Cashback sites can turn a £600 holiday into a £540 holiday — but only if you pick the right one for each booking. We've been tracking the rates for six months. Here's what's actually true in June 2026.
💰 Sign up to all 3 (free)Each one wins on different bookings. Have all three accounts, then pick whichever has the highest rate when you book.Join TopCashback →
The headline result
No single cashback site wins everything. The right answer is "have an account on all three and pick the best rate per booking." Here's where each one currently leads as of June 2026:
- TopCashback wins on Hotels.com (6.30%), Booking.com (when active — 0-4%), Expedia (5%), Skyscanner-flagged hotels (variable)
- Quidco wins on easyJet (£3 flat + 1.50% on extras), Wizz Air (1.50%), Trainline (£0.85 per train ticket), Jet2 (1.50%)
- Rakuten wins on US-based bookings (Marriott, Hilton direct, Disney World) — most useful for transatlantic trips
1. TopCashback — best for UK hotel bookings
Pays 6.30% on Hotels.com, 5% on Expedia, 4.20% on Lastminute.com. Payouts are quick (typically tracked within 7 days, paid in 3-6 weeks). Free to join, no fees, payouts to bank account.
Best for: All-inclusive packages, UK hotel chains (Premier Inn, Travelodge via Hotels.com), Expedia bundles.
Pro tip: their "Snap & Save" feature reimburses you for in-store purchases at participating chains — useful for petrol on UK road trips.
2. Quidco — best for flights + trains
Quidco's flat-rate flight cashback (£3 per easyJet booking + 1.5% on add-ons) wins on cheap European flights where percentage-based rates barely register. Trainline pays £0.85 flat per booking — adds up if you're doing multi-leg UK trains.
Best for: Budget airline flights, UK train travel, Jet2 packages, Travelodge bookings.
Watch out: tracking can be slow (sometimes 30+ days). Always screenshot your booking confirmation.
3. Rakuten — best for US + luxury
Rakuten's UK arm focuses on US-based merchants — Marriott Bonvoy (4%), Hilton direct (3.5%), Disney (4%), Saks Off 5th (10%). Useful if your trip is across the Atlantic or you're booking via a US hotel brand's direct site.
Best for: US transatlantic travel, Marriott/Hilton direct bookings, US theme parks.
Less useful for: Pure UK travel — TopCashback and Quidco have better UK partner coverage.
The trick for big bookings
When booking something £500+, check all three rates simultaneously. A typical £800 holiday package:
- TopCashback at 6.30% = £50.40 cashback
- Quidco at 4% (variable) = £32
- Rakuten at 1% (Hotels.com rate) = £8
The £50 vs £8 spread between TopCashback and Rakuten on the same booking is exactly why having all three accounts pays. Five minutes to set up, recurring savings forever.
Sign-up bonuses (June 2026)
- TopCashback — £10 sign-up bonus after first £10 of cashback earned
- Quidco — £5 sign-up bonus after first qualifying transaction
- Rakuten — $40 sign-up bonus after spending $40 within 90 days
How to actually stack the savings
- Sign up to all three sites (free, 5 minutes each, links above)
- Before any travel booking, check all three for the brand's current rate
- Open a fresh tab from the highest-paying cashback portal
- Don't open other tabs / shop around mid-session — cashback tracking can drop if you bounce between cookies
- Complete the booking in one go from the cashback-launched tab
- Screenshot your confirmation — if tracking goes missing, you'll need this to claim manually (works 90% of the time)
Sign up to TopCashback → Sign up to Quidco →
FAQs
Are cashback sites legitimate?
Yes — TopCashback (15M+ UK members), Quidco (12M+), Rakuten (15M+ globally) all operate openly and pay reliably. They earn affiliate commissions from merchants and pass most of it back to you.
How long does cashback take to arrive?
Tracking shows up in 3-30 days. Cashback is "pending" until the merchant confirms the booking happened (typically 30-90 days after travel completes). Payable cashback can be withdrawn to your bank.
Can I use cashback sites with credit card rewards?
Yes — they stack. Use a rewards credit card (Amex, Barclaycard, etc.) to pay for the booking made via a cashback site. You earn both the cashback AND the card points.
#ad — we earn a small commission at no cost to you when you sign up through our links.
