AliExpress vs Temu: Where Is It Cheaper to Buy?
Which of the two can pay cashback
AliExpress sits on our list: AliExpress at daily cashback. The current rate is listed on it. It is not one flat figure, because the shop sets it per product group, so clothing, electronics and the rest are listed on separate lines. Temu is not on our list. An order there costs what the site shows and needs no special route; it just earns nothing from us.
What decides whether the cashback arrives
Three habits matter on AliExpress. Start from the shop page in the same browser window in which you pay. Use only the codes the page lists, because an outside code can make the order ineligible. And keep the order: the shop page explains that the base is the net order value after vouchers, taxes left out, and that a refunded order earns nothing. The entry shows as pending first and turns payable once the shop has approved it.
Available here with cashback
Returns decide the real price
A cheap item that you send back is not cheap. That is why the two return systems are worth reading before you order.
AliExpress runs a Buyer Protection programme. It pays a refund when an order never turns up, arrives damaged or does not match the listing, and the report must be made within 15 days of receipt. Separately, a Free Return service lasts 15 days from delivery. Send something away because you changed your mind and the postage is yours. Where EU law applies, the platform points to the two-year conformity guarantee and the 14-day right of withdrawal, for which the buyer carries the return costs. Underwear, socks, food and batteries are among the items left out of the return rules.
Temu names the statutory 14 days for consumers in the European Economic Area and, on top of that, a voluntary return period of 90 days from the purchase date. For some electronics and large appliances the voluntary period can be shorter, 45 or 60 days, as the product page says. The first return of each order is free of charge, whichever route it takes. For a second return from the same order you pay the postage. The voluntary route does not refund the original delivery fee, while the statutory withdrawal does. Used or incomplete items get a reduced refund.
Cashback and returns together
This is where the two sites split for our readers. With Temu you have the longer window but no cashback to lose. With AliExpress a return costs you the price of the item and, in addition, the cashback on it. So order on AliExpress what you are sure to keep: tools, spare parts, cables, craft supplies. Leave the size-sensitive items to the site whose return window you trust more.
At a glance
| Question | AliExpress | Temu |
|---|---|---|
| Cashback at daily cashback | yes, rates set per product group | not on our list |
| Statutory withdrawal for EU consumers | 14 days | 14 days |
| Extra return period | Free Return service, 15 days after delivery | voluntary return, 90 days from purchase |
| Shorter limits | Buyer Protection claims within 15 days of receipt | 45 or 60 days for some electronics and large appliances |
| Return postage after a change of mind | you pay | first return per order free, later ones you pay |
| Original delivery fee in a voluntary return | not stated | not refunded |
| Where you read the rules | Buyer Protection page | return and refund policy |
Who should pick what
Collectors of small items: if you order a basket of cheap parts and accessories that you keep, AliExpress through its shop page is the better route, because the cashback is the only saving you can plan.Buyers who like to try things: if you order several sizes or models and send some back, Temu gives you the longer time and a free first return per order. You trade that against the missing cashback.Careful shoppers: check the final amount of the same article on both sites, including delivery and any import fee shown at checkout. Only that number answers your question for today.Our recommendation
For cashback, use AliExpress via its shop page and keep what you order. If you expect to return half of the parcel, the 90-day window at Temu is worth more to you than a cashback that a refund would cancel anyway.
Quick takeaways
- Only AliExpress has a shop page for cashback, Temu is not on our list.
- Refunding an order cancels its cashback.
- Temu allows returns for up to 90 days under its voluntary policy, AliExpress states 15 days for its Free Return service.
- Check the end price of the exact article, delivery included, before ordering.
Available here with cashback