quidco-review
Cashback Programs

Is Quidco a Scam or Do Members Really Earn £​300/yr on Average? – [Review]

Quidco is self proclaimed as “the UK’s number one cashback site”, but how good is this site really? Is this a cashback site that you can trust and make some decent money with? Or is this all just going to be a waste of time… A scam that isn’t going to pay you the cashback you deserve?

The last thing you want to get involved with is some sketchy cashback program that makes it very difficult for you to actually get your cash back. There are plenty of cashback programs out there so you are by no means limited with your choices. It is not like it is Quidco or nothing… You have options.

The question is… Is Quidco a good option? In this review I plan on answering exactly this. I’ll be going over what exactly this place is, how it works, the different cashback offers that they provide, how much money you can make in cashback, complaints and more.

Quidco Review

While I don’t know how true the statement of them being “the UK’s number one cashback site” is, they definitely are one of the bigger and more popular cashback sites in the UK out there, with over 7 million members and offers from over 4500 brands.

They have a lot of different cashback offers in all sorts of categories, some of which include…

  • Travel
    • Includes car rentals, flights, trains, parking, etc.
  • Electrical
    • This category includs a range of things going from TV’s, to computers, tablets, accesories, laptops, gadgets, and more.
  • Fashion
    • Here you can find cashback deals on clothing, bags, watches, sunglasses, etc.
  • Telecoms
    • Can get cashback on monthly cellular service, SIM cards, phone accessories, etc.
  • Insurance
    • Everyone needs some type of insurance and here you can find deals on health, life, car, home, pet, rental and other insurances.
  • Finance
    • This category has deals on bank accounts, credit ratings, credit cards, loans, etc.
  • Other categories include cars, food and drink, utilities, sports and fitness, supermarkets, pets, health and beauty, and more.

It it is common to see cashback offers for clothing, groceries, and so on, but seeing offers like this for insurance and telecom services is pretty cool.

As far as payments go, you can choose to receive your cashback via direct deposit, PayPal, or with an Amazon gift card.

They claim that their members earn an average of around £300 per year, but I have no idea how true that statement actually is. And I will admit it seems like a heck of a lot. I have reviewed many different cashback programs, including TopCashBack, Mr Rebates, Ibotta, DOSH, etc, and this seems a very high based on what I have seen.

How It Works

If you are unfamiliar with cashback programs, you may be wondering how these things work… How they are able to pay you money for buying things.

Well… The process is pretty simple. Basically Quidco and other cashback programs get paid to promote offers. They receive a commission when they help refer buyers, just like affiliate marketing, and then they give you a portion of this commission as an incentive to take the offer in the first place.

It is pretty much a win/win for all parties. The sellers are getting increased traffic from Quidco promoting their offers, Quidco is getting paid by the sellers for helping drive traffic there, and we (the customers) get cashback for things that we are going to pay for regardless.

 

The Process of Getting Cashback..

You are able to get cashback on offers by using their app or by logging in on a desktop computer, either way it is pretty self-explanatory.

You can browse “today’s hottest offers” which features some of the best offers currently available…

Or you can browse by category or even search in the search box for something you are looking for in particular.

They also have a list of the top offers this week that is displayed below the main menu. And currently, as I’m writing this, I see that there is a really good 22% cashback offer for Groupon…

Now if I wanted to take advantage of this offer I would simply click on it and then would be directed to another page which would basically give me more details about the offer, which you can see here…

Then all I would have to do is simply click on the “Get cashback” button next to the particular offer I want to get in it would then direct me to Groupon, or wherever it is that you want to shop, to make your purchase.

There is for you to do anything on your own to get your cashback. Your pay will automatically be tracked and the cashback will be credited into your account once the purchase is verified, which can take a while depending on what you bought.

 

How Much Money Can You Make In Cashback?

As I mentioned earlier, they claim that the average member who is active earns about £300 per year, which I’m hesitant to believe. What makes me even more hesitant to believe this number is that on their website they are saying two different things. As you can see below, in one spot they say that the average active member earns £300 a year and in another spot they say £280 a year…

Now there really isn’t too much of a difference between 300 and 280, but in my opinion both seem pretty darn high.

Unfortunately there are no statistics provided or any way for me to verify these numbers, or to try to figure out how much people are earning on average independently. That said, the amount you can earn with cashback programs is going to vary greatly depending on the person. Of course it all depends on what you are buying and how much you buy.

Someone who is getting cashback on expensive travel services is going to make a heck of a lot more cashback than someone who is just getting small amounts of cash back from grocery shopping or something like that.

I will say that they do offer some pretty high cashback percentages based on what I see and what I know from using and reviewing other cashback programs.

