cashback: private vs. donation

msauk

I just wanted to start a discussion about the variable 'money back', whether as donation or cashback for the same product.

I want to, for example, open a 123 Santander account. I could try three different ways of turning this process to my advantage:

1. Click from easyfundraising.org.uk --> £17.50 donation to charity of my choice.

2. Click from topcashback.co.uk --> £36.75 to my bank account as cashback

3. Click from quidco --> £35 to my bank account as cashback

I'm disappointed that the charity donation 'cashback' is nearly 50% less than what the 'competitor cashback' sites are prepared to negotiate out of Santander.

Why is it like this?

Is there a way to take advantage this unequal situation, perhaps by opting to click from the website that gives the most cashback and then 'sending' (e.g. by cheque, if not electronically) that cashback (once received - may take months!) to the charity registered on easyfundraising?

Would welcome your thoughts.

msauk

paddyrg

.Why is it like this?

Because they can? All those intermediary sites take a cut of the introduction fee, guess the notionally charitable one is less charitable than the others - but then maybe it has lower volume so higher overheads, or maybe it's just abusing 'for charity' to get people to use them.

Is there a way to take advantage this unequal situation, perhaps by opting to click from the website that gives the most cashback and then 'sending' (e.g. by cheque, if not electronically) that cashback (once received - may take months!) to the charity registered on easyfundraising?

Sounds like you answered your own question there?

msauk

I can't (yet) see an obvious way to donate money directly (rather than clicking through to a retailer's website) to a (e.g. local) charity is registered with easyfundraising. Does anyone have experience of doing this on easyfundraising?

paddyrg

How about indirectly? You get £35ish in your account, you send it to the charity. You may even be able to gift aid it that way, making it worth £40+

antrobus

msauk wrote: »

....I'm disappointed that the charity donation 'cashback' is nearly 50% less than what the 'competitor cashback' sites are prepared to negotiate out of Santander.

Why is it like this?....

Because Easyfundraising Ltd is not a charity. It is probably getting the exact same £35 from Santander as Quidco is getting. Easyfundraising are simply keeping half of it for themselves.

msauk

Hmm...thanks antrobus. That is what I suspected. Paddyrg's advice makes sense to me, and I probably can claim gift aid those kinds of donations.