How to start a cashback website
Last Modified: March 14, 2023

Many people don’t realize, but it’s actually fairly simple to
start a cashback (loyalty) website. This
type of website is very similar to a Rakuten.com and would take a few things to
get started.
1: What is a Cashback or Loyalty Website?
Cashback
websites are businesses that will reward a customer for purchasing through
their website. For example:
Susan is shopping on your
Cash Back website called: CashBackMommyofTwo.com. Susan see’s that
there’s an offer for Macy’s at 2% Cash Back. When Susan has successfully
signed up to CashBackMommyofTwo.com, then clicks through to that Macy’s 2% Cash
Back and ends up buying something: She’ll Receive 2% of her Money Back
from her Purchase!!
For
you, the owner of the business, you’ll receive some money as well
for getting Susan to buy something. This is all transacted
through the use of Affiliate Marketing and tracking links.
Cash
back rewards or sometimes points are used as redemption options.
(Swagbucks.com, Lolli.com, MyPoints.com, all use different redemption options
but the use of Affiliate is still key)
2: Why Many Choose
to Start a Cash Back Website?
For
many who want to get into the online business world, they try many things like
MLMs (Essential Oils and other B.S.) meanwhile the stuff that works well and
requires what appears to be more technical, when it’s not, is often
overlooked. There are only dozens or maybe hundreds of Cash Back
websites, and we can tell you that the opportunity is real if you can attract
loyal customers. It’s almost like rewarding Free Money for those looking
to shop! So in essence:
·
Competition is low
·
Start-Up Costs are Minimal
·
Easy to Start
·
Real Opportunity with Excitement
While
this sort of start isn’t free, the cost to get started is pretty minimal, plus
once you get started the costs die down pretty quickly!
3: Cost to Start a
Cash Back Site
There
are a few things you’ll need in order to get things rolling with your new
Cashback Site. For one, you’ll need Web Hosting. Web Hosting and a
Domain is where you’ll place all of the information needed to track
transactions and partnerships.
4: Tracking
Cashback (and Commissions)
Now
that you’ve got hosting you’ll now need to harness the ability to track and
maintain cashback transactions. This is the part where only a few people
know about. Not many options exist that help you start a website like
this, while also eliminating most technical needs.
You’ll
need to track when a user clicks on a merchant, then buys from the
merchant. When this occurs you, the cashback website, will be given a
commission.
THIS
COMMISSION IS SPLIT WITH THE USER OF THE CASHBACK WEBSITE.
5: Getting
Retailers and Merchants onto the Site
Probably
the most interesting part of your Cash Back business is getting and partnering
up with new retailers.
FYI! Did you know that
sites like Rakuten (Ebates), TopCashback, and RebatesMe would not be possible without
Affiliate Marketing Programs? Start getting partnerships right now
through Pub Recruiter to start your own Cashback business!!
Retailers have to partner
up with sites like TopCashback through Affiliate Networks. So once you’ve
set up your cashback site, you’ll need to apply to several Affiliate
Networks. Affiliate Networks host the tracking capability from
merchants like Macy’s, Kohl’s, Best Buy, and thousands more!
You can also separate
yourself from the competition by focusing Cash Back on a single category, like
Travel.
Once
you’ve been approved for a store, you’ll need to place the correct Tracking
Link within Cash Back Engine. To do this, head to the admin
panel of your site, then Retailers, then Add Retailer. You’ll need to
enter information like Store Name, a Logo, and a few other details.
This is
the guts of how things are tracked and paid out. You need to use
tracking links and subID tags.
Once
approved for a program, a tracking Link will need to include SUB ID
TAGS. Stay with me here, as this is the only technical part of
the process of having a Cashback Site. Simply copy an approved tracking
link, and place the tags (select from one below) and you’ll be able to track
each customer, should they end up buying something from your cashback site!
Below
is a guide of all of the Sub ID Tracking Tags You’ll need to Append to each
Tracking Link!
