Discount codes and cashback: when a code cancels your cashback and how to avoid it

A discount code can cost you your cashback. On 26 October 2026, every Soleback store page we checked listed "Orders using discount codes not listed on Soleback" and "Purchases made in the store's own mobile app" among the orders that earn no cashback. Some shops also have a separate, lower Soleback rate for orders with a code. At END., the UK example that matters most here, Soleback pays 3.5% by default but only 0.5% with a promo code. Footshop pays 1% with a code in Poland, France and Italy, and its UK page lists no code rate at all. On its German, Polish, French and Spanish pages, BSTN pays 3% with or without a code; we did not read its UK page. A strong code often still beats cashback, but a weak code from a random voucher site can cost you more than it saves.

This guide covers discount code and cashback: when a code cancels your cashback, when you can combine the two, and how to work out in a few seconds which one pays more. We read the Soleback rules on 26 October 2026 on the store pages and in the Soleback help centre. The examples come from our earlier reports on END., Footshop, New Balance, BSTN and Temu, checked on the same day.

Key points

• Code not listed on Soleback: according to the store pages, an order with such a code may get no cashback
• Code listed on Soleback: the safe route. Soleback itself recommends "using the voucher codes listed on our site"
• App-only code: purchases in the shop's app earn no cashback, so an app code and cashback in practice cancel each other out
• Separate code rates: END. "Promo Code commission rate. 0.5%", Footshop "Promo code 1%" in Poland, France and Italy, BSTN "Unidays and other promo codes commission rate. 3%" (on its German, Polish, French and Spanish pages)
• Voucher sites: according to Soleback, visiting another cashback site or a price comparison site after activating overwrites the tracking
• The Soleback FAQ sounds different: "Yes, in most cases you can use coupon codes alongside cashback!" We explain where the difference comes from
• Break-even point: the code's cap divided by the cashback rate. A 30% code capped at £20 against 14% cashback breaks even at £142.86 (our calculation)
• Order of steps: activate cashback on Soleback first, then enter the code in the basket, in the same browser tab
• Returns and gift cards: an order that is returned, cancelled or paid partly with a gift card loses cashback, code or no code

Can you use a discount code with cashback? The short answer

It depends on where the code comes from and where you shop. The simplest way is to split codes into three groups:

• A code listed on Soleback for that shop: it combines with cashback, sometimes at a lower rate for orders with a code
• A code from somewhere else (voucher site, influencer, another cashback site): according to the store page, it may block your cashback
• A code that only works in the shop's app: no cashback, because app purchases are excluded

So the answer to can you use a discount code with cashback is: yes, if the code is listed on Soleback and you use it in your browser, in the session where you activated cashback. In every other case, assume you are choosing one or the other.

What the Soleback store page actually says

Every Soleback store page has a section on when cashback will not be paid. On the END. page for Great Britain, as on the BSTN, Footshop, New Balance and Temu pages we checked, the list reads:

• App: "Purchases made in the store's own mobile app"
• Codes: "Orders using discount codes not listed on Soleback."
• Other sites: visiting a price comparison site or another cashback site after activation, which according to the page overwrites the tracking
• Blockers: ad blockers that block the affiliate redirect
• Order status: "Cancelled, returned or unpaid orders, and orders paid partly with gift cards."

This is the most specific rule Soleback publishes about codes. If you are unsure, go by this rule rather than the general reassurance in the FAQ.

What the Soleback FAQ says, and why it sounds softer

The help centre FAQ answers the question "Can I use coupon codes together with cashback?" like this: "Yes, in most cases you can use coupon codes alongside cashback! However, some exclusive codes from other cashback sites may interfere with tracking. We recommend using the voucher codes listed on our site to ensure your cashback is tracked properly."

The FAQ on the store pages is similar: "Yes! You can use most coupon codes alongside cashback. However, some exclusive codes from other cashback sites may not work. We recommend using our voucher codes listed above to ensure your cashback is tracked properly."

Put plainly, the FAQ promises more than the exclusion list. The list covers every code not listed on Soleback, while the FAQ only warns about "some exclusive codes from other cashback sites". On top of that, the Footshop and New Balance pages for Great Britain showed "No voucher codes available at this time" on 26 October 2026, even though the FAQ points you to codes "listed above". On the END. page the only listed voucher was the student discount.

