Expedia Cashback: Every Portal's Rate, Compared

The best Expedia cashback we found is 9% at RetailMeNot, read from RetailMeNot's own Expedia page.

Expedia cash back rates by portal

Every rate below was read from that portal's own Expedia page, and every row shows when we last looked. Where a rate has a catch, the catch is printed next to the number rather than underneath it.

PortalRateLast checked
RetailMeNot
9%source
Hoopla Doopla
6.2%source
RebatesMe
Up to 6%A maximum, not a standing rate. RebatesMe's category table for this store goes as low as 1.5%.source
Fluz
1.5%Fluz's general virtual card, available at most merchants. Not a rate negotiated for this store specifically.source
Active Junky
Up to 5%A maximum, not a standing rate. Active Junky's category table for this store goes as low as 1%.source
Sunshine Rewards
2%Earn 2% back on completed hotels and activities, 1% on vacation rentals and packages.source
BeFrugal
Up to 11%A maximum, not a standing rate. BeFrugal pays the top rate only on some departments or products, and the everyday rate is usually lower.source
TopCashback
11%This is a maximum, not a standing rate. The everyday rate is usually lower.source
Rakuten
Up to 6%A maximum, not a standing rate. Rakuten applies the top rate only to some departments or products, and the everyday rate is usually lower.source
Extrabux
Up to 4%A maximum, not a standing rate. Extrabux pays the top rate only on some categories, and the everyday rate is usually lower.source
ShopBack
Up to 4%A maximum, not a standing rate. ShopBack pays the top rate on some departments or products, and the everyday rate is lower.source
CouponFollow
Up to 3.5%A maximum, not a standing rate; CouponFollow says not all items are eligible for cash back.source
Mr. Rebates
Up to 2%A maximum, not a standing rate. The everyday rate is usually lower.source
Price.com
Rate not publishedThis portal lists the merchant but did not show a rate we could read. That is different from paying nothing.source
chirpyest
Not carriedThis portal does not cover this merchant.
GoCashBack
Not carriedThis portal does not cover this merchant.
Lolli
Not carriedThis portal does not cover this merchant.
MaxRebates
Not carriedThis portal does not cover this merchant.
MyPoints
Not carriedThis portal does not cover this merchant.
Raise
Not carriedThis portal does not cover this merchant.

Rates move without notice, so treat anything more than a couple of days old as worth re-checking at the portal before you shop.

How to get Expedia cashback, step by step

  1. Open RetailMeNot's Expedia page and click through to Expedia from there. That click is what ties the order to your account, so start every Expedia order this way rather than from a bookmark or a search result. The rate as we last read it was 9%.
  2. Shop in that same tab and session. Don't leave for a coupon site and come back, and turn off any other cashback or coupon extension before you check out: the last click before the order is the one that gets credited, and another extension's click can take it.
  3. Check out in one go, using only codes RetailMeNot itself shows for Expedia. A code from somewhere else can void the cashback on many stores.
  4. Wait for it to confirm. In about 45 days the cash back lands in the RetailMeNot account as redeemable. Returning part of the order, or cancelling it, changes what gets paid.
  5. Get paid. RetailMeNot pays by: PayPal or Venmo, from the RetailMeNot account. Minimum: A minimum approved balance of $5.01 is required for a redemption. Timing: On request, once the cash back is approved in the account.

Getting paid, portal by portal

Each portal's own help pages, as written there. The source link on each row goes to the page it came from. These are the portal's terms, not Expedia's.

