What is Cashback, and Why Should You Care?

Before we jump into the Shoop-sphere, let's quickly break down what cashback actually is. Cashback is a percentage of your purchase price that comes back to you, like a little "thank you" for using a particular cashback platform – essentially, clicking on a link on a website or app when shopping online or scanning a card (like Payback) before checking out in a physical store.

Now, you might be thinking, "What's the catch?" Surprisingly, there isn't one. Cashback platforms make money through affiliate marketing, and they share a portion of their commission with you. It's essentially free money for minimal effort, and even though the earnings may seem small at first, they can add up quickly. If you're not using cashback programs, you're leaving money on the table without even realizing it!

Meet Shoop: The Cashback Platform You Didn’t Know You Needed

Shoop is one of the largest cashback sites in Germany, and it's my personal favorite for shopping online. Why? Because it's incredibly user-friendly and often offers higher cashback rates than Payback and other competitors.

Shoop partners with a wide range of online stores. Here are some of my personal favorites and their cashback rates. These percentages are current as of September 2024 – check for the latest rates before shopping!

• Food and grocery delivery: Lieferando (4% cashback), Wolt (4% cashback), Rewe delivery or pick-up service (5% cashback)

• Electronics: Galaxus (2.5% cashback), MediaMarkt (2% cashback), Cyberport (3% cashback)

• Travel: Hotels.com (4% cashback), Expedia (5% cashback on hotels), Eurowings (3.5% cashback)

• Clothes and shoes: About You (7% cashback), Uniqlo (2.8% cashback), H&M (2% cashback), Nike (2% cashback), Zalando Lounge (2% cashback), ASOS (2% cashback),

• Health and beauty: iHerb (2.5% cashback), Douglas (3% cashback), Glossybox (5% cashback)

• Asian e-commerce platforms: Temu (5% cashback), Aliexpress (4% cashback), Shein (1.5% cashback)

And that's just scratching the surface! Shoop is particularly worth checking out for big-ticket items or contracts. Planning to switch mobile providers, sign up for a new electricity contract, or buy a pricey gadget? Check Shoop first – the potential savings could be substantial enough to make it worth your while.

How to Make Shoop Work for You

To activate cashback on Shoop, you have three options:

• Website: Find your favorite online stores on Shoop’s website, click on a button to activate cashback, and it'll take you to the store. Then just shop as usual.

• Shoop Cashback Assistant browser extension: Pin it to your extensions and see it turn blue when cashback is available, then activate your cashback without leaving the store you’re browsing. This is by far my favorite way to use Shoop – it makes it impossible to forget to activate cashback. One thing I appreciate about this extension is that pop-ups are minimal and can be completely hidden—unlike some other competitor extensions where pop-ups can feel intrusive.

• App: If you shop on mobile, find your desired store in the app, click "Activate cashback", and you're good to go. It's perfect for those impulse buys during your commute (just kidding, don’t do that – we’re all about responsible shopping here!)

After you activated cashback and completed your purchase, Shoop tracks it and credits your account automatically. Unlike Payback, there's no need for complex calculations with coupons – Shoop shows you the exact percentage you'll get back.

They also frequently offer boosted cashback rates and special promotions like 2-3 days of increased cashback across many partner stores — during these, cashback rates can skyrocket from the usual 2-3% to 10-20% or more. Planning to buy a €600 TV? During the recent Shoop Days promo, you could get €62 cashback for that purchase at Galaxus (an electronics store that already has much better prices than MediaMarkt and Saturn), 18% cashback on Adidas, or 12% on Expedia. These deals can really be worth the wait.

Once you've accumulated some cashback, you have a few options. You can opt for a bank transfer (they accept any EU bank accounts) or PayPal. Alternatively, you can choose vouchers – which is lucrative because for some of them you get a 10% bonus. For example, a €10 Lieferando voucher costs only €9 in cashback credit, and a €30 Otto voucher is available for €27. To use any of the payout options, you'll need to verify your phone number first.

Shoop vs. Payback: The Cashback Showdown

Now, if you've been in Germany for a while, you're probably familiar with Payback. So, how does Shoop stack up?

While Payback shines for offline shopping (hello, Rewe and dm!), I find that Shoop has much better cashback rates for online purchases. Moreover, Shoop is more straightforward to use. Payback's 0.5% basic cashback rate multiplied by activated coupons can require some mental gymnastics — Shoop, on the other hand, keeps it simple with straightforward percentages. Shoop browser extensions is also the most discreet out of all – there are no pop-ups, so it just sits there in pinned browser extensions, ready when you need it.

But here's a pro tip: you don't actually have to choose. It doesn't hurt to have multiple cashback options – they're all free, after all. I personally use both Shoop and Payback as my main cashback tools. I also have iGraal and Rakuten installed, though I tend to use them less often — mostly for increased cashback deals or stores not covered by my main choices. Install a few of these browser extensions and you’ll able to quickly compare and select the most advantageous cashback offer for your particular purchase. To learn more about Payback and why it’s worth your while, take a look at this article for tips on how to maximize your points and get the best value from the program.

Ready to Start Getting Some Cash Back?

When you sign up for Shoop, you earn a bonus ranging from €10 to €25, depending on current promotions — check the link below for the latest bonus offer! This is on top of all the cashback you'll accumulate while using Shoop. To get the welcome bonus, make a purchase of at least €10 (gross) with Shoop cashback activated within 7 days of registering.

Cashback platforms are an excellent way to earn money back on purchases you'd make anyway. By incorporating Shoop into your online shopping routine, you're essentially giving yourself a discount on much of your online shopping. It's a simple yet effective way to make your money work a little bit harder for you.