Cashback Sites: Don't Save Money, Make it

As those early-80s British headband rockers once sort of said, you can get money for nothing.

Not by playing your gee-tar on the MTV I've found - but by using web cashback sites. It really surprises me how few people are actually aware these sites exist. Simply put, cashback sites give you a cut of their commission when you shop, visit or do business with linked retailers through their portal. So if you're already going to buy something online, such as taking out property insurance, getting a credit card (something I personally don't like) or buying a CD for someone, I would always check if you can earn cashback before you dish out the dosh. It's unbelievably quick and easy to do... and isn't that what we WBFM's (Would-Be Future Millionaires) like?

The two major downsides to cashback sites are

1. It can take around three months to receive your cashback, if at all. Your money's not guaranteed. The retailer might not pay out, your transaction might not be tracked as I've found out from personal experience. Never count your cash until it's sitting in your bank account.
2. Some won't let you withdraw your earnings until a certain payment threshold is reached (usually around £25). So if you use lots of different sites, you'll make it harder to access that cash. A good strategy is to stick to 2-3 different sites and focus mainly on the big-ticket money-earners so you pass the threshold quickly.
   

Though we all want to save money in these troubled times, we really want to make easy moolah too.

So ragingly desperate are some sites and retailers for your custom, they will happily pay you more than you give them - making a net gain for you. There is a reason for this: These sites tend to those of the 'habit-forming' variety. Yes, gambling sites. Just do what you must to get the cashback, then walk away.

Here's a list of the main cashback sites. Register with the following sites for nothing. The little caret (^) on a link means we get a referral bonus when you register, though this doesn't influence my choices - honestly. Thanks in advance for any support.

Big cashback players (ingeneral order of preference)

• Cashback Kings^ (Highest cashback guarantee, Keeps first £5 of cashback)
• Top CashBack^ (No payment threshold)
• WePromiseTo^ (No payment threshold, high rates)
• Quidco (Keeps first £5 of cashback, £5 annual membership fee, no payment threshold afterwards)
• Rpoints^ (£5 introductory bonus payable after first £20, low payment threshold afterwards - £1, usually lower cashback rates)
• GreasyPalm^ (High initial payment threshold - £22.50)
• eCashRewards^ (Cashback-match promise, £2.50 signup bonus, £15 payment threshold)
  

I'll be posting up any no-brainer deals on here as I find them. If you see any too, let's share them.

Now I just have to work on the chicks for free part...

See also:

• Cashback offer comparison tool (via MoneySavingExpert.com) - use after you've registered with the sites above.