Online shopping is fun and easy, but it’s also easy to make impulse purchases that you’ll later regret. I’ve made more than my fair share of online purchases, both on websites and on mobile apps, which have brought me great joy but also left me with a pretty big tab to pay off. Now that I know the best apps for money back on receipts, however, I can save myself some credit card debt.
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Money Back On Receipts
What is a cash-back app?
A cash-back app gives you a rebate on a purchase or provides a coupon for an additional discount. Some apps offer points that can be redeemed as a price break on subsequent purchases.
Best cash-back apps of 2022
NerdWallet has identified some of the leading cash-back apps. To narrow the field, we found apps in the iOS App Store with a search for “cash back.” We also required a minimum of 100,000 reviews and a rating of 4.5 stars or better. These apps are also available for Android devices in Google Play.
Apps are shown in alphabetical order.
Coupons.com
Managing grocery store coupons is the specialty of the Coupons.com app. Once you select a coupon or offer, discounts are automatically applied by linking your store loyalty card to the app. If you shop at a store without a loyalty program, you can submit a photo of your paper receipt. Upon approval, the rebate is applied to your PayPal account.
User reviews: The app also lets you print coupons rather than select them in-app, but in recent months, users have been reporting technical issues with printing.
Best for: Tapping rewards linked to grocery store loyalty programs.
Download: Android, iOS
Dosh
Dosh adds hotels into the retail and dining-out discount mix. By linking a credit or debit card to the app, cash-back offers are deposited into the Dosh wallet. Cash can then be transferred into bank accounts, PayPal or Venmo. Rewards can also be donated to nonprofit charities.
User reviews: App Store reviewers like the fact that there is no receipt scanning required to get cash back, but some aren’t fans of the maintenance fees. Purchases also have to be made as credit rather than debit transactions.
Best for: Earning automatic rebates without scanning receipts.
Download: Android, iOS
Fetch Rewards
Fetch Rewards has risen in popularity, particularly when it comes to saving on groceries. Scan your receipt, or submit an eReceipt, and you’ll earn rewards points redeemable for gift cards.
User reviews: Fetch fans like the app’s ease, but privacy issues are being raised because of a social feature that shares shopping and spending information. If you decide to go this route, make sure you understand — and can live with — this feature.
Best for: Redeeming grocery receipts for points applied to various rewards.
Download: Android, iOS
GetUpside
This app aims to provide cash-back offers from grocery stores, restaurants and — perhaps most notably — gas stations.
User reviews: Getting cash back with a gas app like GetUpside has become a popular way to save, though there are occasional complaints about a limited number of gas stations that participate in some areas.
Best for: Cash back on gasoline purchases.
Download: Android, iOS
Track all the money you make
See the ins and outs of your cash, cards, and bank accounts at a glance.
Ibotta
Ibotta promises cash back whether you’re shopping in person, online, or while traveling or dining out. There are no promotional codes or coupons to track. Before shopping, you search the app for offers you like, then upload a photo of your receipt after the purchase. You can also buy the item with a loyalty card in-store or with a supported debit card through the app.
User reviews: Some previously loyal Ibotta users have complained about a recent lack of customer service. Still, with over a million reviews, Ibotta remains among the most popular cash-back apps in the iOS store.
Best for: Cash back on a wide variety of shopping options.
Download: Android, iOS
Rakuten
Rakuten is a high-profile cash-back app claiming to cover 3,500 stores and issuing payment through PayPal or by check. It also features travel savings on airfare, hotels and car rentals.
User reviews: People seem to love getting their cash-back checks and the app garners many rave reviews. Though there are some who complain about issues with receiving referral bonuses.
Best for: Direct payments every three months.
Download: Android, iOS
Receipt Hog
In addition to offering cash back for shopping, this app gamifies the process with sweepstakes, surveys, bonuses and Hog Slots spins that can pay out coins. Rewards can also be redeemed for gift cards or cash to your PayPal account.
User reviews: Receipt Hog has its share of fans, though there are those who say the payouts are small and take some time to add up.
