Which payment methods at the retailer earn cashback?

Category: Portal Cashback (650+ Stores)

For the vast majority of retailers in the Kick Cashback portal, the payment method you use at checkout doesn't change whether cashback tracks. What matters for tracking is whether you arrived at the retailer via your Kick Cashback portal link, not how you eventually pay. There are a handful of exceptions worth knowing about.

Payment methods that always earn cashback

  • 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 affiliate 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 an affiliate 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

Promo codes interact with cashback regardless of 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 650+ 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.

Our Experience

We are a first-party cashback platform — we work directly with retailers rather than reselling another company's network. Our team negotiates cashback rates, manages partner relationships, and processes payments in-house. According to industry data published by IAB Australia, affiliate and cashback marketing represented over $1 billion in tracked Australian retail sales in 2024 (source: IAB Australia Online Advertising Expenditure Report). Kick Cashback is part of this growing sector and is committed to passing the majority of retailer commissions back to shoppers as cashback.

Our editorial team draws on direct experience working with major Australian retailers and global affiliate networks. We publish detailed cashback information, retailer terms, and shopping guides based on first-hand knowledge of how cashback tracking, attribution, and payments work. Where industry standards or regulatory guidance applies — such as the Australian Consumer Law administered by the ACCC, or the Privacy Act 1988 administered by the OAIC — we cite the relevant source so readers can verify our claims.

Trust & Transparency

  • Australian-owned: Kick Systems Pty Ltd, ABN 16 694 893 297, headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria.
  • Privacy: We comply with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988. Read our Privacy Policy.
  • Terms: Full Terms & Conditions published and updated regularly.
  • Cookies: See our Cookie Policy for details on tracking and consent.
  • Secure: All connections are encrypted with HTTPS (TLS 1.2+).
  • Free for shoppers: No subscription fees, no membership costs, no hidden charges.
  • Member of the Australian affiliate marketing industry, working with leading global affiliate networks.

Contact Kick Cashback

Company: Kick Systems Pty Ltd (trading as Kick Cashback)

ABN: 16 694 893 297

Email: info@kickcashback.com

Address: Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Website:

Customer portal: kickpay.co

Learn more about Kick Cashback and our team. For questions, see our FAQs or contact us.