Cashback sites: how to make sure your cashback tracks (and what to do if it doesn't)

Last checked: 1 November 2026.

The short answer: cashback depends on the retailer recognising that you came from the cashback site. TopCashback's and Quidco's own terms both say that tracking usually fails because you weren't logged in, you didn't click through from the cashback site right before buying, cookies were blocked, you used a voucher code from elsewhere, or the order was changed, returned or cancelled. Get those right, keep your receipts, and claim promptly. Quidco's terms give you 45 days from the transaction to make a claim.

For how cashback compares with points, see Cashback vs points. Our TopCashback and Quidco profiles have more on each site.

Why cashback fails: what the terms say

TopCashback's terms (which TopCashback says were "most recently updated in April 2018") say your purchase is tracked "using cookies and various other technologies". They list these conditions:

• You must click through "via the main 'Continue' button on the Site. Clicking through to a retailer via any other link or a sponsored advert will not activate the tracking."
• You must complete the purchase "from the point of clicking through". Navigating away, or not finishing the transaction then, "may result in the transaction failing to track".
• "If you are not logged in to your Topcashback account when you make your purchase, there will be no identifying tag matching you with the transaction."
• The retailer decides whether a purchase qualifies. Repeat purchases "may not qualify", and cashback "may be declined if all or part of your order is returned, amended or cancelled".
• Voucher codes: codes "not obtained from our Site but used in conjunction with a cashback offer will often result in your Cashback not being awarded". Even codes from TopCashback's own site come with no guarantee.

Quidco's Account Holder Agreement says cashback will be forfeited in situations including where:

• "you were not logged-in to the Quidco Services when making the relevant purchase";
• you "did not consent to cookies (where the relevant retailer does not have another method of tracking)";
• the transaction is cancelled, for example when a product is returned;
• "the Retailer fails to track your cashback or does not provide us with the correct information".

The pre-purchase checklist

1. Log in first to the cashback site or app. Both sites' terms make this essential.

2. Search for the retailer and read its cashback terms. Some products, payment methods or customer types may be excluded.

3. Click through using the site's own button. On TopCashback that's "Continue". Don't use a sponsored advert or a saved bookmark.

4. Accept the retailer's cookies. Quidco says purchases may not be verified without cookie consent where the retailer has no other way of tracking.

5. Don't wander off. Complete the purchase in the same session you clicked through from. TopCashback's terms warn that navigating away can break tracking.

6. Only use voucher codes the cashback site lists. Codes from elsewhere often void the cashback, and TopCashback doesn't guarantee its own listed codes.

7. Keep your confirmation email and order number. Quidco may ask for proof of purchase, and you will need the details if you have to claim.

After you've bought

• Look for the "tracked" entry. How long a purchase takes to appear is reported but Not yet confirmed by TopCashback or Quidco, so that timing is Not yet confirmed.
• Don't return or change the order if you can help it. Returned, amended or cancelled orders can lose their cashback.
• Log in regularly. TopCashback says you must log in "at least once every 6 months" to keep your account active. Disabled accounts can lose their cashback. Quidco forfeits balances on accounts with no log-in for more than six months.
• Withdraw once it's payable. TopCashback says legal title to cashback passes to you only when you withdraw it.

If it doesn't track: making a claim

1. Check the timing. Give the retailer time to report the purchase before you claim.

2. Claim inside the deadline. Quidco's agreement says claims must be made "within 45 days of the transaction". TopCashback's terms don't give a fixed deadline, so check its help centre for the current window.

3. Use the site's own claim form (Quidco calls it a "Missing Cashback Claim"). Include your order number, date, amount and confirmation email.

4. Know the limits. TopCashback says the retailer's or its tracking agency's decision "is final". Quidco says that if the retailer fails to track, "you will have no recourse against us though you may have recourse against the Retailer".

Never share your cashback site password, or any retailer or loyalty login, with anyone. That includes us.

Worked examples

Example 1: Quidco's claim window. You bought something through Quidco on 1 November 2026 and it hasn't tracked. Counting 45 days from the transaction, your last day to claim is 16 December 2026.

Example 2: the dormancy rule. Your last TopCashback log-in was 1 May 2026. TopCashback asks members to log in at least once every 6 months, so log in by early November 2026 to avoid the account being treated as dormant. Logging in doesn't require a purchase.

Example 3: the voucher code trap. You find a 10% code on a third-party voucher website and use it with a cashback click-through. TopCashback's terms say codes not obtained from its site "will often result in your Cashback not being awarded". The discount may still apply, but expect the cashback to be at risk.

Stacking with points

Cashback sites can sometimes be used alongside the retailer's own loyalty scheme or a points-earning card, but each scheme has its own rules. See How much are your points worth? to compare, and sign up for RewardsSorted's free email alerts for rule changes.

FAQ

Why does cashback need cookies? Both TopCashback and Quidco say purchases are tracked with cookies or similar technology. Without them, the retailer may not be able to show that you came from the cashback site.

How long do I have to claim missing cashback on Quidco? 45 days from the transaction, according to Quidco's Account Holder Agreement.

Can I use any voucher code and still get cashback? Often not. TopCashback warns that codes from outside its site will often mean no cashback.

Does returning an item affect my cashback? Yes. Both sites say returned or cancelled orders can lose their cashback.

Will I lose my balance if I don't log in? You could. TopCashback asks you to log in at least every 6 months, and Quidco forfeits balances on accounts inactive for more than six months.

Sources and last checked

All checked on 1 November 2026:

• TopCashback, Terms and Conditions (sections 6, 10.3 and 11; page states "most recently updated in April 2018"): https://www.topcashback.co.uk/terms/
• TopCashback, Help and Contact Us: https://www.topcashback.co.uk/help/
• Quidco, Account Holder Agreement (claims within 45 days; forfeiture cases): https://www.quidco.com/quidco-account-holder-agreement/
• Quidco, How it works: https://www.quidco.com/how-it-works/

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