Everyone loves a good deal. In our quest to stretch our budgets, we are continually looking for ways to save money, especially when it comes to everyday purchases. Enter cashback apps—the impressive tools that put money back in your pocket when you shop. In this guide, I’ll explore the best cashback apps in the UK, how they work, and the benefits they offer. So let’s look at the best UK cashback apps.
What Are Cashback Apps?
Cashback apps are digital platforms that reward you with a percentage of your spending when you shop through them. They partner with a broad range of online retailers, and when you make a purchase via these platforms, they receive a commission from the retailer. A portion of this commission is then shared with you as ‘cashback’, effectively giving you a discount on your purchase.
How Do Cashback Apps Work?
The process is pretty straightforward. First, you need to download the cashback app and create an account. Once your account is set up, you can start shopping through the app. The app will have a list of partnered retailers, and when you decide to make a purchase, you click on the retailer’s link within the app. You are then redirected to the retailer’s website, where you shop as normal. After your purchase, the cashback app tracks the transaction, and once confirmed by the retailer, the cashback is credited to your account within the app.
Why Use Cashback Apps?
Using cashback apps is a great way to make your money work harder. Here’s why:
- Save Money: The primary benefit is the potential savings. Every time you shop through these apps, you earn a percentage of your spend back. Over time, these savings can add up to a significant amount.
- Ease of Use: These apps are user-friendly. Once you’ve set up your account, earning cashback is just a matter of clicking through the app before you shop.
- Broad Range of Retailers: Cashback apps partner with a wide range of retailers—everything from clothing stores and electronics outlets to travel booking sites and insurance providers. This means you can earn cashback on almost any online purchase.
- Additional Discounts and Vouchers: Many cashback apps also offer additional discounts, voucher codes and special promotions, providing even more savings.
Top 10 Best Cashback Apps in the UK
With so many cashback apps and cashback websites available, it can be challenging to know which ones offer the best deals. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 best cashback apps in the UK.
1. TopCashback
Arguably one of the best-known cashback apps in the UK, TopCashback boasts partnerships with over 5,000 retailers. They offer both a free membership and a Plus membership (£5 per year), which offers higher cashback rates and payout bonuses. TopCashback prides itself on passing over 100% of the commission it receives from retailers back to its members.
This is great for a big purchase, especially for things like car insurance and home insurance. Always check the latest details before renewing as often the cashback reward makes it worth changing. I got £90 cashback with my car insurance for one year!
Sign up for your Topcashback account here. It really is one of the best cashback sites in the UK.
SIGN UP TO TOPCASHBACK TODAY TO GET STARTED!
Read my full review TopCashback here.
2. Quidco
Quidco is a major player in the cashback arena, with a similar offering to TopCashback. It provides cashback from a comparable range of retailers and operates a similar membership model, with a free basic membership and a premium membership option. It’s one of the best shopping cashback apps UK so worth signing up to.
This cashback website often offers special deals every so often, and chances to get bonuses, so keep checking when you’re doing online shopping so you don’t miss out on some free money! I always cross-reference the best deal with Quido and other cashback apps to make sure you get the highest per cent.
3. KidStart
KidStart offers a unique spin on the cashback concept, with cashback earnings going towards a child’s savings account. It’s a great way to save for your children’s future while doing your regular shopping. This is a great way of making sure your child will have some savings when they are older, as it can be so difficult to find extra money to put away for them!
Read my full KidStart Review here.
4. Airtime Rewards
With Airtime Rewards, your cashback goes towards your mobile phone bill. This app is partnered with a range of high-street retailers and restaurants, making it easy to earn cashback on everyday purchases.Airtime Rewards doesn’t work with all service providers, so make sure you check before signing up.
5. Shopmium
Shopmium app is a grocery-focused cashback app that offers cashback on specific products at specific retailers. To claim your cashback, you simply need to scan your receipt within the app.
Most of these are new products that you can try cheaper- Sometimes you can even get them for free! It works in grocery stores and online purchases – you just need to scan your receipt and you will get your cashback into your account.
Signup to the Shopmium app with my referral link or enter my Shopmium referral code with the app to get a free tube of Pringles!
MY SHOPMIUM REFERRAL CODE: 5QE8D4
6. CheckoutSmart
Similar to Shopmium, CheckoutSmart offers cashback on specific grocery items at selected retailers. The difference is that CheckoutSmart’s offers are not store-specific, which means less store hopping to get your free food and offers.
Read my full CheckoutSmart review here.
7. Swagbucks
Although not exclusively a cashback app, Swagbucks does offer cashback among its various money-making activities. You can earn points, known as “Swagbucks”, that can be redeemed for cash or gift cards.
