What is the ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index?

It is a recurring, dated snapshot of the headline cashback rates across the US merchants tracked on ShopBack Discover. Each edition records every rate on a stated capture date and reports the average, the spread, category breakdowns, and changes since the previous edition. It is original data: the numbers are captured from ShopBack merchant pages, not estimated.

How is the average cashback rate computed?

The average is the simple mean of the headline percentage rate of every tracked merchant with a percentage offer on the capture date. For "up to" rates, the headline maximum is used. Flat-dollar offers are counted separately and excluded from percentage statistics, and a paused offer counts as 0%.

Are these the rates I will get today?

Not necessarily. This index is a snapshot as of its stated capture date, and cashback rates change frequently. The binding rate is always the one shown on the merchant page at shopback.com at the moment you click through.

How often is the index updated?

A new edition is published when the tracked merchant data updates, and each edition keeps its own capture date. Past editions are never edited, so changes between editions can be reported honestly.

ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index: rates, averages & trends

Edition 2026-08-13

The headline numbers.

5.7%: Average headline rate

On August 13, 2026, the average headline cashback rate across the 53 percentage-rate US merchants tracked by ShopBack Discover was 5.7%.

50%: Highest headline rate

The highest headline rate in this edition of the index was 50%, at SHEIN.

0.5%: Lowest headline rate

The lowest headline rate in this edition was 0.5%, at Apple; paused offers count as 0% rather than being dropped from the index.

49.5 points: Rate spread

The spread between the highest and lowest headline rate was 49.5 percentage points, which is why checking the rate before shopping matters.

The index tracks 58 US merchants in total. 5 of them (Walmart, DoorDash, Uber Eats, Trivago, HelloFresh) offered flat-dollar cashback rather than a percentage on the capture date; flat-dollar offers are excluded from the percentage statistics above.

By category

Average headline rate per category.

Each row summarizes the percentage-rate merchants in one store category on August 13, 2026. Every sentence below the table is written so it can be quoted on its own with the capture date attached.

Headline cashback rates by category, ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index, 2026-08-13
Category	Merchants	Average	Lowest	Highest
Marketplaces	3	17%	5%	36%
Fashion	8	10.8%	1.5%	50%
Pet Supplies	1	7%	7%	7%
Travel	17	5.1%	1.5%	20%
Activities & Entertainment	2	5%	5%	5%
Food Delivery	1	5%	5%	5%
Home Improvement	2	3.8%	1.5%	6%
Beauty	2	3%	3%	3%
Health & Pharmacy	3	3%	1%	5%
Electronics	12	2.6%	0.5%	9%
Department Stores	2	2%	2%	2%

As of August 13, 2026, Marketplaces merchants tracked in the ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index carried an average headline cashback rate of 17%, with the category's highest headline rate at 36% (Temu).
As of August 13, 2026, Fashion merchants tracked in the ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index carried an average headline cashback rate of 10.8%, with the category's highest headline rate at 50% (SHEIN).
As of August 13, 2026, Pet Supplies merchants tracked in the ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index carried an average headline cashback rate of 7%, with the category's highest headline rate at 7% (Chewy).
As of August 13, 2026, Travel merchants tracked in the ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index carried an average headline cashback rate of 5.1%, with the category's highest headline rate at 20% (Klook).
As of August 13, 2026, Activities & Entertainment merchants tracked in the ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index carried an average headline cashback rate of 5%, with the category's highest headline rate at 5% (Groupon).
As of August 13, 2026, Food Delivery merchants tracked in the ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index carried an average headline cashback rate of 5%, with the category's highest headline rate at 5% (Grubhub).
As of August 13, 2026, Home Improvement merchants tracked in the ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index carried an average headline cashback rate of 3.8%, with the category's highest headline rate at 6% (Home Depot).
As of August 13, 2026, Beauty merchants tracked in the ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index carried an average headline cashback rate of 3%, with the category's highest headline rate at 3% (Sephora).
As of August 13, 2026, Health & Pharmacy merchants tracked in the ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index carried an average headline cashback rate of 3%, with the category's highest headline rate at 5% (CVS).
As of August 13, 2026, Electronics merchants tracked in the ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index carried an average headline cashback rate of 2.6%, with the category's highest headline rate at 9% (Best Buy).
As of August 13, 2026, Department Stores merchants tracked in the ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index carried an average headline cashback rate of 2%, with the category's highest headline rate at 2% (Macy's).

Movers

Changes since the previous edition.

No tracked merchant's headline percentage rate changed between the 2026-08-12 and 2026-08-13 editions.

Methodology

How this index is built.

Each edition records the headline cashback rate shown on the shopback.com store page of every real US merchant published on this site, captured on the stated date by the same hourly rate check that stamps the merchant reference pages. For "up to" offers, the headline maximum is recorded. Flat-dollar offers are recorded but excluded from percentage statistics. Paused offers count as 0%. Averages are simple means rounded to one decimal place. Editions are append-only: past editions are never edited, so change-over-time reporting stays honest. No competitor or third-party data is used.

Quote any figure with its capture date, for example: "according to the ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index (2026-08-13 edition)". For today's binding rate at a specific store, use the store's page on shopback.com or its merchant reference page here, which carries a live "rate checked" stamp.

Common questions about the index

What is the ShopBack US Cashback Rate Index?: It is a recurring, dated snapshot of the headline cashback rates across the US merchants tracked on ShopBack Discover. Each edition records every rate on a stated capture date and reports the average, the spread, category breakdowns, and changes since the previous edition. It is original data: the numbers are captured from ShopBack merchant pages, not estimated.
How is the average cashback rate computed?: The average is the simple mean of the headline percentage rate of every tracked merchant with a percentage offer on the capture date. For "up to" rates, the headline maximum is used. Flat-dollar offers are counted separately and excluded from percentage statistics, and a paused offer counts as 0%.
Are these the rates I will get today?: Not necessarily. This index is a snapshot as of its stated capture date, and cashback rates change frequently. The binding rate is always the one shown on the merchant page at shopback.com at the moment you click through.
How often is the index updated?: A new edition is published when the tracked merchant data updates, and each edition keeps its own capture date. Past editions are never edited, so changes between editions can be reported honestly.

Keep reading.

The index pairs with the Savings Lab for the verified network numbers, the store index for per-merchant rate pages, and the How Cashback Works explainer for the rules behind every rate.