Is Ibotta a legit cash-back app? Let’s have a closer look and find out.
If you’re looking for a way to make some extra money, you may have heard of cashback sites. In very simple terms, cashback platforms are websites or apps that allow you to earn a percentage of money back on your purchases.
All you need to do is choose a cashback site, sign up, and shop for something you need. The platform then tracks your purchases and returns a percentage of money you spent to your account. Sounds simple? In theory, it is. The thing is – there are a lot of cashback platforms available.
With so many different choices out there, choosing a single cashback platform can be difficult. This is where Analysia will help you – we will be putting some of the best cashback platforms to the sword to see which ones are worth your time and which ones are not.
Today, I will be taking a closer look at TopCashback. This platform has firmly established itself as one of the go-to choices for all online shoppers. They also boast some of the highest cashback rates in the industry. So, is TopCashback truly as good as the hype suggests, or are we dealing with little more than good marketing?
In this TopCashback review, I will look at the main features of this platform, how to use it for maximum profit, and who it is for.
So, without further ado, let’s get started and dive right in. Here is our full TopCashback review:u
What is TopCashback?
TopCashback is a cashback platform that was founded in the UK back in 2005 by two software developers Mike Ragg and Oliver Tomkins. The company took off quickly and established itself as one of the main players of the British cashback market. As of 2022, TopCashback continues to be among the most popular cashback choices there.
Due to their success in Great Britain, TopCashback decided to make a bold move of expanding to the huge American cashback market in 2011.
As of 2022, this move can be considered a success. With more than 3 million users, TopCashback has become a force to be reckoned with in the American cashback market.
In the following, let’s quickly go through the process of signing up for TopCashback.
How to Sign Up to TopCashback?
To start using TopCashback, you will first need to create an account on the TopCashback website. This will probably take you a minute or two because TopCashback will only ask for your email address and a password of your selection. A welcome change from some other cashback sites that want your address, phone numbers, and other personal details.
Now, once you have set an e mail address and a password, you will receive an instant confirmation email. Once you confirm your e mail address, your account is ready to go and you can start shopping.
Now that you have an account, I suggest you take a look at the different categories of items and services that offer cashback via this platform. Here are some examples:
- Travel – vacation packages, hotels, airlines, etc.
- Home and Garden – home improvement, pets, building materials, etc.
- Tech – computers, smartphones, video games, streaming services, etc.
- Fashion – clothes, jewelry, watches, etc.
- Fitness – gym memberships, sportswear, etc.
- Health and Beauty – cosmetics, fragrances, diet products, etc.
This is just a rough breakdown of the Topcashback offers. In a nutshell, you can earn cashback from virtually all possible categories.
How to Start Earning with TopCashback?
Once you have set up your account, I suggest you install both the TopCashback app (available on iOS and Android) and the TopCashback browser extension.
The TopCashback app will allow you to earn cashback on purchases made directly through the app. Just open up the app, search for the item or service you need and see whether there is a cashback offer available. If you choose to purchase said item or service, a percentage of the sum spent will be sent to your TopCashback account. It’s that simple!
The TopCashback app also offers coupon codes, which you can use for additional cashback. By the way, the couponing process is entirely automatic – if you buy something online and there are coupon codes available, TopCashback will find them and automatically apply them to your purchases.
The TopCashback browser extension is even more convenient to use than the app.
Here, all you have to do is install the extension and shop like you usually do. If the online store you use has a deal available, you will get an automatic notification from the TopCashback browser extension. You can then activate the deal with one quick click, purchase the item or service, and you are good to go. Oh, and similarly to the app, available coupons are also found and applied automatically.
Once your purchase is approved, you will receive the money on your TopCashback account, usually within 7 days after the purchase.
In the next paragraph of our TopCashback review, let’s take a look at some tips for maximizing your earnings on this cashback platform.
Tips for Maximizing Your Earnings on TopCashback
Using some simple tricks can be the difference between making a few passive dollars and earning some serious extra cash on this platform.
Here are some ways you can use for speeding up your earnings on TopCashback:
Choose Your Payout Options Wisely
TopCashback frequently offers special bonuses for a specific payout method. For example, TopCashback can have a bonus offer for withdrawing your earnings in Amazon gift cards.
Let’s say that this bonus is 5%. In this example, you will earn a 5% bonus without even buying anything extra. So, whenever you are planning on withdrawing your earnings, check to see whether there are any bonuses on offer.
Use Other Cashback Sites in Addition to TopCashback
TopCashback is heavily focused on online shopping. This means that you should use at least two platforms to keep that cashback flowing – use one platform for getting cashback on your in-store purchases and TopCashback for online shopping.
Of course, you are free to use as many cashback apps and browser extensions as you like, but I have found that using over 3 platforms at once is too time-consuming. The small savings you make are simply not worth spending more than 20 minutes of your time.
