Best Cashback apps for Grocery Stores
There are many cashback apps you can use to save additional money at the grocery store. This extra savings is on top of sales and (sometimes) after coupons or other discounts are deducted. I love some; think others are a total waste of time.
They aren’t all exactly the same, but the general idea is that you purchase items, then scan your receipt and the product’s barcode (both of these can vary), and earn credit. When you hit a certain amount, you can cash out.
I’ll list the ones I like the most, with details about each. There are more, but I’m not a huge fan of these, with one exception.
Pros & Cons of Grocery Cashback Apps
Why I don’t like cashback apps . . .
I have a love/hate relationship with grocery cashback apps. Not all apps have the same positives or negatives, so you need to choose one that works for you. I’ll list pros and cons for each app below, but in general everyone’s tolerance/benefit level is different. These are the basic negatives which can be part of (some) apps.
I like to come home, put my groceries away, and be done. For most of these programs, I can’t. I have to scan the product and my receipt or hope they automatically find the deal and credit me, which doesn’t always happen. (However, some are automatic once you load the offer.)
The other downfall is that some offers can disappear without warning and you’re counting on it still being there. You should always double-check that the offer is still available when you shop and then, sometimes, need to quickly submit the receipt.
Another negative is that in some apps, you have to wait until you hit a certain amount to cash out, which can take a while sometimes.
However, not all of those are true with all apps. I have my favorites that minimize the negatives.
Why I love (some) cashback apps for groceries!
I love the simplicity of loading offers and redeeming them. You don’t have to clip coupons, need a printer, or have to remember to bring them with you.
If you use a mobile device, you can quickly look to see what they have or what you’ve already loaded while you’re standing at the store.
Some apps don’t have a threshold to meet before you can cash out, which is nice. Some do, but if you use the app a lot, it’s really not a problem.
I love how some apps are moving towards instant redemption (no hassle later with submitting anything). Once you choose an offer and link your card, the tracking is automatic
Pros & Cons of Ibotta
Ibotta is my favorite & most worthwhile cashback app. It has the most offers and you can often get up to five for the same offer/product. You can redeem an offer even if you are using other coupons for the same product. Deals don’t usually disappear without notice (though they can). Download the ibotta app to get started.
They often put out new offers on Tuesdays, though they can appear anytime. They often renew their offers for another week, even if you’re already cashed in for that product. Sometimes, the offer is lower the second time, but not always. Sometimes, the same offer will be there for a month. It all varies.
Offers can vary from person to person, but there is usually a lot of consistency between accounts.
You can browse offers for each store or search for specific products using their search function.
If the expiration is approaching, it will show below the product. The limit is also shown, which can be up to five, so look carefully.
Tap to activate the offer. Sometimes you need to answer a question or watch a short video before the offer can be added, but not for most brand-name offers.
To redeem an offer, you’ll need to take a picture of your receipt and also the product’s barcode.
They also offer bonuses for redeeming a certain number of rebates or categories of rebates. It’s rare that I hit those, but I’m only a moderate user. Some really cash in on watching for those.
They also have perks for getting your friends to join and building a team. If you use the link I gave above to register, you’ll be on my team. Since many are using it, we always hit the minimum purchase requirment for half of the bonus, then you have to do your part to redeem enough offers to meet the criteria for the second requirement for the bonus.
If you prefer to skip the scanning step, you can link your shopper card to your ibotta account for some stores. I don’t like this since when I tried it, it was not catching all the rebates and I was missing out. I don’t recommend this option, but it is simple and some love it. I just like to feel more in control, though I’m sure they will get better at being accurate in the future.
Note: Fry’s used to allow you to link your card, but not anymore.
Once you hit $20 in your account, you can request a Paypal or Venmo payment or choose a gift card.
The products are often the same as the offers for Fry’s Cashback, so you can get some amazing deals!
I’ve written more detailed, updated info on this here.
