I joined Complete Savings in July 2024, and since then I have earned £1,276.26 in cashback. I have used it for everything from everyday grocery deliveries and takeaways to flights, accommodation and car hire. Cashback has now become one of my first considerations before making any online purchase.

What is Complete Savings?

Complete Savings is a shopper rewards programme that gives members access to at least 10 per cent cashback at more than 1,000 UK retailers. Paid-membership rewards schemes of this kind sit alongside free cashback websites, but work on a different model: members pay a recurring fee in exchange for consistently higher cashback rates and additional monthly benefits. As with any subscription, whether it pays off depends on how regularly you shop through the programme.

As someone who regularly uses cashback sites, I tend to compare rates before buying. I often check Complete Savings last, because I already know the cashback rate will be at least 10 per cent, and it is frequently higher. If other cashback services are offering less, I know immediately which option gives the better return.

A recent example was a £75 purchase from Schuh. Complete Savings offered 10 per cent cashback, giving me £7.50 back, while other cashback sites were offering 3.3 per cent, which would have returned just £2.48. That meant I was around £5 better off simply by choosing where I clicked through before completing the purchase. In cashback shopping, the rate you click through at — not the price of the item — determines what you get back, which is why comparing rates before checkout is worth the extra moment.

Cashback on big purchases and everyday spending

Some of the largest cashback amounts I have earned have come from travel. When I booked a holiday, I used Complete Savings for flights, accommodation and car hire, earning enough cashback to effectively cover part of the cost of the trip. I have also earned cashback on larger purchases such as camping equipment and home improvement items.

However, it is the smaller, everyday purchases that really build the habit. I regularly use Complete Savings for grocery deliveries, takeaways and transport costs. During term time, I even use it when buying train tickets for my foster child's journey to and from school.

The retailer network covers many of the brands I already use, including Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Boots, Just Eat, Deliveroo, Wickes, Toolstation and Premier Inn. Breadth of retailer coverage matters in practice, because cashback is only usable on spending you were already doing — a programme earns nothing for you if your regular shops are not in its network.

Since joining, there has not been a single month when I haven't used the service. In reality, I use it almost every day.

Making cashback work for you

Complete Savings has a monthly membership fee, but I have always earned significantly more back in cashback and benefits than I pay for membership. The monthly bonus helps offset the cost, and the combination of consistently high cashback rates and additional rewards means I have never felt out of pocket. The range and value of benefits on offer are also much greater than the free alternatives.

For me, cashback is simple. I never buy something purely because cashback is available. Instead, I use it to earn money back on purchases I was already planning to make. That distinction is the basic discipline most money-saving guides recommend: cashback should be a rebate on planned spending, not a reason to spend.

Customer service matters

Like any cashback service, there can occasionally be situations where a transaction doesn't track correctly or a claim needs investigating. This is a known feature of cashback shopping generally — tracking depends on cookies and the retailer confirming the sale, so declined or untracked transactions are part of how these services work rather than an exception. In my experience, Complete Savings has been responsive and easy to deal with whenever I have needed help, whether by email (customerservice@completesavings.co.uk), telephone (0800 389 6960) or chatbot.

That matters because cashback is only useful if issues can be resolved quickly and easily. Knowing there is a customer service team available when needed gives me confidence to keep using the programme.

Why Complete Savings works for me

After more than two years of using Complete Savings, it has become part of the way I shop online. Other popular money savers, such as Money in Mind, The Money Fix and Super Savvy Savers, are reaping the benefits too.

I still compare cashback rates, because no single service will always have the best offer, but Complete Savings consistently delivers some of the strongest rates on the retailers I use most often.

That is exactly how I have earned more than £1,200 in cashback since joining. It is money back on purchases I was going to make anyway, and that is why Complete Savings has become such a valuable part of my everyday shopping routine.