Everyone buys groceries and other household basics, so why not earn cash back on your everyday purchases? When you think about how much you spend on food each week, even earning as low as 1% through cash back apps would really add up over the course of a year – and many cash back apps offer far more than 1%.
Even better, you can combine the cash back apps mentioned in this article with a credit card offering cashback and effectively earn double the cash back on all your purchases.
You can also combine the apps with conventional coupons; in fact, many of the websites have a ‘special offers’ tab that helps you to do exactly this.
Lots of mobile apps also offer extra ways to make some free money through other activities, so when times are tough, you have the means to top up your bank account in the palm of your hand.
28 Best Cash Back Apps
Here are the best cash back apps you can download today:
- 🏆 Capital One Shopping
- Rakuten
- InboxDollars
- Swagbucks
- Survey Junkie
- Upside
- MyPoints
- TopCashback
- Ibotta
- PayPal Honey
- Drop
- Coupons.com
- Dosh
- Fetch Rewards
- Groupon
- Shopkick
- Freebird
- Checkout 51
- Receipt Hog
- BeFrugal
- Acorns Earn
- Belly
- Coin Out
- Mobee
- RebatesMe
- ReceiptPal
- RetailMeNot
- Upromise
1. Capital One Shopping
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.8 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.5 out of 5
If you’re a big online shopper, Capital One Shopping (formerly Wikibuy) is a great way to receive discounts as you buy and earn credits that can be redeemed for free gift cards.
All you need to do is browse stores as you normally would and let Capital One Shopping search for savings, the same product available for cheaper elsewhere, and give you points towards gift cards once you make a purchase. It also integrates directly into Amazon.
Learn More:
Capital One Shopping compensates us when you sign up for Capital One Shopping using the links we provide.
2. Rakuten
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.8 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.1 out of 5
The great thing about Rakuten (formerly ebates) is you’ll get cashback in the form of real cash when shopping online. Every quarter, you’ll be paid in the form of either a check or cash sent to your PayPal account. You also get a $10 bonus from signing up as long as you spend $25 within your first three months as a member.
It’s worth having Rakuten, Honey, and Capital One Shopping all installed even though you’ll only be able to earn cashback through one of them. You may prefer to use Rakuten when possible so you can receive cash rather than a gift card, but you won’t always get a choice since each site has different partnerships. Honey and Capital One Shopping also have the additional bonus of letting you know about coupons and discounts, which Rakuten doesn’t offer.
Although you can earn up to 40% cashback, it’s more common to earn 5%-10%. You can also earn up to $25 from referring friends and family.
Learn More:
3. InboxDollars
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.5 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4 out of 5
InboxDollars is a get-paid-to (GPT) site that is well-known for paying users to take surveys, play online games, and do other online activities for cash. You may not know that they also have a cashback program that rewards you for shopping at your favorite retailers.
InboxDollars is not stingy about paying consumers back for shopping through them. In fact, they have spent over $1.8 million in cashback rewards alone since 2000. They’ll even credit $5 to your account just for signing up.
To start earning cashback through InboxDollars, go to the InboxDollars website and look through their list of partner retailers. Navigate to the retailer’s site from InboxDollars and shop like normal. When you make a purchase, InboxDollars will reward you with cashback credited to your account. When you’re ready to cash out, you can do so in the form of PayPal or a gift card.
Learn More:
4. Swagbucks
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.4 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Swagbucks is one of the best-known survey sites on the internet, but it also has some of the highest cash back rewards on the web.
Of course, you’ll also be able to earn from surveys and other activities like watching videos, surfing the web, or even sending your referral link to friends and family to sign-up.
There’s a $5 bonus for joining as long as you spend $25 in a Swagbucks store within your first month of registration. You can choose between gift cards like Amazon, Walmart or PayPal transfers.
Learn More:
5. Survey Junkie
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.6 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Survey Junkie is a leading get-paid-to site that rewards users for taking surveys in exchange for money. If you aren’t interested in taking surveys for money, you can always opt-in to Survey Junkie’s Pulse program to earn passive cashback instead.
Survey Junkie Pulse is a free browser extension that you can download through the Google Chrome Web Store. It runs in the background while you are surfing the web, online shopping, playing games, etc., and rewards you in cashback for allowing them to gather marketing data. They claim that your private data, such as passwords or credit card information, is masked by encryption software and never shared with marketing companies.
