Cashback apps are the easiest way to save money without doing any additional work at all. These are the best cashback apps that will give you the most bang for your buck.
Have you ever looked at your receipt at the end of your shopping trip and thought, whoa! I did not just spend that much! Even if you’re frugal enough to buy nothing more than you need, let’s face it, we’ve all been there.
Maybe it’s time to give the best cashback apps a try.
Either you’ve been living under a rock, or you probably already know that there are hundreds of apps offering cashback on groceries, dining, and even luxury shopping.
If you can’t find time to earn money through surveys and affiliate programs, coupon apps simply pay you for something you do on an everyday basis.
Here are some of the best survey sites out there if you want to earn some extra money online while also saving some while you shop.
Smartphones have revolutionized the way we save money and secure good deals on our favorite products.
But, with the plethora of choices ahead of you, it’s quite difficult to pick out the apps that are most beneficial and worth your time.
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Best Cashback Apps to Save Money in 2021
Here’s a list of our best cashback apps with all their details to give you further insight on the subject.
1 – Rakuten
This is a great year to earn some easy extra cash, and as if getting paid for taste testing food wasn’t enough, Rakuten is an amazing coupon app that lets you earn every time you shop.
Believe it or not, Rakuten, formerly known as Ebates, is an app that has spent more than a billion dollars and cashback for its subscribers. Getting hard cash out of Rakuten is easy – just download the app, shop, and get your benefits.
Regular users can get cashback as high as 40% on their purchases, but as a beginner, you’ll get up to five or ten percent. You can also refer the app to friends and family to get a higher percentage every time.
Another thing you’ll love about Rakuten is that it has a choice range of more than a thousand stores and brands.
While other apps give out coupons, discounts, or gift cards, Rakuten is perfect for you if you’re looking for straightforward cash. Users can easily collect their cash through check or PayPal according to their convenience.
Besides that, even if you forget to activate your app while making a purchase, the Rakuten app available for iOS and Android will send you a reminder before you complete the transaction.
This way, you’ll never miss out on a great deal. If you need to know more about the platform, please read more about it in our Rakuten review.
Good news, if you sign, Rakuten will give you a $10 bonus or $10 Walmart giftcard for joining.
2 – Drop
If you want to save money on items other than your everyday grocery, Drop is an amazing cashback platform to get points on different products.
Unlike other apps that register specific products, Drop tracks your transactions with specific vendors.
Drop has the five basic selections you can choose from. Once you’ve done that, the app will automatically process a percentage of your expenditure, which you’ll receive as redeemable points.
However, you’ll have to properly evaluate the five choices you make. Don’t worry, it’s not that difficult. You just have to carefully pick out the products that could bring you the most benefits in the future regarding their price range and how often you purchase them.
After that, when you’ve collected enough points, you can claim your gift at any of the vendors registered by Drop. Remember, with Drop, you won’t be getting real cash as you would with Rakuten.
Although, it makes sense as you can redeem your points for a range of daily expenses such as cab rides and restaurants.
Besides that, similar to Rakuten, Drop allows you to earn more benefits when you refer the app to people you know.
Like what you are hearing? Read more in this Drop app review.
3 – Dosh
Dosh is simple and straightforward compared to all other cashback apps. All you have to do is download the app, link in your credit card, shop till you drop, and collect your cashback.
What makes Dosh different is that it does not require any receipt screening and you don’t have to scan through a list of deals either.
There's a list of brands and merchants affiliated with its cashback program on the app. These include common merchants like Target, Nike, and Walmart.
This way, you can get your benefits when you’re grocery shopping or buying luxury items for yourself. Here is how I stack multiple apps for maximum cashback at Walmart.
Furthermore, Dosh is pretty smooth when it comes to earning customer trust. The app gives you a $1 bonus for the first time you log in with your credit card details, ensuring that your credentials are safe and your privacy will not be compromised.
Moreover, you can earn up to 10% of your expenditure with Dosh. Also, you can raise your earning percentage by recommending the app to your friends and family.
4 – Ibotta
Money-making is a serious business, but Ibotta makes the task easy and enjoyable. What makes this app popular with the young generation, is its user-friendly interface integrated with game-like tasks and steps.
The app gives the user tasks in the form of fun challenges. Upon achieving those goals, you’ll earn cash.
Ibotta is a cashback app for iPhone and Android users. First of all, you’ll need to unlock the rebates and check the list of stores that are participating in the app.
After that, whenever you go shopping at these stores, save the receipt to verify your purchases. Your cashback amount will be uploaded on your Ibotta account within three days.
The Ibotta app has been improving over time. Also, some Ibotta retailers can process your purchases directly so you can receive your cash at once.
You can either withdraw your cash as it is or use it from your account for new purchases.
5 – TopCashBack
TopCashback is one of the most popular, legit cashback sites that let you earn benefits while you shop. The platform is affiliated with a vast range of partner brands, which means you’ll be saving up on all your shopping sprees.
The sign-up process is pretty straightforward. Once you’re a member, you can browse through their partner links and buy anything from clothing and grocery items to car rentals and accommodations.
The retailer pays them when you shop through their platform, and they share some of the commission with you. Also, if you shop at the right timing, you can even get 100% cashback on some products, which literally means free stuff.
Besides that, the site offers easy cash back through PayPal. You can also redeem your cashback by availing discounts on Amazon. Furthermore, the app has some amazing features including in-store vouchers and grocery receipt scanning.
Additionally, you can get paid to refer TopCashback to your friends. Simply send your referral link to your peers and receive a $10 credit in your account.
Lastly, the website is easy to use and has an intuitive interface so that newbies can easily find their way around.
