Searching for the best cashback app? Then take a look at these 12 great options and see how you can save money when shopping at your favourite stores.
The best UK cashback apps and sign up bonuses
- Airtime Rewards – £1 bonus
- TopCashback – £10 bonus
- Quidco – £1 bonus
- LoyalBe – 1,000 bonus coins
- Swapi – 50 bonus points
- JamDoughnut – 450 bonus points
- Cheddar
- KidStart
- Shopmium – free product
- CheckoutSmart
- GreenJinn
Possibly, one of the simplest ways you can make money is through cashback. It’s almost like receiving an instant discount. The issue is remembering. This is where a cashback app comes in handy. What better way to remember than having it at your fingertips on your phone? Here, I have listed some of the best cashback apps.
How do cashback apps work?
This depends on the app you’re using. Some apps require you to link your debit or credit card to the app and money will automatically be added to your account when you make a purchase at a particular store. Other apps require you to click on a link before purchasing online. And finally, some apps need you to purchase a specific item from a supermarket. Then, scan your receipt and you’ll receive money back – sometimes a percentage, sometimes all of it.
The best cashback apps
And, in no particular order, here are some of the best apps for your phone.
Airtime Rewards
The first cashback app to make it to the list is very easy to use. All you need to do is link your debit or credit card to the app and when you make a purchase at a qualifying store, cashback will automatically be sent to your account. The money you earn can then be put towards your mobile phone bill.
Retailers listed on the app change, but you can often find the likes of Boots, Morrisons, Primark and Matalan listed there. And the great thing is the cashback works both online and in-store.
On top of that, you’ll also get a bonus 50 pence if you sign up using my code 8YXY4BLK. And make a purchase within a week for another 50 pence.
Or, take a look at my full Airtime Rewards review.
TopCashback
If you haven’t used TopCashback before… where have you been? TopCashback is one of the biggest UK cashback sites and comes with a handy app. Unlike the apps above, you don’t earn cashback by linking your cards. Instead, you need to click on a link before you make your purchase.
Because you need to click a link beforehand, cashback is only earned when you shop online. But there are thousands of retailers listed and rates can be very generous.
Membership is free, although there is a paid option for extra benefits. You can withdraw your earnings through PayPal, via your bank or as a gift voucher, which will earn you an extra boost.
Use the button below for a £10 bonus after you’ve made your first purchase.
Also worth reading
Find out how to earn more from the best money making apps.
Quidco
Quidco is a real competitor to TopCashback. It works in exactly the same way and offers a similar list of retailers. You’ll often find that Quidco and TopCashback have slightly different cashback rates, so it’s worth checking which will earn you the most before you shop.
Again, there is a paid membership option for those that think they can make use of the benefits.
Use the button below for a £1 bonus after your first purchase.
LoyalBe
LoyalBe works in a very similar fashion to Airtime Rewards. Once you’ve downloaded the app, link it to your account to earn loyaltyCoins. These can be swapped for gift cards for major retailers like Argos and Amazon. The only downside is that you can’t link credit cards to the app.
Many of the stores listed on LoyalBe are the same as Airtime Rewards. That means you have the chance to earn double cashback.
Click on the button below and you’ll get 1,000 coins for joining.
Swapi
Swapi is a kind of combination between TopCashback and Airtime Rewards. You can earn by either shopping through links on the Swapi app or by linking your debit or credit cards and making purchases that way. But instead of being given cash, you’re rewarded with points.
These points can then be exchanged for gift cards, free coffee or even a sausage roll.
The cashback rates aren’t quite as generous as the above apps, but this is still handy.
Use the button below and you’ll be given a free 50 points.
JamDoughnut
JamDoughnut gives you money off your shopping at selected stores. But to do so, you need to purchase a gift card for that store through the JamDoughnut app first. When you do this, you’ll earn cashback.
For example, if you’re about to spend £100 at Sainsbury’s, you buy your £100 gift card from JamDoughnut and use it to pay for your shopping. You’ll receive £4 back from JamDoughnut.