Using Survey Junkie Pulse is one of the easiest ways to get paid to participate in marketing research. All you need to do to get started is create a Survey Junkie account, install the browser extension or authorize Pulse through the app, and start browsing. Pulse will monitor your activity and reward you in U.S. dollars through the dashboard. You can withdraw your earnings through PayPal, gift cards, checks, or direct deposit.
Learn More:
6. Upside
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.8 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.5 out of 5
With the current prices for filling up your tank, who doesn’t need to earn cash back at the gas station?
With the Upside cash back app, you can earn up to $0.25 per gallon on gas at over 25,000 gas stations (including big brands such as BP, Circle K, Exxon, Shell, and more) across the US.
But, that is not the only way you can earn cash back with Upside. You can also earn up to 45% cash back at participating restaurants, cafes, fast food, and more.
Next Steps:
7. MyPoints
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.3 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 3.5 out of 5
MyPoints works in a similar way to Swagbucks: you can earn redeemable points through a variety of activities, and there are also cashback offers.
Almost 2000 online stores are partnered with My Points, so there are plenty of opportunities to earn cash back when shopping – all you need to do is enter stores through the MyPoints shopping portal.
As well as cashback, you can earn rewards points from taking surveys, watching videos, playing games, and reading emails.
You can use the points you earn for free gift cards from a variety of retailers, but there’s no opportunity to receive the money in cash form. Just like Swagbucks, you can earn $10 from signing up, but you’ll have to make a purchase of $20 within your first month.
Learn More:
8. TopCashback
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.7 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Claiming to be the most generous cash back site in the country is TopCashback. Thousands of retailers participate in their cashback schemes, and, unlike most other cashback websites, you’ll receive the full commission from sites rather than only a cut of it.
You can also save money by applying coupons and receiving pay-out bonuses that can earn you 3% on top of the standard cashback offer.
The site also boasts high-quality customer service, with a five-star rating on Trustpilot and membership of the Institute of Customer Service.
Learn More:
9. Ibotta
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.8 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.5 out of 5
If you want to earn cashback from grocery stores, the Ibotta app is just about the best available. Earn in-store by uploading your receipt to the app, linking your retailer account, or earn online by using the app and browser extension.
You can even earn up to $20 in welcome bonuses just for trying the app – use this Ibotta referral code for extra cash!
You can also use the gift cards feature to speed up the process; purchase your gift card, and cash back will be added to your account instantly! Use your gift card to pay for purchases in-store or online.
The only downside is that you need to complete short tasks to earn cashback on each eligible product – this could be as simple as taking part in a poll or watching a video, but it can add up. However, it’s a great way to earn extra points as you’re not limited to one task per product.
You can choose whether you want to receive your points in the form of a cash transfer or a gift card.
Learn More:
10. PayPal Honey
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.4 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Honey, recently rebranded to, PayPal Honey, is another browser extension and cash back app, that works very similarly to Capital One Shopping.
You can normally browse while Honey works in the background, and when you buy an eligible item, you’ll earn ‘Honey Gold’ to redeem towards gift cards. Honey will also pop up to alert you about discounts and coupons relevant to the store you’re on.
You can earn Honey Gold by shopping at over 4,500 different retailers and earn up to 20% back depending on the store. There are also bonuses available sometimes to help you earn even more. Once you earn enough gold, you’ll receive an Amazon gift card.
Learn More:
11. Drop
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.6 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.3 out of 5
When using the Drop app, you’ll earn points you can use towards gift cards rather than cold hard cash – but since you can redeem them at major retailers like Starbucks and Amazon, you’ll be sure to find something that sounds good to you.
As well as earning points by spending with a linked card, you can shop directly through the app for certain stores. There are sometimes special promotions that you can activate to earn more points.
Next Steps:
12. Coupons.com
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.7 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Coupons.com is an app that helps you earn cashback, digital coupon codes, and printable in-store coupons to save money at the grocery store on items like groceries, household supplies, and more.
Coupons.com claims to offer hundreds of dollars in free coupons across several shopping categories at any given time. Additionally, you can earn cashback on your purchases by activating cashback offers on the website or app.
While there is no cashback minimum to withdraw earnings, you do have to search for and activate the cashback offers to earn money back on those purchases.
13. Dosh
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.7 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.5 out of 5
To earn even bigger cashback, you can book hotels and accommodations through the Dosh app, and receive up to 40% back to use towards your vacation.
