Quidco vs TopCashback: the short answer
- Both Quidco and TopCashback are free to join and pay cashback when you shop at UK retailers through them. Neither is better at every shop, so compare the rate for each purchase.
- Paid tiers: Quidco Premium costs £1 in each month you shop through Quidco (up to £12 a year). TopCashback Plus takes at most £5 a year, and is free if you earn less than £5.
- Referral bonus for you, as of 9 November 2026: Quidco pays £20 on its standard offer (£25 with Premium). TopCashback paid £20 to Classic and £25 to Plus members for friends who joined between 31 October and 9 November 2026.
- The bigger difference is the condition: a Quidco friend must earn £5 of confirmed cashback, with no deadline stated. A TopCashback friend must earn £10 of approved cashback within 180 days.
- Quidco caps referrals at 10 in any 12 months. TopCashback pays its referral bonus only by bank transfer.
Side-by-side comparison
| Quidco | TopCashback UK | |
|---|---|---|
| Free membership | Basic | Classic |
| Paid membership | Premium: £1 in each month you make a purchase through Quidco, taken from your cashback | Plus: up to £5 a year, taken from your cashback; free if you earn under £5 |
| What the paid tier adds | Up to 25% higher cashback at selected retailers, extra cashback on gift card withdrawals, £25 referral reward, no ads | Increased cashback rates and up to double the payout bonuses |
| Minimum withdrawal | £1 by bank transfer or PayPal | No minimum set by TopCashback (a payout method can set one) |
| Payout options | Bank transfer, PayPal, retailer gift cards | Bank transfer, PayPal, gift cards |
| Referral bonus for you | £20 (Basic), £25 (Premium) | £20 (Classic), £25 (Plus), for sign-ups 31 Oct to 9 Nov 2026 |
| Referral bonus for your friend | £10 | £10 sign-up bonus, for sign-ups 31 Oct to 9 Nov 2026 |
| What your friend must do | Earn £5 confirmed cashback | Earn £10 approved cashback at eligible brands within 180 days |
| Referral limit | 10 successful referrals in any rolling 12 months | No cap stated in the current terms |
| How the referral bonus is paid | Into your Quidco balance | Bank transfer only |
Which referral bonus is easier to earn?
Quidco's referral bonus is easier to unlock. A Quidco friend needs £5 of confirmed cashback, and it can be spread over several purchases. A TopCashback friend needs £10 of approved cashback, twice as much, and must reach it within 180 days of joining.
A worked example makes the gap clear. At a retailer paying 5% cashback, a friend would need to spend about £100 to earn £5 on Quidco, but about £200 to earn £10 on TopCashback. A single bigger purchase with a high cashback rate, such as a broadband deal, can clear either threshold at once.
Not all cashback counts. Quidco excludes cashback from gift cards, bonus cashback promotions and offers with no spend, such as free SIM cards, surveys and insurance quotes. TopCashback excludes goodwill, incentive and contest cashback, plus a list of excluded brands in its referral terms. On both sites the cashback must be confirmed or approved by the retailer first, so tracked cashback that is still pending does not count yet.
Quidco Premium vs TopCashback Plus: which paid tier is worth it?
TopCashback Plus is cheaper to keep. Its fee is capped at £5 a year and comes out of your cashback, and if you earn less than £5 in a year, Plus costs nothing. Quidco Premium costs £1 in every month you make a purchase through Quidco, so an active shopper pays up to £12 a year, while months with no Quidco purchases cost nothing.
For referrals, Quidco Premium adds £5 per friend (£25 instead of £20). If you refer two friends in a year, that extra £10 covers about ten months of Premium fees on its own, before counting the higher cashback rates. If you rarely refer anyone and shop through Quidco most months, the £12 a year has to come from Premium's higher rates at the shops you use.
Gotchas in the referral terms
- The bonus is fixed when your friend signs up. Both sites pay the amount advertised when your friend joined through your link, which can be different from the amount when you sent the link or when the bonus is paid.
- TopCashback's offer changes month to month. Its own terms pages show £20 for Plus and £15 for Classic members in September 2026, and a £21 friend sign-up bonus in July 2026, so check your account before you promise a friend an amount.
- Quidco's referral bonus can differ between its website and its app, and Quidco stops paying referral bonuses after 10 successful referrals in any 12 months.
- TopCashback says a referral link should not be promoted alongside other new-member incentives, and both sites cancel bonuses for self-referrals or multiple accounts.
- Both sites ask you to make it clear that you get a reward when you share your referral link.
How fast can you get your money out?
Quidco pays by PayPal usually the same day, by 3pm on the payment run day, and by bank transfer in about 5 working days. Your first Quidco withdrawal has an extra 48-hour hold, and Quidco asks you to withdraw from the UK with any VPN switched off. TopCashback lets you withdraw payable cashback at any time with no minimum of its own, by bank transfer, PayPal or gift card, and Plus members get bigger bonuses when they choose certain gift cards.
Which should you join?
- Join Quidco first if you want the easiest referral bonus to unlock for a friend, or you value fast PayPal payouts.
- Join TopCashback first if you want the cheapest paid tier, or you plan to refer more than 10 people a year.
- Better still, join both. They are separate companies, and checking both before each purchase is the simplest way to get the higher rate every time.
Ready to sign up? Our Quidco refer and earn page has the full Quidco referral terms and our referral link. Our TopCashback refer and earn page covers the TopCashback program. Compare more sites on our cashback apps refer and earn page.
Quidco vs TopCashback FAQs
Is Quidco or TopCashback better in the UK?
Neither is better at every retailer, because cashback rates differ from shop to shop. Quidco has the easier referral threshold (£5 vs £10) and fast PayPal payouts. TopCashback has the cheaper paid tier (at most £5 a year vs up to £12) and no referral cap in its current terms.
How much is the Quidco refer a friend bonus?
As of 9 November 2026, Quidco pays you £20 and your friend £10 once the friend earns £5 of confirmed cashback, and Premium members get £25. See our Quidco refer and earn page for the full conditions.
How much is the TopCashback refer a friend bonus?
For friends who joined between 31 October and 9 November 2026, TopCashback paid £25 to Plus members and £20 to Classic members, and gave the friend a £10 sign-up bonus. The friend must earn £10 of approved cashback within 180 days. The amount changes with each promotion, and your account shows the current one.
Can I use Quidco and TopCashback at the same time?
Yes, you can have an account on each site, because they are separate companies. Before each purchase, check both and click through the one with the better rate.
Do I have to pay to use Quidco or TopCashback?
No. Quidco Basic and TopCashback Classic are free. Only the optional paid tiers, Quidco Premium and TopCashback Plus, have fees, and both take them from your cashback rather than charging your card.
Writes about refer and earn apps, referral programs and practical ways to earn online at Refer Karo Earn Karo.