The best way to make money on Swagbucks is by playing mobile games. Play puzzle games, farm games and more to earn money that you can turn into gift vouchers and PayPal payments. I’ve played three games so far and got my cashback. You can also complete surveys and complete other tasks for some extra Swagbucks. Once you have enough points, you can exchange them for cash or gift cards. A few days later, the money will appear in your PayPal account.
Sign up today and start earning money by playing games and more!
Read my full Swagbucks review here.
8. JamDoughnut
JamDoughnut operates a little differently by offering cashback on gift cards purchased through the app. This means you buy a gift card at a discount and use it to shop at the retailer, effectively giving you cashback on your purchase. It really is one of the best supermarket cashback apps.
Sometimes they have cashback offers when the cashback is doubled. You can buy more gift cards and use them at a later date if this happens.
Download the app now with this link and use the referral code PZ97 to get a £2 bonus when you make your first purchase.
9. GreenJinn
GreenJinn is a cashback app that offers discounts on groceries from selected supermarkets. To claim your cashback, you need to take a photo of your receipt when you’ve done your grocery shopping and submit it through the app. A few days later, the money will appear in your PayPal account.
GreenJinn referral code: I’m working on getting a referral code! Check back soon š
It’s similar to CheckoutSmart and Shopimum.
10. WeShop
A unique cashback platform, WeShop allows you to earn shares in the company when you shop through the platform. Instead of cash or vouchers, you become a shareholder in WeShop.
This free app works with over 500 of your favourite retailers.
11. Picodi
Picodi is a newer app, it’s similar to TopCashback and Quidco, you search for the store you would like to buy from, click through and earth cashback. Cashback isn’t as good as its rivals, but it’s worth checking as they often have boosted offers.
Get a £4 bonus with my referral link.
12. Cheddar
Cheddar is a passive mobile app that lets you earn cash rewards without doing anything! No need to click on links or scan recipes, Cheddar uses Open Banking to connect to your bank account, it then gives you cashback on participating stores as you shop with them. Cashback ranges from 1-10%
Some of the retailers include: Just Eat, Trainline, Hello Fresh and Alton Towers.
Use my referral code for a £2.50 bonus: ODTVWBJ
13. Shoppix
Shoppix is a smartphone app that lets you earn rewards by photographing your receipts. It works with both paper and digital receipts from various stores. Each valid receipt earns you tokens that can be exchanged for rewards like gift cards or cash. Shoppix also offers surveys and tasks for more tokens. The app anonymises and uses the data for market research. It’s available on iOS and Android devices, providing a convenient way to turn your shopping into rewards.
I’d love to give you a Shoppix referral code, but Shoppix isn’t accepting new members at the moment. I will update with my referral code when it opens again.
Drawbacks of Cashback apps
While cashback apps offer many benefits, it’s important to be aware of some potential drawbacks:
1. Limited Retailers: Not all stores or brands participate in cashback programs. This means that you might not always find the products or services you need within the cashback app’s offerings.
2. Minimum Payout Thresholds: Some cashback apps have minimum payout requirements before you can redeem your earnings. If you don’t reach this threshold, your cashback might remain inaccessible.
3. Impulse Spending: In pursuit of cashback rewards, users might be tempted to make purchases they wouldn’t otherwise make, leading to unnecessary spending.
4. Privacy Concerns: Some cashback apps collect personal data, shopping habits, and transaction details for targeted marketing or data analysis. Users concerned about privacy may be hesitant to share this information.
5. Redemption Restrictions: The ways you can redeem your cashback earnings can be limited. For instance, some apps might only offer gift cards or specific payment methods rather than direct cash deposits.
6. Technical Glitches: Like any technology, cashback apps can experience technical issues, such as crashes or delays in tracking transactions. This might lead to missed rewards or frustration.
7. Changing Terms: Cashback rates and terms can change without notice. A lucrative deal today might become less appealing tomorrow, leaving users disappointed.
8. Overspending: Relying heavily on cashback offers might lead to spending more than intended just to chase rewards, negating any potential savings.
9. Account Management: If you use multiple cashback apps, managing different accounts and balances can become cumbersome and confusing.
10. Eligibility Criteria: Some cashback offers have specific criteria that users must meet, such as minimum purchase amounts or new customer status, which might not always align with your needs.
It’s a good idea to thoroughly research and understand the terms and conditions of any cashback app before using it. Be sure to assess whether the potential benefits outweigh the potential downsides based on your spending habits and preferences.
Also, withdraw your money as soon as you can – sometimes Cashback apps close down and users lose any money that hasn’t been withdrawn.
The Best Cashback Apps Uk
Cashback apps offer an easy way to save money on your everyday purchases. By choosing the best cashback apps in the UK, you can earn cashback on almost anything you buy online. So why not give them a try? Start saving money today by downloading some of these top-rated cashback apps. Happy shopping and happier saving!