The only downside is that Dosh is only available as a phone app – there’s no web version. But this is all you really need for such a simple app; the only features you’ll need to use are linking your cards and then withdrawing the money you earn.
Even better, you can receive some extra cash by referring your friends; Dosh will send you $10 per person referred.
Dosh is also serious about protecting your data. The app has 256-bit SSL encryption and vaults your credit card information using the PayPal service Braintree; they also don’t sell your information to third parties.
Next Steps:
14. Fetch Rewards
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.8 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 3.9 out of 5
Another site that helps you earn money back from your grocery shopping is Fetch Rewards. You won’t be restricted to particular stores – you can claim cashback on all convenience stores, drug stores, pet stores, and even liquor stores.
To earn points for gift cards, all you need to do is take a picture of your receipts, but you can earn more by purchasing specific products they have listed in the app.
You’ll earn bonus points for signing up, and you can earn more bonus points for referring people you know.
15. Groupon
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.8 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Groupon is well-known for its discounts on leisure activities, but you can also use it to get cashback by using Groupon+.
All you need to do is search for cashback deals on the website or app and claim it, then Groupon will automatically link the deal with any card you enrolled with them. Most of the deals are related to food and drink.
Unfortunately, Groupon+ only works in certain cities. It can also be time-consuming to search for cashback deals manually, but it could be worth it if you go out to eat regularly.
However, the good news is that once you redeem for an establishment once, the cashback will automatically be applied if you revisit it (unless it expires).
Next Steps:
16. Shopkick
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.6 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.0 out of 5
You might be relieved to learn that shopping isn’t the only way to earn points toward cashback. Shopkick lets you earn by completing tasks – both in-store and online – rather than by buying items. These tasks include filling out surveys, filming videos, and checking into stores.
Nonetheless, you’ll be able to earn the most points by shopping through the Shopkick portal. You can also download an app to earn on the go.
You can cash out the points you earn for gift cards on sites like Amazon and Starbucks.
Next Steps:
17. Freebird
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.8 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 3.7 out of 5
Big Uber or Lyft user? Order your ride through Freebird instead, and you can earn cashback if you’re traveling to a partner restaurant or bar – some establishments even offer you a ride for free. Freebird also works with Lyft.
When you download Freebird, you’ll still be using Uber or Lyft like normal, but through a different app. You can browse through the restaurants that offer discounted rides on the app; the idea is that this incentivizes users to choose the establishments with good deals, which helps their business.
Even if you order an Uber from an establishment that doesn’t participate in the offer, you’ll earn points that you can use towards cashback. Straight after ordering a ride, you’ll be able to use deposit the cashback in your bank account.
18. Checkout 51
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.1 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Another cashback website ideal for grocery shopping is Checkout 51. Just like Ibotta, you can browse offers on the app and redeem them by uploading your receipt.
There’s more to the process than simply taking a picture as the app will prompt you to tick off the categories of items you purchased, but you won’t have to complete any small tasks to get your point.
You’ll be able to receive your money once you get up to $20 worth of groceries. Checkout 51 is slightly old-fashioned for the way it pays; the only way to receive payment is through a check in the mail.
19. Receipt Hog
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.7 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.4 out of 5
The main advantage of Receipthog is that you can earn cash back on anything you shop – you won’t be limited to the partnered retailers. You also don’t have to do anything other than scan your receipts to start earning.
An additional feature is that you can take part in surveys and sweepstakes straight from the app to earn more points. Once you make points, you can choose between redeeming a gift card or a PayPal transfer.
20. BeFrugal
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.6 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.4 out of 5
The BeFrugal cash back app offers an impressive cashback rate of 40% for more than 5,000 stores. Simply shop using the BeFrugal portal and cashback will automatically be added o your account.
When you download the app and create a new account you will also earn a $10 sign up bonus.
You can redeem your cash back in several different ways including, direct deposit, a paper check, giftcard, PayPal cash, Venmo, or Zelle payment.
21. Acorns Earn
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.7 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.6 out of 5
You are probably familiar with Acorns, the investment app that rounds up every purchase to the dollar and invests the extra money. But you may not know that Acorns also has a program called Acorns Earn that invests cashback that you get from shopping.
Acorns Earn lets you earn cashback at over 300 leading brands when you shop with an Acorns-linked card or through the Acorns mobile app. Instead of going back into your bank account, the cashback you earn will be invested through your Acorns account. Cashback earnings are usually relatively small, but earning cashback with Acorns Earn can help you maximize that amount over time through smart investments.
