These 15 Best Cashback Apps Will Earn You Real Money and Rewards

Cash-back apps constantly bombard us with ads about how much money we can save. 

Do they really work?

Although it’s nearly impossible to test every new app to determine which ones deliver as promised, I did my best. 

Here, I reviewed 20 popular cash-back apps to see which ones work best. 

Discover the best cash-back apps!

Do Cash-Back Apps Really Work?

Is it possible to earn real money with a phone app?

Absolutely!

Of course, that’s the short answer. It’s crucial to remember that not all cash-backs are created equally. Some deliver on their promises, while others leave much to be desired. 

We’ve tested these apps to see which offers the best deals and easiest use. 

The Best-Cash Back Apps – Download Them Now!

Out of 20 apps I reviewed, I can confidently say four are wonderful for everyone. 

These apps pay you for buying the things you need, like gas and groceries. Nearly everyone can benefit from them. 

Hey folks! Transparency Disclosure- Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. That means I’ll receive a small commission if you decide to click on it and buy something. Don’t worry, it doesn’t cost you anything extra!

Check out the top cashback apps:

Ibotta

Ibotta reigns supreme as my favorite cash-back app. 

It’s easy to use and offers tons of great deals on things I’m already going to buy. In my first six weeks on the app, I earned over forty dollars in cash-back rewards – without changing my shopping habits. 

Check out my full Ibotta review for details on how it works, but if you’re ready to start saving now, grab the app here!

Trunow

Trunow offers cash back on gas. Although the app partners with some companies to offer 2% cash-back, users can get at least 1% on any fuel purchase. 

Trunow helps you save money in another crucial way as well: you can see all the gas prices in your local area on the app, to help you find the cheapest gas near you. 

As a bonus, Trunow offers rewards on certain gas station purchases from their partners, such as snacks, coffee, and cigarettes.

You also can get $1 for referring friends (you both get $1!) so if you want to use Trunow, use my referral code so we each get a buck!

Coupons.com

With rampant inflation in food prices, saving money on groceries is more vital than ever. Coupons.com can help. 

The app focuses on groceries, helping you save money on essentials. Although it’s similar to Ibotta, it usually doesn’t have as many options.   

A cool feature of Coupons.com is you can link your store loyalty card to your account and earn extra rewards when you use it, meaning you don’t have to upload your receipt. However, it still accepts receipts if you don’t have a loyalty card, or shop at a store without one. 

Coupons.com also offers printable coupons, which is great for hardcore couponers craving the best deals. 

Shopkick

If you usually stick to window shopping, consider downloading Shopkick. Although it offers rewards on purchases, it also provides a bonus for scanning products without buying them. It’s like having a scavenger hunt in a store!

Shopkick pays you via gift cards, allowing you to trade 1250 points (or “kicks”) for a $5 card. You’ll earn enough points quickly if you earn kicks via purchase, but it will take a long time if you’re only scanning products in the store. 

Although Shopkick has a unique spin on cash-ack apps, it has a few downfalls. First, there usually aren’t as many offers on the app as on Ibotta, and they might not be things you were already going to buy. Second, the rules are vastly different for each store, so you’ll have to examine the retailers you love most to determine if it’s worthwhile. 

Cash-Back Apps for Shopping Lovers

The cashback apps above are great for everyone, even those frugal folks who never buy anything. 

But some are only worthwhile for avid shoppers. 

If you love online shopping and need to find great deals, check out these useful cash-back apps!

The best cashback apps if you love to shop:

Rakuten (AKA Ebates)

If you love shopping, you need the ultimate cash-back app, Rakuten. The company owned the popular Ebates platform since 2014, and in 2019, changed the app name to match the brand. Although it’s been nearly six years, some people still call it Ebates!

Thousands of stores participate in Rakuten. You can find offers from your favorite retailers, like Best Buy, Lowes, Chewy, Target, and Old Navy. It also features multiple ways to earn, with a mix of cash-back rewards, rebates, and coupons. 

