The Ultimate UK Cashback, Rewards & Points Guide for 2026

Start with the best price for the shopping you already planned, then combine rewards whose terms allow the same payment. The useful layers are a cashback portal, card rewards, gift-card cashback and retailer loyalty. They do not all apply to every purchase.

Quidco’s standard exclusions include gift-card payments and unapproved codes; each retailer’s terms decide eligibility. Use the cashback calculator with rates that apply to your purchase.

PayPal+ rewards eligible debit-card spending with points to spend at PayPal checkout. This is shopping value, not cash to withdraw. Eligible debit-card spending earns one point per £1 through 2026, subject to change; ordinary PayPal checkout earns one point per £10. Join PayPal+ in the app before earning.

At PayPal checkout, the higher debit-card rate applies to the portion funded from your PayPal balance; any backup-funded portion earns the ordinary checkout rate. Outside PayPal checkout, the debit-card rate also applies with backup funding. See PayPal’s funding and points FAQ.

For debit-card spending, those redemption values work out at 1%, 1.2% and 1.3% respectively, or 1.5% for Gold/Black food redemptions. Earning and redemption eligibility still apply. See the current tier comparison.

Gold/Black can also receive subscription cashback on qualifying payments through PayPal, capped at £12.50/£16.66 per month across subscriptions. These are monthly caps, not an annual lump sum. Check eligible subscriptions and billing rules.

Curve charges the underlying card you select. Its selected-retailer 1% cashback requires paid Curve Pay Pro (6 retailers) or Pro+ (12), rather than the free tier. Check the underlying card’s reward rules before counting another layer, and subtract subscription fees when comparing savings.

The Curve cashback rules also apply monthly limits. Buying a supermarket gift card through another app is not automatically a purchase at that supermarket for merchant cashback.

JamDoughnut gives cashback when you buy a retailer gift card in its app. Compare the total saving for each payment method: its payment FAQs say Pay by Bank gives a higher app cashback rate than Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Check spending restrictions and expiry before buying. Card rewards are conditional, and gift-card refunds are not guaranteed. Use the in-app rate for your chosen brand and payment method.

Before an online purchase or contract signup, compare TopCashback and Quidco for the exact product and your customer type. A headline “up to” rate may apply only to a different plan, new customer or membership tier.

Compare the final price, eligible cashback amount, exclusions and approval time. A provider's commission policy does not establish which portal pays more for your purchase. Our head-to-head guide covers the practical differences; each referral page explains its joining bonus.

Airtime, also known as Airtime Rewards, links eligible card spending to rewards for your mobile bill. Its current website advertises over 200 brands. Check the app for your mobile network, the participating merchant, rate and transaction conditions before counting a reward.

Card-linked rewards apply to the payment the app recognises. Buying a gift card from a separate service is not automatically a qualifying payment to the shop where you later spend it.

Rates and key conditions checked against provider sources on 10 September 2026. These are different reward types, not a ranking. Chase covers groceries, specified everyday transport, fuel/EV charging, restaurants, cafés and takeaways; merchant coding and payment-method exclusions apply. Trading 212 rewards involve investing, and their value can fall. For credit cards, interest and fees can exceed cashback: compare the cost of repaying in full.

• TopCashback and Quidco: compare both for the same basket, membership level and customer status, then use one portal.
• Honey: a coupon-finding option; an unapproved code or another referral click can affect portal cashback.
• Airtime Rewards: eligible linked-card rewards toward a mobile bill; check the app's current merchant and network coverage.
• JamDoughnut: gift-card purchase cashback; compare the bank and card payment rates.

Zopa's Biscuit account offers a choice of benefits. Select bill cashback to earn 3% on up to £150 of Direct Debits per month. This is an alternative to eating-out cashback or extra balance interest, not an additional benefit (checked 10 September 2026).

Other credit cards: Barclaycard Rewards advertises 0.25% cashback, not 1%. Santander Edge terms differ by opening date: cards opened from 24 July 2025 earn 1% up to £10/month with a £4 monthly fee. Compare net rewards and your own agreement rather than assuming every cashback card pays the same rate.

Illustration, not a live Tesco or JamDoughnut rate: suppose a £100 supermarket gift card offers 4% cashback by bank payment, or 3% by card. Bank payment gives £4. Card payment gives £3, plus £1 only if your card really pays 1% on that gift-card purchase—also £4 before any fees.

Buying the gift card through JamDoughnut and spending it at the supermarket are different transactions. Do not automatically add the supermarket’s Curve, portal or Airtime card-linked reward to the gift-card purchase. Count retailer loyalty separately if the shopping qualifies.

Compare eligible amounts in pounds first, then choose the better route. A longer stack does not always produce a larger saving.

Combining offers is not, by itself, the same as breaking the law. The practical question for ordinary shopping is whether each provider permits the combination and will pay the reward. A purchase can be valid while failing a cashback condition.

For example, Quidco's standard exclusions cover certain voucher codes and gift-card payments. Check the retailer's specific terms and claim only for genuine eligible purchases. This is general information, not a legal opinion about every scheme or transaction.

Ordinary personal purchase cashback is generally not taxable. HMRC's Statement of Practice 4 (1997), particularly paragraphs 7 and 20, covers ordinary retail customers buying at arm's length.

That does not make every reward tax-free. Business-related receipts and commission for introducing someone else's purchase can be treated differently. Recurring account rewards also depend on their terms: HMRC's account-reward guidance explains when payments may be taxable annual payments. Keep records and check the relevant treatment if rewards come from a business, referrals or a scheme beyond your own ordinary shopping. This is general information, not individual tax advice.

Do not expect both portals to pay for the same online purchase: the retailer normally attributes the sale to one referrer. Compare rates and exclusions first, then start from your chosen site and complete the purchase in the same session. Avoid another referral click or an unapproved voucher code before checking out.

Quidco’s tracking guidance explains the browser settings and claim process. For the two sites’ features and gift-card options, see our TopCashback vs Quidco comparison.