Hotels get most of the attention in travel cashback, but flights and car rentals are often the larger part of the budget. They are also the part where the rules vary most. Some travel shops pay cashback on one kind of booking and nothing on another. This guide helps you read the conditions so that you know in advance what counts.

Why the rules differ so much

Cashback comes from the commission a travel company receives from a network for a sale. Airlines and booking sites work on thin margins for flights, so many programmes pay little or nothing on tickets, while car rentals and hotels leave more room. Because of this, a travel shop can appear on our site with cashback for some products only. We write the details on the shop page, and we do not give a fixed figure here because rates change.

Flights

If a shop pays cashback on flights, it is often calculated on part of the ticket price, not on taxes and airport charges. Baggage, seat selection and insurance bought separately may not count. A booking changed after purchase can be reported again or cancelled. Many fare types cannot be refunded at all, which makes the cancellation question even more important than the cashback. Before you click, look for these points on the shop page:

• Whether flights are included or excluded
• Which part of the price counts
• When the cashback is confirmed, often after the travel date
• What happens in the event of a change or cancellation

Car rentals

Car rental is usually friendlier to cashback. The commission is often calculated on the rental fee. Insurance, fuel, extra drivers and fees paid at the counter may be left out. Prepaid and pay at pickup rates can also be treated differently, which is a point to read carefully. Check the age requirements, the deposit, the mileage limit and the fuel policy, since these affect the real cost more than the cashback does.

The total cost of the trip

A cheap ticket with expensive baggage rules is not cheap. A low rental price with a large deposit and a high excess charge can be a poor deal. Make a list for each option: base price, extras you need, taxes, payment method fees, cancellation terms and cashback. This is what we mean by the best overall saving at daily cashback: cashback, offers and conditions compared together, with the check time displayed on each page.

Packages versus separate bookings

Some travel sites offer flight and hotel packages. Packages can be convenient and sometimes cheaper, but the cashback treatment may differ from separate bookings, and cancellation is more complicated. If you book separately, you have more control, but you also carry the risk if one part changes. Neither option is always right. Decide based on how fixed your plans are.

Booking steps

1. Log in to your free account.
2. Open the travel shop from our page.
3. Search and book in the same tab, in one visit.
4. Do not use coupon extensions or ad blockers during booking.
5. Save the confirmation email together with the booking number.

The page for Booking.com is an example of how a travel shop lists its conditions. Our general guide on travel cashback explains the principles.

Timing

Travel cashback often stays pending until after your trip. For a flight in six months, you will wait for that long. That is not a delay on our side; the travel company confirms only when the service has been provided. If you travel often, you will see pending amounts and confirmed amounts side by side in your account.

Cancellations and credit notes

If a trip is cancelled and you receive a voucher instead of a refund, the original cashback may be cancelled. A later rebooking with the voucher may or may not earn cashback again, depending on the programme. Check the conditions first so that you are not surprised.

Check the small print before you click

The same travel brand can appear in several forms: a search site, a booking site and a direct airline page. Cashback usually applies only to the one reached through the tracked link, and only for the kind of booking named in the conditions. If you compare fares on a search site and then go to an airline directly, the tracking may not carry over.

Names on tickets must match your passport exactly, so correct any spelling mistakes before paying. Changing a name later can be costly and can even trigger a new booking, which may affect cashback as well.

Questions to ask before you book

Is baggage included? Can the name or date be changed, and at what price? What is the notice period for a free cancellation? On a rental, who is the main driver, is there a fee for a second driver and does the price include insurance against damage? The answers tell you far more about the real cost than the cashback does, and they also show whether a booking might later be reported as changed. Keep the booking number and screenshots of the conditions you saw at the time of booking.

Payout

Confirmed cashback can be paid out by PayPal once the balance reaches 20 USD. We are an information portal, we do not sell tickets, and we do not influence the price you pay. If something is missing after your trip, see what to do about missing cashback.