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What Is Cash Back?

Who doesn’t love receiving awards for spending money? That’s what cash back does! Cash Back is a percentage of your purchase paid to you when you use a cash back credit card—such as a Capital One card—or apps, including Fetch Rewards and Ibotta. 

These rewards are typically paid in the form of actual cash, which can be applied to your credit card payments or deposited into your bank account, or they can be paid in points that you can build up and  exchange for gift cards at some of your favorite stores. If you’re ready to start making money when you shop, here are some of the best cash back apps in the app store right now.

Best Cash Back Apps for Groceries

For many, grocery shopping has transformed into an overwhelming chore. Although food prices are increasing, you don’t have to sacrifice the treats you love to cut costs. Instead, download a few of these cash back apps to help you find the best deals and reduce your grocery bill.

Image: App Store

Ibotta

Price: Free

Ibotta is a free app and browser extension that offers thousands of digital coupons and cash back rewards for a wide assortment of products, brands, and retailers. From groceries and pet supplies to clothing and beauty tools, you can easily scroll through this app and find rewards for your favorite stores, like Target, Costco, and more. 

Much like clipping coupons, you can scroll through each store to find deals and build your grocery list. Then, all you have to do is scan the barcode at the bottom of your receipt and watch the cash start flowing in. When your earnings have reached a minimum of $20, you can redeem it for a gift card to your favorite store, or you can send your money directly to your bank or PayPal accounts so that it will be there for your next shopping trip. 

Why We Love It: Most of Ibotta’s coupons can be used multiple times, so you can enjoy even more savings on your favorite products.

Special offer: Click here to use code 'q73k3w' to get a bonus $5!

Image: App Store

Fetch Rewards

Price: Free

Fetch Rewards makes saving money a breeze. This mobile-only app eliminates the need for clipping coupons and scrolling through offers and instead gives you rewards for simply snapping photos of your receipts. 

Once you’ve reached a minimum of 3,000 points (the equivalent of $3), you can exchange your earnings for a gift card to your favorite brands, retailers, and restaurants, including Amazon, ULTA, and even Starbucks. Enjoy a guilt-free, treat-yourself day!

Why We Love It: Whether it’s from your food delivery order or the latest trip to your local bookstore, you can scan any receipt for points. For online orders, just connect your email account and Fetch will automatically scan your e-receipts for additional points (without having to do anything!). 

Special offer: Click here to use code ‘G2WYTE’ & get 500 pts when you snap your first receipt!

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KCL

Price: Free

Couponing just got more manageable (and more organized) thanks to The Krazy Coupon Lady. Made to help you cut the cost of your grocery bill, this mobile app features thousands of coupons from various manufacturers and brands, so all you have to do to start saving is type the item you need into the search bar. 

Not only does this app have thousands of coupon offers to help you reduce your grocery bills, but it also features tips and tutorials on how to maximize your savings, and it even includes delicious recipes and advice for meal prepping.

Why We Love It: You can input your preferred stores and brands so that you only see deals you’ll actually want to use.

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Flipp

Price: Free

By simply adding your zip code to this mobile app, Flipp lets you ditch the mess of physical grocery ads and instead turns them into a digital library. This allows you to easily scroll through and find deals and coupons from the retailers near you. And, if scrolling isn’t for you, Flipp also offers a Search feature that allows you to look up your desired items and see side-by-side comparisons for each deal available. Once you’ve compiled your grocery list, you can “clip” the coupons in the app, which are then sent directly to your loyalty cards.

Why We Love It: If you find a coupon or discount you want to use in the future, Flipp lets you clip and save them for later. 

Best Cash Back Apps for Online Shopping

Admit it—how many times have you made it to checkout your online purchase and tried to guess the site’s promo codes to get a discount? Take the guesswork out of your online shopping experience and save money by downloading these browser extensions.

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Capital One Shopping

Price: Free

From comparing prices between retailers to scouring the internet for coupon codes, online shopping can be time-consuming and tiring. Capital One Shopping is a free browser extension that makes saving money and finding the best deals effortless. 

While you’re shopping at your favorite online stores, Capital One Shopping does the research to compare pricing and find valid coupon codes for your cart. If the price isn’t right for you, you can add your products to a watchlist. This will allow you to receive notifications from the extension if the price has been reduced, or if Capital One has found a better deal.

Why We Love It: You don’t need to have a Capital One card to get these deals!

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Drop

Price: Free

Available for both in-store and online shopping, this app allows you to spend at your favorite retailers and earn points instantly. With a variety of stores constantly “boosted” (aka earn more points when you shop), it’s a quick and easy way to get rewarded almost effortlessly. Earn points when shopping in-store, or head to the app before you make a purchase online, click your favorite retailer, and get points that can be redeemed for gift cards. For bonus rewards, play daily games or take online surveys for extra points!