 

Referral Program

And of course, like all of these sorts of programs, they also have a referral program in place where you can earn a referral bonus for referring someone to join.

How it works is you get your own unique referral link and can share it with friends, or really wherever you want. Someone clicks on your link enjoins, you get credit for referring them. And after they earn £5 in cashback you will get your bonus.

I wasn’t able to find any information on how big of a bonus you actually get. I assume it is not much, but if anyone who is reading this knows, I would appreciate it if you would let me know in the comment section below this post.

 

Complaints

Overall the ratings this place receives from users are incredibly good. As you can see on Google Play it has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars with around 10,000 reviews left…

And then on the site Trustpilot it has been over 55,000 reviews with an average of 4 out of 5 stars…

The ratings are so good in fact, that it makes me question whether or not they are legitimate. I have never reviewed a cashback program like this that has even come close to receiving the sheer amount of ratings that this place does… Not even close.

When I was looking on the Trustpilot website there were new reviews being left pretty much every minute…

Are these real reviews? Are they fake? Are people getting paid to leave them? Who knows… But it is strange and I thought it was worth mentioning.

But anyways… Even with all the good reviews there are always complaints. Some of the more common complaints that I came across include the following…

 

App Can’t Access Store

If you are using the app, some of the stores you may want to shop on are not fully compatible. So what you have to do is exit out of the app and go into the normal Internet browser to make your purchases. This can be annoying and there are some complaints I came across about it… However it is not that big of a deal.

Doesn’t Track Cashback

And then there is the common complaint about the cashback not being given out as it should have been. This is usually due to problems tracking your purchase and you will find this complaint with any cashback program out there.

It doesn’t happen often, but unfortunately sometimes there are problems with the tracking code and people don’t get credited for their purchases as they should. However, the good thing is that you can contact the support team and get your cashback manually if this happens.

Underpaid

This is one of the most common problems and complaints I came across when skimming through the reviews from users. Apparently sometimes people purchase things what they should get a certain amount of cashback, but end up receiving a lesser amount.

I don’t know exactly what goes on these particular situations, but it does seem that the support team is good at getting contact with these people who are complaining and helping them out.

 

Conclusion: Scam or Not?

I don’t see any reason to call Quidco a scam. The only people that are calling it a scam or the ones who have been underpaid, or maybe haven’t been credited with the cashback that they deserved, and instead of contacting support they started calling a scam instead.

This particular program has been around for a while and is one of the larger what is out there. They are pretty well trusted and they do pay, although there are some legitimate complaints about them. But all in all, they are pretty good.

Since you are interested in getting cashback, you might also want to look into Ibotta and DOSH. Ibotta is an app that is particularly good for getting cashback when grocery shopping and DOSH is a good cashback app for finding deals in your area.

 

But anyways… I hope you enjoyed my review and found it helpful. Please leave any comments or questions down below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can 🙂

Read More
GetUpside Review
Apps That Pay You, Cashback Programs

GetUpside Review – Scam App or Easy Money? [Read Before Downloading]

We have all heard of cash back programs where you can earn cash back for your normal purchases, such as shopping in stores and eating out at restaurants, but what about buying gas? Well… With the GetUpside app you can actually earn cash back when buying gas, which is almost unheard of.

Sounds pretty awesome doesn't it?… Being able to get gas at a lower price than is advertised that the pump.

But is this app really that great? What are the downsides? Is it possible that it is just one big scam in one way or another, or that is going to be a waste of your time? In this GetUpside review I'll be going over all you need to know beforehand. 

Overall I like what this app is doing and it is something that I recommend if you have a car and pay for gas regularly, and live in the right area, but there are a few downsides I'll be going over that you should know about as well.

GetUpside App Review

Name: GetUpside

Availability: iOS and Android devices

Type: Cash back on gas & more

Recommended?: Yes, but there are some downsides

GetUpside
Click Here to Get Download Link Sent to Your Phone

After downloading the app you can enter my promo code - KYLE6775 - to get an extra $0.15 per gallon off on your first use.

Quick Navigation
What Is GetUpside?
Overview of How It Works
Location Restriction: You Must Live Here to Use This App!
Cash Back On Gas
Cash Back on Groceries, Restaurants, and more..
Referral Program
How You Get Paid
The Downsides
Complaints About GetUpside
Scam or Not?
Is This App Worth Your Time?

What Is GetUpside?

GetUpside is an app that is available for iOS devices as well as android devices that you can use to get cash back when filling your car up with gas. For example, you can potentially go to your local BP gas station and pay 9 cents less per gallon than it is advertised. And since many of us have our own vehicles and pay for gas regularly, this can be a huge deal in a really nice/easy way to save/make a little bit of extra money.


