How to use TopCashBack for cash rewards shopping on almost everything you buy
Every time I shop online, I look for the lowest price after shipping. One way I save even more money is using a cash back portal like TopCashback. With a single click, you’re on your way to saving up to 40% every time you buy something online.
I’ve been using cashback websites like TopCashback on a weekly basis for nearly three years now and earn close to $400 a year in cash rewards. TopCashback is a legitimate way to save money shopping, and they offer several larger bonuses that some of the other cashback websites can’t match.
This TopCashBack review will help you find your way around the site to get the most out of your cash rewards shopping. Starting on the site is free and you can start earning cash bonuses immediately.
Pros of TopCashBack Rewards Shopping
TopCashback is a legit cashback website and one of the better options for these reasons:
- Higher everyday cashback rates than most
- No redemption minimums
- 3% reward bonus on Amazon and Gap gift card
- Contests and surveys to win additional cash back
- Mobile app for Android and iOS devices
Cons of TopCashBack Rewards
- No browser extension
- No sign-up bonus
- Must log in every six months to keep account active
Get started with a free TopCashBack account and see for yourself
How Does TopCashback Work?
TopCashback is a cash bonus website that gives you a cash reward when you shop at over 4,000 online stores through their website or mobile app. It’s like a cash rewards credit card; you don’t pay any extra and get cash back on almost everything you buy.
It’s completely free to use TopCashback and your rewards don’t expire as long as you log in to the site at least once every six months.
How much cashback you earn varies from store to store but the site is very competitive with the other portals like Ebates and Swagbucks. You might only earn 1% at Best Buy but you’ll get up to 12% booking a hotel on many travel sites. A personal favorite of mine is the online learning site Udemy where you can get 25% back.
You pay the same prices at checkout—with or without TopCashback—because retailers offer additional cashback to entice you to shop at their store instead.
For example, if you need to buy new clothes and can pay the same price at either Kohl’s or JC Penney, but one offers 6% back and the other offers 3% back, which will you choose? If you’re like me and aren’t loyal to a certain clothing brand, you’ll choose the store offering 6% back because of the higher reward.
How to Get Cash Rewards for Shopping
Instead of going directly to the online store to shop, follow these steps instead:
- Get started free on TopCashBack with just an email
- Visit the TopCashback website or mobile app
- Select the online store or browse to see who offers the best rewards
- Click “Get Cashback Now” Button
- Make your purchase before you close your internet session (otherwise you have to go back through the cash rewards site to get credit)
- Receive cashback message within 24 hours
If you close the shopping window, you will need to activate a new session to earn cashback. After you checkout, you typically receive an email within 24 hours stating how much cash back you earn.
Click the red “Get Cashback Now” button to activate your shopping session. A new browser tab will open for you to complete the purchase.
Although most websites offer cash back on every item purchased before tax and shipping, take a second to read the terms and conditions for excluded products. For instance, Amazon only offers cash back shopping on select rotating categories and most retailers don’t offer cash back on gift cards and select tech gadgets.
When I bought a new computer and printer in 2017, I went through two different retailers to guarantee I received cash back rewards. It was a slight hassle, but it was worth the savings on a $700 combined purchase.
After making a purchase with TopCashback, your reward will almost always post within 24 hours. You will receive an email notification and can see your balance on the TopCashback website. Your balance typically unlocks in six weeks—this is the standard holding period for any cash back website including Swagbucks.
What are the TopCashback Rewards Options?
After the six-week waiting period, your cash rewards will change from “Pending” to “Payable.” When this happens, you can redeem your available balance for cash or a gift card.
TopCashback also offers five different payout options:
- PayPal
- Direct Deposit
- American Express Reward Card
- Amazon gift card
- Gap gift card
You get a 3% redemption bonus when you select the Amazon or Gap gift card. With a $100 balance, your gift card balance will be $13 – Can you say free money?
Two rewards perks distinguish TopCashback from the other cash back websites:
- No minimum redemption threshold
- 3% Amazon gift card bonus vs. standard cash reward
Theoretically, you can request a cash payout with a rewards balance of just a penny. With other cashback websites, your balance must be at least $5.01 to claim your cash rewards.
If you don’t shop online much, it could take you several months to a year to earn at least $5 in rewards. Frequent and infrequent shoppers benefit from the flexbile redemption options to ensure your reward never goes unclaimed. The only stipulation is that you must login to your account at least once every six months, even if you don’t make a purchase.
TopCashback vs. Ebates: Which is Better for Cash Rewards Shopping
Ebates is one of the most popular cash back websites because it was one of the first but that doesn’t make it the best. TopCashback is a worthy contender and you might like it more than Ebates for these reasons:
- Cashback at 4,000+ stores vs. 2,000+
- Higher cash back rate at many stores
- Additional earning opportunities with contests, scavenger hunts, and surveys
- No redemption minimum and on-demand payment
Where Ebates maintains the edge is the browser extension—TopCashback only has a mobile app—and you can also earn cash back when shopping in-store at 30+ retailers.
If you forget to visit the TopCashback website or mobile app to activate a shopping session, you won’t earn cash back. Hopefully, TopCashback will offer a browser extension so you can go directly to the retailer website, click the extension button to activate the session, and seamlessly earn cash back.
In summary, TopCashback offers higher cashback rates on average than other cashback websites. They can offer higher rates because they make money through advertising revenue on their site and above-the-fold email advertising. I like that the site offers a lower hurdle to redeem your cash rewards. That saves a lot of people from wasting their time if they don’t reach the $5 minimum on a lot of other cash rewards websites.
Check out TopCashBack and Start Saving Today
TopCashback isn’t a scam and I plan to use them on a regular basis to shop online. Having a browser extension would be a huge plus, but taking a few extra seconds for extra cashback and flexible redemption options is well worth the trade. Making a note to use the cash rewards website every time you buy online can make you hundreds of dollars a year.