Why We Love It: There’s no need to do anything before a shopping trip! Card-linked offers automatically earn points in-store and online—this even includes points on Amazon purchases! Plus, you get a bonus 1,000 points every month just for being a member.

Special offer: Click here to get 5,000 bonus points!

Image: App Store

Rakuten

Price: Free

Rakuten makes saving money when you shop online (and even in-store) a seamless process. For many, checking cash back apps to review offers is an afterthought—often forgotten until after you confirm your purchase. With Rakuten, you can download a browser extension that will alert you when there is a cash back offer on a retailer’s website. When you shop from retailers partnered with Rakuten, your purchases will be reported to the app and you’ll be credited the following day. 

Why We Love It: This app sends your earnings every quarter through PayPal or mail, so you can spend your rewards however you’d like.

Special offer: Click here to get $30 after your first purchase!

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Dosh

Price: Free

We love a cash back app that pays us without having to do anything! Simply link your debit and credit cards to your Dosh wallet and automatically earn cash when you make qualifying purchases in-store and at your favorite restaurants. Or, activate online shopping offers with a tap of a button to automatically get cash back! You can even use Dosh to save money on hotel accommodations, too. When you’re ready to withdraw your earnings, you can quickly deposit to your Venmo or PayPal account.

Why We Love It: Just link your credit and debit cards and the app will do the rest for you.

Special offer: Click here to get $10 when you make your first purchase!

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PayPal Honey

Price: Free 

If you’re an avid online shopper, PayPal Honey is the app for you. This free browser extension scours the internet to find the best promo codes to add to your cart before you checkout.  Honey also has a free rewards program: Honey Gold. This program is in partnership with thousands of retailers that pay Honey a commission for your purchases, which, in turn, gets paid back to you in the form of cash back. Once you’ve collected 1,000 Honey Gold (the equivalent of $10), you can trade your earnings in for a gift card.

Why We Love It: It has a price-tracking feature for select stores, so you’ll get notified when the cost of an item you’ve been eyeing drops.

Special offer: Click here to get 500 PayPal rewards after your first purchase!

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RetailMeNot

Price: Free

Whether you’re shopping in-store or online, RetailMeNot is a free app designed to help you save with its expansive collection of coupons. With over 400,000 coupons, RetailMeNot has savings options for most of your needs, from travel and dining to cosmetics and apparel. This app also has a cash back rewards program, so you can shop, earn rewards, and receive your cash through PayPal or Venmo once you’ve earned a minimum of $5.

Why We Love It: It has printable coupons, so you can save money when you shop in-store, too.

Best Cash Back Apps for Travel

The majority of America isn’t considered walkable, meaning many Americans have to spend money on fuel and other means of transportation to get to work and run errands. With gas prices constantly rising, many drivers are looking for ways to save. Here are some of the best cash back apps to try that will help you cut down your monstrous gas bill.

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Upside

Price: Free

One of the most popular cash back apps for gas, Upside offers cash back of up to 25 cents a gallon when you fill up at a partnered gas station. Once you’re in the app, you can search the map to find rates per gallon of the participating gas stations near you. After you’ve made your selection, all you have to do is activate the offer and scan your receipt after your purchase to receive points.

When you’ve accumulated $10 in earnings, you can transfer your money to your PayPal account to spend on your next road trip, or put it into savings!

Why We Love It: It also offers up to 35% cash back on grocery purchases and restaurants.

Special offer: Click here to use promo code ‘S4H96D’ to get an extra 15¢/gal bonus on your first purchase.

Image: App Store

GasBuddy

Price: Free

GasBuddy is a great companion for all things car-related. This free gas-savings app features a map and filters that allow you to sort by gas prices, location, and other details, such as access  to public restrooms. After you’ve finished fueling your vehicle, you can pay with the GasBuddy fuel card, which can help you save up to 25 cents per gallon.

Why We Love It: This app also lets you track your driving habits and can even send you important recall alerts about your car. You can even enter daily drawings for a chance to win a $100 gas card.

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Checkout 51

Price: Free

Great for receiving cash back simply for spending on essentials, Checkout 51 rewards you for your grocery, online shopping, or gas purchases. Similar to other cash back apps, just scroll through the featured deals to find which offers work for you, and snap a picture of your receipt after you’ve made your purchase. After you’ve earned a minimum of $20, you can transfer your cash to your PayPal, or receive a check in the mail, so you can spend your earnings on whatever, wherever!

Why We Love It: Most of these offers aren’t store-specific, so you can save nearly anywhere