Black Friday falls on the day after US Thanksgiving, and Cyber Monday follows on the Monday after. For a few days nearly every shop shows a discount, and it is easy to feel that the price alone settles the question. It does not. What you keep at the end is the sale price, minus any cashback, plus shipping, plus the cost of a return if something goes wrong. This guide shows how to put those pieces side by side.

Why sale weekend needs a plan

Prices move quickly, stock runs out and many offers last only a day. If you start looking on the morning of the sale, you will be tempted to buy the first reduced item you see. A short preparation beats that. A week or two ahead, write down the items you actually want, the shops that carry them and the normal price you have seen so far. A sale price only means something against that baseline.

How cashback sits on top of a sale

Cashback is paid by the shop's affiliate network when an order comes through a tracked link. It is calculated on the order value, usually after discounts, and it is a separate amount from the sale price. So a reduced item still earns cashback in most cases, and the two add up.

There are exceptions that matter in November. Some shops pay a lower rate or none on sale items, on gift cards, on certain brands or on orders that use a special sale code. These conditions are written on each shop page. Read them before you pay, because they decide whether your order counts.

Compare the whole basket, not the sticker

When two shops offer the same product, build a small table. For each shop write the sale price, the shipping cost, the likely cashback and the return rules. A slightly higher price with free shipping and a decent cashback rate can beat a lower price with paid delivery. Our aim at daily cashback is the best overall saving: cashback, current offers and shipping compared in one place.

• Sale price of the item after any discount
• Shipping cost and delivery date
• Whether cashback applies to this item or this code
• Return window and who pays for the return label

Codes, extensions and tracking

Sale weekend brings many coupon codes. Using one is fine when the shop allows it together with cashback, but some codes belong to other affiliate partners and can cancel the tracking of your order. If the shop page tells you that a code is not allowed, believe it. Also pause coupon extensions and ad blockers during checkout, since they can replace the tracking click. Our guide on combining cashback and coupons explains the rules in detail, and why cashback gets declined lists the usual mistakes.

A calendar that works

1. Two weeks before: make the list and note regular prices.
2. One week before: create your free account and check which of your shops are listed with cashback.
3. On the day: start from our shop page, click through, shop in one tab and pay in one visit.
4. After the order: keep the confirmation email and the order number.
5. In the following weeks: watch the status. Once the shop approves the order the amount is credited, and a return can take it away again.

Returns after the sale

Holiday returns are often accepted for longer than usual, but the exact period is set by each shop. When an item goes back, its cashback is normally cancelled, since the order was not completed. This is not a penalty, only the result of the shop reporting the return. Check the return window before you buy, especially for electronics and clothing.

What to do with a small cashback balance

Sale weekend can produce several small amounts at once. They are added to your account as the shops confirm each order, and you can request a payout by PayPal once the balance reaches 20 USD. Nothing is lost if you wait; the balance simply grows with the next purchases. Our guide on how long cashback takes covers the timing.

Watch the fine print on shipping

During the busiest days, carriers are slower than usual, and a parcel promised for the middle of the week can arrive after the weekend. If an item is a gift with a date attached, add a buffer, or choose a shop that states a firm delivery window. A cheaper offer that arrives too late is no saving at all.

A note on honesty

We are an information portal and do not sell anything ourselves. We do not test or guarantee coupon codes, and we do not promise that a price will be the lowest of the year. What we do is gather the cashback rate, the visible offers and the shipping and return terms so that you can judge for yourself. For hotels around the holidays, our page for Booking.com shows how a travel shop is listed.