The only limitation of Rakuten is that it doesn’t do anything for cash users. The app only works if you link your credit card to your account, and then pay with that card at the store. There’s no option for uploading receipts. 

However, if you typically use debit or credit when shopping, it shouldn’t be a problem. 

MyPoints

MyPoints marries cash-back apps to survey apps. It allows you to earn cash-back rewards from shopping, like with Rakuten but also provides options for earning via taking surveys and watching videos, like Swagbucks. 

The app partners with loads of retailers and services in various industries, from travel to tax prep. You can find your favorite stores, like Best Buy and Macy’s, in addition to hotels, travel platforms, car rentals, and more. 

Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards lets you earn gift cards by shopping and gaming. You can either shop online through the app or upload receipts to earn points, which you can redeem for gift cards at various retailers. 

Fetch is unique in that you can also earn money by playing mobile games, and that you can use your points to enter sweepstakes for a chance to win prizes. You can also donate your rewards to charity. 

However, if you don’t want to gamble on your rewards, you can always opt for the safe route with gift cards. 

Fetch constantly offers bonuses via boosted brands and unique ways to earn, it’s also more fun to use than most of the other apps. 

SlickDeals

Slickdeals is a little overwhelming and confusing at first, but don’t let that deter you. The app is loaded with functionality, boasting numerous ways to earn. 

At its heart, Slickdeals is a cash-back app, offering money for shopping at your favorite stores. However, it’s unique in that it allows users to upload their favorite deals, injecting a sense of community into the app. You’re not only relying on marketers to share deals, but you’re getting access to great opportunities fellow users have found. 

Checkout 51

Although Checkout 51 is similar to Ibotta and Coupons.com, it has fewer offers and rewards. The offers it does have tend to lean more towards snacks and junk food. 

However, Checkout 51 often has the same deals as Ibotta. If you want to double dip, it doesn’t hurt to download both and get more money back. If you don’t want to upload receipts twice, stick to Ibotta as it tends to have more offers. 

Receipt Hog

With Receipt Hog you earn coins for uploading receipts or taking surveys. 

The app has some gamification aspects, allowing users to spin wheels or enter sweepstakes to win even more coins. The coins can be exchanged for more chances to win prizes, or for traditional cash back in the form of gift cards. 

Receipt Hog is straightforward about collecting your data. You get more “chances” to take surveys the more receipts you upload, and you earn more coins by taking surveys than by uploading receipts. 

You need to earn 1,000 coins before you can redeem rewards. You can trade the coins for cash via PayPal, Amazon gift cards, or sweepstakes opportunities. 

For an app that clearly wants your data, it’s fairly straightforward and easy to use. 

Honey

Honey (now PayPal Honey) scours the internet for coupons to help you save money on purchases. 

Honey is more than a cashback app, it’s also a cash-back browser extension. Whether you shop on your phone or on the desktop, you’ll have opportunities to save with Honey. 

Best Specialty Cash Back App

Makeena

Makeena incentivizes healthy eating. The app offers deals and cashback on organic products and health-conscious brands. 

Unfortunately, these brands are often more expensive than their less healthy counterparts, so if you’re looking for cash-back apps to tighten your budget and cut costs, Makeena probably can’t help. However, if you were going to buy the healthier products anyway, Makeena allows you to earn a little cash back. 

The interface is a little confusing, as you have to “unlock” offers before you can see them. You earn a few points when you unlock an offer, which eventually converts to cashback and rebates, though the app isn’t very forthcoming as to how any of that works. 

Best Money-Making Apps

Although not specifically cash-back apps, these money-making apps are definitely great for folks who have a bit of spare time and want to make extra money. 

Swagbucks

Swagbucks lets you earn money in your spare time by taking surveys. It offers multiple ways to earn, from watching videos to taking surveys, and also has a cash-back feature for shopping. 

You can redeem your points for gift cards to your favorite stores. 

Mistplay

Mistplay is the best app for getting paid to play video games.

The app allows you to earn money by playing your favorite video games. You earn gems each time you level up, which you then redeem to gift cards at multiple places, from Amazon to PayPal. 

