Cashback: how it works and how much is really returned

Cashback, in Lithuanian “pinigų grąža”, means that part of the amount paid for a purchase comes back to you after a while. It sounds like earnings, but it is really a deferred discount: you get money only when you spend it. Still, it is the only way of “earning with your phone” that takes no extra time – provided you follow the rules, breaking which often means the cashback is not credited.

This part of the guide covers three kinds of cashback: cashback portals, bank card programmes and manufacturer promotions. Each comes with the terms published by the portals, banks and manufacturers themselves.

How cashback portals work

Shops pay for buyers brought to them by others: this is affiliate marketing. A cashback portal is such an affiliate – it receives a commission for every purchase made through its link and shares it with the buyer. LetyShops describes it plainly: instead of paying for advertising, shops pay the portal for the customers it attracts, and the portal passes most of this money on to users.

1. You log in to the portal on the website or in the app and find the shop.
2. You click the link to the shop. A cookie is saved in the browser, by which the shop recognises that you came from the portal.
3. You buy as usual – the price for you is the same.
4. The cashback is recorded. Bonusway states that this usually happens within 15 minutes of payment; the cashback status is then “laukiama” (pending).
5. The shop confirms the purchase. It checks whether the order was cancelled, returned or changed, and only then pays the commission to the portal. The status changes to “išimama” (withdrawable) or, if the purchase was cancelled or the rules were broken, “atmesta” (rejected).
6. You withdraw the money once you have accumulated the minimum amount.

How much is returned and when

The size of the cashback depends on the shop and the product category – you see it in the portal next to each shop. The Bonusway app description states that in some shops you can get back up to 10–15 % of the amount; that is the upper limit, not the usual rate. What it is calculated on also matters: the portal explains that many shops do not calculate cashback on value added tax and delivery costs.

A calculation example. If a shop applies 3 % cashback and the item costs 121 € with 21 % VAT, the cashback is calculated on 100 € and comes to 3 €. To reach the 20 € payout threshold with such cashback, you would have to buy goods worth roughly 800 € including VAT through the portal. So a portal pays off for those who buy a lot and expensively online – travel, electronics, furniture – not for an occasional small purchase.

Why cashback is not credited

The most common disappointment: you bought, and there is no cashback. The reason is almost always the same: the shop did not recognise that you came from the portal, or the purchase did not meet its conditions. Bonusway lists these rules:

• Switch off ad-blocking extensions. They delete the cookies by which the shop recognises the portal.
• Do not browse in incognito mode – the cashback will not be registered and cannot be added later.
• Go to the shop only through the portal's link and put items in the basket only after that. If the basket was filled earlier, the cashback may not be recorded.
• Do not use discount codes from elsewhere and do not visit price comparison or coupon websites before buying – their cookies overwrite the portal's cookie.
• Do not buy through the shop's mobile app (the exception is AliExpress).
• Do not change the shop's country and do not buy by phone.
• Read the shop's special conditions: some shops do not grant cashback when a discount code is applied, payment is made with a gift card or certain items are bought.

If there is no cashback 5 working days after the purchase, Bonusway suggests contacting the support team – this can be done no later than 6 months after the purchase. Keep the order confirmation – you will need it when you get in touch.

Bank card cashback

The second kind is cashback on card payments. No links are needed here: the bank or payment institution returns a percentage of certain purchases. Such offers almost always have three limits – where it applies, how much is returned at most and for how long.

• Where it applies. Luminor states that with the Luminor Bloom card a 3 % bonus is granted on purchases in Rimi shops.
• How much at most. The same bonus is capped at 30 € per month per customer and is paid out by the 10th day of the following month to the account linked to the card.
• For how long. At the end of 2023 Revolut offered new credit card holders in Lithuania 5 % cashback in shops and restaurants, but only for the first three months and no more than 20 € in total.

Terms change, so before choosing a card for the cashback, read the current promotion rules on the bank's website and take the card's monthly fee into account: if it is higher than the cashback you will realistically accumulate, the benefit is negative.

Manufacturers' cashback promotions: the Samsung example

The third kind is a manufacturer's promotion: you buy a specific device, register the purchase and the manufacturer transfers part of the price to your bank account. Samsung runs such promotions in Lithuania all the time; for example, in autumn 2026 a 50 € cashback was announced for the Galaxy Watch9. The process as set out by Samsung:

1. Before buying, check whether the device model is included in the promotion list and whether the seller is a promotion partner. If the cashback is not advertised at the point of purchase, it most likely does not apply to that device.
2. Register the purchase within 14 days of buying – phones and tablets through the Samsung Members app, other products through the promotion page.
3. Upload proof of purchase with the date, model code, IMEI or serial number, seller and amount paid, as well as a photo of the label on the box.
4. Wait for the check. The application is reviewed within 14 days; if the data is incomplete, it must be corrected within 10 working days.
5. The money is transferred within 35 days of the application being approved.

The most common mistakes that get an application rejected: the purchase was not made from a partner, the 14-day deadline was missed, the name of the account holder does not match the name of the person registering. The same account number and email address can be used for only one registration within the same product group, and the participant must be at least 18 years old.

Who cashback pays off for

The other side of cashback: you can receive the commission yourself

A cashback portal passes on to you part of the commission it receives from the shop. If you have someone to recommend to – friends, followers, readers – you can receive that same commission in full by becoming an affiliate.

Frequently asked questions