How cashback sites differ from each other

Cashback rates

Cashback sites have been around for quite a few years now and it is quite a mature industry in some places such as the UK and the US. Most do offer similar rates of cashback for popular online retailers although it is always worth checking as there can be significant differences as cashback sites are able to negotiate exclusive time-limited deals. I've said before that your best bet is to sign up to 3 or 4 of the best sites and then shop through the site that gives you the best deal. The top cashback sites allow you to cash out your money at low levels so it shouldn't matter if you shop around for the best rates as you'll be able to get at your cashback.

In store cashback

Some sites now offer cashback at selected stores on the high street. To get access to this you need to register your credit (or debit) cards on the cashback site that you normally use when you shop in store. By doing so you can expect to receive cashback for each subsequent purchase you make whilst the offer is still running. Not many cashback sites offer this function yet, but I would expect it to become more widely available if interest really takes off. Check out the cashback site links to the right to find out which sites offer in store cashback. At the moment the number of retailers participating in this is limited but there are a couple of popular ones.

New ideas

As cashback sites seek to compete with one another and gain your business more novel ideas have been introduced. One site I use, imutual, is a British cashback site with a great idea as it offers its members the chance to earn shares in the business whilst also benefiting from competitive cashback rates. Once you agree to become a fully fledged member you can have a say in the running of the business and vote on different decisions that need to be made. The site has an active forum where you can ask questions and discuss various deals and offers.

We're always on the look out for new cashback sites and ideas, so if you know of any please comment below. Happy cashbacking!

Cashback Transaction Tracking Issues

For those of us who regularly use cashback sites to get some rebates and cash back on our shopping, there always seems to be a few instances, say over a period of about a year, where the purchase doesn't track for some un explained reason.  It can be frustrating and rather annoying, especially if the expected cashback amount was going to be significant.  Why does this happen?  What happens to that cashback?

Sometimes you can ask the cashback site to chase up a transaction and after a while they come back with a credit to your account...yay!  Other times though they come back with the bad news that the transaction didn't track properly or the commission (cashback) went elsewhere. Ouch!

Why might a cashback transaction not track?

There are lots of possible explanations for a purchase not tracking to your account for cashback, here's five possible reasons for not getting cashback:

You need cashback cookies!

• If you forget to check that you are logged in to the cashback site when you click the cashback link then you will not get any cashback, because the transaction cannot be linked directly to you.
• If you have visited the online shop or store before going to the cashback site and clicking through to it again, there is a chance that the commission will track elsewhere.  This is why cashback sites recommend that you clear all cookies from your browser before clicking through to a retailer and completing a purchase.
• Of course you must ensure that your browser is set up to accept cookies!  Most transactions use these little monsters which track your every move to ensure you get your cash back!
• Be careful if you are using online vouchers or deal codes.  If you want cashback you should only use codes taken from the cashback site you are using.  If you get them from elsewhere you might not get your cashback (well actually you probably wont get it because the person who gave you the code will receive it instead!).
• If it's an offer or a sign up, you are normally only entitled to receive cashback once.  If you've used an offer before you won't get cashback a second time.  Some offers and sites are run by the same advertiser and this might be why you don't get any cashback.

So there you have five possible reasons for your cashback not tracking or reaching your account.  There are many more, but I'm not going to bore you with them all today!

Most cashback sites give you advice to help ensure your cashback tracks.  Other sites give you cashback tracking tips too.  Read it and digest it like a tasty cookie and most, if not all of your purchases will hopefully track just fine.  If not, ask your cashback site why!

Christmas Cashback

Get cashback in your stocking!

It's a short blog from me today, just to remind you all of the benefits of using cashback sites!

It's that time of year again when many of us are buying gifts for the holiday season.  Lots of money gets spent and, in the current economic climate, many of us are looking for ways to save a little extra cash somewhere.  We look for online sales, shopping coupons, and great deals, but the best deal of all is cashback from cashback sites!  If you are buying a lot of your Christmas gifts online then it absolutely makes sense to use these sites where you can get some kind of rebate or money back for shopping through them.  You really have nothing to lose and much to gain as many of the popular online retailers you shop at for Christmas are often listed on these sites. What's more, the cashback sites sometimes list money-off coupons you can use to get further discounts (as well as your cashback rebate), and when there are sales you'll usually get cashback rewards on those purchases too.

We've provided links to some very good cashback site resources in this blog which review the best cashback sites with the best rebates and ways to earn a little extra cash when shopping online.  We recommend that you sign up to one or two of the best cashback sites listed there and find out just how much cashback you can get at your favorite retailers. Even if you've done most of your gift shopping, there's always the New Year sales...!

One more thing, some of the sites reviewed reward you with more cash payments for referring friends and family who go on to earn cashback with the site.  So what's stopping you? Go get some cashback!

