Back to posts6 Cash Back Apps That Actually Work (I Earned $847 Last Year!)

6 Cash Back Apps That Actually Work (I Earned $847 Last Year!)

Real talk - I'm not going to tell you that cashback apps will make you rich. But they WILL put real money back in your pocket for purchases you're already making.



Last year, I earned $847 across six different apps. That's almost $900 for buying groceries, gas, and stuff I needed anyway. Here's which ones are actually worth your time.



💰 My Top 6 Cash Back Apps (Ranked by Earnings)



1. Ibotta - $312 earned last year


Best for: Grocery shopping, household essentials

How it works: Browse offers before shopping, upload receipt after

Cash out: PayPal, Venmo, or gift cards at $20 minimum



What I love: "Any brand" offers are gold - get $0.25 back on ANY gallon of milk, ANY dozen eggs. Stack these with sales for serious savings.



Pro tip: Check the app BEFORE you shop and add offers to your list. Takes 2 minutes and you don't forget.



2. Rakuten - $198 earned last year


Best for: Online shopping

How it works: Click through Rakuten before shopping online

Cash out: PayPal or check quarterly



What I love: Big payouts at holidays - I got 15% back on Target purchases before Christmas. That's $15 back on every $100.



Pro tip: Install the browser extension. It pops up automatically when you're on a site that offers cashback.



3. Fetch Rewards - $127 earned last year


Best for: Lazy people who want free money

How it works: Just snap a photo of ANY receipt

Cash out: Gift cards at $3 minimum



What I love: Zero effort required. You get points for every receipt regardless of what you bought. Scan receipts from grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants - everything.



Pro tip: Refer friends for 2,000 points ($2) each. I referred my mom and sister - easy $4.



4. Target Circle - $89 saved last year


Best for: Target addicts (hi, that's me)

How it works: Clip digital offers in the Target app

Cash out: Automatic at checkout



What I love: Personalized offers based on what you actually buy. Plus 5% off with RedCard stacks with everything.



Pro tip: Check the app every time you shop. New offers drop constantly.



5. Dosh - $76 earned last year


Best for: Set-it-and-forget-it cashback

How it works: Link credit/debit cards, earn automatically

Cash out: PayPal or Venmo at $15 minimum



What I love: No receipt scanning, no offers to clip. Just link your cards and shop at partner stores. I get automatic cashback at Dunkin', Pizza Hut, and local restaurants.



Pro tip: Check the map for local offers. Some gas stations give 2-5% back!



6. Receipt Hog - $45 earned last year


Best for: Additional receipt scanning

How it works: Snap photos of receipts for coins

Cash out: PayPal or Amazon at $5 minimum



What I love: Takes literally 10 seconds per receipt. I upload to both Fetch AND Receipt Hog - double dip!



Pro tip: Upload daily for "hog slots" - a game that gives bonus coins.



💎 My Stacking Strategy:



Here's how I maximize every purchase:




  1. Before shopping: Check Ibotta for grocery offers, Rakuten for online

  2. At checkout: Use Target Circle offers if at Target, or Dosh-linked card elsewhere

  3. After shopping: Snap receipt in Fetch AND Receipt Hog

  4. Online orders: ALWAYS click through Rakuten first



Real example from last week:

Bought $50 worth of groceries at Target

→ Used $5 Target Circle offer

→ Paid with RedCard for 5% off ($2.50)

→ Uploaded to Ibotta for $3.50 back

→ Scanned receipt to Fetch for $0.50

→ Scanned to Receipt Hog for $0.25



Total saved: $11.75 on a $50 purchase = 23.5% off!



🚫 Which Apps to Skip:



I tried a bunch that weren't worth the effort:




  • Checkout 51 - Low offers, slow to pay out

  • Shopkick - Takes too long to earn meaningful rewards

  • CoinOut - Tiny payouts, not worth the time

  • Any app that requires watching ads - my time is worth more



Time Investment Reality Check:



Here's how long this actually takes me per week:




  • Ibotta: 5 minutes before grocery shopping

  • Rakuten: 0 minutes (browser extension)

  • Fetch/Receipt Hog: 2 minutes after shopping

  • Dosh: 0 minutes (automatic)

  • Target Circle: 1 minute in checkout line



Total: About 10 minutes per week for ~$70/month in cash back.



That's $420 per hour if you want to think about it that way 😅



Bottom Line:



These apps won't change your life, but they'll put $50-100+ back in your pocket every month for purchases you're making anyway. That's $600-1200 per year - enough for a vacation, holiday gifts, or a solid emergency fund contribution.



My recommendation? Start with Fetch Rewards (easiest) and Ibotta (highest payout). Add others as you get the hang of it.



Which cashback apps do you use? Any I missed? Let me know in the comments!



*This post contains referral links. If you sign up through my links, I may earn a small bonus - thanks for supporting the blog!*