Additionally, with this app you can also earn cash back doing things like shopping at grocery stores, eating out at restaurants, and even on car-washes, all of which I will be going over in much more detail.


How Is It Possible To Save Money Like This?


But how is this possible? You may be wondering how they can possibly give you cash back for gas like this? 


Well... It works in the same way that many other cashback programs out there work, like BeFrugal, DOSH, and Ibotta for example: GetUpside partners with gas stations all over it and helps to advertise their gas prices through the app. This in turn helps drive more traffic to these gas stations and brings them more customers. The gas stations then pay GetUpside a percentage of the payment made for gas by customers for help bringing them these customers in the first place.


It is a win/win for everyone. The gas stations get more customers and make more money, GetUpside get paid for helping drive these customers to the gas stations through their app, and we (the customers and users of the app) get cash back on gas, which we are going to buy regardless. 

Overview of How It Works

I'll be going over everything in much more detail, but first I want to do a brief overview of how it all works… How you will be able to get cash back you go to the gas station and fill up your car.

Step 1: Download the Free App

The first step, of course, is to download the app which is free to do at getupside.com. You can do this by going to the App Store if you have an iOS device, or the Google Play store if you have an android device.


After downloading the app and installing it, you will be able to enter a referral code. If you use my code, which is KYLE6775, you will be able to get a bonus $0.15 off your first use… Meaning you get an additional $0.15 off per gallon on top of the discount that is already in place.

Step 2: Find Offers in Your Area

Once inside the app you will be able to find offers (cash back offers) in your area. The app will automatically detect your location and will display all the offers nearby.

Step 3: Claim Offers

When you find an offer that you like claim it. You will have to claim your offer before actually purchasing the gas or whatever it is that the offer has to do with.

Step 4: Verify Purchase

Next up you will have to verify your purchase. This is done by uploading a receipt, which is a very simple and straightforward process.

Step 5: Get Cash Back!

Once your purchase is verified your account will be credited with cash back. You will then be able to withdraw your cash back by a variety of different methods that I will go over shortly.

Location Restriction: You Must Live Here to Use This App!

One of the big downsides that this app has is that it is only available in certain areas of the USA, which include states on the East Coast. Well I guess ancient say that the app is only available in these areas, but there are only offers available in these areas… Meaning that GetUpside is only partnered with gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, etc. in these areas.


Currently, the following states are listed on their website as having a good amount of offers available…


  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Maryland
  • North Carolina
  • New York
  • South Carolina
  • Virginia

That said, there are offers in other states as well. For example, I live in Pennsylvania and there is a Sunoco gas station nearby that I can use to get cash back with this app. Also, I was browsing the map and found that there are also offers in states like Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and more.


So just because your state isn't listed above doesn't mean that there aren't any offers in your area and that you can't earn cash back on gas… It is just that the states listed above are the "main" states were offers exist. The states are full of cash back offers.


Don't Live In Any of These Areas? Then check out the Ibotta app which you can earn cash back with nationwide.

Cash Back On Gas

Since cash back on gas is the "claim to fame" over this app, let's go into more detail on this.


When you first open up the app be able to choose what type of gas you normally buy, meaning the grade of the gas. You can choose from the following:

  • Regular - 87
  • Mid-grade - 89
  • Premium - 91-93
  • Diesel
  • Other - (E85, Super Premium, etc)

After selecting the grade of gas you are interested in the app will then do its thing and find all of the available offers nearby.


As you can see below, the only offer available to me is cash back of $0.09 per gallon at Sunoco, but this is because I live in Pennsylvania as I mentioned above.

But anyways, when you click on an offer to claim it, it will then provide more details about the offer and will provide you with a map and directions via Google maps.

And just to give you an idea of how good this app is in certain areas, take a look at the screenshot displayed below. I was browsing the map and this is just a section of Florida that is filled with different cashback offers. If you live here there are plenty to choose from and that the more I zoom in on the map, the more pop up.

This is just an example I wanted to give to show you the potential of this app. Where I live it isn't very good, but for some people it could be well worth the download.


The Process of Getting Cash Back on Gas

So after you claim an offer you will have four hours to make your purchase and then you can upload your receipt. Why is there a time limit? I don't really know… That's just how it is.


When you go to upload your receipt it is very simple. The app uses the camera on your phone and you will be able to easily snap a picture to verify the purchase.

Cash Back on Groceries, Restaurants, and more..

As I mentioned, getting cash back on gas is by far the main part of this app, but you can also earn cash back on groceries, restaurants, and more. However, getting cash back for groceries and at restaurants is only available for people in the DC area.


