Coupons, sales, and clearance racks only get you so far.
And while they still have a role in saving money, cash back apps can work in tandem with all of those money saving tactics to save you even more.
Let’s call it, stacking offers.
You can easily “stack” the below cash back apps with each other and other money saving tactics you are already doing to save more money than possible before using them.
The cash back and rebate apps in this list offer rebates for virtually anything you can think of, mostly available on both Android and iPhone devices. From groceries, to gas, to online shopping: there is a rebate app for all of those (and more).
Feel free to use the Table of Contents to navigate to the cash back apps you like the most.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cash Back Apps for Groceries
1. Ibotta ($10 Signup Bonus)
Ibotta is one of the more popular cash back apps on this list, and for good reason.Their main focus is being a grocery rebate app, and they have rebates for many popular brands on anything you could find in a grocery store, from cereal to ice cream to shampoo (and even alcohol). In addition, they usually have a rebates for any items, branded or not. For example, they recently have $0.25 cash back on any brand bananas.Using Ibotta is super simple, too. All you do is signup (use the referral code: XIDADJV to get a free $10 signup bonus), find offers for items you plan on buying, go buy those items, then scan your receipts for money back. In about 24-hours, you’ll see the money in your Ibotta account.
Your cash back can be redeemed for PayPal too, not just gift cards.
And Ibotta doesn’t just stop there. Besides just items in grocery stores (like Walmart, Stop & Shop, Whole Foods, etc), you can also get money back for shopping online too. For example, currently you can get 6% cash back when you shop on Walmart.com, or 5% cash back for shopping on Amazon. There are many other deals that are always changing, and it’s a great extra feature Ibotta offers.
If you grocery shop a little or a lot, Ibotta is a must have rebate app for groceries. Wait, that’s literally everyone…
Click here to signup with Ibotta and get your $10 bonus
2. Checkout 51 ($5 Signup Bonus)
Think of Checkout 51 just like Ibotta. It’s practically the same thing. You signup, find offers on their app for mostly grocery store items, go buy those items, then scan and upload the receipt to redeem your rebate.
The biggest difference between Checkout 51 and Ibotta however is that Checkout 51 allows you to redeem receipts for any store. Meaning you can buy an item anywhere you want and is not limited to a specific store like Ibotta sometimes is.
Additionally, while Checkout 51 does have overlapping offers as Ibotta sometimes (which can be redeemed on both apps, making for extra earnings) they also have many different offers from other brands – which opens you to more items to save on. Checkout 51 and Ibotta are perfect to use in tandem to broaden the amount of products you can get cash back offers on.
Click here to signup with Checkout 51 and get your $5 bonus
3. Shopkick (250 Kicks Signup Bonus)
Getting rebates and rewards with Shopkick is interesting because they offer a few options to do so.
One way you can earn kicks (what they call points) is by just scanning the barcode of items in stores. It’s too easy not to do, especially if you are already near the item in the store. On top of that, some stores will get you kicks just for visiting the store! For example, T.J.Maxx will currently give you 75 kicks just for visiting their store. Likewise, Walmart currently has 755 total kicks available just for scanning items. Literally no purchase necessary here!
Along with visiting stores and scanning items, you can also get kicks for purchasing items and scanning the receipt (like Ibotta).
They even have ways to earn kicks online by shopping with partners, too.
Shopkick has so many ways to earn kicks, which you can then redeem for gift cards to popular stores.
Click here to signup with Shopkick and get your 250 kicks bonus
4. Fetch Rewards ($2 Signup Bonus)
Shop at any store, upload the receipt, and any participating offers will get you money back.
Fetch Rewards is pretty much the same as Ibotta and Checkout 51, just another company that is likely to have partnerships with different brands.
It’s another great cash back app to add to your list, especially if you do a lot of grocery shopping.
5. Receipt Hog
Instead of getting money back for specific items or shopping at specific stores, Receipt Hog is basically a general cash back rewards app that gives you rewards and points based on the number of receipts you upload, no matter what you bought or where you shopped.
Every time you scan a receipt, you get points and “spins.” These spins allow you to play a virtual slot machine where you can win more coins, if you get luck you could win some decent money. Each receipt also counts as an entry to their monthly sweepstakes drawing.