When you reach £10, you can withdraw your earnings to your bank account.
If you want to try it out, follow the link below and use the code O8ZG. You’ll get 200 points for joining plus another 250 after you make your first purchase. That’s £4.50!
Also worth reading
Find out some of the best ways to make money online.
Cheddar
Using open banking, Cheddar links to your bank account and pays you cashback when you spend at one of their chosen retailers – no need to click on any links. Cashback rates range from 1-10% and you can earn money from some pretty unique stores like Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
KidStart
Like TopCashback and Quidco above, open the app and click on the link to your favourite shop to earn cashback. But KidStart is a little different. Any money you earn will be paid into a child’s savings account. This doesn’t have to be your child but could be a friend or family member. Although cashback rates aren’t quite so reasonable, there are different retailers available and this is an excellent way to help your kids build for their future.
Best supermarket cashback apps
How would you like to earn cashback when you buy certain items when you do your weekly shopping? Several apps can give you great discounts on essentials like bread, cheese, squash and alcohol… All you need to do is take a photo of your receipt (and sometimes the item) and submit it through the app.
Each app will have different offers that will help reduce the cost of your weekly shopping. Depending on the app, they can be store-specific. For example, you can earn £1 cashback for buying three loaves of bread, but this is only valid from Tesco.
Here are some of the best:
Also worth reading
Shopmium
This app has a map with stores local to you and the various offers listed. To claim, you need to scan the product barcode and take a photo of the receipt, and then the money is added to your account. The minimum withdrawal amount is £5, which can be paid into your bank or PayPal account.
Apple users can download here
Android users can download here.
Sign up using the referral code AMUAFFUR, you will receive a special offer and I will receive a small referral fee.
Or, you can look at my full Shopmium review to find out more.
CheckoutSmart
CheckoutSmart operates the same as the above two apps, except that their offers aren’t store-specific. This does mean fewer offers but also means less traipsing around. You can request payment at any time, either through PayPal or your bank account but there is a 5% fee for anything under £20.
Apple users can download here
Android users can download here
Or, take a look at my CheckoutSmart review to see how it works.
It’s important to note that CheckoutSmart and ClickSnap are run by the same company which means they have the same offers. Sometimes, you can submit the same claim for both apps and be paid.
GreenJinn
Like the other apps, GreenJinn is slightly limited as it only covers Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. However, more supermarkets are planned. The app allows you to exclude vouchers you’re not interested in, making it far easier for you to find relevant offers. Like all the others, it’s a case of taking a photo of your receipt and submitting it. Once you reach £1.50, you can withdraw your earnings to PayPal or your bank account.
Apple users can download here
Android users can download here
Earn further cashback through receipts
Not only are there apps that give you cashback when you buy specific items, but there are also some that give you cashback just for a photo of your receipt. And this can be a receipt for food, electronics, games, or almost anything. All you need to do is to take a snap of that small piece of paper and submit it through the app. You will then have points or cash that can be paid into your PayPal account or exchanged for vouchers.
There are plenty available. Take a look at my page on the best receipt scanning apps.
Which is the best UK cashback app?
This is a tough one. Although it’s a shame that Airtime Rewards is restricted to paying off your mobile phone bill, it’s the easiest one to use. But there’s no reason why you can’t use all of the apps and make the most of them.
Don’t forget to stack your cashback!
Remember, you can claim cashback from multiple apps. For example, shop at Boots and you can collect money back from Upside, Airtime Rewards and you’ll be able to scan your photos afterwards. Before you go shopping, take a quick look to see what offers are available to you.
If you want to find out more about cashback sites, read more about TopCashback and Quidco.
Gone but not forgotten
Upside: This works in a very similar way to Airtime Rewards. Again, link your cards (or even a bank account) and cashback will be earned automatically. Cashback rates are slightly lower than Airtime, but the money can be paid to your bank rather than mobile phone bill – Scrapped January 2022
ClickSnap: A supermarket cashback app from Quidco – Scrapped December 2022
Super: An app that gave cashback when you clicked and shopped through links – cashback finished March 2023