PortalPaid byMinimumConfirmation window
RetailMeNotsourcePayPal or Venmo, from the RetailMeNot account.A minimum approved balance of $5.01 is required for a redemption.In about 45 days the cash back lands in the RetailMeNot account as redeemable.
Hoopla DooplasourceCheck, Venmo or PayPal.$5.00 in approved cash back per period, for PayPal, Venmo and paper checks alike. A balance under that carries over to the next period.Usually posts within 10 days of purchase, then becomes yours after 90 days.
RebatesMesourcePayPal, credit card, Alipay, check or gift cards.$10 in available cash back, not counting bonuses.Cash back becomes available after the 90-day return window.
FluzsourceBank transfer (ACH), PayPal or Venmo, or spent in the app on more gift cards. Without a US bank account, PayPal or Venmo.$15 in lifetime earnings once, then $1 per withdrawal.Instant. The cashback lands in the Fluz balance when the gift card is bought.
Active JunkysourceCheck, PayPal, Venmo or a credit/debit card. Approved cash back can also be cashed out early as a gift card.None stated for the monthly payout. Cashing out early as a gift card takes $5.01 in approved cash back.Orders stay pending until the partner store approves them. For travel and events, partners typically approve within about 3 months after the trip or event.
Sunshine RewardssourcePayPal, or gift cards from time to time through the Redemption Center.20.00 in credits, and the account has to be at least 45 days old. Cashouts are capped at $500 a month.Earnings should post within 10 days. Sale credits are then held: 28 days per the help page, 21 days from the date of purchase per the terms page.
BeFrugalsourceCheck, PayPal, direct deposit, Venmo, Zelle or an eGift card. Check and direct deposit are US only.$0.01 for PayPal or direct deposit; $25 for a check.Verified cash back sits in the account for 30 to 90 days, set by the retailer's return policy and its payment cycle with BeFrugal. Store pages say cash back is typically available for payment 15 to 60 days after purchase.
TopCashbacksourceBank transfer, Venmo, PayPal, gift cards, a Virtual Visa Prepaid Card or an American Express Virtual Reward Card.None for PayPal, Venmo or bank transfer; some gift cards have one.No fixed window. Cash back goes pending, then confirmed once the retailer reviews the order, then payable once the retailer's network is invoiced. TopCashback prints an estimated payout speed on each merchant's page.
RakutensourceBig Fat Check by mail, PayPal, American Express Membership Rewards points, or Bilt. A confirmed balance of $5.00 or more can also be redeemed as a gift card within minutes.$5.01 in confirmed cash back before the payment date; $5.00 or less carries over to the next one.3 to 14 weeks for online and in-store purchases; 45 to 120 days for travel.
ExtrabuxsourcePayPal, eGift cards, ACH bank deposit (US only), check (US only), or a donation to a charity.$10 available balance, with at least one confirmed purchase carrying more than $1 in available cash back.Usually tracked within 1 to 7 days of purchase, then held through a 90-day window for returns or cancellations at most stores before it becomes available.
ShopBacksourcePayPal or a US bank account via ACH, once the balance clears the minimum.$5 of Confirmed Cashback on ShopBack's payment-methods and clear-time guides; its withdraw how-to says $10.Pending within 48 hours of checkout, then Confirmed once the partner store's claim time has been fulfilled: usually a few weeks for retail, after trip completion for travel.
CouponFollowsourcePayPal; a valid US PayPal account has to be connected to CouponFollow.An Available Balance of at least $10.Pending for up to 60 days, to ensure a purchase isn't returned or refunded.
Mr. RebatessourceA rebate check by mail, or payment via PayPal, Venmo or an Amazon gift card.$10 in Available Rebates.Rebates post to Pending within 1 to 3 business days of the order or ship date, then stay Pending for 90 days from the posting date before moving to Available.
Price.comsourceDebit card deposit, PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, gift cards, a donation to charity, or crypto.$10 per withdrawal, with a $500 cap per withdrawal and per day.Typically 30 to 90 days: pending until the retailer confirms the purchase and its return period ends.

Does Expedia have its own cashback or rewards program?

Yes, and it runs alongside portal cashback rather than instead of it. Expedia's own loyalty program is One Key, shared across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo. TopCashback's editorial describes four tiers by trip activity in a calendar year: "Blue (0–4 trip elements)" earning "2% OneKeyCash on eligible bookings" plus "10%+ off 500,000+ stays worldwide with member prices"; "Silver (5–14 trip elements)" adding "3% OneKeyCash at VIP Access properties" and "15%+ off 10,000+ hotels worldwide"; "Gold (15–29 trip elements)" at "4% OneKeyCash at VIP Access properties" with "20%+ off 10,000+ hotels worldwide"; and "Platinum (30+ trip elements)" at "6% OneKeyCash at VIP Access properties" source. There's also a "One Key Credit Card", stated to earn "up to $350 in OneKeyCash if you spend $3,000 or more within the first three months" source.

That whole paragraph is sourced to TopCashback's own editorial, not to Expedia directly, and that's a real gap worth naming rather than papering over: every path tried against expedia.com in this research pass, curl with a full Chrome header set, WebFetch, even a plain fetch of the homepage, returned HTTP 429 Too Many Requests behind a bot-challenge page. Nothing on Expedia's own site could be read this session, so the One Key tier structure, its stated military and student discounts, and its Hotel Price Guarantee below all carry TopCashback's byline, not Expedia's.

