What is cashback and how does it actually work?
Every cashback platform on earth runs on the same underlying machine: performance marketing. Brands pay commissions to channels that deliver them paying customers — they always have, whether that channel is a TV ad, an influencer, or an app like ours. A cashback platform simply takes that commission and hands most of it to the person who actually generated it: you.
Where the money comes from
When you buy a hotel night, a pair of sneakers or place a trade through a tracked link, the brand pays the referring platform a commission — typically 1–15% for retail, much more in financial services. Without cashback, an affiliate site keeps all of it. With cashback, the platform returns the majority of that commission to you and keeps a thin slice as revenue. That's the entire model. No subscription fees, no selling your data, no price markups.
Numbers rounded for clarity. The split varies by brand and category, but the structure is always this one.
How tracking actually works
Cashback is an attribution business. The brand has to know the sale came from you, via us — otherwise there is no commission to share. There are two attribution styles:
- Tap-through (shopping & travel): you open the store through the platform, a tracking reference rides along, and the store's system maps your checkout back to your wallet. Last click wins — if you tap another affiliate or coupon link after ours, the commission (and your cashback) follows that click instead.
- Account link (trading): your broker or exchange account is attributed once at signup or re-attribution, and after that every trade reports automatically. No cookies involved, nothing to remember per-session.
Pending vs confirmed — why the wait exists
Shopping cashback shows as pending until the store's return window closes, because a refunded order claws back its commission. Travel confirms after the stay or flight actually happens. Trading rebates settle fastest of all — a closed trade can't be 'returned'. The pending window is not bureaucracy; it's exactly what makes a confirmed balance trustworthy. Once confirmed, it's final money.
Real cashback vs points — the three-line test
| Question | Real cashback | Points scheme |
|---|---|---|
| Can I withdraw it as money? | Yes — bank transfer or USDT | No — only spend in-ecosystem |
| Does it expire? | Never | Usually 6–24 months |
| What's it worth? | Face value, always | Whatever the redemption table says this quarter |
'Up to 12%' is honest when the rate table is public and per-store rates are shown before you buy. It's a trap when the headline number only applies to one product category during one campaign. Judge a platform by its rate transparency, not its biggest banner.
The calculator shows what your normal spending — shopping, hotels, subscriptions, trading — turns into per year. No signup needed.
Frequently asked questions
Is cashback taxable?+
In most jurisdictions cashback on your own purchases is treated as a discount, not income — but rules differ by country and for trading rebates specifically. If the amounts are material, check a local tax adviser. We publish annual statements you can use.
Why don't brands just lower prices instead?+
Because commissions are performance marketing: the brand only pays when a sale actually happens, and the channel competes to deliver customers. A blanket price cut helps everyone including people who'd have bought anyway; a commission buys incremental customers. That budget exists either way — cashback just routes your share of it to you.
Do I pay more when I buy through a cashback link?+
No. The tracked link opens the same store, same prices, same stock, same checkout. The commission comes out of the brand's marketing budget, not out of your price. Stacking store vouchers and card promos on top is allowed and encouraged.
What happens if a purchase doesn't track?+
Roughly 98% track automatically. For the rest there's a missing-cashback claim: submit the order number within the claim window and it gets chased with the store. The usual culprits are another affiliate click after ours, aggressive ad-blockers, or excluded categories like gift cards.