Not all spending feels the same.
A vacation, a nice dinner, or a movie night? Worth every penny.
Groceries, gas, and car repairs? Not so much.
Cashback apps help you save on everyday purchases, turning routine expenses into rewards.
Shop in-store or online and get money back without extra effort. But with so many options, which ones actually pay the most?
See how apps like Rakuten, MyPoints, Ibotta, and Honey stack up.
Best Cash Back Apps Worth Downloading
Cash back apps give you a portion of your money back when you make purchases through them. It’s like receiving a small reward for buying things you need. These apps work with many stores and brands to offer you deals and discounts.
Why Use Cash Back Apps?
Using cash back apps can help you save money over time. For example, if you spend $100 on groceries and a cash back app offers 5% back, you’ll get $5 returned to you. Over a year, these savings can add up, making a big difference in your budget.
Here are some popular cash back apps that can help you save:
Rakuten makes cash back simple. Shop at over 3,500 online stores through their platform, and a percentage of your purchase comes back to you—no points to track, no coupons to enter, no extra steps.
Signing up takes moments, and once you’re in, just follow Rakuten’s links before buying. Every quarter, your earnings arrive via check or PayPal, making every purchase a little more rewarding.
Ibotta is a true one-stop shop for rewards. You can:
These rewards work both online and in-store, making it easy to save at over 300 partnered retailers—including many of your favorites.
No need to keep track of points. Every qualified purchase earns real cash, and once you reach $20, you can withdraw your money hassle-free.
TopCashBack stands out by passing 100% of its cash back commission to you, keeping nothing for itself. But how does that work?
Instead of taking a cut, they make money through ads and sponsored links, allowing you to keep the full reward. Shop through their app or browser extension at over 7,000 retailers and claim every bit of the cash back you earn.
Shopkick turns everyday shopping into rewards. Use a linked debit or credit card to earn “kicks” when you shop in-store or online.
These kicks can be redeemed for gift cards at places like Target, Amazon, and Starbucks. You can also earn by visiting stores, scanning barcodes, and watching videos, making it easy to collect rewards without even making a purchase.
BeFrugal stands out in the cash back world by partnering with over 5,000 stores to help you earn back on nearly every purchase.
With potential cash back as high as 40%, it’s a great way to maximize savings. Their browser extension simplifies the process, automatically alerting you to apply deals while you shop online, so you don’t have to check manually.
If gas prices are giving you a shock, Upside can help ease the pain by offering cash back at stations like Exxon, Chevron, and Valero. Once you enable location tracking, the app shows nearby stations with cash back offers.
Simply select the deal before filling up and enjoy the savings. Upside doesn’t stop there—it also gives you cash back for everyday purchases like groceries and dining, helping you save on more than just gas.
ReceiptPal lets you turn your receipts into rewards. Simply download the app, take a picture of your receipts, and collect points to exchange for gift cards.
Before getting started, keep in mind that only receipts for consumer goods—no bills or services—are eligible, and they must be your own.
Fetch Rewards makes earning free rewards simple and flexible, without the usual restrictions found in other grocery saving apps.
To get started, just snap a picture of your receipt and earn points for products from over 250 brands. You can then redeem those points for gift cards to popular stores like Amazon, Gap, and Best Buy. Fetch also helps you keep track of your spending by organizing your purchases and showing how much you’ve spent at each store.
Next time you’re about to toss a receipt, think again. Receipt Hog lets you earn rewards by scanning your receipts through their iOS or Android app. The number of “coins” you get depends on how much you spent—like 20 coins for a $100 purchase.
Once you collect 1,000 coins, you can cash out for $5, but you’ll get a better return if you wait. At 4,300 coins, you can redeem $25. It’s a simple way to turn your receipts into real cash.
It might sound unbelievable, but you can actually make money with cash back apps. Try out a few and see which ones align best with your shopping habits. And don’t hesitate to use several at once!
Cash back apps offer an easy way to earn passive income. While it might not replace a full-time job, it’s a simple way to pocket extra cash from the purchases you’re already making.
