"It’s no secret that we’re experiencing the effects of inflation. I’ve seen the prices of some of my favorite products at the grocery store creep up little by little over the past year or so. (I need to speak with the person responsible for pricing blueberries at $6!) While small increases don’t seem like a lot at first, they can add up. And when you factor in other costs like gas or rent that have also gotten more expensive, your bank account can look… well, grim.
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Sure, coupons and discount stores help, but at the end of the day (and at the risk of sounding like my dad), things are just more expensive than they used to be. One way that I’ve combatted this pricing surge over the years is by using cash back apps. After trying a variety of cash back apps for everything from groceries to travel, I’m sharing the best cash back apps for essential purchases so you, too, can save money no matter what you’re spending your hard-earned cash on.
How do cash back apps work?
As their name suggests, cash back apps give you money back on purchases that you’re already making—things like gas, groceries, and other household products. Most apps work for all sorts of purchases, both in-store and online, but some work better than others for certain categories, so it’s important to find the one that works best for the purchases you often make and where you shop.
How much money can you save with cash back apps?
Depending on which app you use, where you shop, and what you buy, you can earn anywhere from a few cents to over $100. Most of these offers won’t cover the full cost of your purchases, but they can definitely help ease the blow of inflation and put some money back in your pocket. They also require a little work on your end, such as choosing the cash back offers you’re interested in and submitting pictures of receipts, but I think we can all agree that any opportunity to save money these days is welcomed.
The best cash back apps for groceries
Ibotta
Pros: Ibotta offers some of the highest cash back amounts I’ve seen compared to other apps and occasionally includes offers that can be used on any product regardless of what brand it is.
Cons: Available offers can be limited. For example, I often don’t need items like diapers or dog food, so I’m not able to redeem my receipt—but you might be able to!
I’ve been using Ibotta for years to earn cash back when I shop. It works on a variety of different retail categories, but I’ve found it’s especially helpful when it comes to grocery shopping. To earn money back, download the app, add available offers for the store where you plan to shop, and submit a picture of your receipt for proof of purchase. Once you’ve reached $20 in rewards, you can withdraw your earnings to a gift card or directly to your bank or PayPal account.
Fetch
Pros: You earn points on your receipts no matter where you shop or what you buy.
Cons: It takes about 1,000 Fetch points to equal $1, so it can take a while to earn enough points for a sizable gift card.
Fetch is my personal favorite app for earning money while I shop for groceries, and I find it the easiest to use. All you have to do is submit a photo of your receipt, and Fetch will reward you with points. Every receipt earns you a minimum of 25 points, but you can earn more if you buy products with a special offer. There are also daily bonuses that give you the opportunity to earn even more points. Once you’ve reached a certain threshold, you can redeem your points for gift cards to places like Amazon, Lululemon, or Starbucks.
Pogo
Pros: It doesn’t require nearly as much hands-on work to track points.
Cons: Because you have to earn 3,000 points (AKA spend $3,000) before you can cash out, it may take a while to earn enough points for a payout.
If uploading photos of your receipts and keeping track of special offers isn’t for you, Pogo is another money-making option. With this app, you’ll earn points by sharing your location and securely linking your bank accounts so it can track your purchases. In turn, Pogo uses your data for market research and to present you with personalized ads for different products or retailers, such as Safeway, Costco, or Kroger (which is why it’s especially great for grocery shopping). Every point equals $1, and once you’ve earned 3,000 points, you can redeem them for cash through Venmo or PayPal or as an Amazon or Visa gift card.
The best cash back apps for gas
Upside
Pros: Upside doesn’t use points or rewards to keep track of your earnings—just cold, hard cash, which is immediately available for you to transfer to your bank or PayPal account or trade for gift cards.
Cons: You’ll only receive cash back if you pay with a debit or credit card, so you can’t use cash for your transactions.
If you’ve ever driven around looking for the best deal on gas, Upside is for you. When you open the app, it shows all the gas stations (and restaurants and grocery stores) with cash back offers near your current location. A quick search in my area showed gas stations with offers ranging anywhere from three to 18 cents back per gallon (but I’ve seen it go all the way up to 29 cents!). Once you’ve found a gas station with the best deal, you’ll claim the offer in the app, pay using your debit or credit card (sorry, no cash allowed), and either submit a photo of your receipt or check in using the app to show proof of purchase.
Trunow
Pros: This app is easy to use. All you have to do is submit a photo of your receipt.
Cons: Users have said that it can take a while for your refund to process, and if you want to transfer your earnings to your PayPal account, Trunow charges a 50 percent withdrawal fee. Otherwise, you can use your cash back funds to pay for purchases at their partner stores.
Like Upside, Trunow helps you find the best deals on gas near you, so you’re already saving money just by using the app. It also offers money back no matter where you buy gas—you’ll receive 1 percent cash back at non-partner gas stations and 2 percent cash back at gas stations that have partnered with Trunow.
The best cash back apps for travel
Dosh
Pros: Some hotels offer up to 40 percent cash back. Dosh also works for more than just travel. You can earn cash back when you shop for clothes, home goods, or groceries.
Cons: Dosh charges a $4.99 maintenance fee to accounts that are inactive for 12 months.
If you travel for work, you probably spend a lot of time staying in hotels. So, why not get cash back on those bookings? With Dosh, this is possible by making your hotel reservation within the app’s booking system, with over 600,000 hotels around the world to choose from. It allows you to search for rooms and filter by price point, rating, and amenities. It also shows you how much cash back you’ll receive on the booking. Your refund will hit your Dosh account about 30 days after your stay, and once you’ve earned at least $15, you can cash out to your PayPal or Venmo or donate to a charity of your choice.
The best cash back apps for shopping
Rakuten
Pros: Rakuten works at over 3,500 online retailers, ranging from department stores to travel websites, restaurants, and more.
Cons: You have to activate offers before making a purchase, otherwise, you won’t receive cash back.
I’ve found Rakuten to be one of the easiest cash back options for online shopping on my laptop (or in-store purchases if you’re using their mobile app). There are two ways to earn money when shopping online: enable the browser extension so that it shows up as soon as you land on site, or access a retailer’s website through Rakuten’s website to ensure your purchase is tracked. The amount back varies from retailer to retail, ranging anywhere from 1-20 percent. Your earnings are cashed out quarterly through PayPal or by physical check, whichever you’d prefer. Cash back isn’t the only benefit of using Rakuten. It also searches the internet for coupon codes you can apply at checkout to save money while you shop.
Payce
Pros: Payce can be used to pay down debt. You can link your accounts that have outstanding balances, and Payce will automatically apply your earnings to that account once you’ve hit the $10 minimum. If you’re debt-free (first of all, congratulations), you can opt to receive your cash back through Venmo, PayPal, or your bank account, or you can donate to a charity.
Cons: You have to manually link your credit cards, which can be time-consuming.
Payce is a cash back app and browser extension you can install to save and earn money while you shop. When you check out online, Payce will search for coupon codes to apply at checkout and will pop up with a notification showing how much you’ll receive in cash back for over 10,000 retailers.
Christine Winder, Contributing Wellness Writer
Christine is a long-time reader turned contributing writer for the Everygirl. She has a BA in Communications from Roanoke College and lives with her two cats in Richmond, VA where she writes for several local publications.