Best for: Adding an element of fun to cash-back rewards.
Download: Android, iOS
RetailMeNot
One of the original cash-back apps born from a website, RetailMeNot is primarily a coupon finder, but it also allows users to activate online offers and receive personalized notifications for discounts.
User reviews: Some shoppers have used this app for years and brag about its ability to save them money, though of course not at every store.
Best for: In-store discounts delivered by your location.
Download: Android, iOS
Best reward apps
- DROP
Drop is an easy-to-use IOS and Android app that rewards you for shopping and aims to “supercharge your credit and debit cards.
Drop Rewards App
All you have to do is link your debit or credit cards to Drop, and you will earn Drop Points when you spend on active offers.
Currently, Drop lets you earn shopping rewards by:
Purchasing from sponsored brands.
Signing up for new subscriptions and services.
Taking advantage of Drop partner coupons and cash back rewards.
Drop Points can be redeemed for a variety of rewards such as gift cards to Amazon, Starbucks, and many popular restaurants. Payouts happen fairly quickly, and users are notified of their awaiting rewards via email.
You can also use the Drop app to make money playing video games and by answering short brand surveys.
To date, I’ve earned roughly $50 from Drop without putting in any effort, so it’s definitely an effective rewards app to try out!
Drop-free-gift-cards
HERE’S MY REDEMPTION HISTORY FROM USING DROP.
Sign up for Drop with my referral link and start earning free gift cards for shopping!
Extra Reading – Checkout Our Official Drop App Review.
- RAKUTEN (FORMERLY EBATES)
Rakuten is another cash back platform that can save you money, and it’s also very simple: just shop online through Rakuten’s affiliate stores and be rewarded with cash back.
rakuten-cashback
Rakuten has an extensive array of merchants to choose from, with cash back amounts typically ranging between 0.5%-8% but sometimes reaching as high as 30%.
Amazon, Sephora, Groupon, Old Navy, Home Depot, Forever 21, and so many other stores are partnered with Rakuten and have products available.
Once you click through to your store of choice and make a purchase, the cash back will show up in your Rakuten account.
Your Rakuten earnings will be paid out after it has been in your account for 60 days, and will be paid with PayPal on the 15th of February, May, August, and November as long as you have more than $5 in your account.
I’ve earned just nearly $560 by referring friends to Rakuten and shopping on Amazon. You can checkout my review of Rakuten to learn more.
Rakuten-cashback
RAKUTEN IS AN EXAMPLE OF A POPULAR CASH BACK WEBSITE. THANKS TO THEIR BROWSER EXTENSION, IT’S BASICALLY PASSIVE.
You might be thinking, this is a website, not a rewards app. What gives!?
Well, Rakuten also has a nifty mobile app that gives you in-store coupons, exclusive deals, 5% cash back on thousands of restaurants, and more perks.
Rakuten-app
Considering how versatile this platform is, there’s no denying that Rakuten is one of the best reward apps out there.
Sign up for Rakuten with my referral code! You’ll help me out, and new Rakuten members receive a welcome bonus of $10 when they spend $25 or more within 90 days.
Extra Reading – The Best Passive Income Apps In 2020.
- DOSH
Dosh is undeniably one of the best reward apps on the scene despite the fact the app has only been around since 2017.
Dosh App
Dosh, like Drop, is very straightforward. Just connect your card to the app and then enjoy cash back when you shop at a variety of stores.
So, which stores does Dosh partner with?
Quite a few, including:
Walmart.
Target.
Walgreens.
Nike.
Forever21.
Guess.
Instacart.
And plenty, plenty more.
However, the best part is that Dosh is completely passive. I explain how it all works below and also in my recent YouTube video on the best cash back apps! 🙂
Apps like Drop make you pre-select shopping offers to earn shopping rewards. In contrast, Dosh automatically detects when you spend and pays you accordingly.
This makes Dosh a pretty humble yet effective source of passive income, and it’s definitely a must-download reward app.
