Quick answer: Compare ShopBack and TopCashback Australia for Etsy, eBay and Kogan. Check eligible rates, exclusions, tracking and your real checkout saving.
For Australian shoppers, the useful current comparison is ShopBack versus TopCashback, checked on the live merchant page for the exact store and order immediately before checkout. ShopBack currently shows Etsy, eBay and Kogan in its Australian store ecosystem. TopCashback documents browser-extension support, features eBay in its extension material and has a current Etsy merchant page. Neither service is the automatic winner for every purchase.
Do not use an old comparison that treats Cashrewards as a third active choice. ANZ reported that Cashrewards ceased making offers available on its website, app and notifier in September 2025. That makes older “three-way” rankings stale even if their extension screenshots still appear in search results.
Cashback is not the same as a checkout discount
A coupon reduces the amount payable now. Cashback is normally a later, conditional benefit: the shopping visit must be attributed to the cashback service, the order must meet the merchant’s current terms, and the merchant must confirm it. A displayed percentage is therefore not equivalent to cash already in your account.
Use this decision order:
- Find the lowest legitimate checkout price for the product you actually want.
- Check whether ShopBack or TopCashback covers that exact retailer and purchase category.
- Read exclusions for codes, apps, gift cards, taxes, delivery, returns and cancellations.
- Compare the likely cashback value only after the underlying price comparison.
- Decide whether the tracking and browser-data tradeoff is acceptable.
Online shopping photo by Bogdan Hoyaux / European Commission, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Illustrative only.
ShopBack vs TopCashback Australia
The two services use a similar affiliate model: you activate a tracked shopping visit, buy under the merchant’s terms, and wait for the transaction to be tracked and later confirmed. The practical differences are the merchants and rates available for your specific order, the extension’s support for that merchant, exclusions, claim process and payout timing.
| Decision field | ShopBack Australia | TopCashback Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Browser route | Extension, website or app, subject to store terms | Extension, website and supported browsers, subject to store terms |
| Documented extension browsers | Official help covers Chrome, Firefox and Edge | Official page lists Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| Store discovery | Extension notifications plus store pages | Extension notifications plus retailer pages |
| Named-store evidence reviewed | Etsy and eBay appear on the extension participating-brand list; Etsy, eBay and Kogan appear in the current marketplace page | eBay appears in extension examples; Etsy has a current dedicated merchant page |
| Important limitation | Tracking and eligibility vary by store, platform, session and terms | Not all retailers work with the browser extension; merchant terms can exclude codes, apps or payment types |
| Best use | When the exact merchant page has an eligible rate and the session can be tracked cleanly | When its exact merchant page offers better eligible value or clearer terms for the planned order |
ShopBack’s participating-brand help page includes Etsy and eBay. Its current Australian marketplace page also displays Etsy, eBay and Kogan offers. These pages are a snapshot, not a promise that every item, category, code or checkout path qualifies.
TopCashback’s browser-extension page says the extension works with more than 1,000 brands and lists eBay among examples, but it also says some retailers do not work with the extension. TopCashback’s current Etsy page shows how specific the exclusions can be: listed conditions address outside coupon codes, gift-card or store-credit use, retailer-app purchases, blockers and cookies.
The fair comparison is therefore not “which extension has more logos?” It is “which service has the better eligible outcome for this exact basket, session and date?”
Etsy, eBay and Kogan: compare at merchant level
| Retailer | Current evidence to check | Decision rule |
|---|---|---|
| Etsy | ShopBack lists Etsy among extension brands; TopCashback has an Etsy merchant page | Open both live pages, match the eligible category and checkout route, then compare the rate and exclusions |
| eBay | ShopBack lists eBay and currently displays an eBay offer; TopCashback features eBay in extension material | Check category caps, seller or item exclusions, code eligibility and whether the extension activates for that session |
| Kogan | ShopBack currently displays a Kogan offer | Verify the live Kogan merchant terms; do not assume another service covers Kogan if no current merchant page is found |
| Big retailers | Both services advertise broad retailer networks | Search the exact retailer in both services; ignore network-size claims when one service lacks the store or category you need |
Rates can change, and “up to” rates may apply only to selected categories or customer types. Record the ordinary rate for your basket, not the highest number on a promotional banner. If one service offers 8% only for a category you are not buying while the other offers 2% on your eligible category, the second service has the real comparable rate.
