28 of the Best Cash Back Apps (that might just make you rich)

You may be wondering, what are the best cash back apps? What app gives you money for receipts? And what are the best reward apps for Android or iPhone? In this post we will cover:

• What is a cash back rebate app
• How do cashback apps work?
• Can you use coupons with rebate apps?
• Can you use multiple rebate apps?
• Apps that will have you paid to scan receipts
• Cashback apps for groceries (like ibotta)
• Cashback apps for shopping
• Earn money with investment apps
• Apps that pay you for your time
• Passive apps that can earn you money with little to no effort at all!

What is a cashback rebate app?

Cash back rebate apps are great for preserving your budget and helping you to save money. Unlike a coupon, where you save money before the purchase of an item, with a rebate app you get money back after the purchase is made. This means you pay up front, but still, save/make money.

How do cashback apps work?

Cashback apps are fairly easy to understand. Most simply require you to scan barcodes on products and upload images of your receipt for proof of purchase.

Once the app can confirm you’ve bought the item, you can be eligible for a rebate.

You can browse the rebates available on the app before shopping, which makes saving money on groceries easier if you plan your shopping list around the discounts.

Almost all of the cash back apps require a minimum amount of money to have been earned before the cash can be withdrawn. This is usually between $15-$25. Some rebate apps even offer cash bonus incentives when you refer friends and family to download and try the app!

Can you use coupons with rebate apps?

Yes! Absolutely! Unless otherwise noted on the rebate, you can use coupons in the store on the product before requesting the rebate through the app. This is a great way to stack discounts and save even more money!

Can you use multiple rebate apps?

Multiple rebate apps can be used on the same product. This really helps to maximize those savings (especially if you used a discount or coupon in the store.) These cash back apps are owned by different companies and do not communicate with one another. Meaning one won’t know that you just redeemed $0.25 on another for the same product. It’s great!

Apps that pay you to scan receipts

Trunow

Trunow is a newer receipt scanning app, but what makes it revolutionary is that it gives you cash back on fuel purchases from any gas station! Every time you scan your receipt you earn points which can be exchanged for real cash prizes. But that’s not all… This app also uses your current location to tell you which nearby gas station has the lowest prices!

Receipt Hog

Receipt Hog is a mobile app that rewards users for uploading pictures of their receipts. Every submission will earn you points which can then be redeemed for cash.

ReceiptPal

This app lets you earn gift cards and cash prizes for submitting receipts.

Cashback apps for groceries

Saving money on groceries is a great way to stretch the budget. By looking for additional savings everywhere you can, you are stretching your dollar and thereby getting more use out of it. Meal planning, meal prep, avoiding the temptation to eat out and using in-store discounts are also great ways to cut back on the food costs.

Ibotta

Ibotta is possibly the most famous of all the grocery rebate apps. It’s become a household name and it’s hard to find people who haven’t heard of it. They offer rebates on food, drink, product, and alcohol. All you have to do is mark the items you want to redeem, shop and upload your receipt. You may also be asked to scan the product barcode, but it’s a super easy process and money is usually deposited to your account within a few hours.

You can cash out when you reach $20 and your choices are between Paypal, gift cards, and Venmo. But with all of their cash bonuses, it’s not hard to get to that threshold!

Checkout 51

Checkout 51 often favors Walmart stores, in that a product can only be redeemed for a rebate if purchased there. That doesn’t hold true to all the items though, so pay attention to the fine print. Most of the items can be purchased at any retailer.

Saving star

Savingstar is a great grocery rebate app for getting money back on bulk purchases over the course of multiple shopping trips.

BerryCart

If you’re into the organic, vegan, fresh and natural foods then this is the rebate app for you! This app is all about the healthy foods and you can often find rebates on tofu and fresh produce.

Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards pays out in gift cards to select retailers and gives you points for grocery purchases. 1,000 points are the equivalent of $1.00USD. You can cash out when you have $3, making this one of the lowest thresholds in rebate app history. Points are earned by shopping for certain brands or specific products featured in the app and then submitting a picture of your receipt to the app.

Makeena

Makeena is a grocery rebate app that promotes healthy eating, much like Berrycart. What makes them unique is that it doesn’t matter what store you shop at. If the product is listed on your receipt, you can earn cash back!

Cashback apps for shopping

If you want to earn cash back for shopping at any store, not exclusively for groceries, then these are the rebate apps you should look to for extra savings.

Dosh

Dosh is an app that gives its users cash back when they shop with a linked debit/credit card at a participating retailer. You don’t have to shop in person, because online purchases are also valid.

Rakuten

If you haven’t heard of Rakuten, you are possibly missing out on making hundreds of dollars a year. Ebates is a cashback website, Chrome toolbar extension, and an app! Shop through to stores using their links or link your store rewards cards with Ebates and you can get back a percentage of your expenses.