The way you can earn shopping for groceries and eating out at restaurants is the same as with buying gas. You will be able to see the offers available in your area and you will then be able to claim them, upload a receipt after purchase, and get your cash back.


Luckily when it comes to getting cash back on groceries you are not required to make your purchase within four hours. This would be rather difficult for some people and would require you to be in a frenzy within the grocery store.


It is also advertise that you can save up to 20% cashback at convenience stores and up to 60% cashback on car washes, although I have yet to actually see these offers myself.

Referral Program

This app, like most apps, has a referral program that you can make money with by referring your friends to download and use the app.


When you refer a friend in they make their first purchase they will get an extra $0.15 off per gallon and you will make $0.15 per gallon that they buy. However, after that initial purchase you will only make one cent for every gallon that they purchase. So it is nice to have a referral program, but this is probably not something many people make much of any money with.

How You Get Paid

And now on to what we all need to know… How you actually get paid. It can be exciting to see money coming into your account within the app, but this money doesn't really mean anything until it is in your bank account or able to be used in some other way.


Luckily, there are a good amount of withdrawal options available. You can choose to cash out your money via PayPal, choose to get a check, or even choose to have an e-gift card emailed to you.


One thing that is very nice, which I think is worth mentioning, is that there is not a minimum withdrawal threshold, meaning that you can withdraw your money even when you only have a couple dollars. However… If you do withdraw less than $15 to PayPal or choose to have a check sent to you of less than $50, there is a one dollar fee applied. This fee can be waived if you cash out above the said amounts, or it can be waived in cashing out via PayPal if you refer at least one friend to use the app.


When it comes to e-gift cards there really aren't all that many choices. However, they do have Amazon e-gift cards available which is nice to see, because you can buy pretty much anything with one of them.

The Downsides

As I said in the beginning, overall I really like this app and what it offers, but there are definitely some downsides to it. Some of which worth mentioning include:

Location Restriction

The fact that this app is only available in a small number of states is a real disappointment. I am sure it will continue to expand if it keeps doing what it's doing, but as I am writing this the majority of people in the United States are not going to be able to make any use of it.

The Fine Print

And there is also the fine print, which I have not whenever yet. The fine print mentions that you must use a credit or debit card, you must make your purchase within four hours of claiming the offer, that an offer is only valid for the first 50 gallons of gas purchased, cashback is reduced when combined with other discounts, and so on…

Now some of this is no problem. For example, I see no problem in having four hours to make a purchase. I think that is ample time to fill up with gas after claiming an offer.


However, the fact that an offer is only valid for the first 50 gallons of gas purchased is a bummer, and I am also a bit confused about this. Does this mean that after purchasing 50 gallons of gas at a particular gas station you can no longer get cash back at the gas station? Or does this just mean the offer is only valid for 50 gallons of gas for anyone purchase, meaning that you could purchase gas a couple days later at the same gas station and still receive cash back (because this would be a different purchase). If anyone knows the answer to this and could clear it up for me and my readers that would be great.

Complaints About GetUpside

When reviewing an app like this I always like to make sure to write a section about complaints, complaints that are common among other users.


Overall this app has really good reviews and a really good rating. On Google Play it has an overall rating of 4.5/5 stars, which is very good. But there are some complaints worth mentioning and these include…


App Crashes

There are a fair number of complaints I came across about the app crashing when you go to open it… Which of course makes it unusable and is a major problem. However, most people seem to have absolutely no problem like this.


I'm not what the technical problem is behind this, or if it happens on specific devices, but it is just something worth mentioning.


Gas Grade Problems

Another complaint that I came across multiple times when doing my research is that some people are getting cash back for a lesser gas grade than they actually bought. For example, people are buying premium gas which usually offers a higher cashback percentage, but instead getting credited for buying regular gas and getting a lower cashback percentage.


Now GetUpside does state that if a receipt does not specify the particular grade of gas purchased then you will be credited as having bought regular gas, but some people complaining claim that their receipts did state the particular type of gas purchased.


It appears that this could be a problem with the app reading receipts or something of this nature.


Update: It seems that this issue has been fixed.


Support Issues

As with just about every app out there nowadays, this app does not offer very good support. This is just the world we live in nowadays… Full of automated answering machines and prewritten email replies.


If you do end up having some technical problem with the app or are not rightfully credited with the cashback you deserve, it is probably going to be a bit of a pain getting things sorted. That said, it does seem that the support team is honest and what they do, it just might take them a while to get around and actually support you.

Scam or Not?

The big question… Is GetUpside a scam? 