Merchant terms can also change the base used for calculation. Taxes, delivery fees, gift cards and excluded product categories may not earn cashback. Calculate against the eligible merchandise amount rather than the entire checkout total unless the current terms say otherwise.
Calculate the expected net saving
Use two values, not one:
Maximum displayed cashback = eligible purchase amount × displayed eligible rate
Decision value = maximum displayed cashback − any higher product price − extra fees − value of restrictions or delay
Suppose Store A costs AUD 100 and offers a possible AUD 4 cashback, while Store B costs AUD 94 with no cashback. Store B is already AUD 2 cheaper even if Store A’s cashback is confirmed. The cashback badge should not pull attention away from the checkout total.
For a large order, treat unconfirmed cashback as zero in the affordability calculation. Buy only if the underlying price and merchant terms are acceptable without the reward. If cashback later becomes payable, it is an additional saving rather than money required to make the purchase affordable.
Keep a dated record of:
- the merchant page and rate shown before activation;
- the eligible and excluded categories;
- the code or promotion used;
- the order number, time and eligible subtotal;
- the activation or tracking indicator;
- the expected tracking and claim window.
This record does not guarantee payment, but it makes a missing-cashback claim easier to document.
Tracking reliability and the privacy tradeoff
E-commerce illustration by Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0.
ShopBack’s tracking guidance says it uses cookies to attribute purchases. It identifies blockers, strict privacy settings, other deal links, unlisted codes, extra tabs and switching platforms as possible sources of tracking failure. TopCashback’s Etsy terms similarly warn that blockers, some privacy tools and disallowed codes may prevent or invalidate tracking.
That creates a genuine tradeoff. Cashback attribution needs visibility into the referral path. ShopBack’s extension help says the extension accesses store URLs, web addresses and cookies for attribution and describes the account information it collects.
Do not weaken browser security for all browsing just to chase a small reward. A more controlled setup is:
- Read the extension’s current permissions and privacy policy before installation.
- Use a separate browser profile dedicated to shopping if you accept the permissions.
- Keep financial, health and unrelated browsing out of that profile.
- Activate only the cashback service selected for the order; competing coupon or cashback extensions can overwrite attribution.
- Start a fresh merchant visit from the chosen service and finish in the same supported browser session.
- Allow only the tracking required for that purchase if you are comfortable doing so, then restore your preferred protections afterward.
- Remove the extension if the expected savings do not justify ongoing access.
If you are not comfortable granting extension access, both services may offer website or app click-through routes for some merchants. Check the exact store’s conditions because eligibility can differ by platform.
Which extension should you use?
Choose ShopBack for an Etsy, eBay or Kogan purchase when its live merchant page covers your item and checkout path, its eligible rate produces the best net price, and you accept the tracking setup. Its current Australian pages provide the clearest reviewed evidence for all three named retailers.
Choose TopCashback when its live merchant page covers the exact order and offers better eligible value or clearer conditions. Its Etsy page is a useful example of detailed merchant-level exclusions, and its extension page confirms that not every retailer is extension-enabled.
Choose neither when the cashback route requires a higher underlying price, conflicts with a better coupon, asks for browser access you do not accept, or leaves a material eligibility question unresolved. A smaller certain checkout saving is often more valuable than a larger conditional reward.
For every purchase, reopen both merchant pages immediately before checkout. Compare the same basket, save the evidence, activate one route only and treat pending cashback as contingent. That process is more reliable than installing several extensions and trusting whichever badge flashes the largest percentage.
Five-minute checkout checklist
Use this checklist immediately before paying: open the same retailer in both cashback services; confirm the product category and code are eligible; compare the ordinary rate rather than an “up to” banner; close competing coupon or cashback extensions; start a fresh visit through the chosen service; and save the rate, terms and order confirmation. If any eligibility detail is unclear, choose the lower certain checkout price instead of assuming cashback will arrive.
ShopBack vs TopCashback Australia FAQ
Which cashback service is better in Australia?
Neither is always better. Open both live merchant pages for the same basket, compare the eligible rate and exclusions, and use only the route that produces the better realistic saving.
Can I use both cashback extensions on one order?
No. Activate one service only for a purchase. Competing extensions, coupon links and switching browsers can interrupt attribution.