Apps That Pay You Back

Last month I learned about a free app called Ibotta and I wished I had heard of it before now! I've been in the dark too long. The app pays you back for shopping. You don't have to clip coupons or show your phone at the register, but you will get cash back for buying specific items on the list.

How much you get back depends on what you are buying; the items are worth different rebates. Example: this weekend I redeemed a milk rebate for .25 and toothpaste for $1.00.

It's easy to use: You scan the product barcode and then take a picture of your receipt. I usually get a notification within a few hours that my rebate was approved.

I'm not going to start buying things I don't normally buy - like beer, soda, and diapers - just to get a rebate, but there is a nice variety of items (and they update/change frequently) that I do buy on a regular basis - eggs, milk, cereal, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc - that makes this app worthwhile.

I've only been using it for a few weeks and already have $8 in cash back. With a $10 minimum you can redeem your cash back via Pay Pal or get a gift card to a selection of retailers.

I was impressed that this app has Military Commissary as one of the stores to shop at (since that is where I do most of my grocery shopping) - check it out!

A friend also told me about 2 other apps that are very similar in offering cash back on your purchases at local stores.

Snap by Groupon and Checkout 51. With both of those you have to earn $20 before cashing out.

You can also get cash back from Walmart Savings Catcher. With this app you scan your receipt and then it compares the items to all the local competitor sale flyers - if it finds something you bought cheaper at another store you get the difference refunded back to you. I don't do a lot of grocery shopping at Walmart, but have $5 in cash back already.

What other apps do you use that you can earn cash back on?