List of Sub ID Tags used
by Affiliate Networks
Avantlink
&ctc=
Example:
http://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=ml&ti=344234&pw=2344&ctc=YourClientOrCustomersID
AWIN (Affiliate Window)
&clickref=
Example:
http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?s=343424&v=3424&q=2342342&r=3242234&clickref=YourClientOrCustomersID
Commission Junction
?sid=
Example:
http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-34234234-2343434?sid=YourClientOrCustomersID
eBay Partner Network
(ePN)
&customID=
Example:
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=1&pub=23223232&toolid=43434&campid=213244&customid=YourClientOrCustomersID
FlexOffers
&fobs=
Example:
https://track.flexlinkspro.com/a.ashx?foid=1081267.139671167&foc=1&fot=9999&fos=1&fobs=
TUNE Affiliate Software
&aff_sub=
Example:
http://rover.go2cloud.org/aff_c?offer_id=28&aff_id=1112&aff_sub=YourClientOrCustomersID
Impact (formerly Impact
Radius)
?subId1=
Example:
http://blooom.pxio.com/c/22223/34232/4344?subId1=YourClientOrCustomersID
LinkConnector
&atid=
Example:
http://www.linkconnector.com/ta.php?lc=234234234&lc_pid=Promo-2343424&url=&atid=YourClientOrCustomersID&lcpf=0&lcpi=647667
Rakuten Advertising
&u1=
Example:
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=234234234234&offerid=11223&subid=0&type=4&u1=YourClientOrCustomersID
ShareASale
&afftrack=
Example:
http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=56456456&u=233423&m=123323&urllink=&afftrack=YourClientOrCustomersID
Ascend by Pepperjam
?sid=
Example:
http://www.pjtra.com/t/3-43423424-11-8989789?sid=YourClientOrCustomersID
Partnerize
pubref:
Example:
http://prf.hn/click/camref:243535/pubref:YourClientOrCustomersID
Post Affiliate Pro
Software
&chan=
Example:
http://www.yoursite.com/?a_aid=testaff&chan=
Remember this about SUB
ID Tags
Here’s
the process if you placed the proper tracking link correctly:
·
User Logs into Your Site
·
Finds a good offer
·
Clicks on the offer
·
Customer/client buys said offer
·
Affiliate Network will be able to tell what user did this
through SubIDs
·
Affiliate Network Report Shows Susan Purchased from Macy’s
·
The Cashback site calculates and gives money to Susan and also
keep some for it’s business
If a
user did not log in or go through the cash back sites procedure to track
who the user is, and the offer is clicked:
·
A user is not logged in
·
Finds good offer
·
Clicks on offer
·
Customer Buys offer
·
Only IP and Blank SubId will show up not telling host database
what user it is on reporting
So in
essence, it’s important for a user of your cash back site to be logged
in and ready for purchase as well. There are other uses for
SubIDs, many sub-affiliate networks and affiliate tools use these to
differentiate clients and so on.
6: Calculate Your
Cash Back
In case
you haven’t caught on.
1.
You’ll get a commission for each approved sale using your
tracking link
2. Take the money and give
back a certain percentage (%) to your customer on your cashback site
3. You keep the rest
This is
how cashback and loyalty sites operate. Some give more than others.
In order to compete, you’ll need a tool like:
CashBackMonitor.com
is a place to find the best rates for each of the stores you want to add to
your Cash Back Website. Using the site is pretty simple, especially if
you have the Chrome browser. Compare rates among all of the
websites that use Affiliate Marketing Cash Back Tracking and compare it to
yours. If you are ready, you can also look to see if your site can be
added to the array of websites that Cash Back Monitor uses!
7: Popular Loyalty
/ Cash Back Sites!
Swagbucks
Swagbucks
(which also owns MyPoints and Shopathome) offers cash back for store
shopping, in person shopping or dining, watching quick videos, and even
taking surveys just to name a few. All of which use Affiliate Marketing
tracking links as we mentioned above!
Rakuten
The most
famous of cashback sites, labeled rebate site, offers many stores at
the highest commission rates online. Given that they have exclusive
partnerships with many of the merchants, Ebates keeps a steady clientele
of both customers and stores.
U-Promise
You’ll
be able to receive cash back in the form of a 529 funding account. You
can earn additional 529 investment opportunities through their
Upromise Credit Card (Mastercard)
TopCashBack
Although no real side
sells here, this cash back site is straightforward with competitive
rates amongst many of the merchants. You’ll also be notified via
their email newsletter of increased cash back days for the retailers you love.
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