Have a fantastic Christmas and best wishes for 2012!

Too many cashback sites!

These days there are so many cashback sites to choose from it can be mind-boggling deciding which one is the best for you. If you ask me, too many people and businesses have jumped on the cashback bandwagon and saturated the market to the point where it is possible a good number of them will not survive. When you have so many cashback sites available it is likely that the less competitive ones will not last the distance and in that way you could risk losing the cashback you have earned.

Be Selective

I still recommened choosing between 3 and 5 cashback sites so that you have access to as many online shops as possible from which to earn cashback. It is important, however, to ensure that you choose the cashback sites that are most likely to survive this particularly competitive period. I have already listed some resources on this blog which can help you to choose such sites. You can use cashback site review sites as well as free money blogs to understand which cashback sites are more popular (and thereby more likely to survive and pay you your cashback!). You should also ensure that you choose the cashback sites that are right for you, which lists ionline retailers where you shop most and where you can get the best rates. At the end of the day, the cashback phenomenon is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future, so it pays to research a little and choose the best.

Naff Sites

Just be wary of those naff sites. You can tell which they are. The ones with links that don't work. The ones that look like no effort has been put into them. The ones who don't regularly update with special offers or with a blog. The ones that look exactly the same as hundreds of other cashback sites. If the person or business running the cashback site cannot be bothered to check their links, update their site, or even make it an original site and not a copy of another cashback site, then I don't think that they will have your best interests at heart and you could argue that they are not likely to stay the distance if they don't get many users. I could be wrong, but it's the gut feeling I get when I see such cashback sites.

Thanks for reading! Back soon...

Which Cashback Site should I choose?

There are two ways to look at the best type of cashback site and which one suits you.

1. You could go with the one that pays the highest rates, such as highest percentages or fixed amounts of cashback. There are many sites out there and a lot of competition amongst them to get your cashback business. They make money out of you signing up to them and using them, as they may receive commission for referring you to a retailer, or they may charge you an administration fee for the cashback service that they offer you and make money that way. Some claim to have your best interests at heart but ultimately they are there to make a profit for themselves too!
2. You could decide to go for the established cashback, the one that has been around a long time and has proven itself over the years. You do need to be aware of a plethora of new sites that have sprung up recently as they will not all stand the test of time. I have seen several sites start up and then fall by the wayside for various reasons so a policy of going for the professional sites which are well-established and have a good following is a safe one to pursue. There is nothing worse than earning a nice sum of cashback only for the site you were using to disappear overnight!

It is always worthwhile signing up to several cashback sites and choosing the best from those in terms of their reliability, the cashback rates they offer and the professionalism of each site. Sites with broken links, broken images, and poor customer support are ones to avoid, as they show a lack of maintenance and a lack of interest from the people running the site which ultimately could end up with you losing that cashback you had earned.

If you are not sure which sites are available, or which are the best, then use online forums, blogs and review sites like The Cashback Express to get a better idea of which sites are the best and which ones will work for you.

What is a cashback site?

Introduction to 'All About Cashback Sites'

You have probably heard all about cashback sites, but probably not everything about them, and this blog aims to weed out the best from the rest! If you haven't heard of cashback sites before then you have come to the right place to find out a lot more. This first post is going to be a simple introduction to these online phenomena which have taken online shopping to the next level. I have been using cashback sites now for over four years and hopefully can spot a good one from a rogue one. It is important to try and find and use the best sites as you do not want to lose that hard earned cashback should your site go bust.

What are Cashback Sites?

In simplest terms they are a type of online reward website which pays you cashback if you do your online shopping through them. They are free to join (or at least they should be!) and very easy to use. The basic premise is as follows:

1. You want to shop online and get something back for doing so.
2. You find a cashback site that lists the retailer you are going to shop at.
3. You make sure that it is a worthy cashback site and offers you a good rate of cashback.
4. You clear your computer of any cookies so that any transaction you make through the cashback site will be recorded.
5. You register with the cashback site (or sign in if you are already registered).
6. Make sure you are signed in for this step. Then find the retailer you are going to shop at and click on the link to that shop found on the cashback site.
7. You buy whatever you were going to purchase at that online retailer.
8. You check back at the cashback site over the following few days to confirm that your due cashback is pending in your account.
9. You then have to wait for a period for this cashback to confirm in your account and then await payout of this cashback to you once your account reaches the minimum level or you can request it.
10. Hey presto! You have received cashback for shopping online and buying something you were going to buy anyway!

This is an opportunity too good to be missed if you want to make yourself a little bit of extra cash for doing something you would be doing anyway.
The Cashback Express provides a list of cashback sites for the UK, the USA and Australia, with reviews of their best (and worst) features. Click one of the links below for more information from that site:

Stay tuned for more handy hints and helpful tips about cashback sites...