The Complete ShopBack Review In 2024

Being paid to shop seems too good to be true, but that’s exactly what happens when you shop through cashback sites.

Would you like to earn cash for shopping with just about all of your favourite retailers? Introducing ShopBack, one of Australia’s leading cashback sites.

Leveraging cashback sites when you shop in-store and online is a sure way to save money at many stores that you’d likely shop with anyway, so it’s a no-brainer.

This ultra-savvy hack may not sound real, but we promise you it is one of the best frugal living tips.

New to ShopBack? We’ve covered all you need to know about one of the best cashback sites around. Curious? Read on to become a ShopBack whizz.

What is ShopBack and how does it work?

Operating as a cashback site, ShopBack unlocks cash rebates at more than 2,000 of Australia’s most popular online retailers.

Understand how it works and you’re well on your way to some super savvy savings.

ShopBack partners with a range of popular stores to offer a percentage of your money back when you shop via a link on the ShopBack website or app.

Essentially, when you make a purchase, the retailers pay a commission to ShopBack, who then passes (some of) the revenue on to shoppers like you and me.

Getting cashback via ShopBack is quite straightforward, and in reality, only involves a couple more clicks than your regular online shopping expedition.

Case study:

Say, for example, you spend $200 on sunglasses from Myer, who pays ShopBack a 5% commission for your sale. ShopBack then passes on 80% of their commission (4%) back to you, which means you will get $8 cashback in your account.

Note that the commission rates can vary between retailers and shopping categories.

Who is ShopBack for?

ShopBack is aimed at a diverse range of individual shoppers – shopaholics and conservative spenders alike.

While ShopBack offers limited cashback rebates in-store, the bulk of promotions can be found via online retailers across a range of shopping categories such as fashion, tech, health and beauty, children, food, and travel.

Simply put, if you purchase regularly online, then ShopBack is for you.

How to sign up to ShopBack: Step-by-step guide

All that stands between you and becoming a savvy ShopBack member is this quick, easy and free sign-up process:

1. Go to the ShopBack website

2. Enter your mobile number

3. Click ‘create new account’

4. Enter the code sent to your mobile number

5. You’re done – shop now for offers!

New customer? ShopBack will automatically log you into your account and give you $10 cashback just for signing up.

Note that the minimum cashout amount is $10.01, so you will need to shop to earn more cashback before you can withdraw your earnings.

Which retailers can I shop at via ShopBack?

As a global cashback site with strong ties to Asia, ShopBack partners with over 10,000 stores worldwide. Locally, this includes more than 2,000 Australian brands and retailers.

The table below outlines some of the most popular stores that partner with ShopBack members in Australia:

Whether it’s heading back to school or work, stocking up on drinks for your next gathering or heading away on a trip, chances are ShopBack partners with the retailers you normally choose to shop with.

ShopBack In-Store cashback

Are you more of a shopping purist who prefers the experience of actually going into a brick-and-mortar store?

Some cashback sites offer deals in-store too, with ShopBack now offering limited opportunities in Australia.

ShopBack In-Store is currently live for shoppers in Sydney. Plus, members can also find cashback opportunities at some restaurants in Melbourne, Canberra, Tasmania and Brisbane.

We can expect more in-store offers available across Australia soon, so watch this space!

How does ShopBack track purchases?

The key to earning cashback is making sure your purchase is tracked. This involves clicking through to a retailer via ShopBack, who then uses technology to track your order journey.

Essentially, a cookie is dropped in your purchase, which then tracks it and identifies if you qualify for Cashback.

This is why it’s so important to return to ShopBack before making a purchase, every time you leave or refresh the page. We suggest making this a rule-of-thumb to avoid any mishaps!

If you’re against your purchasing habits being tracked in this way, it may be worth considering the privacy implications of cashback sites (we’ll discuss this in more detail soon).

How long does it take for cashback to clear?

One of the downsides of using cashback sites is that it can take some time to see the cash rebate touch down in your account.

It can take up to 48 hours for your cashback to be tracked and appear in your ShopBack account (this is often referred to as the tracking time). Once tracked, it can take anywhere from 1 to 120 days for the purchase to be verified (the approval time).

In comparison, purchases via Australia’s other leading cashback site, Cashrewards, usually track within one week and are typically approved within 100 days.

Note that if you return your item, you will not be eligible for cashback.

It’s also worth noting here, that every retail partner has a different tracking time period, so be sure to check the store page on ShopBack if you’re worried about missing cashback.

How are ShopBack payments processed?

After your cashback has been approved, you can choose to withdraw the money into your bank account or PayPal account at any time (providing you have more than the minimum $10.01 cashback amount in your ShopBack account).

