A journalist has revealed a simple cashback site hack that helps fund her weekend breaks and holidays, earning back a percentage of her everyday spending.
The cashback site that pays for trips
Portia Jones, a senior journalist, says she uses the cashback site Quidco to earn money on purchases she would make anyway, such as hotel bookings, car insurance, train tickets and gifts. She says the money accumulated from these purchases helps pay for her trips away.
Jones explains that Quidco works by paying users a percentage of their spend back when they shop through the platform. On average, each Quidco member receives £300 in cashback per year, according to the site.
How the hack works
To use the hack, shoppers visit the Quidco website or app before making a purchase, search for the retailer they intend to use, and click the link to complete the purchase as normal. The cashback is tracked automatically and appears in the user's account.
Jones notes that cashback percentages vary by brand, but Quidco typically offers significant cashback on hotel bookings, ranging from 1.5% to over 15% depending on the merchant. She recently received 10% cashback on a hotel booking at Hotels.com and 15% at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
Patience pays off
Jones advises that cashback is not an instant reward; it can take weeks or months to appear in the account. She recommends letting the cashback accumulate over months without withdrawing it, so it builds into a decent pot that can fund a trip.
She says she is currently saving her cashback to withdraw it towards flights to New York. Withdrawing cashback can be done directly to a bank account, PayPal, or converted into gift cards, which sometimes come with a small bonus.
