What is a cashback rate, and what amount earns it?

The percentage in a Cashback offer is only half the calculation. A shopper comparing two stores for a planned order needs to know which items and charges are eligible before estimating what could come back. The current Target and Macy's US ShopBack pages illustrate why a cart total is not the reward base.

What is the eligible base?

Start with the items in the actual cart. Promo codes featured under Deals & Discounts on the relevant ShopBack store page stack with ShopBack Cashback. Exclude taxes, shipping, delivery and service charges when the store terms exclude them. If the offer separates categories or customer actions, use only the rate or reward that matches the eligible action. Cashback is later value, not an amount deducted at checkout.

The table is a method, not a statement that the two merchants stock the same item or that their offers have matching rates. The exclusions above were visible on the US ShopBack pages on September 30, 2026.

A worked eligible-base example

Compare the same purchase on matching conditions, including required charges and the details that matter to you. Record the final checkout amount separately from later Cashback. Start on the merchant’s ShopBack page before completing the purchase.

Why compare terms before headline percentages?

Target's reviewed terms name eligible categories including clothing and home decor but exclude groceries and electronics. Macy's reviewed terms exclude, among other things, consumer electronics, home, toys and certain brands. These are different eligible baskets, so even identical advertised percentages would not imply equal rewards on an arbitrary cart. When an item sits in an ambiguous department, the actual category and offer terms shown for the order matter more than an estimate.

1. Identify the item and full checkout cost at acceptable sellers.
2. Promo codes featured under Deals & Discounts on the relevant ShopBack store page stack with ShopBack Cashback.
3. Calculate the eligible subtotal separately from the amount charged. Compare any incompatible coupon as a separate route.
4. If the route qualifies, activate from that ShopBack page, wait for the redirect, and complete the purchase in the directed session. Save the receipt and any code used.

For a purchase whose cart has a mixture of eligible and excluded items, this calculation makes ShopBack's store-specific terms useful before choosing a shopping route. The Cashback-rate glossary defines the percentage; this guide is the item-level worksheet, not a live rate listing.

Method and limitations

The Target and Macy's public US ShopBack offer text and ShopBack Care tracking checklist were read on September 30, 2026. No account, purchase, checkout or post-purchase validation was performed. The example assumes eligibility only to explain the arithmetic. Offer rates, eligible categories and code rules can change; the selected ShopBack store page supplies the applicable offer at activation. We cannot establish a real cart's item classification or eventual merchant approval from public offer text alone.

Back to the guides or read how cashback works for the full lifecycle.