TopCashback or Quidco: Which is the best UK cashback site?

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TopCashback and Quidco are the two main cashback websites for UK shoppers and at first glance, they’re pretty similar.

Both were founded in 2005 and both were built on the same model – offering shoppers a small rebate of the referral fee they get from retailers. 

They even work with more or less the same set of retailers, and reward shoppers with around the same rate of cashback.

But is one just slightly better than the other? And is it worth being a member of both cashback websites?

Here’s a detailed look at whether TopCashback or Quidco is better.

What are cashback websites anyway?

Cashback websites are in the business of referrals.

When shoppers click through to a retailer from a cashback website, the retailer will pay the cashback website a commission if the shopper makes a purchase.

Both the cashback website and the retailer track that purchase using cookies so they know which shopper bought an item and how much they paid.

Once the retailer has paid the cashback website its commission, the cashback website will give a small portion of that to the shopper as rebate – and this is the cashback.

Both TopCashback and Quidco operate this way.

It also applies to certain reward websites, such as Avios.com (yes, the same points you get when you fly with British Airways), except the cashback is awarded as points rather than cash.

Read this: How to supercharge cashback on your spending

Which cashback website offers the best rewards?

It’s actually pretty hard to determine whether TopCashback* or Quidco* has better cashback rates as the offers across both sites change so frequently.

That said, I’ve noticed that TopCashback generally has higher headline rates.

However, Quidco often offers exclusive bonuses and boosted cashback events that can close that gap.

The difference is generally marginal – perhaps 0.5% to 1% – but of course it can add up over time.

The other thing to bear in mind is that the headline rate that’s advertised might not be the rate you receive.

For example, retailers generally award a lower commission for existing users, which trickles down so you’ll end up receiving a lower cashback rate.

You might also receive a lower rate for sale items.

Which cashback site has more UK retailers?

TopCashback wins on the number of retailers front.

It has over 5,500 retail partners on its website.

The number of retailers that partner with Quidco fluctuates but is in a lower range of between 4,000 and 5,000.

So if you’re looking for a niche retailer, you can save yourself some time by heading to TopCashback first.

Premium memberships compared

Both TopCashback and Quidco offer premium memberships where you trade a small percentage of your cashback for a higher rate of cashback.

TopCashback’s version is £5 a year, regardless of how often you use it (more details here).

Quidco’s model is completely different. Instead of paying a flat, annual fee, you pay £1 for every month you use it (more details here).

If you frequently shop online and are likely to buy something every month, TopCashback’s version will work out a lot cheaper.

But if you’re looking to make a big one-off purchase – say a new TV or mobile phone contract – but aren’t planning to do much online shopping otherwise, Quidco’s version will most likely save you more money.

In both cases you’ll need to work out whether the premium rate is worth it based on the cashback you’ll potentially earn.

It’s all very well upgrading for a higher rate but if the additional cashback is only worth 50p more, then you’re effectively making a loss.

Payout methods and withdrawal thresholds

TopCashback and Quidco are on even keel when it comes to payouts.

Both have pretty flexible payout options, allowing you to withdraw your reward via bank transfer, PayPal or vouchers/gift cards.

The payout thresholds are also minimal so you don’t need to accrue a huge sum before you cash out.

And both are pretty speedy – in general it takes a couple of working days (or less) to receive your cashback.

What about the tech side of things?

Both TopCashback and Quidco have a range of tech that allows you to maximise your cashback.

There’s the original method of going through the cashback site every time you shop of course, but both TopCashback and Quidco also have browser extensions.

Once installed, these extensions can help you capture those cashback opportunities that you’d otherwise forget about.

If you’re a mobile shopper, both cashback sites also have intuitive apps that you can click through to the retailer from.

The one thing worth noting is that some retailers don’t credit cashback when you shop from their app so in some cases you’ll still need to rely on a computer.

The last option to consider is registering your card with the cashback websites.

This captures certain offline spends, allowing you to earn cashback without needing to click through from a website or app.

TopCashback or Quidco: which cashback website is better?

TopCashback and Quidco are pretty evenly matched but for me TopCashback is just slightly better, especially for regular online shoppers.

It works with a much larger number of retailers, has a flat fee for its premium membership and generally has more competitive cashback rates.

That said, for well-known retailers, I’d still recommend checking Quidco.

You might be lucky and spot a promotional offer on Quidco that trumps TopCashback’s offer.

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