Our conclusion: both versions agree on one point. A code listed on Soleback is safe. A code from anywhere else is a risk, and how big that risk is depends on the shop and its affiliate network, which the page does not spell out.

How cashback tracking works and why a voucher site can break it

Below we describe how tracking usually works in affiliate programmes. This is a general description of the industry, not a description of Soleback's system or a promise by Soleback.

• Affiliate click: when you click "Activate cashback", the shop stores a note in your browser saying who sent you, usually in a cookie
• Last click wins: most affiliate programmes credit the order to the last partner whose link you used to reach the shop (so-called last-click attribution)
• A voucher site is a partner too: the button that reveals a code on a voucher site often opens the shop through that site's affiliate link. This new click overwrites the earlier click from the cashback site
• Result: the commission goes to the voucher site, and the cashback site either does not see the order or sees it without a right to commission

Soleback puts it more briefly. The store page says that visiting a price comparison site or another cashback site after activation overwrites the tracking. In the FAQ, common reasons for missing cashback are "ad blockers, browser extensions, or not completing the purchase in the same session", as well as "navigating away from the store's tab".

The practical takeaway: if you go to a voucher site to look for a code after activating cashback, you can lose your cashback even if the code turns out to be invalid and you never use it.

A code listed on Soleback versus one that is not

The difference is not about whether the code gives a discount. The discount works the same way. The question is whether the shop pays the commission your cashback comes from.

• Code listed on Soleback: Soleback adds it to a specific shop and recommends using such codes
• Code not listed: according to the store page, the order may end up without cashback
• Personal code from the shop (newsletter, sign-up, membership, birthday): if it is not listed on Soleback, it is formally a code from outside Soleback too. The store page makes no exception for it

You will find the codes assigned to each shop in the Soleback discount codes section. Check it for the specific shop and country, because pages differ between markets. Footshop, for example, showed "No voucher codes available at this time" for Great Britain, Poland and Italy, but two visible codes for Germany.

Discount code and cashback: separate rates for orders with a code

Some Soleback store pages have a separate line for orders with a promo code. That means such orders can earn cashback, just less of it. As of 26 October 2026:

• END. (UK): "Default commission rate. 3.5%", "Item discount commission rate. 1.5%", "Promo Code commission rate. 0.5%"
• BSTN (German, Polish, French and Spanish pages; we did not read the UK page): "Default commission rate. 3%", "Unidays and other promo codes commission rate. 3%", "Hot release commission rate. 1.5%"
• Footshop: in Poland and France "Promo code 1%", in Italy "New Coupon Code 1%" and "Existing Coupon Code 1%". The page for Great Britain lists new customers 3%, existing customers 2% and sale items 1.5% or 1%, with no line for codes
• New Balance (GB): 2.5% default, no separate code rate and no codes listed
• Temu (EU page): new users 14%, existing users 1.5%, no separate code rate and no Temu code listed on Soleback

The Polish chain CCC follows the same pattern with a lower "Sprzedaż Voucherów" (voucher sales) rate of 1.75% against 3.25% for online sales, although the name does not make clear whether it means orders with a code.

The pages do not explain whether the code rate covers only codes listed on Soleback or any code. The exclusion list on the same pages says codes not listed on Soleback may block cashback. The cautious reading is that the lower rate applies to listed codes, and a code from outside the list may earn you nothing.

END.: 3.5% without a code, 0.5% with one

END. shows the gap most clearly. Without a code the Soleback rate is 3.5%; with a promo code it drops to 0.5%. A code therefore has to give more than about 3.02% to come out ahead if the order still gets 0.5%, and more than 3.5% if it gets nothing (our calculation).

Our calculation for the Air Jordan x J Balvin Air Jordan 4 Retro OG "Lemonade", listed at £205 on END.'s launches page on 26 October 2026, with the 10% student discount through UNiDAYS, assuming the code applies to this shoe (END. warns that "Some items may be excluded from the promo"):

• Without a code, with cashback: 3.5% of £205 is £7.18
• With the 10% code: you pay £184.50 and save £20.50. If the order gets the 0.5% code rate, another £0.92 comes back, £21.42 in total
• With the code but no cashback: still £20.50

Here the code wins by at least £13.32. A weak code is different: a 3% code on the same shoe saves £6.15 plus £0.99 cashback, £7.14 in total, which is slightly less than £7.18 from cashback alone.

