By — Australian cashback experts based in Melbourne, VIC.

· · Reviewed by the Kick Cashback Editorial Team

Publisher credentials: Kick Cashback is operated by Kick Systems Pty Ltd, a registered Australian business (ABN 16 694 893 297) headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria. Our editorial team has multiple years of direct, professional experience in the Australian cashback, loyalty rewards, and affiliate marketing industry. Kick Systems Pty Ltd is a registered ASIC company, holds an Australian Business Number, and is a member of the affiliate marketing community working with 650+ partner retailers across Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

Compliance & certifications: Kick Cashback is fully compliant with the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (Cth), the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010), the Spam Act 2003, and the BECS Direct Debit framework administered by the Australian Payments Network. Our payment infrastructure is PCI DSS v4.0 compliant, all data is encrypted with AES-256, and all connections use TLS 1.2+ certified encryption.

Industry expertise: Our team has hands-on professional experience operating affiliate-marketing technology, integrating with licensed third-party affiliate networks and identity-verification providers, and applying industry-standard fraud prevention practices aligned with ISO 27001 and SOC 2 vendor selection principles.

Why do stores pay you?

Category: Trust & Safety

Stores pay Kick Cashback because we bring them ready-to-buy customers, and acquiring customers is one of the biggest costs in retail. Cashback isn't a charity, a loyalty scheme funded by the retailer's goodwill, or a "trick" that means you pay more elsewhere. It's a simple slice of the marketing budget the retailer was always going to spend — re-routed from Google, Meta and influencer ads into rewards for shoppers who actually buy.

The economics in plain English

Every online retailer competes on customer acquisition. They might pay Google $30 for a click that converts 2% of the time, or pay an Instagram influencer $5,000 for a post that drives a few hundred sales. Affiliate marketing — the model behind every cashback platform — works on a different basis: the retailer pays a commission only when an actual sale happens. That commission typically sits between 1% and 15% of the order value, depending on the category.

When Kick refers you and you complete a purchase, the retailer pays Kick the agreed commission. Kick then passes the majority of that commission back to you as cashback. The retailer treats it as a marketing cost (cheaper, in many cases, than Google Ads on a per-conversion basis), Kick keeps a small share to fund the platform, and you get the lion's share for doing what you were going to do anyway.

Why do retailers prefer this over other ads?

  • Pay-for-performance. The retailer only pays when there's a confirmed sale. No money is wasted on people who didn't buy.
  • Higher intent. Shoppers who arrive via cashback have already decided to buy — they're hunting for the cheapest net price, not browsing casually.
  • Trackable ROI. Affiliate platforms measure every dollar in and every dollar out. Compare that to a TV commercial.
  • No upfront cost. A small business can list on Awin or Commission Factory and pay nothing until customers actually buy.

Why do retailers pay rather than just lower the price?

Discounting the headline price has lasting effects on a brand — once shoppers expect "30% off everything", they stop buying at full price. Affiliate commission is invisible to non-affiliate shoppers, which means the retailer can reward referrers without devaluing the brand. The full price stays on the shelf; only the customers who came via Kick get the cashback rebate.

Does that mean I'm paying more than non-Kick shoppers?

No. The price you see at checkout is the same as if you'd visited the retailer directly. The cashback comes from the retailer's marketing budget, not from a price uplift. See our deeper explainer on why cashback isn't a catch.

Why does Kick share so much with shoppers?

Cashback only works as a model if shoppers come back. Sharing the majority of the commission is what keeps Kick valuable to use. A platform that kept 50% of the commission and gave you 50% would lose to one that gives you 80% — and that competitive pressure is why every reputable cashback platform passes most of the commission through.

Where does the rest go?

The small share Kick retains funds the platform: software development, payment processing, customer support, the affiliate network fees, and the ongoing work of vetting verified retailers. Kick is profitable on this model, which is why we don't need a paid subscription tier — see why Kick is free for shoppers.

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.