Cashback is like getting credit card points
on two cards at once

How cashback works

When we refer you to other brands, we get affiliate commission for sending them a sale. We simply send a majority of that commission to you. Visit a store using our links, shop like you always do, and watch cashback pile up in your Checkout Saver account.

You don’t need special coupons or promo codes for this part. Just start from us, finish checkout on the retailer’s site, and we track the order so your savings show up in your account.

Stack it with even more savings

Cashback is only the beginning. Before you check out, look for a discount gift card or a one-time coupon for the same store. Combine them and that “nice little rebate” becomes a serious win.

• Free for shoppers — forever
• We keep a small cut; you keep the majority — more than anyone else
• Independent & privacy-first — no investors, we don’t sell your data

Ready to keep more of what you spend?

Start every shopping trip from us so the retailer can attribute your purchase correctly. You’re early to the platform that pays shoppers the most.

How cashback actually works behind the scenes

Cashback isn’t a coupon code you type at checkout. It’s a tracked referral. Retailers pay affiliate networks a commission when a referred shopper buys. Checkout Saver is the publisher that sends you there — then we share most of that commission with you as cashback.

We partner with major affiliate networks

We don’t invent store offers from thin air. Checkout Saver partners with large affiliate networks — including Awin, Impact, and CJ (Commission Junction) — that already have contractual relationships with thousands of retailers. Those networks give us tracked “click” links for each store. We surface the live cashback rates on All Stores and on each store’s cashback page (for example /cashback → store → Activate Cashback).

When you shop through our activation link, the network attributes the visit (and later the purchase) to Checkout Saver. After the retailer confirms the order, the network reports the commission, and we credit your wallet.

What happens when you click Activate Cashback

The important part is that the tracking link fires before you land on the retailer. Opening the retailer in a new tab versus the same tab can both work — neither inherently makes tracking more or less accurate. What matters is that the affiliate tracking hop runs first so the network can set its cookies and record the click.

What an activation link looks like

On the website, Activate Cashback uses a short-lived signed token URL — the store id is not exposed in the page HTML:

That token resolves server-side, records your activation, then forwards you through the network tracking URL. A legacy path (/cashback-activation-web/{storeId}/{userId}) still exists for old bookmarks and extension compatibility, but the site UI always issues opaque tokens.

From the Chrome extension, activation uses your installation id:

That Checkout Saver hop then forwards you through the network’s tracking URL (Awin, Impact, CJ, etc.). The network caches a referral cookie in your browser and finally drops you on the retailer’s site. You usually only notice “I clicked Activate and now I’m on Best Buy / Athleta / …” — the middle hops are intentional and required for cashback to track.

Tips to make sure you actually earn cashback

1. Start from Checkout Saver every time. The tracking link must run before you reach the advertiser. If you already have the store open, go back and Activate, or use the extension so the hop can fire.
2. Disable competing cashback tools for that purchase. Other programs — Rakuten, Coupert, ShopBack, Capital One Shopping, Honey, and similar extensions — often inject their own affiliate links. Only one referral usually wins. Turn those off (or disable the extensions) when you want Checkout Saver to get credit.
3. Allow cookies / don’t block the redirect. Affiliate networks rely on cookies set during the network hop. Aggressive privacy blockers, private windows that clear cookies mid-checkout, or closing the tab before the redirect finishes can break tracking.
4. Same tab or new tab is fine as long as our activation link is what opens first. Don’t manually paste the bare retailer URL into a new tab and skip Activate.
5. Finish checkout in the same browser session after activating. Coming back days later in a different browser, or after clearing site data, may mean the referral cookie is gone.
6. Use one cashback program per order. Stacking multiple cashback extensions on the same purchase usually cancels out — pick Checkout Saver and stick with it for that cart.

Why rates differ by store

Each retailer sets commission terms with the affiliate network (percentage of sale, fixed amount, excluded categories, and so on). We publish the share we can pass through to you as cashback. Rates can change when networks or retailers update their programs — that’s normal in affiliate marketing.

Free for shoppers — how we get paid

You never pay us to earn cashback. Retailers pay the networks; networks pay publishers like us; we keep a small cut and send the majority to your wallet. Because we’re independent — no investors, low overhead — we can pass through more cashback than bigger platforms that have to fund growth first. That’s why the Activate hop matters: without a tracked click, there is no commission to share.

Want the fuller economics behind cashback publishers—including how a service like Rakuten funds Cash Back? Read how cashback sites make money. For the consumer walkthrough of activation, Shopping Trips, pending status, and payments, see how Rakuten cashback works.