You also earn cash back rewards when you book travel arrangements through Dosh Travel, making it easier to save money on vacation or business trips.
Dosh-Travel
Dosh has a payout threshold of $25, which is somewhat steep for cash back apps and programs, but the initial $25 isn’t impossible to reach. Dosh offers a $5 signup bonus, and you can earn $25 when you book your first travel arrangement through the Dosh app.
Signup for Dosh and start automatically earning cashback!
- FETCH REWARDS
Fetch Rewards is a free receipt scanning rewards app and is available for IOS or Android devices. Fetch Rewards is only available in the United States, but this app is a tad different than other reward apps.
Fetch Rewards App
See, Fetch Rewards pays you for being brand loyal, not store loyal.
As long as your receipts contain partnered brands, you earn points. It doesn’t actually matter where you shop, provided you are in the United States.
Fetch Rewards has plenty of popular brand partners, including:
Pepsi.
Kraft.
Heinz.
Dove.
Taco Bell.
Fetch-Rewards-gift-cards
However, this app is definitely more than just your basic grocery rewards app, and includes household goods, alcohol, magazine subscriptions, and beauty products as well as food items.
Eligible receipts are guaranteed $0.25, although special offer rewards can easily range from $2 to $3.
The cashout minimum is also conveniently $3. Gift card options include Amazon, Target, Walmart, Dunkin Donuts, and plenty of other major retailers.
If you do most of the shopping for your household, Fetch Rewards is one of the best reward apps you can use simply because of how consistent it is.
Signup for Fetch Rewards and start easily saving money! Use code “APREWARDS” to redeem 3K points!
You can also checkout our article on the best apps like Fetch Rewards for more grocery saving ideas.
- HONEY
Now, Honey isn’t exactly a pure rewards platform since this Honey is a browser extension and mobile app.
However, Honey does let you earn cash back for shopping, and I’ve saved more than $200 by using Honey, so I figured it deserved a place on this list.
total-earnings
When Honey members shop at more than 4,000 Honey partners, they earn Honey Gold.
You can redeem their gold for a wide variety of free gift cards, and this is a completely passive way to save money once you install the extension or try the app.
Ultimately, Honey is definitely one of my favorite coupon platforms and ways to earn cash back, and there’s no harm in seeing how much money Honey can save you the next time you shop online.
Plus, the Honey mobile app acts as a consolidated shopping portal and coupon finder that makes it easy to earn free shopping rewards.
Find the sweetest deals with Honey and start earning cash back rewards!
Extra Reading – Honey Browser Extension Review.
- AMPLI
Alright, time for a win for the Canadians out there!
If you ask me, Ampli is one of the best rewards apps around just because it’s enitrely passive.
Ampli-app
Once you download Ampli, you connect your credit and debit cards (just like other FinTech apps) so Ampli can track your spending.
Now, Ampli has a variety of cash back offers…some require spending a certain amount at a retailer, but others pay you cash back for spending any amount.
Plus, you don’t have to preselect offers to earn, which is why Ampli is passive.
Here are some examples of offers in my area:
Indigo – Spend $25 and earn $5.
Adidas – Spend $175 and get 10% cashback.
Baskin Robbins – Spend and earn 5% cashback.
DoorDash – Spend and earn 10% cashback.
H&M – Spend $25 and earn $5.
Just connect your cards, shop like normal, and see how much money you make with Ampli over the course of the year!
Checkout our Ampli app review for all of the details.
Just remember to signup for Ampli with the code WORLD5 for a free $5 signup bonus! 😉
- CHECKOUT 51
Checkout 51 is a popular receipt scanning app that is similar to Fetch Rewards.
Checkout51
Checkout 51 partners with almost major grocery stores and companies like Costco, Canadian Tire, Dollarama, and Walmart.
When you purchase eligible items and upload a receipt for proof of purchase, you earn cash back. Items typically earn less than $1 in cash back, but occasional offers like razors or beauty products can earn more.