Two more programs TopCashback's page states, same caveat applying: "Expedia's student discount provides 10% off for college students" verified "through ID.me", and "Expedia offers a 10% discount for military members, first responders, nurses, medical personnel, government employees and teachers" source. It also states a standing price-match: "Expedia has its own Hotel Price Guarantee. So if you book a hotel through Expedia and then find a cheaper price for an identical booking elsewhere, Expedia will refund you the difference." source. None of these are portal cashback; they lower what you pay or add Expedia's own points, the same way a store card or a military discount does at a single retailer, and they stack with a portal click the way any price-based saving does.

OneKeyCash itself is the one that matters for stacking: it's Expedia's own currency, earned on the booking itself regardless of which portal you clicked through, so a portal's cashback and OneKeyCash both land from the same transaction rather than competing for it.

What Expedia cashback stacks with

LayerStacks with portal cashback?Notes
Hotels and vacation rentalsYes, at Rakuten, TopCashback and Price.com, and it's at or near the top tier at eachA stay is the top tier at Rakuten, tied with "Things to Do" source, and at Price.com, tied with "Things to do" source. TopCashback splits new from existing customers, and only its "New Expedia Customer" bracket puts "Hotels" on top; for an "Existing Expedia Customer", "Activities" pays more than "Hotels" source. One wrinkle at Price.com: it prices "Vacation Rental" as its own lower tier rather than grouping it with "Hotels" source, so a Vrbo-style booking there earns less than a hotel.
Things to Do / ActivitiesYes, at Rakuten, TopCashback and Price.comRakuten groups it with hotels in its top tier, "Things to Do" source, and so does Price.com, "Things to do" source. At TopCashback it's the category an existing customer earns the most on, above hotels source.
Car rentalsYes, at all three, and always below the hotel rate"Cars" at Rakuten source, "Car Rental" at TopCashback in both customer brackets source, and "Cars" at Price.com source. At Rakuten and Price.com it's the lowest percentage tier on the page.
PackagesYes, at all three, and it's TopCashback's weakest category"Packages" at Rakuten source, "Package Bookings" at TopCashback source, "Packages" at Price.com source. It's the bottom tier at TopCashback in both brackets; at Rakuten and Price.com a package still pays more than a car rental.
FlightsPortal-dependent, and Price.com disagrees with the other twoRakuten and TopCashback both pay a flat dollar amount rather than a percentage, on "Flights" source and under "All Expedia Customers Cash Back" source. Price.com excludes flights outright: "Cash Back is not available for bookings on flights or cruises" source. A flat amount isn't comparable to a percentage, so no portal can be ranked best on a flight from this table; on an expensive fare it's a rounding error either way.
CruisesNo, at Rakuten, TopCashback or Price.comRakuten excludes "cruises" by name source; TopCashback: "Purchases of cruises." source; Price.com: "not available for bookings on flights or cruises" source.
Event ticketsNo, at Rakuten and Price.com; TopCashback doesn't name itRakuten excludes "event tickets" source; Price.com excludes "event tickets" too source. TopCashback's exclusion list names cruises and currency changes, not tickets source, so treat it as untested there rather than safe.
Booking through a travel agent portalNo, at Rakuten and Price.com; TopCashback doesn't name itRakuten: "bookings made through travel agent portal" source. Price.com: "bookings through travel agent portals" source.
A coupon code not listed on the portal itselfNo, at Rakuten and Price.comRakuten: "Using coupon codes that are not listed on Rakuten will void Cash Back." source. Price.com excludes "purchases made using ineligible coupon codes" source.
Changing the Expedia region or currency mid-orderNo, at TopCashback; not named elsewhereTopCashback: "Purchase of orders where you change the Expedia region or currency." source.
OneKeyCash and One Key member pricesYes, it's Expedia's own currency, not a portalEarned on the booking itself, the same transaction a portal click tracks; the pillar guide covers how a brand's own points and portal cashback coexist.
The Fluz virtual cardYes on its own purchase, but it isn't an Expedia-specific gift cardSame mechanism as Fluz's page for other merchants here, a Mastercard/Visa-network virtual card funded from a Fluz balance or bank account, earning its cashback "with no fees, credit checks, or minimum spend required" source, separately from clicking through a portal. Its rate is in the table above.
A second portalNeverOnly one tracking click gets credit; the pillar guide explains why the last click wins.

