If you are like I am, you love shopping and saving money at the same time. Even if you don’t like shopping, saving a few hundred bucks a month doesn’t sound so bad, does it?
The best way I’ve found to save money while shopping is to use cash back apps like Ibotta to earn rewards. These rewards come in the form of free gift cards or PayPal cash.
I understand that gift cards aren’t everyone’s favorite form of payment, but who doesn’t like free money?
That’s why I’ve researched and compiled this list of 13 best apps like Ibotta to help you save money while shopping whether online or in-store.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, when you make a purchase. Please, read our affiliate disclaimer or privacy policy for more information.
What is iBotta?
If you are hearing of Ibotta for the first time. Ibotta is a grocery shopping app that sends you cashback when you shop at the grocery store, or at select retail stores.
It’s very reputable and was among the first apps to introduce cashback on grocery shopping. You can also check out this post on the best cashback shopping websites that pay you to shop as you normally would.
Related: Is Ibotta Legit?
How iBotta Works
The way Ibotta works is really simple.
- When you log into the app, you’ll see available offers depending on your location.
- Select an offer that you like then buy the item like you normally do
- When you are done with the shopping, hold the receipt in your hand, take a picture then upload it to the app
- Then, wait for Ibotta to send you your rebate savings!
Ibotta has a $20 payout threshold. Once you reach that amount, you can request your funds to be sent straight to your PayPal account.
They also have a $10 sign up bonus for opening the account. So, reaching that $20 payout threshold won’t be a problem if you shop regularly.
Related: Best Free Money Apps
Best Apps Like Ibotta to Save Money While Shopping
When it comes to shopping and saving money, one or two cashback apps are not enough. You have to keep in mind that different apps have different deals and offers.
The more apps you have, the more offers you will get and the more rebate savings you will get. You need apps similar to Ibotta to give you a better shopping and saving experience.
Here are the 13 best apps like Ibotta that you can use to save money online or in-store.
Related: 16 Apps that Pay You to Install Them
1. Rakuten
If you are searching for the best apps like Ibotta to do online shopping, then Rakuten is your go-to app.
Rakuten is an awesome cashback app for people who love to shop online, but you can also get in-store cashback.
They’ve partnered with over 2,000 online stores to give you up to 40% cashback on ALL your online purchases.
These could electronics, cars, fashion, collectibles, hotels, vacations, you name it! They have amazing deals, coupons and promo codes.
How Rakuten Works
The way Rakuten works is quite simple.
Just sign up for a free account using your email address or Facebook account. Once you are logged in, search for your favorite stores then start shopping like you normally do.
Then Rakuten will add points to your account automatically.
In addition to the points, you get a $10 sign up bonus that comes in the form of a cash bonus or a gift card. You can claim this $10 bonus after you complete a purchase of $25.
Rakuten has paid out over $19 million to its 1.5 million members worldwide. These members did not fall out of space. They are ordinary online shoppers just like you and me taking advantage of this awesome money-saving app.
Don’t be left out. It’s time to get a piece of that pie!
Sign up for a FREE Rakuten account and receive your $10 sign up bonus today!
Payments are normally sent out via PayPal. If you choose the check method, your funds will be mailed to you every quarter.
Try Rakuten Today!Further Reading: Rakuten Review: Is Rakuten Legit or a Scam?
2. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a famous app not only known for cashback but also pay rewards for completing simple tasks like taking paid online surveys, completing trial offers, searching the web, watching videos, playing video games, etc.
It has a database of 15+ million members and has paid out over $190 million since they began operations.
Swagbucks allows you to shop online at thousands of stores, not just in the US but in other countries as well. If you live in the UK, Canada or Australia you can also use the Swagbucks app to get cashback.
Every time you spend money purchasing items, you earn “SB” points redeemable for Amazon gift cards. 1 SB is equaled to 1% cashback. The more SB points you earn the more cashback you will get.
Just like Ibotta, Swagbucks also has a $5 sign up bonus for opening the account.
Click here to join Swagbucks and claim your $5 bonus today!
3. TopCashback
Topcashback is a UK-based free mobile app with over 11 million members and 4600 retailers . They have the highest cashback rates compared to other apps like Ibotta or Swagbucks.
What I like most about this app is that they give out 100% of their commission to you (the customer).
How TopCashback Works
Getting started with this free mobile app is pretty easy.
- Open the Topcashback app and browse the list of available offers
- Choose the offers you like then purchase the items you like
- Snap the till receipts using the app camera
- Once they approve, cashback will be sent to you in just a few minutes
TopCashback doesn’t have a minimum payout limit and you can redeem the amount using a Visa Prepaid card, get an Amazon gift card or get PayPal cash.
When you choose the option of a gift card, a 3% bonus will be added to your withdrawal amount.
Click here to join Topcashback and claim your 3% cashback bonus!
I just recently learned from their Topcashback reviews that apart from cashback, they also give out commissions for referrals.
If you have friends and family who like saving money, you can refer them to Topcashback. And for every $10 payable cashback that they get, you earn $10.
Got friends who can benefit from this awesome cashback deal?
Refer them to Topcashback and earn a $10 bonus per person!
4. Drop
Drop is a nice shopping app that tracks your debit and credit card purchases then send you points redeemable for free gift cards.
Getting started with the Drop app is quick and easy.
Just download and install the Drop app on your phone then create a free account using your personal information. Full names, email address, and phone number will do. Don’t forget to connect your debit or credit cards to the app.
Drop app is safe and secure and will not share your data with unauthorized people. They use encryption software to keep all your personal information safe.
When you finish setting up your account, select 5 of the best stores that you intend to shop at on a regular basis.
Go do your shopping like you normally do. Whenever there is cash back at the select stores, Drop will send you points redeemable at retail stores like Amazon, JC Penny, Whole Foods and many more!