It’s a cool app to include in your repertoire of rebate apps simply because it accepts virtually any receipt. It takes just a couple of seconds to scan and upload your receipt which opens the chance of winning coins or their monthly sweepstakes, which you can then redeem for Amazon or Visa gift cards or PayPal!
Click here to signup with Receipt Hog
Cash Back Apps for Gas
6. Trunow ($1 Signup Bonus)
Gas is costly, but Trunow is helping curb the cost of gas with their app. Their app not only shows you the prices of gas at nearby gas stations to find the cheapest gas, but they also give you 1% cash back on your gas purchases.
All you need to do is find a location nearby on the app, buy some gas, and then scan your receipt. Over the span of a year, 1% can really add up (especially if you stack this with credit cards that offer cash back on gas purchases).
Click here to signup with Trunow and get your $1 bonus
7. GetUpside (20-Cent Per Gallon Bonus)
If you want to save even more on gas, stack Trunow with GetUpside.
With GetUpside, you can earn up to 25-cents cash back per gallon of gas. For context, a 15-gallon tank can get up to $3.75 back per fill up with GetUpside! If you fill up just once a week, that’s $195 in savings alone (not including if you use Trunow too).
Currently, they are only available on the East Coast but seem to be expanding. And gas isn’t the only thing you can earn cash back on with GetUpside. They also have deals that offer up to 35% cash back on groceries and food, making the app that much better.
Click here to signup with GetUpside and get your 20-cent per gallon bonus
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Seamless Cash Back Apps
Seamless cash back apps are apps that don’t require any receipt uploads, promo codes, or similar activities. Instead, these apps only require you to connect your credit and debit cards or accounts and get cash back without putting in much more effort than that.
8. Dosh ($1 Signup Bonus)
Dosh is an entirely seamless cash back app that allows you to connect your credit and debit cards and shop like normal.
If you end up shopping at a store that they are partnered with, you’ll automatically be given cash back on your purchase.
It’s that simple. It doesn’t require you to look for deals on specific items or stores, and allows you to just sign up once and forget about it (while still getting money back). They gently notify you when you earned cash back, that’s it! It’s too easy not to use.
Click here to signup with Dosh and get your $1 bonus
9. Drop ($5 Signup Bonus)
Drop is very similar to Dosh (including the name) and is another cash back app for shopping in-person and online. You enter your credit and debit cards, and they get you cash back for shopping with their partners without having to scan receipts or special promo codes.
It can be used in tandem with Dosh, and any other app on this list – which can help you get access to even more cash back offers.
Use the referral code Z6QCB when signing up to get your $5 sign up bonus when you link your first card!
Click here to signup with Drop and get your $5 sign up bonus (referral code: Z6QCB)
10. Acorns Found Money ($5 Signup Bonus)
Acorns main feature is not for getting cash back. Instead, it’s a micro investing app that invests your spare change for you, along with other investing and saving features. Read our review on Acorns if you want to learn more on how it works.
However, they have a feature called Found Money that gets you cash back from stores you shop at and puts it into your Acorns account (which is then invested). The best part is that this is all done automatically once you connect a credit or debit card.
Just connect your card and shop with their partners (like Walmart, Groupon, Macy’s, and many more) and they’ll contribute money into your account. The amount can range from 1% to 5%, depending on the store.
It’s important to keep in mind that you can withdrawal your money at any time. So while it is money that is invested for you, you can still withdrawal at anytime for cold hard cash.
Click here to signup with Acorns and get your $5 bonus
11. Freebird
Freebird partners with restaurants, bars, and similar locations to get you cash back of up to $25 when you Uber to their location and purchase something. It’s a unique app to get people in the door of local restaurants while rewarding the customer (you).
While Freebird isn’t 100% seamless, as you’ll need to choose which location you are going to, it’s seamlessly integrated with Uber. At the end of the day, you aren’t really doing anything extra with Freebird.
Freebird also partners with brands to give you $5 back on your Uber ride home.
If you use Uber, Freebird is an amazing way to seamlessly get cash back on your Uber rides to locations you might be going to anyways.
Click here to signup with Freebird
Online Shopping Cash Back Apps
12. Capital One Shopping (Price Protection)
Capital One Shopping is a little different, although that certainly doesn’t discount how powerful it is. In fact, it’s extremely popular for good reason.