Apps that help you invest your money

Maybe you’ve considered the idea of investing, but you don’t know where to start. I’ve got some great apps to help you get your feet wet with low risks, perfect for an investing beginner. These apps may not make quick cash, but you do get something back if you stick with it long term.

Robinhood

Robinhood is an app that offers commission-free stock trades. There are no fees and you get free stock in a company immediately upon signup. It’s easy to use and you can put in as much money, buy or sell as you want.

Acorns

This is an investing app that asks you questions when you sign up, to better find the right way to invest on your behalf. They encourage you to use their spare change roundup feature. That’s when you spend $2.75 on an item and Acorns rounds it up to $3, taking that .25 and investing it on your behalf.

Not so great when you’re counting every dollar, but it is a painless way to slowly make interest work for you.

You don’t have to do the change round up though. You can also choose between automatic payments or one time payments into the account.

Apps that pay you for your time and effort

Gigwalk

While you don’t have to purchase anything with Gigwalk,  you do have to leave the house. Most gigs showed on your app request that you go to your local (specified) store or location and take pictures of specific product displays. Then you report back to the app and claim your payment (about $10) on average.

Swagbucks

This is a free online rewards program that earns you Swagbucks through their shopping portal and online activities. You can redeem the points for cash or gift cards.

Verydice

This app lets you play for points, which you can then redeem for real products or sweepstakes. It’s really easy, just roll a dice and every dot on the dice is a point, so the side with 6 dots, is 6 points.

Inboxdollars

This is one of those sites that has everything to earn you a few dollars. They have a big variety of activities including video, survey and paid email opportunities.

Raise app

While you don’t earn money in the traditional way here, you can get free gift cards through other means. Buy used/discounted gift cards and save money, refer friends and get credits toward the purchase of another gift card and sell your unwanted gift cards for cash!

Sweatcoin

Are you in to exercise, fitness or just have a physically demanding job? This is the app that pays you for your steps and you can redeem for cool gadgets and sports gear.

Shopkick

This free app lets you earn points for shopping online and in stores. Earning points is as easy as scanning barcodes and just entering the store with the app open! Redeem points for gift cards.

Surveymini

This is a fun app with little surveys that you fill out after visiting participating locations. Easy to do, and only takes a few minutes of your time.

Job Spotter

If you’re out and about, you probably notice help wanted signs. They’re easy enough to spot, usually on the front door of an establishment. But with this app, you can take pictures of these signs and submit them to Job Spotter. Every approved submission adds to your wallets balance and you can redeem it for a gift card at any time.

Apps that earn you (almost) passive money (little to no effort!)

Panel

If you want a passive app that you can just have on your phone in the background and never touch, but still make money- this is it!

Download and sign up for the Panel app, and it will sit there earning you points daily just for being installed. After a few weeks, you can redeem it for gift cards, sweepstake entries. Even better, every time you refer a friend, your daily point rewards increases, so you can earn gift cards even faster!

Paribus

Owned by Capital One, this app is similar to Ebates but with an added bonus- you don’t have to actively seek out the savings! Once you sign up for Paribus, it operates in your email account, watching your online purchases through emailed receipts and it keeps track of when the item you buy goes on sale again.

A lot of stores have a policy where if you buy something and within X amount of days after purchase, the sale price is lowered, you can request a no hassle price match. This is what Paribus lives for.

When something you buy gets lower in price and it’s within that store’s given timeline, Paribus will email the company on your behalf, giving the order number and details necessary. Within a few days, the store makes a price adjustment on your form of payment and you never had to do a thing!

Of course, Paribus has to make its own money somehow, so as a reward for it’s time and effort they take a small percentage of the money that was given back to you. Which is a small price to pay considering you almost didn’t have that money at all!

Earny

This app is almost exactly like Paribus. They operate in your email and seek out discounts from retailers, emailing them on your behalf when they go on sale for a lower price.

Neighborhood app

While this app doesn’t earn you money or points it does help you in two other ways. 1.) It alerts you to crime in your neighborhood, including police reports. 2.) Every person that you refer to join the app (using your special link) earns you a $10 credit at Ring.com. This website is all about safety and is famous for their doorbell camera which by the way you can buy for $100 or 10 referrals to the neighborhood app.

T-Mobile Tuesdays

If you have the T-Mobile phone carrier, you can score awesome freebies on Tuesdays. While this isn’t gift cards or cash, you can get movie tickets, free food and other awesome prizes that are just as good.

1Q

While this one honestly isn’t much, it is still something. When you sign up for 1Q you have the option of selecting one of two payment sizes. Once in a blue moon, you will receive a text message survey that will pay you cash immediately to your PayPal after completion. This app is not for the get rich quick seekers as you may only receive 1 message a month, or less.

I hope you found an app to earn you cash back! Let me know in the comments if you know of any not listed here!