When it comes to the world of reward apps, there’s nothing sweeter than earning cashback.
And if you shop online and want to save more money, you have plenty of options. One of them is called TopCashback, a shopping platform that says its members save over $450 per year on average.
But is TopCashback legit? And how easy is it to actually save money with this site?
We tested it out to find out. This TopCashback review is sharing how the platform works, its earning potential, and what other users are saying so you can decide if it’s right for you.
Want more easy ways to make money? Checkout:
- Branded Surveys: Share your opinion to get cash and gift cards!
- Kashkick: Answer surveys and play games to get PayPal money!
What Is TopCashback.com?
TopCashback is a free international rewards site that actually began in the UK back in 2005.
Since then, TopCashback has expanded to the United States, China, India, Japan, and Germany, making it one of the more internationally-friendly cashback platforms around.
TopCashback now partners with more than 4,400 retailers, which definitely puts it in competition with shopping extensions like Rakuten. And it’s an easy way to earn cash back for your online purchases.
The company also says it’s the most generous cash back platform in the United States. And with rates often reaching 10% or even more, it certainly seems high-paying.
Is TopCashback Legit?
Yes, TopCashback is legit, and the company lets you earn real cash back for shopping at thousands of merchants. It has plenty of positive reviews, and I was able to cash out $10 from my account, so I can confirm the company pays.
If you want to save more money and regularly shop online, platforms like TopCashback can help you out. And I like how many categories and merchants TopCashback works with, so anyone can find savings.
How To Use TopCashback
If you want to start making money with TopCashback, the entire process just takes four steps:
1. Sign Up
Like Rakuten, signing up for TopCashback is completely free. To create an account, you just need your email address.
According to TopCashback, they never sell your information to third parties. However, you do receive a newsletter, special offers, and account updates until you unsubscribe.
Also note that you have to verify your account after signing up by clicking a verification email. This is a requirement for using TopCashback, so keep an eye out for that email!
2. Browse For Offers
Once you create your account, you can browse through the thousands of TopCashback partners to find opportunities to earn.
The only way you actually earn with TopCashback is by visiting their website before connecting to the retailer you want to shop at. This is because TopCashback gets paid a commission if you buy from one of their partner retailers, and they split the commission with you to ensure you earn cashback.
In any case, TopCashback partners with plenty of major retailers, so it’s easy to find offers you enjoy.
Some popular TopCashback stores include:
- Macy’s
- Walgreens
- GNC
- Levi’s
- Home Depot
- Amazon
- AT&T
- Dell
- Best Buy
Again, there’s thousands of retailers across multiple categories, including health, fitness, travel, beauty, food, tech, and even more niche categories like green products.
3. Shop & Earn
Retailers on TopCashback display what percentage of cashback you earn for shopping.
Most retailers have a flat rate, and you can find cash back amounts ranging from 2% to 10% pretty easily, which is much higher than most credit card rewards.
However, some retailers have way more lucrative arrangements.
For example, many internet service providers will pay upward of $100-$150 if you make the switch to their services. Similarly, you can find cashback offers of 60% or more if you do some digging, like this offer I found for NordVPN and AT&T:
Once you complete an eligible purchase, you’re on track to earn cashback. However, your reward doesn’t credit immediately.
According to TopCashback: “retailers get invoiced for the cashback after the end of the calendar month in which the transaction occurred. This means that if your transaction was at the start of a month, then you will probably be waiting a slightly longer amount of time for your cashback than someone who purchased at the end of a month.”
Ultimately, by the time cashback is paid out and reaches TopCashback, you’re looking at roughly 1-2 months of waiting around. This isn’t uncommon in the world of money-making apps, but it’s worth noting,
4. Get Paid
One massive difference between Rakuten and TopCashback is how the payment system works.
On Rakuten, you get paid through PayPal every quarter as long as you have more than $5 in your account. However, TopCashback makes the process easier. To cash out, you simply click the “Payout” tab in your account and select an option you want to redeem your cashback for.
Some payment options include:
There’s also several other free gift card options, and TopCashback adds new rewards all the time. And the fact you can also get paid via PayPal or direct deposit is a selling point.
Note that cashback must show as ‘Payable’ in your account before you can withdraw it. This is to give merchants and affiliate networks enough time to verify your transaction.
However, once you see ‘Payable’ as the status and request cashback through an option you like, expect the payment or free gift card fairly quickly!
Other TopCashback Features
At first glance, TopCashback might seem like a fairly one-dimensional cashback rewards platform. However, there are several other features that make it easier to earn and create a better user experience overall.
1. TopCashback Browser Extension
There’s no worse feeling than loading up your shopping cart and checking out, only to realize you missed out on a juicy cashback opportunity due to forgetfulness.
Thankfully, like other money saving browser extensions, the TopCashback browser extension ensures that you never miss out on savings again when shopping online.
To get started, simply install the extension and login to your TopCashback account. As you browse the web, you’ll receive notifications if you’re shopping at an eligible TopCashback partner.
Currently, the extension is available for Google Chrome and Firefox. You don’t need to visit TopCashback either; the extension lets you activate a cashback offer right on the retailer’s website.
The extension doesn’t cover every TopCashback store, but it gets most of them, so it’s really all you need to use this platform.
2. Mobile App
Mobile shopping becomes more popular every year, and chances are, you’ve bought something straight from your smartphone before.
