How cashback sites work in India, and where the money comes from

Stores pay a commission for every customer a site sends them. Here is how a cashback site turns that commission into money in your bank account.

The short version

When you click through to a store from a cashback site and then buy something, the store pays that site a commission for sending you. The site passes part of that commission back to you, and that part is your cashback.

You pay the store exactly the same price either way. The money comes out of the store's marketing budget, not out of your pocket.

Who is involved

The store, which wants new customers and is willing to pay for them.
An affiliate network, which records the click and the sale on the store's behalf and pays the commission. CashBharo works with networks such as Cuelinks and Admitad.
The cashback site, which sends you to the store and shares the commission with you.

What happens when you shop through CashBharo

You sign in and click a store on CashBharo. We record the click against your account, so the sale can be matched to you later.
You shop and pay on the store's own website, as you normally would.
The store reports your order to its network and we collect it. It shows in your account as pending, usually within a few days.
It becomes confirmed once the retailer has paid us for your order, usually about three months.
Once your confirmed balance reaches ₹250, you can withdraw it to your own UPI ID or bank account. Allow a few working days for it to arrive.

How much you get

Each store sets its own commission, and it often differs by category, or between new and returning customers. The rate on each CashBharo store page is your share, after ours, not the store's full commission. Where a page says "up to", that is the highest rate on offer, and some products or categories earn less. The terms on each store's page say what is excluded.

Why it takes time

A store pays no commission on an order that is returned or cancelled, so it waits until returns are no longer possible before it confirms one. We only release cashback we have actually received, so we can always pay it - we would rather quote an honest three months than a hopeful one and miss it.

Is it really free?

Yes. Joining CashBharo is free, and you pay the store the same price you would have paid anyway.

Read how CashBharo works step by step, or browse the stores.