Expedia cashback exclusions and what breaks tracking

The category tiers below decide most of the payout, but two things cut across every category at the three portals quoted here: cruises are out at all three, and flights are a flat dollar amount at two of them and excluded entirely at the third.

  • Rakuten's category table. Highest to lowest: "Hotels and Homes" and "Things to Do" tied on top, then "Packages", then "Cars", with "Flights" paid as a flat dollar amount source. Exclusions: "Cash Back is not available on event tickets, cruises, bookings when a coupon code is used or bookings made through travel agent portal. Cash Back is only available on orders completed through Expedia.com." source. Timing: "Cash Back will be added to your Rakuten account within a week after travel has been completed." source, which is after the trip, not after the booking.
  • TopCashback splits new customers from existing ones, on top of the category tiers. Its "New Expedia Customer Cash Back" table runs Hotels, Activities, Car Rental, Package Bookings, highest to lowest. Its "Existing Expedia Customer Cash Back" table reorders the top two: Activities, then Hotels, then Car Rental, then Packages. Flights sit under "All Expedia Customers Cash Back" at a flat dollar amount source. Every existing-customer rate is lower than its new-customer counterpart, so a headline rate here is the new-customer one. Exclusions: "Purchases of cruises." and "Purchase of orders where you change the Expedia region or currency." source. Terms: "Cash Back is calculated only on the item(s) price and does not include taxes, shipping or other fees." "Cash Back will track to your account at $0. When you've completed your stay, the correct Cash Back value will be added." source. That last line matters: seeing $0 right after booking isn't a miss, it's the design, and the real number only appears after the trip is over. Its editorial is dated "Last Updated: April 2026" source.
  • Price.com's category table and cap. Highest to lowest: "Hotels" and "Things to do" tied on top, then "Packages" and "Vacation Rental" tied, then "Cars" at the bottom source. Note that a vacation rental is not grouped with hotels here. A ceiling: "Max Cash Back Per Order:" "$30" source, which on an expensive package or a multi-night hotel stay is the number that matters, not the percentage. Exclusions: "Cash Back is not available for bookings on flights or cruises, event tickets, bookings through travel agent portals, or purchases made using ineligible coupon codes." source. Timing: "Purchases will typically show in your wallet as pending in 6 hours" and "Cash Back will be added to your wallet in approximately 90 days." source.
  • Fluz's virtual card, and what isn't published. The page states a rate and little else source. Like this site's eBay page, it publishes no Expedia-specific gift card denomination or reload spec; the mechanism here is the general-purpose virtual card, funded by "your Fluz balance or a linked bank account" source, usable "Anywhere Mastercard/Visa is accepted" source.
  • Returns, cancellations and timing. There's no single storewide cancellation window; TopCashback's editorial describes Expedia's typical language rather than a fixed rule: a "free cancellation" or "fully refundable" listing "usually means that the booking is fully refundable if you cancel within 24 to 48 hours before check-in" source, and "Cancellation guidelines and refund eligibility depend on the specific hotel, airline, or car rental provider" source. Both paying portals wait out the trip before paying, not just the booking: TopCashback pays after "you've completed your stay" source, and Rakuten pays "within a week after travel has been completed" source. Cancel the trip and there's nothing left to have been paid on.

What breaks tracking at Expedia specifically, on top of what breaks it anywhere (the pillar guide has the portals' own general wording):

  • Booking a cruise, at Rakuten, TopCashback and Price.com; an event ticket, at Rakuten and Price.com.
  • Booking through a travel agent portal rather than directly on Expedia.com.
  • A coupon code from somewhere other than the portal's own page, at Rakuten and Price.com.
  • Changing the Expedia region or currency partway through checkout, at TopCashback.
  • Cancelling the trip, which reverses the stay the cashback was waiting on.
  • Starting on one device and finishing on another, including the Expedia app after clicking through on desktop.

Expedia cashback rate history

Only changes are listed. Re-confirmations are not noise worth showing.