For example, I just bought some cold medication this week, and Checkout 51 had a $4 cash back offer:
Checkout_51_Cashback_App
I REACHED 20% OF MY CASHOUT THRESHOLD JUST BY BUYING THIS PRODUCT…WHICH I NEEDED TO BUY ANYWAY!
If you frequently grocery shop and enjoy the Checkout 51 offers, you can expect to earn around $20-$30 per month.
If you don’t enjoy the items that are frequently listed on Checkout 51, it might take a bit longer to reach your $20 threshold.
One must-know tip for Checkout 51 is to check in with the app on Thursday mornings.
New offers for Checkout 51 go live on Thursdays at 12:00 AM in each time zone, so users who get an early start can load up on their rebate offers before the expire the following Wednesday.
Ultimately, I think Checkout 51 is one of the best cash back apps for groceries, and rebates often cover a large percentage of a product.
Read out Checkout 51 review for even more information!
Extra Reading – 12 Ways to Make & Save Money In A Pinch.
- BUMPED
I’ve mentioned Bumped on this blog before, and this app is probably one of the coolest reward apps around right now.
Bumped Cash Back App
With Bumped, you earn free stocks from the companies you spend at instead of cash back.
When you signup with Bumped, you select a single merchant from each of the 16 categories to earn stock from.
There’s a wide array of categories, and some of the most popular merchants include Starbucks, Netflix, Spotify, and Walmart.
You’ll generally earn 1-3% in free stocks for shopping, but some merchants pay up to 5%.
Just note, you will need to provide your SSN when signing up and creating an account because you are dealing with stocks instead of cash.
Bumped-brands
However, you can double dip while using Bumped and still enjoy the benefits of whatever cash back credit card you use.
You’re free to sell your portfolio/specific stocks at any time, and you can transfer the cash back into your linked bank account following order completion.
If you want to learn how to invest, I definitely recommend checking out Bumped.
Signup for the Bumped wait-list on their website!
Extra Reading – Bumped App Review 2020.
- PEI
Pei is an automatic cash back app that works the same way as Drop.
PEI Cash Back
However, unlike Drop, Pei lets you cash out for cash or Bitcoin and is completely passive like Dosh.
Plus, Pei ahs a lot of partners, including major brands like Uber, Starbucks, Walgreens, CVS, and hundreds more.
Most cash back offers range from 1-2%, although Pei also has a loyalty bonus that grants $0.50 if you shop at a store 5 times. Plus, they have some ‘$2 for $20’ offers on stores that reward a $2 bonus for spending $20 or more.
You can cashout upon reaching $15 through PayPal, Bitcoin, or prepaid Visas.
Ultimately, if you like the passive nature of apps like Dosh, I think Pei is one of the best reward apps in 2020 that you can try.
Extra Reading – Pei App Review 2020.
- CADDLE
Caddle is a Canadian cash back app that also appeared on Dragons Den, and this app is one of the newer players in the field of money saving apps.
Caddle App
With Caddle, you can save money with cash back rebates, but you have a few options to earn money, including:
Scanning and uploading grocery receipts for proof-of-purchase.
Answering surveys about shopping habits or other lifestyle questions.
Watching specific advertisements via the Caddle app.
Shopping at specific online stores or buying certain products online.
Writing reviews and interacting with brands.
My favorite part is that upon signing up, you can earn between $7-$8 just by filling out your personal information, signing up with your email, and answering a few surveys.
Additionally, unlike many other cash back apps, Caddle offers more than grocery rebates, and some of the offers are very lucrative.
For example, you can earn more than $20 cash back for certain offers by buying in bulk on Amazon or specific retailers.
Caddle has a cash out threshold of $20, but you can definitely reach the threshold easily thanks to the signup bonuses. You get paid via cheque, and the app refreshes offers quite regularly.
caddle-rewards
As you can see, Caddle is a legit shopping rewards app and does pay out their users!
Sign up for Caddle today and start saving! Use the code TOM43988 to earn an additional $1 upon signup!
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