Check out our full Mistplay review for more information on how it works. 

KashKick

You can earn money with Kashkick by watching videos, taking surveys, playing games, or simply surfing the web. 

It makes earning easy and has a low payout threshold so you can make quick cash right away. However, as much as the website tries to promote it as a path towards financial security, you won’t make a lot of money on the app. It’s great for pocket money on occasion, but it won’t replace a legitimate side hustle. 

Skip these Cash-back Apps

Let’s face it, not all apps that promise amazing perks and cash back deliver on those promises. Some are too confusing or complicated, and others make you jump through too many hoops to earn awards. 

The cash-back apps below are great for people who don’t mind a challenge or need to save every penny they can. 

However, if you are just a casual user, these may be too complicated to be worth your time. 

Receipt Pal

Receipt Pal lets you earn points by uploading receipts – but with a unique spin. Most cash-back apps only offer points toward specific purchases, but Receipt Pal gives you points for every receipt no matter what you bought. 

The downside is it takes so long to earn rewards. Each receipt is only worth 100 points, and you need 2,200 points to earn a $5 gift card, meaning you must upload 22 receipts before you can cash out the bare minimum. 

You can earn extra points by connecting your email and entering sweepstakes, but unless you’re a heavy shopper, it takes too long to earn money on the app. 

However, if you’re really strapped for cash, you can probably find enough receipts to earn a $5 Walmart gift card in the Walmart parking lot. 

RetailMeNot

RetailMeNot is great for people who love shopping online, but many of the cashback options are similar to what you’ll find on other apps, like Rakuten. You can’t double dip because you have to log into the app, and then go to your favorite store via the app. 

I prefer Rakuten because it offers more ways to earn cashback. You can’t connect a credit card and shop in-store with Retail Me Not, it only works with online shopping. 

Still, savvy savers should install both if they’re shopping online to see which offers the best deals at their favorite stores. 

The Coupons App

The Coupons App bursts with content, but that makes it a little overwhelming and confusing. 

It’s not a cash-back app, instead, it offers coupons for stores and restaurants. However, it’s also filled with ads, so you can’t be sure whether what you’re clicking is an actual deal or an ad for something else. 

Although you can get an ad-free version for about $15 for the year, that kind of defeats the purpose of a cash-back app. 

The app also features a lot of 18+ content and crypto options, which gives me pause.

However, it doesn’t hurt to scour the app for coupons if you are going to buy something anyway. 

Krazy Coupon Lady

Krazy Coupon Lady finds deals online and shares them with users. It’s more of a coupon and deal-finding app than a cash-back app. 

The drawback is that most deals are for specific, niche items rather than generalized retail coupons. You can save big money on a futon at Walmart or a rug at Wayfair, but what if you don’t need those items?

Another disadvantage is it’s difficult to search for a specific item at a specific store. I can either search for Tide across the app, or I can see deals at Target, but I can’t find Tide at Target without a lot of searching. 

However, Krazy Coupon Lady does show options for other apps, like Fetch rewards, so if seeing multiple deals in one app is helpful, this app could meet your needs. It’s also great if you’re shopping for gift ideas, as you can see what unique items are on sale at various retailers. 

TopCashBack App

TopCashBack claims to have the best offers of all the cash-back apps, but a brief look shows similar offers to Rakuten and RetailMeNot. It also has poor reviews on the Google app store, with customers complaining that they never receive the cash. 

The interface is similar to Rakuten. You must log into TopCashBack, find your retailer, go to the retailer’s store, and make a purchase. One limitation is that you can’t just browse the entire store, you must browse a specific category. 

Defunk Cash Back Apps

I also tested Spent Money App, Walmart Savings Catcher, Coupon Sherpa, Yowza, and Grocery IQ for this piece, but these apps no longer exist. 

What’s your Favorite Cash Back App?

Have you tried any of these apps? Which is your favorite and why? Do you know of one that isn’t on the list? We’d love to hear about it!