22. Belly
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.6 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Have you ever collected punch cards from stores only to have them clutter up your wallet? Belly is an app that aggregates all your store loyalty card points in one place, so you never have to worry about digging through your purse for old punch cards again.
The Belly mobile app offers a reward-tracking system that helps you redeem incentives from local retailers. While this isn’t what you would typically consider cashback, Belly can still help you score discounts and free merchandise from your favorite stores around your city. The only downside is that Belly is available only in major U.S. markets, such as Chicago and Washington D.C.
23. Coin Out
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.6 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.1 out of 5
If you’re a fan of Shark Tank, you may have already heard about Coin Out. Coin Out is a receipt-scanning app that allows you to earn cash back from anywhere. You just need to upload a snapshot of your receipt, and you’re ready to start earning.
Coin Out is a free app for iOS and Android that allows you to earn cashback from any retailer by uploading a photo of your receipt. The creators of Coin Out assert that the worst part of cashback systems is that you’re limited by the retailers offering cashback rewards. Through Coin Out, you can earn cashback no matter where you’re shopping.
Getting started with Coin Out is as simple as downloading the mobile app and snapping pictures of your receipts. All you need to do to earn is scan receipts that include the merchant name, date (within two weeks of purchase), all items purchased, and the total amount spent. You’ll start seeing the cashback piling up in the app, which you can redeem anytime.
24. Mobee
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.6 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4 out of 5
If you’ve ever seen the show Undercover Boss, you’ll love earning cashback through Mobee. Mobee is a secret shopper app that rewards you for providing feedback on customer experiences at local businesses.
Mobee is a mystery shopper app that will give you “mystery shopper” assignments and rewards you for completing them. You may be asked to complete a task like buying a coffee from a local retailer. You’ll then be asked to answer some questions about your experience, such as how clean the shop was or how friendly the staff was. After you complete your assignment, Mobee will deposit a cashback reward into your account, which you can cash out through PayPal or gift cards to your favorite stores.
25. RebatesMe
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: No Rating
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: No Rating
If you prefer cashback browser extensions to cashback mobile apps, you’ll wonder why you haven’t heard about RebatesMe sooner.
RebatesMe is a cashback browser extension similar to Honey or Rakuten. RebatesMe partners with retailers that pay them a commission when customers shop with the browser extension. RebatesMe then splits that commission with you for your effort. According to the company, they have paid out over $30 million to customers since its founding.
You can earn as much as 55% cash back at over 3,000 partner stores with RebatesMe. Simply download the Google Chrome browser extension and click the “Cash Back Button” when you shop online. Your rewards will accumulate in your RebatesMe dashboard, and you can redeem your earnings through a prepaid check, retailer gift card, Visa gift card, or PayPal deposit.
26. ReceiptPal
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.5 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.3 out of 5
ReceiptPal is a receipt-scanning app created by established marketing research company The NPD Group. It is another excellent way to earn cashback on your purchases by simply uploading pictures of your receipts.
ReceiptPal rewards you in points that can be redeemed in gift cards (roughly 25 per receipt) whenever you upload pictures of your receipts to the app. This is a great way not only to earn cashback when you shop but also to keep track of your spending. However, ReceiptPal doesn’t accept every receipt, so you will have to review your submissions to ensure they’re eligible for cashback.
27. RetailMeNot
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 4.8 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 4.6 out of 5
It’s no secret that coupons can be instrumental in helping you save big while online shopping. However, looking up coupons online will almost always result in expired or nonexistent coupons. RetailMeNot is a tool that scans the internet for active promo codes to help you save on every purchase.
RetailMeNot is pretty similar to cashback sites like Rakuten and Honey. These sites work by tracking your cookies to prove to retailers that they facilitated your sale to earn a commission. They will reward you with cashback for your effort and may even help you find coupons to help you save on your purchase.
You can see how much cashback you’ve earned on your purchases on your RetailMeNot dashboard. Your cashback will be rewarded in U.S. dollars and can be withdrawn at any time through PayPal or Venmo. You don’t need to accrue a minimum amount to withdraw your earnings, which is a huge plus.
28. Upromise
⭐️ Apple App Store Rating: 2.1 out of 5
⭐️ Google Play Store Rating: 3.6 out of 5
Student loans and tuition are big financial stressors for most people. But did you know that there’s an app that can help you save on tuition and student loan payments? Upromise, a subsidiary of student loan provider Sallie Mae, can help you earn cashback on everyday purchases and credits it back to your tuition or loans.
