Over the last several years, grocery receipt scanner apps have emerged as a popular way to shave a little money off of that trip to the supermarket.
In case you’re wondering, these apps typically make money by forming partnerships with different brands, then receive a commission when a user purchases an advertised item on the app, which gets passed on to the user. Here’s what to know about these tools and whether using them is worth the effort.
Is It Worth It to Use Grocery Store Receipt Apps?
If you get into the habit of using grocery store receipt apps, you may find that they make each of your shopping errands a little more profitable. Also, you can use most of these apps at most retailers, not just supermarkets.
“Receipt scanning apps can be a great way to make a little extra cash, and they’re pretty easy, yet they don’t pay out that much. However, all those pennies saved can add up to a big amount over the long haul,” says Kari Lorz, certified financial education instructor in Portland, Oregon, and blogger at Money for the Mamas.
“To make the most of those earnings, you need a solid plan, one where the earnings will positively impact your finances. Don’t just blow your rewards on buying another pair of jeans,” she says.
Lorz has been using receipt apps for several years.
“At the end of the year, I usually have a few hundred dollars between all my apps, so it’s worth the few minutes it takes each week,” she says.
That said, don’t confuse these apps with cash back apps, which typically involve getting cash back from online purchases. Each of these options is free and compatible with Android and iOS devices.
Here are seven you may want to try:
1. Ibotta
Ibotta is a well-known grocery app that enables users to earn cash back at more than 750 brick-and-mortar and online stores, including Ace Hardware, Amazon, Petco, Target and Walmart.
Once you download the app, look for offers from your favorite brands. Scan your receipts into Ibotta, or you can skip that by syncing Ibotta to your retail loyalty cards. If you do that, you will automatically earn cash back when you use your retail loyalty cards. Within 24 hours, you’ll get cash in your bank account.
How you earn money varies depending what you’re purchasing. Receipts could yield pennies or dollars. You just never know, but you can cash out when you earn $20.
You can sign up for Ibotta here.
[READ: How Much Should I Spend on Groceries?]
2. Fetch
Previously known as Fetch Rewards, Fetch enables you to upload paper or digital receipts and earn points you can redeem for gift cards.
The Fetch app offers a “special deals” section, which lists options that earn more points, says Andrea Woroch, U.S. News contributor and shopping consultant based in Bakersfield, California.
“On a shopping trip to pick up new diapers, I opted for the brand that gave me more points and was able to get back 2,500 points through Fetch, which is like getting $2.50 back,” she says.
“Since the prices for the actual diapers were the same between brands, it didn’t matter to me — and it helped me save more. As long as you’re open to trying new brands, this is a great way to rack up those points faster,” she adds.
You can redeem your points at “a variety of stores, including big box stores like Target and Walmart, specialty retailers like Ultra Beauty, and restaurants like Starbucks, California Pizza Kitchen and Outback Steakhouse.”
Woroch says the options even include gift cards to travel-oriented sites like Hotels.com.
You’ll earn at least 25 points for every receipt you download. Certain brands you buy or offers you accept will earn more points.
You can sign up for Fetch here.
3. ReceiptPal
To use ReceiptPal, you either scan your paper receipts or connect your Amazon account to automatically get credit for e-receipts.
When you enter four receipts, you get one point card worth 100 points (25 points per receipt). Once you reach 2,200 points, you can redeem them for a $5 e-gift card at retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Target and Home Depot.
You can sign up for ReceiptPal here.
4. Checkout 51
The Checkout 51 app updates offers every Thursday, and they’re available to shoppers on a first-come, first-served basis.
Choose an offer and take a photo of your receipt (by 11:59 p.m. local time) using the app’s built-in camera to redeem your cash back. You must purchase some items in specific stores for them to be eligible. But most are for food or drink items that you can buy from any supermarket, in person or online.
Once you earn $20, Checkout 51 will mail a check to you. It can take 15 to 30 days to receive it.
You can sign up for Checkout 51 here.
[READ: How to Save Money When Grocery Shopping on a Budget]
5. Receipt Hog
Most Receipt Hog offers are available at grocery stores, but not all.
To use the app, upload your paper or digital receipts, then fill out surveys. You earn digital “coins,” which you can redeem for real cash once you earn 1,000. You can redeem them for a direct PayPal transaction, Amazon e-gift card or Visa e-gift card.
The more you spend on your groceries, the more coins you get. So, if you spend less than $10, you’ll get five coins, and if you spend $100 or more, you’ll receive 20.
Here’s how much the coins are worth:
— 1,000 coins = $5
— 2,900 coins = $15
— 4,300 coins = $25
— 6,500 coins = $40
You can sign up for Receipt Hog here.
6. CoinOut
To use the CoinOut app, upload photos of receipts to your phone to collect rewards. Connect your email to the service and it will keep track of digital receipts automatically.
According to the site, CoinOut accepts receipts from “virtually any retailer.” The app uses a “coin” system that enables you to achieve various levels. For instance, if you’re in the Bronze level and upload 25 receipts, you’ll earn 10 coins. If you’re in the Diamond level, you’ll get 50 coins per receipt.
Once you get 3,000 coins, you earn $3. For 5,000 coins, you will earn $5. If you have 47,000 coins, you can redeem them for $50.
You can sign up for CoinOut here.
[Related:These Are the 10 Cheapest Grocery Stores in the U.S.]
7. ReceiptJar
ReceiptJar accepts receipts from more than 11,000 stores, both brick-and-mortar and online, in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Take photos of your receipts and you’ll earn points for each one, which you can redeem for gift cards.
The app has various tiers regarding how you earn points:
— Between $0.01 – $10 spent = 5 points
— Between $10.01 – $50 spent = 10 points
— Between $50.01 – $100 spent = 15 points
— More than $100.01 spent = 20 points
When you want to redeem your points, they are worth:
— 1,000 points = $5
— 2,900 points = $15
— 3,900 points = $20
— 9,500 points = $50
— 19,000 points = $100
So, to earn a $5 gift card you’ll have to first spend $5,000. Of course, if you’re buying something big like a computer, you might reach 1,000 points pretty quickly. But if you aren’t making a lot of big purchases, it will take you awhile before you can redeem points for anything substantial.
You can sign up for ReceiptJar here.
Receipt Apps Rules
If you want to get the most out of using receipt apps, follow these tips:
— Use the receipt apps on a regular basis. “I scan my receipts weekly while watching a show, so it’s not so tedious,” Lorz says. Also, if you’re using the apps regularly, you will eventually make some money. If you use them randomly, it’s going to take a lot longer to earn anything meaningful.
— Have a plan.Lorz says that once a year, just before the holidays, she cashes out her rewards for gift cards and uses the money to help pay for all the holiday dinners and baking supplies she needs before the season.
— Don’t forget the other ways to save. “Make sure you’restacking savings,” Woroch says. Use your credit cards to get cash back, coupons if you have them, and cash back apps alongside receipt apps.
— Try out all of the grocery receipt apps. A lot of shoppers suggest you can use the same grocery receipt on different grocery receipt apps to make more money.
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Grocery Receipt Scanning Apps You Should Try originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 06/10/24: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