This used to be a problem for reward programs, but TopCashback has caught up with the times. If you download the TopCashback app for Android or iOS, you can still earn cashback for shopping at TopCashback partners from your phone.
The app also grants access to printable vouchers and deals in your area, and you can still search for coupon codes on the TopCashback website.
This won’t be a major win for you if you only shop through your computer, but I thought the feature was worth mentioning for this TopCashback review!
3. Trending Now
One feature I like about TopCashback over Rakuten is the “Trending Now” section, which highlights where other members are saving the most money.
This section updates very frequently, and it’s an easy way to spot the most lucrative deals, rebates, and brands that are paying off big time for members.
If you have some gift shopping to take care of and don’t know where to start, checkout this section before doing anything else.
4. TopCashback PLus
One feature that I also thought was cool was for the UK version of TopCashback.
In the UK, you can actually upgrade your account to TopCashback Plus in exchange for £5 of your annual cashback earnings.
This upgrade provides extra member offers, competitions, cashback bonuses, and a variety of other offers. Again, this is only for UK members, but I thought it was worth mentioning to show how diverse this rewards platform truly is.
Other TopCashback Reviews
One of the best ways to tell if a reward app is actually worth it is to read reviews from other members. And from what I’ve seen, other TopCashback reviews are fairly positive.
For example, Reddit threads like this show that happy users enjoy the cashback offers and fact that there’s no minimum cashout amount, unlike Rakuten. Here’s what some users are saying:
- VanillaPumpkinCake says: “I’ve been using topcashback for almost 2 years and have claimed over $200 from them. I haven’t had any issues cashing out yet. I actually switched over to them from ebates, because ebates was skipping my payout dates. Topcashback also offers bonuses depending on the method you cash out.’
- crownuff says: “I’ve gotten over 100 bucks from topcashback. What I do is use a separate browser with ad block disabled for topcashback or other cashback portals.”
- wredditcrew says: “I’m in the UK. I use TCB and Quidco for everything. It’s awesome.”
Some reviews show that on occasion, your cashback might not credit properly. However, it seems like a simple support ticket resolves the issue, and this is a common issue with many cash back platforms.
Overall, the impression I get is that everyone knows about Rakuten, but not too many people know about TopCashback. However, it seems like the users who do know about this platform enjoy the lack of cashout threshold, earning potential, and support system.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- High cash back amounts
- Variety of rewards, including PayPal cash and direct deposit
- 4,000+ retailer partners
- Available in several countries
- Free to use
- Browser extension and mobile app are both available
Cons:
- Doesn’t always offer a sign up bonus
- Cash back credits slowly
- Offers don’t always credit so you have to contact support
The Best TopCashback Alternatives
After testing out dozens of reward apps over the years, some are excellent while others are complete duds.
I think TopCashback is one of the better platforms out there, and I love the variety of rewards and partners. That said, some alternatives you can use to snag free money include:
- Capital One Shopping: Automatically applies available coupon codes at checkout and works with thousands of retailers.
- Rakuten: Another cash back platform that also has a nice $10 sign up bonus.
- Honey: Another extension that helps you find coupons at checkout.
- Kudos: This free extension helps you pick the best credit card to shop with to maximize points.
- Drop: One of the leading shopping reward apps in North America.
- Bridge Money: A new passive income app that pays you whenever you shop with a linked card.
Between these apps and websites, you should be able to get paid for shopping both online and in-store. And you’d be amazed at how quickly savings can add up.
Note: Capital One Shopping compensates us when you sign up with the provided link.
TopCashback vs Rakuten – Which One Is Best?
TopCashback is better than Rakuten if you want a wider variety of rewards and don’t want to wait for quarterly payments. And in my testing, I’ve found that it often has slightly higher cash back rates. However, Rakuten is better for its sign up bonuses, and it also lets you earn American Express points with some cards, which could be a selling point.
Personally, I use Rakuten more than TopCashback since I find it easier to use. But I always compare cash back rates between each company and suggest you do the same.
Plus, you can get free money by signing up for Rakuten and then still use TopCashback when it pays more.
Is TopCashback A Scam?
No, TopCashback isn’t a scam, and I was able to cash out with the platform successfully and got paid. However, you have to shop through TopCashback for purchases to credit, and it takes a long time for earnings to actually deposit in your account.
This platform won’t make you rich by any means. But it’s an effective way to keep a bit more money in your wallet, which we’re a fan of.
Final Thoughts
I hope this TopCashback review has helped clarify some of the pros and cons of using this platform.
At the end of the day, there are so many reward platforms out there that claim they can help you save. TopCashback actually backs up this claim, and the variety of partners and reward options are selling points.
If you want to get free PayPal cash or gift cards the next time you shop online, we suggest giving it a try.
Thanks for reading!
Want more money-making ideas? Checkout:
TopCashback Review
Name: TopCashback
Description: TopCashback is a rewards website that pays you for shopping online at over 4,000 partners!
Operating System: Windows, Android, IOS
Application Category: Shopping
Author: Tom Blake
-
Earning Potential
-
Ease of Use
-
Reward Options
-
Bonus Offers
Tom is a full-time blogger and freelance writer with a passion for side hustling, passive income, and the gig economy. His work has appeared on dozens of personal finance websites like Money Crashers, The College Investor, Investor Junkie, and more. This Online World is all about providing people with honest ways to make and save more money by using technology. To learn more about Tom, read his About Page!
If you’re interested in freelance writing services or want to partner with This Online World, please use our contact page to get in touch!