Upromise partners with over 800 stores to offer a minimum 5% rewards rate on all purchases. These rewards can be redeemed as a check or credited toward your tuition or student loan payment.
You can also enlist others to help cut down your student loan expense through Upromise’s Friends and Family program. You can send an invitation to parents, grandparents, or anyone interested in directing their cashback to your Upromise account. This means that you will benefit from everyone else’s shopping habits in addition to your own.
How to Avoid Cash Back App Scams
Cashback apps are a great way to earn free money back on your purchases – until you find out your credit card info has been swiped by a scammer. How do you prevent yourself from falling victim to a cashback scam?
Here are some tips to help you avoid shady apps:
Check Out the Reviews
Reviews are a great way to find out if people have had issues with a cashback app. Be sure to look up the ratings on the Apple App store, Google Play store, TrustPilot, and the Better Business Bureau. Try reading some blogger reviews as well to see what you can expect when using an app.
Read the Privacy Policy
Yes, there’s a lot of legal jargon there, but with a bit of skimming, you can find out if this app is sharing too much information or not. Use the CTRL+F function on your computer to look up phrases like “personal information” and “you hereby grant” to determine what you’re agreeing to share when you use the app.
Research the App Developer
Sometimes, going straight to the source can provide helpful information about the app. Check out the app developer’s website to determine what other apps they’ve developed. If they have a track record of trustworthy apps, that’s a great sign. If you have difficulty even finding a website, it may be best to skip it.
How to Maximize Your Cash Back App Earnings
You don’t have to rely on one cashback app to earn on your everyday purchases. Here are some ways that you can make the most of cashback earning opportunities:
- Stack cashback rewards when you can. (Ex: Using a cashback browser extension and a cashback-linked credit card)
- Activate cashback rewards so you’re not missing out on earning opportunities.
- Confirm emails from cashback mobile apps so you don’t miss out on cashback.
- Research items you’re shopping for to see if they’re offered at participating stores.
- Avoid “spending money to make money.” Let cashback earnings roll in by shopping like you usually would.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which app gives the best cashback?
Some of the websites mentioned in this article offer higher cashback rates than others, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they will consistently earn you more money.
You might end up making more money if you consistently earn 1% cashback from all purchases you make than if you make 20% cashback from a select few special items.
Dosh offers up to 10% cashback, but this isn’t guaranteed for all items. Cashback apps can seem like a minefield, and it’s best to test out a few before you get an idea of which are the most profitable for you.
The best cashback app for you to use varies between individuals.
Factors to take into consideration:
- The type of products you buy most often.
- Whether you tend to buy high-value or low-value items.
- If you have many store loyalty cards.
- How much time you’re willing to spend searching for offers, scanning receipts, and completing activities.
- Would you prefer to earn cash, or are you happy to receive gift cards instead?
Which is the best cash back app for eating out?
If you eat out a lot, then the Groupon app might work best for you.
Which is the best cash back app for grocery shopping?
If you spend a significant sum of money at the grocery store, Fetch Rewards might be the best cash back app for you.
Can you use more than one cash back app at a time?
It’s recommended that you try out various cashback apps before committing to just one. Sometimes it’s possible to ‘stack’ cashback offers by getting cashback multiple times off the same product, so you don’t necessarily have to choose between different providers, but this is variable and won’t always work.
What cash back apps pay you to upload receipts?
One of the most common ways to receive cashback is by taking a photo of your receipt and uploading it onto the app.
It only takes a few minutes and is easy enough once you make it a part of your routine after the weekly grocery shopping trip.
The following apps will pay you for scanning your receipts;
- Ibotta
- ReceiptHog
- Fetch Rewards
Are cash back apps available on iOS and Android?
Yes, all of the best cash back apps that we have listed are available in the App Store for Apple iOS and in the Google Play Store for Android devices.
Which Cash Back App Is Best For You?
Earning cash back on your purchases is a great way to make some extra money. It might not seem like too much at first, but it’s something you can do with almost no effort – some of the websites and apps on this list let you earn money simply by installing a browser extension or linking your credit card to a website.
What could be easier than that?
It can seem overwhelming to see all the different websites at first, but once you test a few out, you’ll figure out which ones work best for you and your lifestyle.
Read 2 comments or add your own
Read Comments