Cash back glossary

Cash back has its own vocabulary that can be confusing if you are new to it. Here is what the common terms actually mean.

Cash back portal

A website or browser extension (like Rakuten, TopCashback, or BeFrugal) that pays you a share of the affiliate commission a store pays when you shop through their tracked link.

Click-through tracking

The method portals use to know a purchase came from them: a small tracking code attached to the link you clicked, which the store's site reads when you arrive.

Pending cash back

Cash back that has been recorded but is not yet available to withdraw, usually because the store's return window has not closed yet. Typically 30 to 90 days depending on the platform and store.

Confirmed cash back

Cash back that has cleared the pending period and is available to actually cash out.

Minimum payout

The smallest account balance a platform requires before you can withdraw your cash back. Some platforms have none at all.

Stacking

Combining more than one savings method on a single purchase, most commonly a coupon code plus a cash back click-through.

Affiliate commission

The fee a store pays to whoever referred a paying customer, usually a percentage of the sale. This is the underlying money cash back portals share with you. Full explanation on our what is cash back page.

Referral bonus

A one-time payment some platforms offer for referring a brand-new member who was not previously using that platform. Different from ongoing cash back on your own purchases.

Rate

The percentage of your purchase a platform will pay back to you for a specific store, at a specific moment. Rates change often and are not fixed.

Best rate

Whichever tracked platform is currently offering the highest percentage back for a given store. This is what Savvli ranks first in every search.