Refer Your Friends & Family to TopCashback
All users of TopCashback have access to a special referral link that they can share with their friends or family. This recruiting system is called “Tell-a-Friend.”
This referral program is very simple – you receive a flat $25 referral bonus on your account once someone signs up using your referral link and earns their first $10.
Use this opportunity if you have any friends or family who might be interested in this kind of cashback site. You can show someone a great saving opportunity while also gaining an extra $25 on your TopCashback account. It is a pure win-win.
Use Limited-Time Offers
TopCashback frequently hosts special promotions for its partners. These offers are only available for a limited time and have unusually high cashback rates. Make it a habit to look at what offers are available, but make sure that you only buy what you need.
Always spend because you NEED an item or a service, not because you see a shiny offer on a cashback platform. The line between spending and saving money can be surprisingly thin, so watch out!
Pros of TopCashback
In the following, let’s take a look at some of the main advantages of choosing TopCashback as your cashback site of choice.
Immediate Payout Possibility
One of the things that truly sets this platform apart from competitors is that there are no limits to when you can make your first withdrawal. Your earnings are sent to either a bank or a PayPal account and you can choose to redeem your money even if your account only has a few cents to its name.
This feature seemed a bit too good to be true, so I had to put it to the test. Lo and behold, they were not lying. I managed to withdraw $1.47 without any hassle.
TopCashback Makes Regular Investments into Environmental and Social Causes
This is not directly related to the user experience of TopCashback, but it is worth mentioning nevertheless. Especially considering how seedy the operations of some cashback platforms can be.
TopCashback has a policy of regularly investing some of its advertisement revenue into organizations that create a positive social or environmental impact. Examples of these organizations include Bluefield (a solar energy company) and Abiomed (the manufacturers of the world’s smallest heart pump.)
A Good Platform for Shopping Online
TopCashback is mainly focused on online shopping. If you have tried many cashback platforms before, you will quickly see that the number of online offers on TopCashback is much bigger than average. Cashback offers vary from fashion and fitness to more niche categories like online courses and tax software.
100% of the Commission Rates Go to The User
All of the commissions from the partners of TopCashback go to the end-user of the platform. TopCashback uses sources such as sponsored ads and promotions for making revenue.
This is also the reason that users see cashback rates that are way above average. For example, I have seen percentages as high as 40% on this site. So, if you do manage to strike gold on TopCashback, you might save A LOT of money in the long term.
Efficient And Trustworthy Customer Service
The customer service of TopCashback is helpful and truly efficient. The customer experience is always at the forefront and all issues with the service are promptly solved.
For example, one customer had an issue where the merchant erroneously refused the cashback payment. In this instance, TopCashback paid the missing money out of their own pocket. This shows just how committed they are to caring for all of their customers.
An International Cashback Site
So many great TopCashback alternatives only operate in the USA. TopCashback itself has a much wider reach as they also operate in China, Japan, the UK, and Germany.
Cons of TopCashback
Saving Opportunities Are Very Limited For Everyday Purchases Like Groceries
Yes, the presence of TopCashback is truly impressive when it comes to online shopping. That said, how many people shop for everyday items like groceries 100% online?
As impressive as the platform is, TopCashback is not the best choice if you want to save on your typical in-store grocery runs.
No Sign Up Bonus
There are no limits to when you can redeem the cash you have earned through TopCashback. Unfortunately, this also means that you will not get a sign up bonus that is so common to many popular cashback platforms. To see the numbers grow, you are going to have to do some shopping!
Best TopCashback Alternatives
Flipp App – Best-in-class app for saving on everyday grocery shopping. A very intuitive app that can be downloaded and used without signing up. If you are interested in this app, feel free to read our full review of Flipp App.
Drop App – The most hands-off of all cashback platforms. Choose this one if you want your saving strategy to be as passive as possible. If you are interested in learning more about the Drop app, feel free to read our full review of Drop.
Fetch Rewards – An app that has very solid cashback rates, but only pays in gift cards. In addition to cashback, Fetch Rewards offers some additional useful features such as expense tracking. If you are interested in joining Fetch, feel free to read our full review of Fetch Rewards for more information on this app.
Conclusion – Is TopCashback Worth It?
Overall, I was very impressed with several features of TopCashback.
The browser extension and the app are very easy to use, the amount of different offers is huge, and the cashback rates are some of the highest I have seen. In addition to the aforementioned features, TopCashback also has a great customer service and by far the most flexible payout system of all cashback platforms.
If I was to point out a significant flaw, it would be the lack of saving options for in-store purchases. If you are not that big on online shopping, then you will probably find TopCashback to be a waste of time.
All things considered, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend TopCashback to anyone interested in saving money on their online purchases.