by B Pollard

Are you a self confessed shopaholic? Even if you are not a full time shopper, do you prefer buying your goods online so to avoid the hustle and bustle of hot shopping centres and rainy high streets? If so the emerging phenomena of cashback websites are the way to go!

One in every 10 retail purchases in the UK is now made over the internet, according to figures from the Interactive Media in Retail Group. However if you are as cynical as me, you will believe that you never get something for nothing. However this is where this marvel of cashback websites is blowing that theory out of the water. On most cashback sites, they will give you money for actually joining and for referring friends. This can range from 5p to £5 and the money can be taken out once you have a certain amount of money in your account again ranging from £15 to £40.

This is how the money can be made: Go to the cashback site you are a member of, and log in. The cashback site will refer you to the official retailers website that you wish to purchase items from (giving you 100% peace of mind that the purchase is safe and secure via the official site).. Buy your item A % of money is then added to your total spend. For example, you buy a DVD player from a retailer and the cashback site will give you 5% of your total spend so the DVD costs you £100 and once tracked, you receive £5 in your cashback site account . Cash can also be earned back for activities such as opening bank accounts and credit cards or taking out insurance.

So, the cynical ones out there are still thinking WHY are these cashback sites able to give me money for buying items through their sites? Well, the current form of encouraging people to buy their products, visit their shops and websites is through TV advertising, newspapers, billboards and internet. However the new process of persuading consumers to shop with a retailer is through 'cashback'. These cashback websites arrange deals with the retailers so that they pay the website owners to advertise their products and in turn the owners of the website then give the consumer a proportion of the money. This is also known as affiliate marketing. There are some cashback websites that claim to pay up to 100%, however you may not be getting the best deals around and also it may be a case of if its too good to be true.....!.