Which payment methods at the retailer earn cashback?
Category: Portal Cashback (1,000+ Stores)
Whether a payment method earns cashback depends on the retailer's current cashback terms — for many retailers in the Kick Cashback portal, the payment method you use at checkout doesn't change whether cashback tracks. What matters most for tracking is whether you arrived at the retailer via your Kick Cashback portal link. Some payment methods are excluded under specific retailers' terms, so check the store's page before you buy.
Payment methods that usually earn cashback (subject to the retailer's terms)
- Credit cards — Visa, Mastercard, Amex, all bank-issued cards.
- Debit cards — Visa Debit, Mastercard Debit, EFTPOS Plus.
- Digital wallets — Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay all earn cashback because they pass through to the underlying card.
- PayPal — works at every retailer that accepts it.
- Direct bank transfer / POLi / PayID — supported where the retailer offers it.
Buy now, pay later (Afterpay, Zip, Klarna, Humm)
BNPL services work for cashback at most Kick Cashback partner retailers. A small number of retailers exclude BNPL orders from earning cashback because the BNPL provider charges them a higher transaction fee, which the retailer passes through by withholding the referral commission. The store's page in your Kick Cashback portal flags any known BNPL exclusions. If you're unsure, the retailer's checkout will usually display "earn cashback on this purchase" only when the payment method qualifies.
Payment methods that usually don't earn cashback
- Gift cards and store credit redeemed as payment — when you pay with an existing gift card or store credit, the retailer typically doesn't pay a referral commission, so there's no cashback to share. This applies to gift cards bought from the same retailer, gift cards bought from supermarket gift-card racks, and corporate reward gift cards.
- Buying gift cards with cashback — most retailers exclude gift card purchases from earning cashback, even if you pay with a normal credit card. This is the inverse case and is industry-standard.
- Loyalty points redemption — paying with Qantas Points, Velocity Points or retailer loyalty points doesn't earn cashback for the same reason as gift cards.
Cashback on the post-discount, post-redemption amount
Cashback is calculated on the amount the retailer actually charges you in real money — after any gift card or loyalty points have been applied. So if a $100 order is paid for with a $40 gift card and $60 on your credit card, cashback at a 5% rate works out to $3 (5% of $60), not $5.
Combining payment methods with promo codes
Whether a discount code affects your cashback depends on the retailer's current terms, not on the payment method — see our discount codes and cashback guide for the rules.
What about my credit card's own rewards or cashback?
Card-issuer rewards are completely separate from Kick Cashback and stack on top — see our credit card stacking guide.
About Kick Cashback
Kick Cashback is Australia's smarter cashback platform with 1,000+ partner stores. Free for shoppers — no membership fees, no subscription costs. Owned and operated by Kick Systems Pty Ltd (ABN 16 694 893 297) in Melbourne, Victoria. For support, contact info@kickcashback.com.