5 top tips on how to start working with cashback services

“You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch your back,” says 82% of customers, craving a reward for their loyalty (according to a Forbes survey). Discounts and customer loyalty programs are proven to encourage greater sales and higher order values. In the same vein, cashback sites are a fantastic affiliate type to pump up your program. 

Trust us; your customers want cashback. In fact, 46% of cashback participants see it as a vital component of their purchases. Plus, retailers using cashback benefit from: 

• 2.5x quicker revenue growth
• 100-400 higher shareholder returns

Here’s the thing: you’re better off with regular, loyal customers than a bunch of one-off buyers. The loyalty garnered through cashback improves your ROI and fosters close customer relationships. 

The best part? Your brand reaps sales potential from offline and online shopping. 

But how do you get started? We’ll break down the ins and outs of cashback websites, how they work, and how to measure results on our single platform for affiliate tracking. Try our 14-day trial today!

We want you to tap into the 200-billion-dollar loyalty market, but you’ll need to learn the basics first. 

What is a cashback site?

You might be familiar with businesses and financial institutions that offer cashback. For example, KOHO has a 2% cashback debit card. Citizens Bank has a 1.8% cashback credit card. Most financial institutions offer cashback for specific types of purchases, like KOHO’s three-category 2% (groceries, restaurants, transportation). 

Cashback sites work similarly, but the cashback business model is their main attraction versus a bank’s many services. Customers create an account on the site, where they receive cashback rewards. The site then offers a percentage-based cashback based on the customer’s purchase. 

However, cashback partners aren’t all the same. Some approve purchases immediately, resulting in a quick ka-ching in your bank account, which you could then transfer to your online checking account. Other cashback sites might have a week- or month-long review period before rewarding cashback rewards. 

As for categories? The best cashback sites offer a wide range, from clothing to electronics. For example, Rakuten offers cashback rewards for 750+ stores. 

But some might specialize in specific categories or only have a few brand partners. Similarly, they might offer time-sensitive special offers or promotions like: 

• Double cashback for specific items or dates
• Higher cashback in the form of gift cards
• Special discounts for subscription services

How does a cashback site work?

Think of your regular affiliate model. You’d pay each affiliate a commission per conversion, right? Cashback sites work similarly, but they don’t keep that entire commission. Instead, they pass along some of that coin to your customers. Sounds like a better bang for your buck, right? Sometimes yes, but don’t be fooled. You’ll likely have to up your commission rate to position yourself as a worthwhile partner to a cashback website. 

So we’ve covered sites that offer rewards in the form of cash. You’ll also see some sites that offer rewards through gift cards or loyalty points for each purchase. 

Here are some different forms of cashback: 

• Cashback websites: These act like category-rich marketplaces for customers to make money on a wide variety of online purchases. 

• Cashback app: Some cashback partners work behind the curtain of your customers’ cell phones. They might automatically apply cashback rewards or points on eligible purchases based on your history, or offer price comparisons and offers directly on the app. Others require you to scan receipts into the app to access your rewards. Still, some cashback apps have hefty membership fees, which aren’t well received by customers. Just make sure you check each app’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) profile. 

• Browser extensions: You probably have a Honey extension that automatically inputs coupon codes into your shopping carts, right? No login needed. Cashback extensions work similarly, making online purchases as seamless as possible. Customers simply browse the internet, and the extension will notify them of any offers. 

So, what does your affiliate program gain by adding cashback partners?

Why work with cashback services?

One word: incentive. Everybody likes perks, right? A little cashback numbs the sting of a hefty purchase. A coupon code for your influencer affiliate might help too, but now as much as the image of cold hard cash back in the customers’ pocket. 

Here’s what you’ll get out of a cashback partner: 

• Loyal customers: The prospect of cashback encourages more spending and loyalty. This is a serious win for your business because retaining existing customers costs only one-sixth of the cost of obtaining new ones. 

• More customers via web traffic: Rakuten.ca scored a whopping 3.8 million views just in October 2022. Talk about traffic! Cashback sites with solid SEO and ad strategies generate tons of traffic. All these web visitors have one thing in common: a desire to save money and score rewards. So they’re already further in the sales funnel and ready to convert. 

• Referrals: Did you know that over 50% of loyalty customers refer brands to their friends and family? We’ve come full circle. You’ll reward cashback sites for bringing you conversions, and they’ll reward your customers even more for referring new friends to their sites. Win-win!

• Personalization: Today’s customers demand more personalized offerings based on their loyalty, preferences, and spending habits. Cashback sites, apps, and extensions help you leverage those insights and craft them into unique offerings to tickle every customer’s fancy. 

