Cashback apps are a great way to passively earn extra money. Who doesn’t want to passively earn money, especially right after all the Christmas spending? Not only is it easy to use rebate apps, it’s fun to make money just for shopping!
I’ve tried almost all the cash back and rebate apps over the years and these are the 7 that I still recommend. I’m not going to lie, cash back and rebate apps are a little overwhelming to me. It seems like a lot of time to put into a little bit of money. However, if you do it right, and pick the right apps, you can literally get paid to shop for things you were going to buy anyway.
HOW DO CASHBACK APPS WORK?
Cashback apps are built on the model of earning rewards, points and cash back just by shopping as you normally would. There’s a little bit of a learning curve on how to make the most out of these programs, but it’s not terribly difficult and you’ll start seeing the money roll in pretty quickly!
The biggest problem is trying to figure out which cash back apps to use. There are so many rebate and rewards apps out there that it can be overwhelming. Here are the best rebate apps that stood the test of time!
These are the best apps with the best cash back or rewards programs:
IBOTTA
This is one of the best cash back apps out there. You can get cash back at grocery stores, retailers, restaurants and even pharmacies. There are several ways to go about this.
- Pay with Ibotta. This will give you instant cash back on your purchases. All you have to do is link your credit or debit card.
- Link your loyalty accounts. When you link your loyalty accounts with Ibotta, you’ll get cash back at the stores where you spend money. Just use your loyalty card at checkout and you’ll get your cash back in your Ibotta earnings within 24 hours.
- Submit a receipt. Before you shop, add offers in the Ibotta app. Then you can submit a photo of your receipt in the app and earn your cash back within 24 hours.
RAKUTEN
Rakuten is a very popular website (that has a mobile app!). Similar to Ibotta, it scans cash back opportunities on the things you need! Simply open the app, start shopping and earn cash rewards on what you’ve purchased! Rakuten is more for online shopping – having partnered with more than 2,000 retailers online. You can shop in store, but the offering is more limited – at only 30 retailers.
Your earned cash will go into your rewards account, which you can draw from using PayPal or via check once your balance reaches $5. The app and the online service are free to use!
MYPOINTS
You can earn up to 40% off at popular retailers using the MyPoints app. The app is free and includes stores like Target, Walmart and Amazon. Every time you shop at one of the more than 2,000 retailers who have partnered with MyPoints, you’ll get points. The points can be redeemed as gift cards or to your PayPal account.
RETAILMENOT
Similar to Ibotta and Rakuten, RetailMeNot lets you earn cashback rewards when online shopping. If you’re a big Amazon shopper, this is a great app for you. You can a percentage of cash back when you shop in different categories, such as electronics, home and garden or grocery orders. Cash back rewards are sent to your RetailMeNot and can be redeeemd through PayPal, Venmo or a gift card.
SHOPKICK
Shopkick has a great rewards program.You earn “kicks” which are simply points for shopping in store and online buying the things you normally buy. Once you’ve reached enough kicks, you can redeem them for a gift card of your choice with retailers such as Walmart, Target or Amazon. You can even earn kicks without spending money. For example, you can scan barcodes of specific products in store, visit online stores and watch videos. It’s a great way to earn kicks when you’ve got some free time!
Imagine the money you can earn when combining forces with just two of these apps! Or even if you select one, you’ll still be earning money when you spend money on the things you already need. It’s a great way to make some extra cash with pretty minimal effort!
DOSH
Dosh is a flawlessly easy way to get cash rewards by using the app when making purchases at stores, online, dining out — even booking hotels!
All you have to do is link your debit or credit card to the app, and when you use your card at participating locations, you get your cash back! At $15, you can transfer the money into your bank account. That’s real money, people! Not just rewards for cash later or a gift card. Cold, hard cash. And just by getting the app and linking your card, you get $5!
PARIBUS
Paribus is more than a rebate app. It’s an app and website that is linked to your email associated with your credit card receipts.
If the price drops on an item that you bought, you’ll be refunded that amount!
Save money while shopping with these rebate apps
Imagine the money you can earn when combining forces with just two of these apps! Or even if you select one, you’ll still be earning money when you spend money on the things you already need. It’s a great way to make some extra cash with pretty minimal effort!

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