SAN ANTONIO — You can easily earn money back on your everyday purchases, giving you more money.
“Essentially, you’re spending the money anyway, so why not use these cashback apps to earn money back on your purchases?” said Andrea Woroch, a smart shopping expert.
Easy to use and the least work is Dosh. Link your debit or credit card to the app and you automatically earn cashback.
“Every time you pay with that credit card at a partner retailer, you’re going to earn extra cashback through Dosh, plus whatever your credit card offers,” Woroch said. “So that’s another way to kind of double up on the cashback when you’re shopping.”
Also easy is Fetch Rewards. You earn points for every receipt you upload to the app. Turn in your points for gift cards to almost any retailer.
“You're getting extra cash for really not doing much other than just scanning your receipts and you’re making the purchase anyway. So why not earn? That doesn’t take a lot of time,” Woroch said. "As soon as I'm done shopping, I take a picture of my receipt before I even walk out of the store."
Ibotta offers great savings but takes more work. You will need to activate offers for each item you buy at the grocery store where you shop. Then upload your receipt. You can redeem points for cashback or gift cards.
“They often come out with free after reward offers, so especially with new products that companies are trying to push, it’s like, hey, if you buy our product, we’re going to give you the full purchase price of that product back,” said Christina, the savings educator behind the Youtube channel Saving with Christina. “Additionally, you can combine the Ibbotta cashback app with coupons. So, if I find an item on sale, I have a coupon for it, and I can still get cashback on Ibotta. Sometimes I end up actually making money buying products.”
Brandclub is a loyalty app, so it rewards you for buying the products you purchase most often. Link your Target, Walmart, Amazon, and Chewy accounts to the app. You can also take surveys to earn more rewards. Cash out to Venmo or PayPal.
“It’s essentially giving you rewards for brands that you are already buying,” said Christina. “You don’t have to buy anything specific. You’re buying the stuff that you want to buy.”
Earn cashback on gas and restaurant purchases with GetUpside. Link your credit or debit card to the app. Active the offer and pay with the linked card. Send money to your bank account or a gift card.
“Some of my local restaurants are offering up to 37 percent cash back, which is huge,” Christina said.
Stack your cashback by using a credit card with cashback rewards, or use several cashback apps. It is a little more work, of course. Give a few cashback apps a try and see what works best for you.
There are plenty of more cash back apps:
Slide: 4% cashback at partner retailers. You need to get your total, enter it into the Slide app, and it generates a digital gift card that you then pay with at the register in-store.
Shopkick: You get “kicks” for scanning items and buying them. Kicks can then be cashed out for gift cards. You can combine this app with coupons and other rebate apps.
Swagbucks: You buy specific products that offer cashback. Money goes into your Swagbucks account and you can cash out with Paypal or for gift cards. This app does not allow you to use other offers.
Coupons.com: You “clip” offers, buy products, and submit your receipts. Cashback is sent to Paypal. Coupons cannot be stacked with other coupons.
Checkout51: New cashback offers are available each Thursday. Buy specific products, scan your receipt, and get cash back. You can cash out once you earn $20 to Paypal or Venmo.
Makeena: This apps offers cashback on organic products. You can even earn money on organic fruits and vegetables. You must submit your receipt. Cashback goes to Paypal or Vemno.
Merryfield: Offers cashback on what it calls "better-for-you brands" and clean label products. Earn 50 points per $1 when you scan a receipt on any of the apps participating brands. Some items also offer additional cashback when you buy them. Money can go towards gift cards.
Fluz: Join Fluz and you can get three vouchers for 35% cashback at certain stores (up to $10). You buy gift cards from your favorite stores and earn a certain percentage of cashback for each gift card you purchase. You can cash out to your bank account, Venmo, Paypal, or a gift card.
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