• Wider audience: Cashback is most popular in the US and UK/Europe, but shoppers in Middle Eastern and African countries are catching on. Despite cashback’s lighter popularity in those regions, the 4-6% CAGR projection makes it worth exploring. 

But don’t take our word for it. Check out your conversions and revenue yourself!

We’ll can help you track the performance of your affiliate cash-back websites in one single platform. 👉 Try Tapfiliate for free today!

How to start working with a cashback site

Ready to generate more sales and reach more customers? Let’s get your feet wet with cashback sites: 

1. Set up tracking.

You don’t know what you don’t know. That’s why you need a solid tracking strategy in place before you start partnering with cash-back websites. 

If not? 

You’ll go in blind, not knowing which sites actually generate engagement, traffic, and conversions, and to what extent. Or, you’ll waste hours trying to count each data point yourself. 

Tapfiliate’s affiliate marketing dashboard shows you a bird’s eye view of your program. Daily traffic, aka click tracking? Check. Cashback site conversions and revenue? Check again. 

We’ll help you seamlessly link every click and purchase to your cashback partners in real-time. On top of that, our landing page analysis shows you where each cashback site brings your customers. 

2. Talk to different cashback websites. 

Your customers shop around for deals, right? So should you! Don’t limit your affiliate program to the only cashback site you’ve heard of — peruse each one for the best commission rates and audience fit. Consider: 

• Are you competing with hundreds of stores similar to yours?
• Are you relevant to their audience? For example, if they feature mainly online furniture retailers, cashback for your skincare brand might be less valuable.
• Which cashback sites offer the lowest commission charge?
• What is your goal with each partnership — more traffic? Increased spend?  
• Can your customers access special offers and promotions?

You might reach out to different sites through their contact form or message staff members on LinkedIn. 

3. Sign up and establish commission rates. 

Remember, your regular affiliate commission won’t fly with a cashback website. And if they’re bringing in millions of monthly views, you can expect to shell out a heftier rate. 

Still, you’ll have to update your affiliate tracking platform to demonstrate their specific rates. Then, you can find out how much you’re spending and earning with each cashback partnership.

Tapfiliate makes it easy to customize commission rates for different affiliate groups. If a cashback website brings immense revenue, you might place them in a group with a higher rate. Remember, you can toggle rewards and increased rates based on milestone conversions and traffic, too. 

Speaking of branding…

4. Provide logos.

Ready for your closeup? 

Make sure you provide your new partners with clear, HD, high-res images of your brand logos. This is the perfect time for a brand logo refresh, if you need one. 

You’ll take center stage for tons of new web visitors, so you’ll need to look super profesh. Most cashback sites have a logo image for every partner and offering.

5. Track results and calculate ROI. 

Remember how we mentioned Tapfiliate tracks affiliate performance? Our deep, insightful reporting features capture everything you need to stay on top of your partnerships. 

Our powerful filtering and segmentation helps you compare performance across hundreds of affiliate partners, whether for traffic, transactions, or other conversion types. 

Once you see these data points, calculating ROI is easy as pie. Try Tapfiliate’s free 14-day trial to visualize results for your latest cashback partnerships!

Discover which automated tracking solutions are available with Tapfiliate.

9 of the best cashback services to work with (and buy from!)

You’re ready to pick your new cashback partners. Don’t know where to start? No worries; we’ve rounded up a few of the best options for you!

Mypoints

Mypoints is a leading cashback website owned by Protege, with a cashback app as well. However, they don’t offer straight cash rewards. Instead, buyers can accumulate points for every purchase that they can then redeem for gift cards to Walmart, eBay, Target, and even Visa gift cards (basically just cash). 

Users don’t even have to buy anything to earn points. Mypoints offers points for surveys and games, too. 

On top of that, buyers can access special offers and promotions for subscription-based services like Hulu and HelloFresh (SaaS businesses, are you listening)?

• Platform type: Cashback site, browser extension, and app
• Cashback type: Subscription offers, cash
• Cashback amount: 20 points/ $ Cash back
• Sign-up bonus: $10 Amazon or Visa gift card

This cashback site is popular amongst tons of consumers, averaging a 4.2-star rating on Sitejabber. 

Ibotta

Ibotta’s cashback app attracts thousands of customers with its generous 30% cashback for select retailers like Hotels.com and Old Navy. They cover a wide range of categories, from travel and furniture to hardware, food,  and clothing. Shoppers can earn cashback on online store purchases as well as in-store — all they have to do is submit receipt photos. 

