Cashback works in specific scenarios, but there’s a 90-day waiting period, strict tracking requirements, and a chance your cashback won’t track at all.
Before you go this route, you should know there’s a simpler alternative that puts money back in your pocket immediately.
In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how cashback works for Cloudways, what each platform offers, and help you decide whether chasing $101 in 90 days makes more sense than using HostAdvice coupons that reduce your first bill with zero waiting period.
Where and How to Get Cloudways Cashback
Here’s what’s actually available and what you need to know before choosing the cashback route.
1. TopCashback.com: Highest Payout Available
TopCashback currently offers $101 cashback on Cloudways purchases, which is the highest rate I found among all major cashback platforms.
This is a flat amount you’ll receive once your purchase is verified and approved, regardless of which Cloudways plan you choose.
The Timeline
- Within 48 hours: Your transaction will appear as “tracked” in your TopCashback account. This is just the initial confirmation that TopCashback registered your purchase through their affiliate link. The money isn’t yours yet, and this status simply means the tracking cookie worked correctly.
- 30-60 days: The cashback moves to “confirmed” status. This happens after Cloudways has verified that you’re a legitimate customer who hasn’t immediately canceled or requested a refund.
- 60-90 days total: The cashback becomes available for withdrawal, but only once you’ve accumulated at least $10 in your TopCashback account. If this is your only cashback transaction, you’ll need to wait until you hit that minimum threshold before you can actually get your money.
Payment Options
TopCashback gives you flexibility in how you receive your earnings. You can choose direct bank transfer, PayPal, and they also offer gift cards.
How to Get Your $101
- Create a free TopCashback.com account or log in to your existing one. Make sure you’re logged in before searching for Cloudways, because clicking through without being logged in means the tracking won’t connect to your account.
- Search for “Cloudways” in the TopCashback search bar and click the “Get Cash Back” button. This generates your unique tracking link. Don’t go to Cloudways directly or through Google. You must click through TopCashback’s link for the purchase to track properly.
- Disable ad blockers, VPNs, and other browser extensions before clicking through. This is critical because these tools can interfere with the tracking cookies that cashback sites rely on. Even privacy-focused extensions like Privacy Badger or Ghostery can block the affiliate tracking and cost you the entire $101.
- Complete your Cloudways signup in one continuous session. Don’t browse to other websites, don’t close your browser, and don’t even open other tabs. The tracking cookie can expire or get confused if you interrupt the session.
- Use only the coupon codes listed on TopCashback’s Cloudways page. They specifically approve codes such as TALLPAUL (20% off for 2 months), CW20 (20% off the first month), etc. These codes are integrated into their tracking system. If you find a different coupon code elsewhere and use it, TopCashback will reject your cashback claim because unapproved codes break their affiliate agreement with Cloudways.
- Keep your Cloudways account active and in good standing for at least 30 days. If you cancel your service, request a refund, or have any payment issues during the verification period, Cloudways will notify TopCashback, and your cashback will be reversed. You need to be a genuine customer to qualify.
Important Exclusions
Using coupon codes not listed on TopCashback will void your entire cashback. Also, starting your purchase with items already in your shopping cart can cause tracking issues because the system won’t know if you added those items before or after clicking the cashback link.
Always start with an empty cart to avoid problems.
2. Sanely.cc: International Alternative
Sanely.cc offers up to $48.73 cashback for paid Cloudways orders.
This is less than half of what TopCashback offers, but Sanely operates in markets where TopCashback isn’t available, making it a viable option if you’re outside the US and UK.
The Timeline
- Tracking within 48 hours: Similar to TopCashback, your purchase will show up in your Sanely account within two days. This confirms that their tracking system registered your signup.
- Approval in an average of 90 days: This is notably longer than TopCashback’s 30-60 day approval window. Sanely waits a full three months to ensure Cloudways has verified your account and you’ve remained an active customer.
- Minimum withdrawal varies by region: Unlike TopCashback’s flat $10 minimum, Sanely adjusts its withdrawal threshold based on your country and preferred payment method. Check your account settings to see what applies to you.
How to Get the Cashback
- Create a Sanely.cc account and verify your email. The verification step is important because Sanely uses email confirmation to prevent fraud and ensure cashback goes to the right person.
- Find Cloudways in their merchant directory and click “Get cashback.” This activates your tracking session and generates the affiliate link you need to use.
- Disable ad blockers AND antivirus software that blocks tracking. This is more stringent than TopCashback’s requirements. Some antivirus programs like Kaspersky and Bitdefender have anti-tracking features that they market as privacy protection, but these will completely break cashback tracking. You’ll need to temporarily disable these features, complete your purchase, then re-enable them.
- Disable any other cashback browser extensions. If you have Rakuten, Honey, or any other cashback extension installed, they’ll conflict with Sanely’s tracking. Multiple cashback services trying to claim credit for the same purchase will result in none of them working. Uninstall or disable all competing extensions before proceeding.
- Add services to your cart AFTER clicking through from Sanely. Don’t browse Cloudways first, add things to your cart, and then try to activate cashback. The tracking needs to see your entire journey from Sanely’s link through to purchase completion.
- Complete payment within 6 hours in a single browser session. Sanely’s tracking cookie expires after 6 hours, so if you click through, get distracted, and come back 8 hours later to finish your purchase, the cashback won’t track. Keep your browser open and complete everything in one sitting.
- Use only one device and one browser tab. Don’t start the process on your laptop and finish on your phone. Don’t open Cloudways in multiple tabs. The tracking system needs to see a clean, linear path from click to purchase, and switching devices or juggling multiple tabs creates confusion in the tracking data.
Why the Lower Rate?
Sanely.cc takes a smaller commission from Cloudways, which means less money for you.