Rest assured, ShopBack uses 2FA technology for added account security.

Simply sign into your account and click on the person icon in the top right-hand corner. Then, click ‘withdraw money’ (new members will need to verify their account here).

At this point, you can nominate which account you’d like to be paid into. You can also complete an e-wallet transfer, which allows you to transfer your savings to a PayPal account.

Once requested, payments can take up to 5 business days to be completed. Also note that once you have provided or updated your existing bank account details, you will need to wait 48 hours before you can submit a payment request.

ShopBack promo codes, offers and discounts

But wait, there’s more. ShopBack is primarily a cashback site, but membership also unlocks additional offers and discounts, such as discount codes and even free samples.

From time to time, some stores offer a ‘supercharged’ cashback. Meanwhile, other retailers offer exclusive promo codes and vouchers that can’t be found anywhere else – this is where the ShopBack browser extension comes in handy (more on this soon).

These at times generous discounts can even be stacked with the existing cashback on offer, allowing you to ‘double dip’ on your shopping savings.

Don’t believe us? To celebrate the recent tie-up with Westpac, ShopBack has some good deals for Westpac customers.

Check out some of ShopBack’s current promotional offers in the table below:

Note that these rates are accurate at the time of writing (20 December 2022) and are subject to change on a daily or even hourly basis.

It pays to regularly scope promo codes, offers and discounts on the ShopBack portal. Again, we recommend installing the ShopBack Button to make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to bag a bargain!

Maximising savings with ShopBack travel and holiday deals

In good news for frequent travellers, a ShopBack membership can help you save big on your next trip.

ShopBack partners with some of the largest online travel agents, including Agoda, Booking.com, Expedia, Luxury Escapes, Skyscanner, Trip.com and even Airbnb (gift cards only).

Go-to airlines including Virgin Australia, Emirates and Singapore Airlines also participate, but Qantas hasn’t joined the party quite yet.

It’s important to know that any cashback you receive from ShopBack is effectively ‘stacked’ with the rewards you’d receive when you book directly through the merchant. It’s also on top of any benefits you’d receive from a credit or debit card that offers cashback.

As such, booking directly with an airline or hotel chain via ShopBack can allow you to double or even triple dip on your rewards – that trip to Thailand just got a whole lot savvier! 

How to purchase discount gift cards through ShopBack

ShopBack members can also purchase gift cards from over 200 stores including JB Hi-Fi, Amazon, Airbnb and Bunnings.

Buying gift cards can be a good way to earn cashback without making purchases for the sake of it. Gift cards give you the flexibility to get cashback instantly, but make a purchase later down the track.

Alternatively, you can earn money spoiling your loved ones with the gift of choice – sounds like a win-win to us!

Simply search for gift cards on the ShopBack portal and complete your purchase as you would with anything else.

Pro tip: Keep an eye out for promotions on gift cards – at the time of writing ShopBack is offering a $15 bonus Westpac Cashback on Bunnings gift cards!

The ShopBack app

The ShopBack app makes it easy to take advantage of cashback offers wherever you are.

Simply open the app, shop from a range of categories and click through to your favourite stores. Then, all you have to do is complete your purchase as normal and wait for your savings to appear in your account.

The Shopback app is available to download for free on iOS (4.7 rating) and Android (4.7 rating).

ShopBack Chrome browser extension

Savvy cashback converts will almost always have a browser extension working for them in the background – cue, the ShopBack Button.

If you’re comfortable installing a browser extension, this tool makes discovering the best deals easier by doing the hard work for you.

The ShopBack Button automatically finds the best discounts when you shop online by alerting you to promo codes and sale items at over 2,500 major online retailers.

All you have to do is click on the ShopBack Button at the checkout and it will plug the best promo codes straight in, eliminating the task of digging for the best offers!

Although Cashrewards also offers browser extensions for both Chrome and Firefox, the ShopBack Button has a product comparison feature that allows you to compare cashback rates on the search results pages of Google, Yahoo and Bing.

You can find the best cashback deals and coupons by installing the ShopBack button for free here.

Upsized offers: Westpac Lounge on ShopBack

Recently, ShopBack unveiled a new partnership with Westpac to offer supercharged rewards. It seems to be modelled on the popular Cashrewards tie up with ANZ.

The new Westpac Lounge on ShopBack allows eligible Westpac customers to unlock exclusive cashback offers when shopping with their Westpac card.

Simply head to your account and click ‘manage payment methods’ to add a credit or debit card to ensure you’re maximising your rewards.

