With inflation pushing up the cost of nearly everything you buy, cash back apps have become even more important to savvy shoppers as a way to stretch their dollar a bit further no matter where they’re shopping.
“I like to think of cash back apps as the discount you can get when there is no other discount available,” says Kristin McGrath, shopping expert for RetailMeNot. “Or if you do have a promo code or an item is on sale, you can use that and then get cash back on top.”
What Is a Cash Back App?
A cash back app is an app that you download onto your phone or an extension on your computer browser that awards you with cash, usually worth 2% to 5% on purchases as certain retailers. The cash accumulates in your account and you can cash it out, typically via a third-party app like Venmo or PayPal.
There are many cash back apps available for shoppers — and these apps are often free to users. To choose the best one for you, you’ll want look at the level of cash back offered, which merchants participate and how the program works (for example, do you have to upload receipts yourself or does the app do it automatically).
Here’s a look at a few of the best cash back apps:
1. CouponCabin
2. Coupons.com
3. RetailMeNot Dealfinder
4. SlickDeals
5. Rakuten
6. Ibotta
7. Fetch
CouponCabin
The CouponCabin app, website and browser extension offers promo codes, coupons, and cash back to shoppers who use its coupons or Shop Now buttons for savings at more than 6,000 stores. The site pays out daily, once the purchase is no longer eligible to be returned.
Average rating: 4.7 stars in the App Store; 4.6 stars at Google Play.
Best feature: CouponCabin offers a wide range of payment options. You can take your cash back via PayPal, Venmo, check, gift card, direct deposit or Bitcoin.
Cost: Free.
[SEE: 10 Best Budget Apps.]
Coupons.com
Coupons.com offers discounts on specific products, rather than stores. Once you sign up for an account and activate the offers that you like, you can receive cash back for purchases made at any store that provides at itemized receipt. The site pays out via PayPal, typically within a week of your purchase.
Average rating: 4.7 stars in the App Store; 3.9 starts at Google Play.
Best feature: If you connect your grocery loyalty card to your Coupons.com app, you’ll automatically get the cash back without having to upload the receipt.
Cost: Free.
RetailMeNot Dealfinder
Once you’ve activated the cash back feature on your RetailMeNot account, you can automatically get cash back on purchases made through the app or the website. The site pays out via PayPal or Venmo up to 45 days after your purchase.
Average rating: 4.8 stars on the App Store; 4.6 stars on Google Play.
Best feature: Dealfinder allows you to automatically stack cash back deals on top of other RetailMeNot discounts and promotions, boosting the amount that you can save.
Cost: Free.
[READ: 20 Creative Ways to Save Money.]
SlickDeals
Slickdeals is a community-supported app and website where the members vet and vote on deals. “They just added cash back benefits, so not only can you leverage the community to find vetted promos and use the site to receive deal alerts, but you can also earn cash back on select purchases as thousands of retailers,” says Trae Bodge, a smart shopping expert at TrueTrae.com.
Average rating: 4.8 stars on the App Store; 4.4 stars on Google Play.
Best feature: The app lets you set alerts for specific products and will let you know when there’s a price drop.
Cost: Free.
Rakuten
Rakuten members who shop using the website, app or the Cash Back Button browser extension receive their cash back quarterly via a check or PayPal deposit. You can even earn cash back on airline, hotel or other travel reservations made through Rakuten.
Average rating: 4.8 stars on the App Store; 4.1 stars on Google Play.
Best feature: Connect your credit card to your Rakuten account and opt into a reward offer. Then when you make the purchase using that card, you’ll get the cash back.
Cost: Free.
[READ: Cheap Foods to Buy When You’re Broke.]
Ibotta
Ibotta members can get cash back for both in-store and online purchases at thousands of retailers. For in-store purchases, you’ll need to add offers to your list before shopping, and then submit a receipt or connect your loyalty card to the account. You can withdrawal your earnings via PayPal, bank transfer or gift card once your balance reaches $20.
Average rating: 4.8 on the App Store; 4.5 stars on Google Play.
Best Feature: Once you link your retail loyalty card, the app will automatically credit your account with eligible rewards on your list after you make a purchase.
Cost: Free.
Fetch Rewards
Fetch pays out via gift cards based on points for all your purchases. You can receive a base of 25 points for every purchase that you submit, but you’ll get more points if you make purchases based on additional offers. You’ll receive $1 for every 1,000 points, redeemable via gift cards.
Average rating: 4.8 stars on the App Store; 4.6 stars on Google Play.
Best feature: You can simply scan your receipts to get cash back rewards, so you don’t need to opt in ahead of time.
Cost: Free.
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Best Cash Back Apps originally appeared on usnews.com