Fry’s/Kroger Cashback Program
Fry’s/Kroger Cashback Program Evaluated
Fry’s/Kroger cashback offers are often the same (or super similar) to the Ibotta offers. You can take advantage of both of them at the same time, on the exact same product purchase!
If Ibotta will give you $1 for buying Kind granola bars and Fry’s Cashback will do the same, you only have to buy one box to get $2 back. (You’ll receive $1 for each program.) If the limit on both of the offers was 5, you could earn $5 from each account, getting $2 off each box!
The great thing about the Fry’s program is that you can cash out at any time if you choose to send the savings right to your VIP card. After choosing that option, the savings will be available the next time you shop. Your cashier should ask you if you want to apply your rebate amount to your total. Every once in a while they won’t ask, but you’ll see the discount at the bottom fo your receipt. Or, they’ll forget to ask. If they don’t, it will be there for the next time.
I don’t love that it’s hard to tell when/what you have received credit for. They don’t have a clear list of your history, so it makes tracking your payments hard. I don’t fully trust it and have had to call to request additional credit a couple of times. Hopefully, this will improve with time.
You can also get a PayPal payment when you hit $20 if you prefer.
See more about the program here.
Coupons.com app quick summary & review
After you’ve downloaded the Coupons.com app and linked a Paypal account, just select the offers you want to redeem by tapping the offer before you shop. You will pay whatever the price is at the store, but be eligible for additional cashback.
If you receive an itemized receipt, you can submit it for cashback from ANY store. This is super nice since there’s no guessing or double-checking to see if you have the store right.
When you’re done shopping, open up the app, snap a picture of your receipt, and scan the barcode of the item you purchased.
Or, if you’ve already linked your store card (select stores), the credit will automatically be given within a week. There’s nothing to do after your buy the item. You can’t link cards for all stores, but it’s nice for those you can.
If you want it to be less hands-on, you can just go into the app every once in a while and choose a bunch of offers (just tap them) and forget about them if you have your loyalty cards linked. You may “accidentally” earn credit from time to time. Of course, you can also plan on what to buy based on what you’ve loaded.
Getting your cash out is super simple! Once your transaction is approved, you’ll receive an email from Paypal saying a deposit has been made. You can cash out right away or let it sit there and allow your balance to grow.
I love the simplicity of submitting receipts (or having cards linked), and I like that you don’t have to wait to hit $20 (or similar) as most cashback apps make you do.
I’ve written more details about the Coupons.com app here.
Checkout 51 Cashback app quick review
Checkout 51 offers seem to be updated every Thursday, but they often don’t have many offers.
Look at the offer details to make sure it’s good at the store you want to shop at since you can get burned if you buy the product at the wrong store.
Also, note the limits. Sometimes you can purchase more than one of the item(s) which can be nice.
When you’re ready to redeem the offer, you will take a picture of your receipt by following the directions in the app.
You need to redeem an offer before it expires the following Wednesday, though the offer could reset and still be there after that. Just be aware that an offer can reach its limit at any time. They will usually show “very few remaining” if it’s close. If you want to be super safe, scan your receipt when you get to your vehicle.
When you reach $20 in savings, you can request a check or Paypal payment.
You cannot get credit if you use another digital or paper coupon, for the same product. (Their “Key Guidelines” say that you can, unless it specifies that you can’t on the offer. I haven’t seen any offers that say you can, so count on not being able to.) You may get lucky and get an additional discount if you submit for something you’ve used another coupon on, but you can’t count on it.
I find there are few offers, so it takes a while to get to $20 and may not be worth your effort. Personally, this is an app on the borderline for me. I have it downloaded and redeem a deal here and there, but then think I’ll never hit $20 again, but I eventually do.
You’ll need to download the Checkout 51 app before getting started.
I use the GetUpside app for saving extra on my gas. It’s not for groceries, but it’s another cashback app I find worthwhile. Check out all you need to know about that here. I didn’t think I’d like it, but I actually do!
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