There is a UK-specific catch. END. says: "Free shipping thresholds are based on the order subtotal after any discounts have been applied." Standard delivery costs £4.99 under £120. Our calculation for a £130 basket with a 10% code: the subtotal falls to £117, so you pay £4.99 for delivery and your real saving is £8.01 rather than £13. Without a code, cashback would be £4.55, so the code still wins, but by less than it looks. END.'s product pages mention a lower threshold of £80, which conflicts with the delivery page.

Footshop UK: a web code, an app code or cashback?

Footshop shows all three options on one product. On the UK site, the Hoka Kaha 2 Frost Moc GTX was listed at £172.95, with "£155.66 with code ASICSHOKA10" on the website and £147.01 with the app-only code ASICSHOKA15APP.

Our calculation, assuming the shoe counts as full price on the Soleback page (if it counts as a sale item, the rate is 1.5% or 1%):

• No code, with cashback: 3% for a new customer is £5.19, 2% for an existing customer is £3.46
• Web code ASICSHOKA10: you save £17.29. The code was not listed on Soleback's page for Great Britain, and that page has no code rate, so assume no cashback
• App code ASICSHOKA15APP: you save £25.94, with no cashback because the purchase happens in the app

The app code wins: £8.65 more than the web code and £20.75 more than cashback alone for a new customer. Cashback at 2-3% cannot compete with a 10-15% code. It only makes sense here if the code does not apply to what you buy. Check the current rates on Footshop on Soleback.

Footshop's UK site has no free delivery threshold: the delivery page lists "DHL Economy 8.99 £". That cost is the same with or without a code, so it does not change the comparison.

BSTN: 3% with a promo code too

BSTN is the opposite case. On the Soleback pages we checked (Germany, Poland, France and Spain), the rate for orders with a UNiDAYS code or another promo code is 3%, the same as the default rate. The lower 1.5% applies only to hot releases ("Hot release"). We did not read the UK page, so for Great Britain these rates are our assumption based on those four countries.

Those pages each showed three offers: 10% for students, 5% for the newsletter and a shipping discount. BSTN's own FAQ, in German, says that "Rabattcodes können generell nicht kombiniert werden" (discount codes generally cannot be combined), and some products carry the label "Kein Aktionscode anwendbar" (no promo code applicable).

Our calculation for a hypothetical £200 basket with the 5% newsletter code, assuming the UK page has the same 3% rate:

• No code: 3% of £200, which is £6 cashback
• With the 5% code: you pay £190 and save £10, and 3% of £190 is £5.70. £15.70 in total

We assume cashback is calculated on the amount after the discount; the page does not say. Check the UK rates and offers on BSTN on Soleback.

New Balance UK: the 15% membership code against 2.5% cashback

New Balance UK gives members "15% off your first order", on full-price items only. According to New Balance's help centre, "Members receive a 15% off welcome code when they sign up": you create an account and opt in to marketing emails. The code is single-use, has "No minimum or maximum spend", excludes collaborations and cannot be combined with other offers.

Soleback's New Balance page for Great Britain pays 2.5% and showed "No voucher codes available at this time". The welcome code is therefore a code not listed on Soleback.

Our calculation for a hypothetical full-price pair at £140, the 1906A's regular price (on 26 October 2026 the 1906A itself was in the outlet at £105, where the welcome code does not apply):

• No code, with cashback: 2.5% of £140 is £3.50
• With the 15% welcome code: you pay £119 and save £21. Assume no cashback

The code wins by £17.50. Because it has no cap, it beats 2.5% cashback at any basket size. Membership also brings free delivery ("Members get free shipping on all orders"), so the £100 free delivery threshold does not matter here. For your second and later orders, the welcome code is gone, so cashback becomes your main extra (members also get a birthday offer and "select offers and promotions").

