If you’ve ever wondered how to earn cashback while shopping online, this is exactly how it works.
Just living normally
I wasn’t trying to make money. I wasn’t looking for a side hustle or some clever way to optimise my spending. I was simply living my normal life, buying things online, booking hotels, and paying for trips as I usually would. Nothing about my behaviour changed.
But over time, something unexpected happened. I realised I had accumulated RM2,105.51, which is roughly USD 450, back into my account. Not from investing, not from selling anything, and not from being an influencer. Just from spending.
Here’s what my account looks like as of now:
This isn’t from referrals or anything fancy. Just cashback from things I was already buying.
💡 What is ShopBack?
ShopBack is a cashback platform that partners with online stores and brands. When you shop through their platform, they receive a commission from the retailer, and a portion of that is given back to you as cashback.
In simple terms, you get paid a small percentage of what you spend when you shop through their app or website.
It works with many familiar platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, Watsons, Agoda, Booking.com and more. It is available in several countries including Malaysia and Australia, so it continues to work even if you are travelling or relocating.
One small step
The way this works is actually very simple. Before I make any online purchase, I go through a platform called ShopBack. I search for the store I want, click into it, and then complete my checkout exactly as usual. The product is the same, the price is the same, and the process is the same. The only difference is that I went through ShopBack first.
Because of that one small step, a percentage of what I spend comes back to me as cashback. This isn’t a points system or some complicated reward structure. It is actual money that gets credited to your account once the purchase is confirmed.
Money from things I was already buying
Most of my cashback came from things I was already going to spend on anyway. Online shopping from places like Shopee, Lazada and Watsons, travel bookings for hotels and activities, and everyday purchases like skincare and essentials. I didn’t spend more just to earn cashback. I simply stopped missing the chance to get something back from what I was already paying for.
The part most people brush off as “too small to matter”
The cashback itself is small, and that’s exactly why most people ignore it. A few dollars here, maybe a few more there. It doesn’t feel like anything worth paying attention to, so people skip it without thinking twice. But that’s where the mistake is.
Those small amounts don’t stay small. They stack quietly in the background every time you check out, until one day you look at your account and realise it’s no longer just a few dollars. It’s over USD 450. And honestly, that’s the part that bothers me the most. Not that it works, but that I ignored it for so long. There was no extra effort needed, no system to follow, and no discipline required. It was just one simple click I kept skipping.
Want in? Hop on and start earning while you spend.
We’re buying these things anyway. It shouldn’t be about spending just for the sake of cashback, and I hope it’s not. I’m just spending on my usuals and refusing to pay in full when I don’t have to. Even a dime back is still money.
I’ll keep using ShopBack until I marry Son Heung Min and retire from my cashback spree… which probably means I’ll be here for as long as this platform exists.
Just to be transparent, if you sign up through the link in this post, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support this website and keeps everything running on my end.
What changed?
I didn’t work harder for this. I didn’t change how I live. I just stopped missing what was already available.
And that one small shift turned into RM2,105.41 (USD 450) back in my account.
Same spending.
Different outcome.
