Gift-card apps such as Cheddar and JamDoughnut work differently: cashback or points are added when you buy the gift card, but their own rules still apply.
Is it safe to link a card or bank account?
Card-linked and Open Banking apps say they use regulated partners. Airtime says card details are stored with Visa and Mastercard partners and that you can delete cards at any time, and Cheddar and JamDoughnut use Open Banking for pay-by-bank. Check each provider’s privacy policy, what access you’re granting and how to remove it. You can also look up any firm on the FCA register. For more on spotting scams, see our guide to money scams.
Decision guides
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Cashback rates, tracking and terms can change, so check the provider for the latest information.