Last updated: August 2026
You're going to spend money online this month regardless. The only question is whether you get any of it back.
Most people don't, and not because they're careless. They've just never been told there's a step that takes two minutes and costs nothing.
Cashback platforms pay you a percentage of what you spend at ordinary online shops — Amazon, Woolworths, Coles,booking.com, Expedia, hundreds of others. Same shop, same price, some of it comes back.
Australia's two biggest are ShopBack and TopCashback. Nearly every guide tells you to pick one.
I'd say join both. Here's why, and how to claim each sign-up bonus properly — including the conditions most articles skip over.
Worth knowing first: the sign-up bonuses only apply to accounts opened through a referral link. If you go straight to either site and register, there's no bonus to claim later. Both links are in the steps below.
How Cashback Actually Works
Instead of going straight to a retailer's site, you open the cashback app first and click through to the shop from there. The app tracks your purchase and credits a percentage back to your account, which you withdraw to your bank or PayPal.
You pay exactly the same price. Retailers pay commission to whoever sends them a customer; the cashback platform earns that commission and hands most of it to you, keeping a slice.
Nobody's losing money and there's no catch. But it only works if the platform can prove it sent you — which is why the tracking rules further down matter so much.
Why Both, Not One
Rates change every week. A shop paying 3% on ShopBack today might pay 7% on TopCashback tomorrow, then swap back. If you only have one app, you never find out what you missed. You're not doing anything wrong — you just can't see it.
Two sign-up bonuses instead of one. They're separate companies. Joining one doesn't affect the other.
Coverage isn't identical. Heavy overlap, but not complete. Occasionally the shop you want is on one and not the other.
Step 1: Join ShopBack
Make sure referral code bJTRB3 is applied during signup. You can register with email, Google or Apple.
To unlock the $20 bonus: you need $20 in confirmed cashback within 180 days of joining.
Step 2: Join TopCashback
Registration is free, with no subscription or withdrawal fees.
To unlock the $25 bonus: you need $10 in confirmed cashback within 90 days. That's a lower bar than ShopBack's, so it's usually the easier of the two to claim first.
The Word Everyone Skims: "Confirmed"
Both bonuses depend on confirmed cashback, not cashback you've earned on paper. That distinction is where people lose their bonus.
Cashback sits as pending first. It only becomes confirmed once the retailer validates the order — usually after their return window closes, which can take weeks.
So if you do your qualifying shopping in the last month of your window, it may not confirm in time. You did everything right and still miss out.
Do your shopping early in the window. Give the confirmations time to land.
Step 3: Check Both Before You Buy
Before any online purchase over about $30, open both apps and search the shop. Click through from whichever is paying more.
Under $30 it's usually not worth the two minutes. Above it, the gap between 2% and 7% starts being real money.
The One Rule That Trips People Up
Both platforms use last click wins tracking.
When you click through, a cookie tells the retailer who sent you. Click through from the second app as well and it overwrites the first — you can end up with nothing from either.
Compare in both. Click through in one.
Same applies to coupon sites. Find your code first, then click through from your chosen cashback app, then apply the code at checkout.
Making Sure It Tracks
Always start inside the app — never go direct to the retailer
Re-click through if you leave or refresh the page
Disable ad blockers while shopping — they block tracking scripts
Don't open other cashback or coupon sites at the same time
Finish the purchase in one session, one tab
Screenshot your order confirmation in case you need to lodge a claim
When Can You Withdraw?
Once cashback moves from pending to confirmed, you withdraw to your bank account or PayPal. Both are free to use — no signup fee, no subscription, no withdrawal fee.
Is It Actually Worth It?
Honestly, it won't change your life. It's a small slice back on money you were spending anyway, and anyone selling it as an income stream is overselling it.
But both apps are free, there's no obligation to keep using them, and across a year of ordinary online shopping it adds up quietly in the background.
One caution: never buy something you didn't need because of the cashback. Five percent back on a $200 purchase you didn't want isn't saving $10 — it's spending $190.
And cashback doesn't replace shopping around. A shop paying 8% that's 15% dearer than a competitor is a worse deal, not a better one. Compare the price first, cashback second.
Start Here
Join ShopBack — use code bJTRB3
Set both up now, do your first shop early, and the next time you buy something online you'll already be earning on it.
FAQ
Are these apps free?
Yes. No signup fee, subscription or withdrawal fee on either. They earn from retailer commission.
Can I use both at once?
Have both accounts, yes. But never click through to the same shop from both for one purchase — the second click cancels the first.
Which pays more?
Neither consistently. Rates vary by shop and change weekly. That's the whole reason to check both.
How long until cashback confirms?
Usually after the retailer's return window closes — a few weeks to a couple of months.
Why didn't my cashback track?
Usually ad blockers, clicking through from two places, splitting the purchase across sessions, or going direct to the retailer. Both platforms have a claims process if you have your order confirmation.
Is cashback taxable in Australia?
Cashback on personal purchases is generally treated as a rebate rather than income, but it can differ for business purchases or referral earnings. Not tax advice — check with a registered tax agent or the ATO.
General information only, and it doesn't account for your personal circumstances. Cashback offers, rates and conditions are set by the platforms and change frequently — always read the current terms before signing up.
Disclosure: This post contains referral links. If you sign up through them, I may earn a bonus at no extra cost to you. I use both platforms myself. Bonus amounts and conditions are set by the platforms and change — always check the current offer before signing up. #ad
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