  1. Price.comrate no longer published
  2. ShopBackUp to 4%
  3. Price.com3.6%
  4. RakutenUp to 6%
  5. Price.comrate no longer published
  6. CouponFollowUp to 3.5%
  7. ShopBackUp to 13%
  8. Price.com3.6%
  9. RakutenUp to 10%
  10. RetailMeNot9%
  11. MyPointsmerchant dropped by this portal
  12. chirpyestmerchant dropped by this portal
  13. Mr. RebatesUp to 2%
  14. CouponFollowUp to 3%
  15. TopCashback11%
  16. MaxRebatesmerchant dropped by this portal
  17. Hoopla Doopla6.2%
  18. CouponFollowUp to 3.5%
  19. ShopBackUp to 4%
  20. Raisemerchant dropped by this portal
  21. Lollimerchant dropped by this portal
  22. GoCashBackmerchant dropped by this portal
  23. Active JunkyUp to 5%
  24. Sunshine Rewards2%
  25. ExtrabuxUp to 4%

How these Expedia numbers were produced

Expedia cashback FAQ

Which portal pays the most for Expedia cashback right now?

RetailMeNot, at 9%. That's the rate a returning shopper gets, which is how the table ranks: an "up to" ceiling or a new-customer rate never takes this spot over a lower rate everyone gets.

How long does Expedia cashback take to pay out?

On a click-through portal there are two waits, one after the other: the portal has to confirm the order with Expedia, which mostly tracks Expedia's return window, and then the confirmed balance has to be paid out, which is the portal's own rule. Buying Expedia's gift card through a portal skips the first wait: that cashback is paid when the card is bought.

Is there a minimum payout?

Does Expedia cashback pay the same rate to new and returning customers?

No, at TopCashback it runs two separate tables. A "New Expedia Customer" earns more in every category than an "Existing Expedia Customer" does, and the order changes too: hotels pay the most to a new customer, while activities pay the most to a returning one source. Rakuten and Price.com don't split by customer history at all; their category tables apply to everyone source source. If you've booked with Expedia before, check which bracket TopCashback is actually paying before assuming its headline rate is what you'll get.

Does cashback pay on flights?

Depends which portal, and it's a real split rather than a rounding difference. Rakuten and TopCashback both pay a flat amount regardless of ticket price source source. Price.com pays nothing: its exclusions name "bookings on flights or cruises" outright source. On an expensive flight, a flat few dollars is a small fraction of the fare, so the bookings that actually earn a percentage here are the stay, the car and the package, not the flight itself.

Does Expedia's One Key program stack with portal cashback?

Yes, they're two different currencies paid on the same booking, not competing claims on it. One Key's OneKeyCash and member-price discounts are Expedia's own program, described in TopCashback's editorial as four tiers, "Blue", "Silver", "Gold" and "Platinum", by trip activity in a calendar year, each adding a bit more OneKeyCash and a lower member price source. None of that is stated on an Expedia page directly in this research pass, since every path into expedia.com returned the same bot-challenge block, so treat the specific tier percentages as TopCashback's reporting rather than confirmed first-party numbers. Whatever OneKeyCash you'd earn on a booking is separate from a portal's cashback on the same click.

Are cruises and event tickets ever covered?

Not at the three portals tracked here. Cruises are excluded by name at all three: Rakuten source, TopCashback source, and Price.com source. Event tickets are excluded by name at Rakuten and Price.com source source; TopCashback's own exclusion list doesn't mention tickets, but that's silence, not a stated yes, so don't assume it pays there either.

Is there a minimum or a maximum on Expedia cashback?

No minimum is stated by any of the three portals. Price.com states a per-order ceiling, "$30" source, which matters on a big package or a multi-night hotel booking; neither Rakuten's nor TopCashback's terms mention a cap source source. All three pay on the item price, not the extras: TopCashback excludes "taxes, shipping or other fees" source, and neither of the other two states shipping or fees being included either source source.

When does Expedia cashback actually show up?

Later than the booking, at both paying portals that track hotel-style stays, because they're waiting on the trip itself, not the transaction. TopCashback's own line is direct: "Cash Back will track to your account at $0. When you've completed your stay, the correct Cash Back value will be added." source. Rakuten's timing is stated the same way, "within a week after travel has been completed" source. Price.com's posting is faster to show as pending, "6 hours" source, but its approval wait is the longest of the three, "approximately 90 days" source. A $0 balance right after you book is normal at TopCashback; it isn't a miss.