Click here to download the Drop app and receive awesome rewards!
5. Shopkick
ShopKick is another site like Ibotta that rewards members for online and in-store shopping.
They use a points system when giving out rewards and refer to points as ‘kicks.” Kicks are points you earn when performing a variety of tasks.
You can earn kicks when you:
- Walk into select partner stores.
- Scan bar codes of select products using ShopKick in-app scanner
- Purchase and submit a receipt(s) through the app
- Purchase items using a linked credit card
- When you visit online stores through ShopKick
- When you watch in-app videos
Once kicks add up, Shopkickers can redeem for PayPal cash or free gift cards at Sephora, Target, Amazon, Starbucks or Groupon.
ShopKick has paid out over $85 million in free gift cards so far.
6. Paribus
Paribus is not a cashback app, per se, but it’s a free online shopping app that sends you refunds when prices of items you bought drop.
It’s a legitimate app that has been into existence since 2014, but got acquired by Capital One in 2016. The acquisition came as a result of the incredible job they were doing of putting money back into people’s pockets just like Ibotta does.
To get started, sign up for a free Paribus account then connect it to your email address. Paribus will scan through your emails for any online purchases across hundreds of online stores that you like. When they find a price drop on any of the purchases, they’ll send you a refund.
You don’t have to do anything else after opening the account. Paribus will do the heavy-lifting for you!
7. Checkout 51
The Checkout 51 app is all about buying groceries and earning cashback, as can be seen above. This shopping app helps you to save money while shopping from the brands you love.
All you need to do is scan your grocery receipts, upload them to the app then wait for cashback to be added to your account.
The thing I love most about this app is that they have new offers posted every Thursday, and this gives you more options when buying.
Checkout 51 focuses mainly on fruits, vegetables, dairy products, etc.
They have a threshold of $20. Once you reach that amount, you can request the app to pay you via check.
8. BerryCart
If you love organic foods and all-natural products, then BerryCart is your go-to shopping app.
BerryCart app will give you discounts, offers, and deals on healthy foods. They offer deals on foods that are Organic, Gluten-Free and Non-GMO.
This great app allows you to find products in over 100,000 locations nationwide and some of the top retailers are Walmart, Target, WholeFoods, Kroger, and Sprouts.
How BerryCart Works
- Discover – Download the BerryCart app then find the best deals on organic, gluten-free or non-GMO foods
- Learn – Get to know more about products you love
- Earn – Buy the product, take a picture of the receipt then send it over and BerryCart will send you money
Once you have enough cashback balance, you can redeem for PayPal cash or free gift cards.
9. Snap By Groupon
Snap by Groupon is an online app owned by Groupon that helps shoppers to earn rebates while grocery shopping. One thing to keep in mind is that these groceries must be featured in the app for it to work. Otherwise, you won’t get any money.
How it works is you download the app on your Smartphone, look for featured products and buy them, then take a snapshot of that receipt and submit it to the app. After you’ve completed this procedure, the money will be credited to your Snap account.
They also have a $20 payout threshold. This is an amazing app that helps users to save and earn extra money from the comfort of their homes.
10. Fetch Rewards
Fetch Rewards is a shopping app that automatically earns you free rewards on groceries every time you scan your grocery receipt(s).
Unlike other apps like iBotta or Rakuten, you get your rewards no matter what you buy or where you buy. You will get rewarded as long as the item is on offer.
Their rewards come in the form of points redeemable at Target or Amazon.
How Fetch Rewards Work
- Scan your grocery receipts whenever you shop
- Earn points on the products every time
- Download Fetch Rewards app and start saving today!
11. SavingStar
SavingStar is a free and easy to use grocery shopping app that saves you money every time you make a purchase at your favorite stores.
They have collaborated with over 70,000 retail stores nationwide and their payouts are among the highest.
One thing I love about this app is that everything is automated and you don’t have to clip or print your grocery coupons.
They normally have weekly deals at the supermarket or drugstores like Safeway, Target, Walmart, Kroger, Stop & Shop among others.
12. Shop Savvy
If you love comparing items in stores before making a purchase, then you are going to love the ShopSavvy app!
This amazing app has a price comparison tool that savvy shoppers can use to scan items and see if they can get better deals online or in other stores.
The Shop Savvy app also has the capability to show you a price match screen that makes comparing items for sale a bit easier.
You don’t have to spend hours going through items searching for a lower price. Everything is done automatically by the app. How cool is that?
13. Acorns
Acorns is an investment app that takes your spare change from online purchases and invests it on your behalf, and they will send you $5 immediately you sign up.
If you are searching for ideas to save and make money, you should consider signing up.
You can download the Acorns app then sign up for a free account but don’t forget to connect it to your bank account. Every time you shop online they will do calculations of the spare change and invest it for you.
I know many people think that you need to have hundreds or even thousands of dollars before thinking of investing but that’s not the case with Acorns.
Acorns will take your spare change, round it off to the nearest dollar and invest it on a continuous basis
In addition to helping you secure your financial future, they also send you a $5 bonus just like I mentioned. This is a double win for you.
Of course, you won’t get money today from the savings (spare change) but it’s money saved every time you make a purchase.
Click here to claim your $5 and start investing your spare change!
Have you used rebate apps like Ibotta to save money or earn cash back while shopping online or in-stores? I’d love to hear from you. Please, leave a comment below!
Liked This Post? Pin It on Pinterest!
All apps are very useful. But I prefer SHOPKICK and CHECKOUT 51 are very known and helpful for saving money. Now everyone searches about this type of apps so I think your article will be very helpful to everyone. I will share your post with my groups. I appreciate your blog. Thanks and keep sharing.
Thank you Marry! I appreciate that.