Traveling can be expensive, but savvy travelers have discovered a way to make their trips more affordable by using cashback and rebate sites. These platforms allow you to earn a percentage of your spending back when you book flights, reserve hotels, or make other travel-related purchases. Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a luxury vacation, learning how to use cashback and rebate sites for travel can help you save big and even score rewards for future trips.
What Are Cashback and Rebate Sites?
Cashback and rebate sites are platforms that partner with online retailers, including airlines, hotel chains, and travel agencies, to offer consumers rewards in the form of cashback or rebates on purchases. When you book travel through one of these sites, the platform will earn a commission from the retailer, and a portion of that commission is returned to you as a cashback reward. These rewards can then be redeemed via PayPal, gift cards, or sometimes as points toward future travel.
Popular Cashback and Rebate Sites for Travel
TopCashback
TopCashback is one of the most popular and comprehensive cashback sites, offering deals with a wide range of travel retailers. From flights with major airlines to hotel bookings and even car rentals, you can earn cashback on nearly every aspect of your trip. The site regularly features bonuses and higher cashback percentages for specific travel brands, which can lead to substantial savings. TopCashback also allows you to combine cashback offers with other discounts and coupons, making it a powerful tool for travel savings.
Ebates (Rakuten)
Ebates, now known as Rakuten, is another well-known cashback site that provides cashback opportunities for travel-related purchases. Rakuten partners with popular airlines, hotel chains, and travel agencies, offering up to 10% cashback or more on travel bookings. It also frequently offers special deals, such as double cashback on specific categories like vacation packages. Rakuten’s browser extension makes it easy to ensure you never miss an eligible cashback offer when shopping for travel.
Honey
While Honey is primarily known for finding and applying coupon codes, it also has a cashback feature, which makes it ideal for travel bookings. Honey partners with several online travel agencies, such as Expedia and Booking.com, allowing you to earn cashback when you book flights, hotels, and rental cars. It’s especially useful for booking large trips, as Honey often finds the best overall deal by combining promo codes with cashback offers.
Cashback Monitor
Cashback Monitor is a site that aggregates cashback offers from a variety of different sites. It lists which cashback sites offer the best deals for specific retailers, allowing you to compare offers and choose the one that provides the most rewards for your travel bookings. Whether you’re looking to book flights with American Airlines or a hotel with Hilton, Cashback Monitor helps you find the platform that offers the best return on your travel purchase.
How to Maximize Your Rewards
Combine Cashback with Other Discounts
Many cashback sites allow you to use other promotions and coupon codes on top of the cashback rewards. Be sure to check for any extra discounts before you make your final purchase. For example, some hotel chains may have seasonal sales or promo codes for new customers, which can be combined with cashback offers to further lower your travel expenses.
Use the Site’s Browser Extension
Most cashback platforms offer browser extensions that automatically activate cashback offers when you make purchases on partner websites. These extensions will notify you if a cashback offer is available, helping you avoid missing out on rewards while booking your flight or hotel.
Plan Purchases Around Special Promotions
Cashback websites often run special promotions, such as “double cashback” days or limited-time offers for certain retailers. If you’re planning a trip, try to time your bookings with these events to maximize the rewards you earn. You can also sign up for email alerts to keep track of upcoming sales or promotions.
Consider Travel-Exclusive Cashback Sites
Some cashback platforms, like Skyscanner and Priceline, are specifically designed for travel purchases and offer more targeted deals. If you’re looking for a specific type of travel (e.g., flights, car rentals, or hotel stays), these niche platforms might offer more lucrative cashback rates than general sites.
Redeeming Your Rewards
Once you’ve earned cashback, you can redeem it in various ways. Most cashback sites allow you to transfer your earnings to PayPal, where they can be withdrawn as cash. Others may offer gift cards for popular travel brands like Airbnb, Amazon, or Hotels.com, which can be useful for future trips. In some cases, you can even convert your cashback into airline miles or points for hotel loyalty programs, further enhancing your travel rewards.
Using cashback and rebate sites for travel is a smart way to earn rewards on your bookings and make your trips more affordable. Whether you’re booking flights, hotels, or car rentals, platforms like TopCashback, Rakuten, and Honey provide a simple way to earn cashback on your travel expenses. By combining these rewards with other discounts and taking advantage of special promotions, you can significantly lower the cost of your travels, helping you save money for your next adventure.