With the UK back into a double dip recession, many savvy families are looking for ways to boost their household incomes and Cashback sites are on the forefront of the online bargain hunt. They can possibly saving families anything up to £1000 a year. These sites pay members when they buy goods ranging from the supermarket shop to energy and even holidays, through their website.

Online shopping has been growing in popularity, this is shown by the fact that online spending in the first three months of 2012 grew by 13 per cent to £17billion[i]. One of the main reasons that online shopping grew so rapidly is because it can save consumers a vast amount of money. As well as vouchers and discounts codes which can be found online, consumers are frequently signing up to cashback sites. Cashback sites are becoming very attractive for online shoppers, with TopCashBack the most generous cashback site in the UK doubling the amount of members in the last 12 months alone. The site now receives approximately 4.5 million unique visitors per month.

Natasha-Rachel Smith, consumer affairs expert from TopCashBack, said, “The growth of cashback culture is a new phenomenon in the UK – it’s a great way for people to earn money from their spending. As online shopping is becoming an integral part of people’s shopping patterns, cashback sites are inevitably becoming the first port of call for people who want to save money.”

Natasha-Rachel concluded, “Cashback sites are a safe way to get more out of your spending. For people who frequently shop online it makes sense to shop through cashback sites as there are thousands of big name retailers and some niche shops, so there is always something for everyone. Sometimes people can get big cashback sums when switching their utilities or broadband through these sites so it’s recommended that people do their research.”