However, they operate in countries and regions where TopCashback doesn’t have a presence, making them valuable if you’re in markets like Eastern Europe, Asia, or Latin America where US-based cashback platforms don’t work.
3. Opera Cashback: Quick Browser-Based Option
Opera Cashback offers $25 cashback on Cloudways purchases, significantly lower than the $50 cashback offered by TopCashback and Sanely.
However, it has one distinct advantage: it’s built directly into the Opera browser.
This integration means the tracking is more reliable if you’re already an Opera user. Instead of relying on cookies that can be blocked or cleared, Opera’s cashback system is part of the browser itself, so there’s less that can go wrong technically.
The approval timeline is similar to TopCashback at around 30 days, and the minimum withdrawal is just $5, which is lower than most competitors.
The downside is you’re giving up $76 compared to TopCashback just for the convenience of browser integration. Unless you’re already committed to Opera as your primary browser, this isn’t the best financial choice.
How Cloudways Cashbacks Compare
| Site | Cashback Amount | Tracking Time | Approval Time | Min. Withdrawal |
| TopCashback.com | $101 | 24–48 hours | 30–60 days | $10 |
| Sanely.cc | $48.73 | 24–48 hours | 90 days | Varies |
| Opera Cashback | $25 | 24–48 hours | 30 days | $5 |
Cashback vs. Coupons: Which Saves You More Money?
Cloudways’ pricing starts at around $14/month for basic plans.
To get that $101 cashback from TopCashback, you’re committing to 3+ months of service anyway (the approval period). That’s $42 in hosting costs before you see your cashback.
Meanwhile, using a Cloudways coupon code from HostAdvice gets you immediate savings with no waiting period, no tracking failures, and no risk of losing your cashback if something goes wrong with the technical tracking.
Let me show you.
The HostAdvice Alternative: Immediate Savings You Can Count On
HostAdvice currently offers an exclusive $30 discount on any Cloudways plan, and when you run the calculations, this becomes more valuable than chasing cashback.
Let’s say you choose Cloudways’ most popular Medium plan at $54/month:
- Month 1-3 costs: $162 total spent
- TopCashback payout (after 90 days): $101
- Net cost after cashback: $61 for 3 months
- Effective monthly rate: $20.33/month
Same Medium plan at $54/month with the HostAdvice Coupon will be:
- Month 1 cost with $30 discount: $24
- Month 2-3 costs: $108 (2 × $54)
- Total for 3 months: $132
- Effective monthly rate: $44/month
At first glance, cashback looks better ($61 vs $132 for 3 months). But here’s what that comparison ignores:
- Time value of money: With cashback, you’re paying $162 upfront and waiting 90 days to get $101 back. With the coupon, you only pay $132 total. That’s $30 less cash out of pocket from day one.
- Risk factor: The coupon works 100% of the time if you enter the code correctly. Cashback can fail due to tracking issues.
Smaller Plans Make Coupons Even Better
On the Micro plan ($14/month), the math shifts dramatically:
- Cashback route: Pay $42 over 3 months, get $101 back. You’re actually $59 ahead
- HostAdvice coupon: Pay $12 over 3 months ($14 – $30, which is -$16 first month, then $14 × 2). You’re $18 out of pocket
Wait, but doesn’t cashback win here? Only if you were planning to use Cloudways for just 3 months and then cancel. But most people who start hosting don’t cancel after 90 days.
If you stay for 6 months on the Micro plan:
- Cashback: You’ll pay the full $14/month for all 6 months, which totals $84. After 90 days, TopCashback sends you $101. So your actual out-of-pocket cost is $84 minus the $101 cashback, which means you’re actually $17 ahead. Cloudways essentially paid you $17 to use their service for 6 months.
- Coupon: Your first month costs $14, but the $30 HA30 coupon covers it completely and leaves you with a $16 credit. Since Cloudways charges monthly, that $16 credit reduces your second month to zero as well, covering $14 of it. You’re left with a $2 credit going into month 3. So realistically, you pay nothing for months 1-2, then $12 for month 3 (the remaining $14 after your $2 credit), and the full $14 for months 4, 5, and 6. That’s $0 + $0 + $12 + $14 + $14 + $14 = $54 total over 6 months.
The coupon still costs you more over 6 months, but you’ve had your savings working for you since day one, not locked up waiting for approval.
The Medium to Large Plan Sweet Spot
Here’s where coupons really excel. On the Large plan ($99/month):
- 3 months with cashback: Over 3 months, you’ll pay the full price of $99 each month, totaling $297 out of pocket. After 90 days of waiting, TopCashback sends you $101, bringing your net cost down to $196 for those 3 months.
- 3 months with coupon: With our HostAdvice coupon, your first month drops from $99 to $69 (saving you $30 immediately). Months 2 and 3 remain at the regular $99 each. Your total spend is $69 + $99 + $99 = $267 for the same 3-month period.
The difference narrows to just $71, but you’re getting immediate relief on that first month’s $99 bill, which matters if cash flow is tight when you’re launching a new project.
Bottom Line
The cashback route might look appealing when you consider only the final payout amount, but when you factor in the time value of money, the risk of tracking failures, immediate cash-flow needs, and the complexity of the process, immediate coupon savings from HostAdvice are the smarter financial choice for most people.
The Smart Choice: Cashback or Coupons?
Cashback wins on paper if you’re using the Micro plan for 6+ months and everything tracks perfectly. For everyone else on Medium, Large, or higher-tier plans, HostAdvice coupons deliver better value.
You get $30 off immediately with zero tracking risk, no 90-day wait, and no chance of losing your savings to technical failures. You pay $267 instead of waiting to get $101 back from an initial $297 outlay.
Ready to get started? Check out our guide on How to Use and Activate Cloudways Promo Codes for step-by-step instructions.