App-only codes: the most common trap

Some shops give separate discounts only in their app. The problem is that the Soleback store page excludes purchases in the shop's app. An app code and cashback therefore cancel each other out in practice. Examples from our reports:

• Footshop ASICSHOKA15APP: £147.01 in the app on the Hoka shoe above, against £155.66 with the web code ASICSHOKA10
• Footshop MIDFALL5: an extra 5% only in the app. Soleback's own data describes it as "EXTRA 5% extra with the code MIDFALL5 only in the App"
• BSTN APP15: 15% on the first order in the app. In the Soleback page data it is described as "15% for you 1st App Order (in App Only)", but it is not visible on the page and not confirmed on BSTN's own pages
• Temu: German and Spanish deal sites described the codes ATOLLSDE40 and ATOLLSES40 as app-only

Footshop says so openly: "In the app, you'll find exclusive discount coupons that aren't available on the website."

The rule is simple: compare the app discount with the cashback you would get in the browser before you buy. If you choose the app, do not count on cashback from Soleback.

Temu: 14% for new users and no code listed on Soleback

Temu is the extreme case. On Soleback's Temu page (the EU one we checked), new users get 14% and existing users 1.5%. At the same time, Soleback lists no Temu codes. Every Temu code is therefore a code from outside Soleback, and the page excludes such orders.

For a new user the choice looks like this: either a welcome code or 14% cashback. Temu codes usually work only for new users, need a minimum spend, have a discount cap and are valid for a short time, often one day or 24-48 hours after you receive them. Temu also personalises coupons for each user.

Large coupon bundles are the sum of several coupons, each with its own spending threshold, so the headline figure is rarely what you save on one order. For existing Temu users it is simpler: cashback is 1.5%, and welcome codes do not apply to them.

When a code beats cashback: the break-even point

Codes with a discount cap lose their advantage on large orders. Percentage cashback grows with the order value. You work out the break-even point like this (our calculation):

• Break-even = the code's maximum discount divided by the cashback rate

In our Temu analysis we took a 30% code capped at twenty-five euros against 14% cashback; the break-even came out at just under one hundred and seventy-nine euros. In pounds, take a hypothetical 30% code capped at £20 against 14% cashback:

• Break-even: £20 divided by 0.14 is £142.86
• £60 order: the code gives £18, cashback £8.40. The code wins
• £120 order: the code gives £20 (the cap), cashback £16.80. The code wins
• £200 order: the code gives £20, cashback £28. Cashback wins

If the code has no cap, you just compare percentages: a 15% code beats 2.5% cashback. If orders with a code get a lower rate, add it to the discount: at END., a 10% code plus 0.5% cashback on the discounted amount is about 10.45% of the original price.

Three things favour the code even when the result is equal: you get the discount straight away, you do not wait for confirmation, and you do not lose it if tracking fails. In favour of cashback: it works on every order, not just the first.

Cashback voucher code: the order of steps

If you want a cashback voucher code that keeps your cashback, the order matters. Soleback's FAQ says: "Activate cashback through Soleback first, then apply the voucher code at checkout to save even more."

1. Check the shop's page on Soleback: the rate, the code rate and the list of codes for your country
2. Copy the code from Soleback before you click "Activate cashback". That way you do not need to visit other sites after activating
3. Click "Activate cashback". The shop opens in a new tab
4. Shop in that same tab. Soleback says: "Complete your purchase in that same session without closing the tab."
5. Enter the code in the basket and check that the total has dropped
6. Pay without a gift card if you want to keep your cashback

The most common mistake is the reverse order: activating cashback, then hunting for a code on voucher sites. That click can overwrite the tracking.

The code did not work: how to keep your cashback

A code listed on Soleback can fail too. Soleback lists the usual reasons: "Check the code's expiry date and any minimum purchase requirements. Some codes are limited to specific products, categories, or new customers only." Shops add their own exceptions: END. warns that "Some items may be excluded from the promo", BSTN marks some products "Kein Aktionscode anwendbar", and Footshop gives no vouchers on raffle items.