How Capital One Shopping works is: you buy an item that is on one of the stores they support (like Amazon, Walmart, Nordstrom, and more). Then, if the price drops on their website, they reach out on your behalf and get you the difference back.
This price change could be the next day, or a month later. No matter what, Capital One Shopping is always working for you to monitor price changes and reaching out on your behalf in the case the price goes down to get you money back.
Best part? It’s entirely free. They charge nothing and send you 100% of what you get back. You can’t get better than that.
Click here to signup with Capital One Shopping for free
13. Ebates ($10 Signup Bonus)
Ebates has a lot of features, but the biggest and main one is the vast amount of cash back offers they have.
Right now they have cash back offers up to 40% back from over 2,500+ online stores. They get paid when they send you to their partners, and pay you a portion of that money in return.
They’ve been around for awhile, and are still growing strong with more and more offers all the time. To use Ebates, all you do is search on their website for an online store you plan to shop on. If they are partnered with them, you’ll find the details on how much you’ll get back by shopping through Ebates.
Plus, once you are signed up, you can get $25 for every friend you refer! If you have just 4 close friends, that’s an easy $100 without even using the app (or website).
Click here to signup with Ebates and get your $10 bonus
14. BeFrugal ($10 Signup Bonus)
BeFrugal is another website and app like Ebates, getting you cash for shopping online.
The biggest difference though is that BeFrugal allows you to redeem your money instantly, whereas Ebates payouts are quarterly.
It’s always a good idea to check both services to see if one has a better offer than the other, this way you don’t miss out on extra cash back.
Click here to signup with BeFrugal and get your $10 bonus
15. TopCashBack ($10 Signup Bonus)
TopCashBack is another app and website similar to BeFrugal and Ebates.
It’s great to have many options, and having TopCashBack in your options of getting cash back is another great one.
You may find better deals with TopCashBack than other similar rebate apps, and without it you might miss out on those better rebates.
Plus, they are also giving out a $10 bonus when you signup: who can turn down free money?!
Click here to signup with TopCashBack and get your $10 bonus
16. Swagbucks ($10 Signup Bonus)
Swagbucks is nothing like anything else on this list, they are unique, and that’s a good thing.
With Swagbucks, there are many different ways you can make money and get some cash back. Such as:
- Shopping with them and getting cash back from online stores (like eBay, Target, Amazon, and more)
- Search the web using their search function
- Playing games
- Doing surveys
All of these are different ways you can earn money with Swagbucks. If you want an app that allows you to earn money without just purchasing things, Swagbucks is just that.
Click here to signup with Swagbucks and get your $10 bonus
Other Cash Back Apps
This one doesn’t have a home in the other categories, so it’s here…
17. Seated ($5 Signup Bonus)
Seated is a restaurant reservation platform that also gives you up to 30% cash back at the restaurants you end up eating at.
All you do is reserve a table at a local spot through their app, show up and eat like usual, and scan the receipt at the end of your meal. You’ll get some money back in the form of points which can then be redeemed for gift cards or VIP experiences.
It’s certainly a great way to start getting some cash back at restaurants!
Click here to signup with Seated and get your $5 bonus
Do I need multiple cash back apps?
Apps take up space on our phone, and if you don’t have a lot of space left, it can be tough to justify having multiple cash back apps on your phone.
But remember, not all apps are the same. Every rebate app has their own special partnerships, offers, and business models. This means you are unlikely to find the same two offers on separate apps. By having multiple, you can ensure you are getting the best rebate offers that are out there.
Another thing to look for is if the app also has a website you can use, too. Hint: many of the apps on this list also have a website you can use. This will allow you to install the important apps but still have access to the others via their website.
The more the merrier is totally true in this case! In fact, I’ve used all of these at one point or another.
Plus… you can stack cash back offers too. If you find an offer for the same item (or store) on two different apps, you can totally redeem both. Sometimes I’ve gotten things for pennies doing this!
Do you use any rebate & cash back apps? Share your experience (and tips) with them for us all to read!
Dustyn Ferguson
Dustyn is a personal finance aficionado and the founder of Dime Will Tell where he writes about the experiences he's had with saving money, being debt-free, and building side hustles. He's been featured as an expert resource in publications like Huffington Post, Go Banking Rates, & Reader's Digest.
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