Many companies implement cashback with the intention of selling more, but end up increasing operational costs without realizing it. The problem isn’t with cashback itself, but with how it’s structured. When poorly planned, the program simply becomes a disguised discount. When well thought out, it transforms into an intelligent strategy to increase the average ticket without pressuring margins.
The goal isn’t to offer more benefits, but to guide customer behavior towards larger purchases, something that loyalty platforms like Smartbis help to structure with clear rules and automation.
The most common mistake: treating cashback as a discount
The main mistake companies make is distributing cashback linearly, for example:
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10% on any purchase
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with no minimum value
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without a strategy for future use
In this model, costs grow proportionally with sales, but the average ticket doesn’t always increase. The customer spends the same as before and only receives an extra benefit, reducing margin without generating real gains.
How to use smarter cashback
Instead of offering cashback for any amount, the ideal is to create triggers that encourage cart size increase:
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Cashback only valid above a certain amount
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Higher percentages for specific purchase ranges
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Reward focused on reaching a new spending level
Thus, cashback stops being a fixed cost and becomes a strategic incentive.
Error 2: allowing immediate redemption
When the customer uses cashback in the same purchase, it functions exactly like a direct discount. Result:
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Immediate margin decline
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No recurrence incentive
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Direct increase in order cost
Smart strategy
Cashback should be used for future purchases, creating a return cycle. This means costs only exist when new revenue flows in.
This model is more sustainable because:
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it increases customer value over time
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it reduces the need for new acquisition campaigns
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it dilutes the benefit cost across multiple purchases
Error 3: offering the same cashback for all products
Another common mistake is applying the same percentage across the entire catalog. Products with lower margins can quickly turn the program into a deficit.
How to avoid
Use cashback to steer sales, not to reward everything equally:
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Higher percentages on high-margin items
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Incentives for strategic categories
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Focus on complementary products that increase the cart size
This way, cashback helps improve the sales mix, not just volume.
Error 4: ignoring customer behavior
Many companies launch the program and don’t monitor data such as:
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average value per purchase
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return frequency
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actual use of accumulated cashback
Without this monitoring, costs can grow silently.
Smart use
Cashback should be adjusted based on customer behavior. If the average ticket doesn’t rise, rules need to change:
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Increase the minimum worth to earn cashback
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Adjust reward ranges
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Create temporary campaigns to encourage larger purchases
Tools like Smartbis help with this control by allowing monitoring results and adapting program rules based on actual performance.
Error 5: poorly positioned communication
Another point that increases costs without return is only communicating the final benefit, without encouraging cart size increase.
An inefficient example:
"Get cashback on your purchase."
Strategic example:
"You’re R$40 away from earning a higher cashback."
The second approach influences the purchase decision at the precise moment when the customer can add more items.
How to use cashback to increase the average ticket without raising costs
The smart logic follows four principles:
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Conditional cashback based on minimum values — only generates costs when the ticket increases.
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Progressive reward — encourages the customer to move to a higher tier.
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Redemption on future purchases — turns cost into recurrence.
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Targeting strategic products — protecting margin.
When these rules are well applied, cashback isn’t an extra expense — it becomes an accelerator of revenue per customer. Cashback doesn’t need to increase costs. What determines the result is the strategy behind the program. Companies that treat cashback as a discount end up reducing margin. Businesses that use the benefit to influence behavior can sustainably increase the average ticket.