If the code does not work:

• Do not open voucher sites in the same session. If you already have, go back to Soleback and activate cashback again before you pay (our practical advice based on the last-click principle, not a Soleback guarantee)
• Do not leave the shop's tab. The FAQ lists "navigating away from the store's tab" as a reason for missing cashback
• Report an expired code to Soleback. The FAQ says: "If you find one that no longer works, you can report it and we'll review it promptly."
• Consider buying without a code. With 2.5-3.5% cashback and a weak code, the difference is often small

Ad blockers, extensions, other cashback sites and price comparison sites

A code is not the only thing that can break tracking. According to Soleback, the most common reasons cashback is not tracked are:

• Ad blockers and privacy extensions "blocking tracking cookies". Soleback advises: "Disable ad blockers for the store's site and try again."
• Other coupon or cashback extensions: they can insert their own affiliate link. Soleback lists "browser extensions" as a common reason
• Price comparison sites and other cashback sites after activation: the store page says they overwrite the tracking
• The browser clearing cookies automatically
• Forgetting to click "Activate cashback"

If you tend to forget activation, the Soleback browser extension helps. Do not run it alongside other coupon extensions: two affiliate extensions in one browser can get in each other's way (our conclusion from the general last-click principle).

Student, newsletter and welcome codes

These codes look harmless because they come from the shop or its partner, not from a voucher site. The rule on the Soleback page makes no exception, though: what counts is whether the code is listed on Soleback.

• END.: Soleback lists the 10% student offer with the notes "Coupon code not needed" and "Promo valid only for student network". END. itself says you "generate a one-time use code through the UNIDAYs site", that "Sale items are not included in this promotion" and that it is "only available to students in the UK". Go through the offer on Soleback rather than straight to UNiDAYS
• BSTN: the 10% student and 5% newsletter offers are listed on the Soleback pages we checked, and the rate for UNiDAYS and other codes there is 3% (we did not read the UK page). This is the safest example
• New Balance UK: the 15% membership welcome code is not listed on Soleback, but it beats 2.5% cashback comfortably
• Footshop: Soleback's page for Great Britain had no codes, so the Footshop Club sign-up voucher is a code from outside the list. Footshop says the sign-up voucher is valid "only 10 days"

With a welcome code from the shop, work out the break-even point. If the discount is higher than the cashback rate for new customers, take the discount.

Sale prices without a code versus a code

A reduced price without a code is not a discount code, so the exclusion "Orders using discount codes not listed on Soleback" does not apply to it. Some shops do, however, pay a lower cashback rate on reduced items:

• END.: "Item discount commission rate. 1.5%" instead of 3.5%
• Footshop GB: 1.5% for new customers and 1% for existing customers on sale items reduced by 10-39%, instead of 3% or 2%
• BSTN: the page gives no separate rate for reduced items; the lower 1.5% covers hot releases, not the sale

One thing follows from this: on reduced items, cashback is low, so an extra code rarely puts much at risk. On a £50 sale item at END., 1.5% cashback is £0.75 (our calculation). Check the shop's rules first, though: END.'s student discount does not apply to sale items, and Footshop's UK terms reserve the right to cancel an order when "a discount of more than 20% is used on already discounted goods". At full price and with a high rate for new customers, the maths can go the other way.

Returns, gift cards and confirmation times

Even a perfectly combined code and cashback can be lost after the purchase. The Soleback page excludes "Cancelled, returned or unpaid orders, and orders paid partly with gift cards."

• Partial return: the page excludes returned orders but does not say what happens with a partial return. Expect the cashback on the returned items to be removed (our conclusion)
• Gift card: paying even partly with a gift card excludes the order. Do not combine it with cashback
• Tracking: according to the store pages 1h-48h; the FAQ says: "Cashback typically appears as 'Pending' in your account within 24-48 hours."
• Confirmation: 60-90 days on the BSTN, Footshop and Temu pages, 30-90 days on New Balance's page for Great Britain, 90-150 days at END. The FAQ gives 30-90 days in general
• Missing cashback: the store pages give 28 days to report it. The FAQ says to go to your Balance page after 48 hours and click "Report missing cashback"
• Payout: the minimum is five euros of approved cashback

If you order with a code and are not sure the cashback will be tracked, check your balance after 48 hours. Then you know whether you have anything to chase.

The Soleback welcome bonus and discount codes

The Soleback welcome bonus is not a discount code and not a bonus on your first purchase. Under the rules we read on 26 October 2026, it is worth up to fifteen euros and is paid in three stages:

• Three euros: once your tracked cashback reaches five euros
• Four euros: at fifteen euros of tracked cashback
• Eight euros: at forty-five euros of tracked cashback
• Condition: only cashback tracked within 45 days of creating your account counts

This matters when you choose between a code and cashback. An order with an unlisted code that earns no cashback also does not bring you closer to the next bonus stage. If you are new to Soleback and plan bigger purchases within 45 days, that is an argument for cashback.