As we highlighted before, members can currently earn an additional $15 cashback with Bunnings, so this opportunity for more free money is definitely worth taking advantage of.

Eligible Westpac debit and credit cards include most Westpac branded consumer debit and credit cards. However, Westpac business debit and credit cards are currently not eligible for these bonus offers.

Shop around: ShopBack alternatives in Australia

Lucky shoppers in Australia have access to a host of alternative cashback sites. While it’s good to be across all cashback sites, you’ll typically only need to become a member of one or two leading sites that offer competitive cashback to best suit your shopping needs.

When considering which cashback sites to join, it’s always worth taking a look at which local retailers they partner with.

Here’s a list of the top cashback sites in Australia:

ShopBack is a trusty cashback, which has partner stores across Australia and Asia. ShopBack has an Australian site but is headquartered in Singapore where it originated.

Cashrewards is an Australian money-back site that offers deals with over 2,000 well-known brands – an expansive offering of local brands sets Cashrewards apart from the rest, making it the most popular cashback site in Australia.

Kickback is another Australian option. Although the cashback site advertises the possibility of up to 40% cashback, we usually see much more modest money-back savings that sit around the 5% mark.

Swagbucks is a survey site that also offers cashback. Simply complete online surveys to earn cash, as well as money back for shopping.

Honey is a coupon site that acts as a browser extension, which works to find you the best online discounts. All you have to do is download Honey and it works in the background while you shop.

ShopBack vs Cashrewards

The two biggest cashback sites in Australia are ShopBack and Cashrewards. Cashrewards is the more-established crowd favourite amongst local shoppers, and in our experience, tends to offer the most lucrative discounts across the year.

Though ShopBack covers a lot of ground, many find Cashrewards comes out ahead with worthy deals from Australian retailers.

It all essentially pairs down to how and where you shop, but it always pays to be a member of both sites and keep a close eye on the cashback rebate figures on offer.

Here’s how the two sites stack up at a glance:

ShopBack Australia: Privacy and data considerations

If you’re new to the world of cashback sites, there are a few considerations to make before signing up – arguably the most important of which are privacy and data handling protocols.

In this case, protecting your identity online involves considering what you’re giving up when handing over your information for a deal.

When you use a cashback site, you’re handing over data about yourself and not just your name, email and phone number. On top of these details, ShopBack is also getting your consumer data.

Retailers value this information because they can use it to influence consumers via advertising, which is essentially why they partner with cashback sites.

While ShopBack uses your data to deliver relevant advertising, their privacy policy also contains a list of who they’re sharing your information with.

As a good rule-of-thumb, it’s well worth delving into these terms and conditions and deciding whether you’re comfortable with these retailers knowing more about you than you know about them before you sign up.

How does ShopBack make its money?

Yes, we know getting paid to shop sounds too good to be true, but we’re here to tell you it’s not, and that’s because you’re not the only one making a cut here.

As a form of affiliate marketing, retailers pay cashback sites a commission for every click-through that generates a sale.

So, when you factor in that ShopBack reaches around 1 million Australian members, it makes a lot of sense as to why retailers would jump on the cashback wagon.

Partnering with ShopBack is a win for the retailer who attracts more customers with cashback offers, a win for ShopBack who gets paid from the retailer, and a win for us who get a cut of that as well!

ShopBack referral program

One of ShopBack’s key highlights is the easy $10 bonus you get just for joining.

Simply sign up for an account using a referral link from a friend and you’ll have $10 cash waiting for you in your new account!

The referral benefits don’t end there. Once you’re a ShopBack member, you can continue to earn cash bonuses for referring a friend.

Right now, you can bag an easy $40 just for referring a buddy. Then, in another ‘win-win’, the friend will receive a $10 bonus after they make their own purchase (although we’ve seen this secondary bonus reach $20 in the past).

Simply click here to share your invite link via email.

Conclusion: Maximise cashback with ShopBack

When it comes to getting bang for your buck, Aussie shoppers can’t go past cashback sites, and ShopBack is a leading contender.

The savviest shoppers we know have long used ShopBack and have saved hundreds in doing so.

If you’re confident to juggle multiple cashback site memberships, then go for it. If not, we’d suggest keeping it simple by switching between ShopBack and Cashrewards, providing they include offers from the retailers you’d usually shop with.

As always, it’s worth considering the implications of how cashback sites use your shopping data. Is it worth the targeted advertising? Having saved so much money through cashback sites over the years, we think so.

For the best chance of maximizing savings, consider signing up for and regularly browsing multiple cashback sites in Australia.

Tell us about your best ShopBack cashback in the comments below!

FAQ: ShopBack Australia

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