What’s in it for your brand? Try a 120-million-person audience of potential customers, incremental sales, and targeted promotions for every campaign. 

• Platform type: Cashback app
• Cashback type: Redeemable points for gift cards
• Cashback amount: Up to 30% on select purchases
• Sign-up bonus: $15 when you spend $50

Rakuten

Rakuten is a leading affiliate cashback website with over 750 retailers and up to 30% cashback, though 10% is more common. The affiliate giant also offers unique special offers, like the 3X cashback for Boxing Day deal. Shoppers can collect cash back rewards via cheque or PayPal. 

• Platform type: Cashback app, site, and browser extension
• Cashback type: Cash
• Cashback amount: Up to 30% on select purchases, 10% on most
• Sign-up bonus: $5

TopCashBack

A cashback favorite since 2011, TopCashBack has an app, site, and browser extension. Buyers can enjoy an average $400 each year from over 4,400 retailers spanning electronics, travel, fashion, and furniture categories. 

The site’s 19 payout methods include direct deposit to your online checking account, PayPal, and gift cards. As for reviews? A quick peruse on TrustPilot shows an average 4.5-star rating across over 100,000 reviews. 

• Platform type: Browser extension, app, site
• Cashback type: Cash and gift cards
• Cashback amount: Average $400 per year
• Sign-up bonus: Specific to special promotions

Befrugal

Befrugal offers up to 40% cashback rewards for purchases from over 5,000 retailers. And they back up their credibility with a 125% guarantee, meaning they’ll top anyone with a higher cashback reward by an additional 25%. 

The platform has a wide variety of payment methods, from Zelle to PayPal. And, they boast an impressive A rating on their BBB profile, with ample positive reviews. 

• Platform type: Browser extension, app, site
• Cashback type: Cash
• Cashback amount: Up to 40%
• Sign-up bonus: $10

Drop

Partnered with 500 brands like Uber, Drop is a cashback app with rewards points redeemable for gift cards. Users can link their credit cards to the app to easily capture eligible purchases and special offers. A nice bonus? It’s one of the few cashback apps that offers cryptocurrency rewards!

• Platform type: Cashback app
• Cashback type: Points for gift cards, cryptocurrency
• Cashback amount: Points vary for different brands, offers, and time periods
• Sign-up bonus: N/a

Mr. Rebates

Mr. Rebates offers cashback for select online purchases — no offline rewards. You’ll need to create an account and click affiliate links on the website. Once you make a purchase, the link tracking will attribute the reward to your account within a few days. Unfortunately, many of the cashback reward offers on Mr. Rebates feel a bit slim, with most under 5%. 

• Platform type: Cashback website
• Cashback type: Cash
• Cashback amount: >10%
• Sign-up bonus: $

Tada

Owned by Protege, Tada is a cashback app specific to grocery purchases, along with household staples. The platform works well for offline purchases, as you simply scan your receipt to access rewards through PayPal or gift cards. 

However, Tada has some less-than-stellar recent reviews. Some customers cite nonexistent customer service and technical issues scanning receipts. 

• Platform type: Cashback app
• Cashback type: PayPal or gift cards
• Cashback amount: Varies
• Sign-up bonus: $20

Extrabux

Extrabux has been around since 2006 and offers cashback on a wide range of products from over 20,000 retailers. While most offers range between 4-10%, special offers for certain dates can earn you as high as a 70% cashback. 

Just test out a few transactions before you partner with Extrabux. Unfortunately, the platform has received some negative reviews from customers regarding slow payments and poor customer service. 

• Platform type: Cashback website
• Cashback type: Cash
• Cashback amount: 3%-30%, depending on the retailer, though most hover under 10%
• Sign-up bonus: $20

Start working with cashback services today

Cashback rewards appeal to any audience, no matter your niche. The hipster bachelor, student, wholesome dad, career-focused femme, material girl, you name it — everyone’s looking for a little extra cash in their pockets. 

Once you partner with cashback websites, you’ll tap into a massive loyalty market that your customers contribute to. The stats don’t lie. Brands that leverage loyalty and cashback nearly triple their revenue. 

Ready to infuse extra money into your revenue (and customers’ wallets)?

You’ll need a solid affiliate tracking software to help you measure results. These insights help you calculate ROI and strategize your affiliate program accordingly. Plus, our affiliate dashboard makes even the trickiest or most overwhelming data points easy to understand and monetize. 
Cashback websites can take your customer loyalty and revenue to new levels — but only if you track results. Try Tapfiliate for free today!