Where the sources contradict each other

• Combining codes: the exclusion list on the store pages includes "Orders using discount codes not listed on Soleback", while the FAQ says: "Yes, in most cases you can use coupon codes alongside cashback!"
• Which codes are risky: the FAQ mentions only "some exclusive codes from other cashback sites". The exclusion list covers every code not listed on Soleback
• Codes "listed above": the FAQ points to listed codes, and says "New codes are added daily", yet Footshop and New Balance for Great Britain showed "No voucher codes available at this time". Footshop's header still read "Discount codes 4"
• App codes on Soleback: the page data contains MIDFALL5 ("only in the App") and APP15 ("in App Only"), even though app purchases are excluded
• Code rates versus the exclusion: END., BSTN and Footshop in Poland, France and Italy have rates for orders with a code but do not say whether they apply only to listed codes. Footshop's page for Great Britain has no code rate at all
• END. student offer: Soleback says "Coupon code not needed" and "Extra 10% on your entire order for students!", while END. says you generate a one-time code through UNiDAYS and that sale items are excluded
• END. free delivery: £120 after discounts on the delivery page, £80 on product pages
• Tracking time: store pages 1h-48h, FAQ 24-48 hours
• Confirmation time: FAQ 30-90 days, store pages 60-90 or 90-150 days
• Reporting missing cashback: store pages 28 days, the FAQ says to report after 48 hours and gives no deadline

How reliable the sources are

• High: the exclusion lists and rates on the Soleback store pages (END., Footshop and New Balance for Great Britain, BSTN for Germany, Poland, France and Spain, Temu for the EU), read on 26 October 2026
• High: END.'s help centre on promo codes, the student discount and the free delivery threshold after discounts, and the Footshop UK product page with ASICSHOKA10 and ASICSHOKA15APP prices
• Medium: New Balance UK's membership and welcome code wording. New Balance blocks direct access, so we read these pages through an extraction tool; check them in your browser before you rely on them
• Medium: the Soleback FAQ on combining codes, because it is general and contradicts the exclusion list
• Medium: codes visible only in Soleback's page data (MIDFALL5, APP15) and Temu codes described on deal sites
• Low: UK voucher sites. HotUKDeals still showed END.'s EXTRA15 as live, but it did not apply in our basket test, and VoucherCodes gives both 15% and 20% for END.'s newsletter offer, which END. itself does not mention
• Own conclusion: the description of last-click attribution (general knowledge of affiliate programmes, not a description of Soleback), every break-even calculation, the assumption that BSTN's UK rates match its other pages and the assumption that cashback is calculated on the amount after the discount

What to do depending on your situation

• You have a code listed on Soleback: activate cashback, enter the code in the basket in the same tab and check the code rate on the shop's page
• You have a strong code not on the list (10% or more): with 2-3.5% cashback the code usually wins. Work it out on the actual amount and expect no cashback
• You have a weak code not on the list (a few per cent): compare it with the cashback rate. At END., a code under about 3% loses to 3.5% cashback
• The code has a cap: work out the break-even point, cap divided by cashback rate. Above it, cashback wins
• The code only works in the app: you choose either the app discount or cashback in the browser. At Footshop UK, the app code on the Hoka shoe beat cashback by £20.75 (our calculation)
• Your basket is just over a free delivery threshold: check whether the code pushes it under. At END. a £130 basket with 10% off falls to £117 and pays £4.99 for delivery
• You are a new New Balance UK member: the 15% welcome code beats 2.5% cashback; use cashback on later orders
• You are a student at END.: go through the student offer listed on Soleback and remember that sale items are excluded
• You buy on Temu as a new user: compare the welcome code with 14% cashback. Soleback lists no Temu codes
• You are buying a reduced item: cashback is low then, so a good code rarely risks much
• You are looking for a code after activating cashback: stay away from voucher sites. If you have visited one, activate cashback again before paying
• You pay with a gift card: even a partial gift card payment means no cashback
• You are new to Soleback: remember that cashback tracked in your first 45 days counts towards the welcome bonus

Before you enter a code, check the current Soleback promotions and compare rates in our sneaker cashback comparison.