Bottom line, the best aspects that set TopCashback apart are its numerous categories you can choose from, and the easy, instant payouts. These services make it one of the top cashback sites today.
Like what you are hearing? Read more about the app in our TopCashback review.
6 – Honey
Honey is one of the best automatic cashback apps in the market. It’s mainly a browser extension that you can open with Firefox, Safari, and Chrome.
You can also download this cashback app for iPhone and your Android smartphone through your browser.
Honey lets you browse freely through the products you like, while it works quietly in the background. The program prompts you to go for a good deal, through which you will receive ‘Honey Gold’.
Honey Gold is similar to the points you receive with other cashback apps. It can be redeemed to get gift cards and benefits from registered vendors.
Furthermore, Honey lets you earn up to 20% on your purchasing across different stores. Honey is affiliated with more than 4000 retailers so whatever item you’re buying, you’ll most likely get a good deal with Honey.
Moreover, Honey offers bonus points for certain purchases. Also, the browser extension will alert you of available discounts and deals to find the best price for the product you’re searching for.
What’s more, if you’ve previously searched for an item which is available now at a lesser price, the extension will let you know. You can even earn a gift card by Amazon if you become a seasoned user.
7 – MyPoints
MyPoints is an automatic cash back app that offers both redeemable points and cashback offers over a variety of purchases. The company is affiliated with more than 2000 stores and retailers that you commonly visit for grocery and everyday products.
These include superstore giants like Target, Amazon, Home Depot and Walmart.
The best part about this app is its simplicity and ease of use. Whenever you buy something at one of these stores, you earn points.
You can earn up to 40% back depending on the products and the store you’re shopping at. After that, it’s up to you whether you want to redeem these points as cash through PayPal or get gift cards and discounts.
Besides shopping, the app also allows you to earn points by watching in-app videos, playing fun games, and taking surveys. Also, it offers a sign-up bonus of $10 for first-time users.
Want to learn more? Read our full MyPoints review.
8 – SwagBucks
Swagbucks works almost like MyPoints. It’s a website that rewards you for the purchases you make at specific stores. There are more than 1500 stores partnered with this automatic cashback app.
You can use Swagbucks by logging in to its website, or by downloading it as a browser extension. Once you’ve downloaded it, the extension will show you whether the store you’re shopping at is affiliated with Swagbucks, along with how much rewards you’ll get on each purchase.
However, Swagbucks isn't a limited online shopping extension.
It also provides rewards through different activities including surveys, online games, friend referrals, and watching videos.
Most importantly, Swagbucks gives you complete independence over how you use your earnings. You can cash the rewards through PayPal, get a gift card from different stores, or give your earnings away to a charitable cause.
Furthermore, you can also make a Swagbucks survey profile that will let you complete surveys regarding your buying habits and monthly expenditure.
Read more about how it works in our Swagbucks review.
9 – ShopKick
If you’re not interested in receiving cash for your purchases, ShopKick is an app that gives you amazing gifts and discounts when you shop in their partner stores in person or online.
As the name displays, each of these rewards is known as ‘kicks’. Each ShopKick beginner will receive a $5 bonus gift card upon downloading the app. After that, you can skim through the listed stores and products and achieve rewards by scanning receipts and barcodes on the app.
Additionally, ShopKick gives you interesting tasks and shopping targets. If you complete those targets, you’ll get specific kicks.
You can redeem these kicks at popular brand stores, recreational places, and restaurants as well.
Also, you can get discounts on your regular purchases at stores like Walmart and Target.
Here are some apps like Shopkick if you want to earn double or triple your cashback.
10 – Mobee
Mobee is a cashback app that lets you go incognito while you’re shopping. You can be sneaky and search for the best discounts and benefits as a secret, undercover shopper.
Confusing? You see, with Mobee, you can directly give your insights about the customer service of a certain store and brand on the app itself.
To get started, you’ll have to download the Mobee cashback app for iPhone or Android. At this point, you’ll get a whole list of stores around you that will give you cashback on your purchases.
Here, while you’re at it, Mobee will ask you to complete a few undercover tasks regarding the businesses they want to review.
After you’ve completed your purchases, the app will ask you to answer a few questions. Your results will be cross-checked by the team, and you will be paid for the job.
You can redeem the points you earn in the form of gifts, prizes, discounts, and even cash. It’s a way of getting extra benefits and improving your overall shopping experience in the long run.
11 – Savingstar
SavingStar is a great way of getting cash back on groceries. That’s because most grocery stores and leading supermarkets are partners with this cashback app. You can get everyday cashback on items such as food and fresh produce.
Moreover, when you reach a certain spending limit, the app entitles you for special rewards and benefits. With most stores, you’ll have to submit a receipt of your purchase on the app.
At some stores, you’ll have to get a store loyalty card to redeem regular benefits through the app.
The best part about SavingStar is that it pays you in real cash. You can get your savings through PayPal or even your bank account.
Another great aspect of this app is that it provides its users with a chance to contribute to a greater cause.
You can directly send your savings to a charitable cause managed by the app.
Besides that, SavingStar operates in more than 70,000 locations. You’re most likely to end up shopping in one of the stores regularly creating an easy cashback flow.
See Related: Top Apps Like Qmee
Conclusion on Best Cashback Apps
That wraps up our list for the best cashback apps that help you save money as you shop. We’ve tried to diversify our list by providing cashback apps for iPhone, Android, and even browser extensions for online shoppers.
Also, you can choose an app according to how you want to receive your benefits and rewards.
This will not only help you save some extra money, but it will also allow you to keep track of your expenses and get discounts on your favorite products.
Happy Shopping!