TopCashback vs Quidco: which should you use?
TopCashback and Quidco each claim to pay more, so we compared the fees, joining bonuses and a real retailer rate. The practical answer for most people is to join both and check before each purchase.
Independent guidance. Some offer links may support this website. How we’re funded. Always check the terms of the individual offer.
The short answer: there is no permanent winner, so most people should join both and check which pays more before a purchase. Both are free to join. If you only want one account and do not want to compare, the lower yearly cost of TopCashback’s paid plan makes it the simpler choice for regular shoppers, but rates on the things you buy matter more than any headline.
TopCashback and Quidco at a glance
| Feature | TopCashback | Quidco |
|---|---|---|
| Free account | Yes | Yes |
| Paid plan | Plus, up to £5 a year | Premium, £1 per active month |
| How you pay | Taken from your cashback | Taken from your cashback |
| Joining bonus at our last check | £10 after £10 approved cashback | £10 after £5 confirmed cashback |
| Ways to withdraw | Bank, PayPal, gift cards | Bank, PayPal, gift cards |
Fees come from each site’s own pages and a July 2026 independent comparison. Some of those pages are several years old, so confirm the current figure on the sign-up page.
Who pays the best rates?
Be wary of any simple answer here. Quidco’s own comparison page says it pays the most. TopCashback’s own page says most of its rates are higher than Quidco’s. Both pages were written by the companies themselves, and both are dated: Quidco’s cites rates from 2019 and TopCashback’s was last updated in 2022.
Here is a real example from 7 November 2026. On Argos, TopCashback listed 5% for new customers on general online purchases. Quidco listed 3% for the same type of purchase, shown as its Premium rate. That is one retailer on one day, not proof of who is better overall. On another retailer or another week, the result could reverse.
When you compare, check the following:
- New or existing customer. Rates can differ a lot. Many of the highest rates are for new customers only.
- Category. Tech, sale items and gift cards often pay a different rate.
- Free or paid rate. Quidco’s page says its displayed rates are for Premium members, so the free rate may be lower.
Is a paid plan worth it?
Only if you earn enough for the extra rate to beat the fee.
TopCashback Plus costs up to £5 a year, taken from your cashback. Quidco Premium costs £1 for each month you are active, which could come to £12 a year if you shop through it every month. In a year with only a few purchases, Quidco’s monthly model can be cheaper. With steady monthly shopping, TopCashback’s fee is lower.
If you use cashback only for one or two large purchases a year, start with a free account and work out whether the paid rate would pay for itself on that purchase.
Which is easier to use?
Both work the same way: you click through from the site or app, buy from the retailer, then wait for the cashback to be tracked and confirmed. Timing depends on the retailer more than the cashback site, so neither one can make a slow retailer pay faster.
Both offer gift cards when you withdraw, and some of these add a bonus on top. That is worth having if you were going to shop at that store anyway. It is not a reason to lock your cashback into a store you rarely use.
Both can also reject claims. An independent review notes fair-usage limits on missing cashback claims, so keep claims for purchases that matter. See how cashback works for how tracking and claims work.
How to use both
- Join both, using the free plan to begin with.
- Before a purchase, search the retailer on each site and compare the rate for your exact situation.
- Click through from whichever pays more, and only use one cashback site for each order.
- Review after a few months. If you mostly use one, consider its paid plan.
Each site counts a joining bonus separately, so your first qualifying purchases can unlock both over time, as long as you meet each site’s terms.
Join through our invitations
- TopCashback offer: £10 joining bonus after £10 of approved cashback within 180 days, when you join during the current promotion (until 10am on 9 November 2026 at our last check).
- Quidco offer: £10 joining bonus after £5 of confirmed cashback.
These are referral links: we may earn a reward if you join through them, at no cost to you. Planning a big purchase soon? Read our guide to Black Friday cashback first.