Absolutely not. I know there are some people out there calling this app a scam, but I don't see it being a scam in any way. Sure, I bet some people have been screwed over due to some technical glitch or something along these lines, but that the stone not make a scam and you will have this sort of thing with any app out there, regardless of how good it is.

Is This App Worth Your Time?

Do you purchase gas? Do you live in one of the areas mentioned at the beginning of this review, where there are lots of offers available? Do you like to make/save money and do you think it would be nice to earn some cash back when you go to the gas station, which you are going to do regardless?

Well, if you answered yes to these questions then this app is worth your time, but of course this is just my opinion.


There are people making $15-$25 in a little over a month's time with this app, but of course this completely depends on how much gas you purchase on a regular basis and on how good of offers you have in your area. But the point is that with this app you can make a little bit of extra money doing what you already do and what you are going to continue to do even if you don't download the app.


So why not download the app? After all, it's free to do and very easy to use.


And again, if you do want to download the app you can use my promo code KYLE6775 to get an extra $0.15 off per gallon on your first purchase, which can really add up. This would also help me out so that I can keep this site running and keep writing awesome reviews.


But anyways… I hope you enjoyed this review and found it helpful. Please leave any comments or questions down below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can 🙂

Read More
Is Ibotta a Scam
Cashback Programs

Is Ibotta a Scam? – Nope, But There Are Some Downsides I’ll Go Over [Review]

Ibotta claims that it is "better than coupons", but is it really? Is this cashback app really all that great? Or is it all just going to be a waste of your time? Is Ibotta a scam that you should just avoid in the first place?

All of these are good questions that should be answered before installing and spending your time using an app like this, and I intend to answer exactly these in this review. In this review of Ibotta I will be going over all you need to know… Everything from a general overview of the app, to how it works, the three different ways to get cash back, giving you an example of actually using the app, how much cashback you can realistically get, pros vs cons, downsides and more.

Overall I really like this app for making a little cash back doing what you already do, shopping, but there are a few downsides that I will be going over throughout this review. I actaully wrote an older review a while back but this is my updated and more detailed one.

Ibotta App Review

Name: Ibotta

Type: Cashback app

Availability: Android and IOS devices

Cost: Free to use

Recommended?: Yes, it is one my favorites

Ibotta App
Click Here to Join & Get a $10 Welcome Bonus

This review is going to be detailed and lengthy, with all the info you need, so feel free to use the quick navigation box below to jump to certain sections 🙂

Quick Navigation
What Is The Ibotta App?
How It Works
The 3 Ways to Get Cash Back
Using The App
How Much Money Can You Make?
Cashing Out & Gift Cards
The Referral Program
Pros vs Cons
Ibotta App Cheats
Who Ibotta Is Best For
Ibotta vs Other Cash Back Apps/Programs
Scam or Not?
Is Ibotta Worth It?

What Is The Ibotta App?

Ibotta is an app that you can download on your smart phone or tablet that allows you to get cash back for normal purchases, both in-store and online. It sounds awesome, because it is awesome. I mean who wouldn't want to earn a little bit of money back doing what they already do, shopping for groceries, clothes, personal care items, etc.?? I sure would.

Now of course you certainly aren't going to get rich with a cashback app like this, but it does help you save money and can be very rewarding.


Where does the money come from?

​

Getting cashback on purchases may sound like a strange concept, but it is actually pretty common. There are a lot of cashback programs out there, such as BeFrugal, Ebates, DOSH (and others like DOSH), Mr Rebates, Fetch Rewards, etc... Ibotta being one of the better ones out there by far.

These cashback programs make money by promoting offers and driving buyers to certain stores and they purchase certain products. They basically get paid for advertising and in return share a small portion of the profits with you, as incentive to go shopping at a certain store or purchase a certain item in the first place. And the nice thing about it all is that you are still paying the normal prices for your purchases… You are just getting cashback on top of that.

How It Works

  • 1) Sign Up & Download the App
  • 2) Find Good Offers
    • Can browse through cash back offers at hundreds of stores
    • Select offers you want before going out shopping
  • 3) Verify Your Purchase
    • Need to verify your purchase in order to get your cash back.. this is easy and I'll discuss how you do this below

Summary: Of course the first thing you have to do is download the app. This is completely free to do and if you have an android or IOS device will be able to do this. It is also possible to create an Ibotta account on your desktop computer and still earn cash back, but this will be a little bit more difficult to go about doing.

After you have the app you will be able to search for offers you are interested in. You can search by store, by category (such as grocery, clothing, health products, etc.), or even by specific product. Usually what I like to do is pick a store that I shot back and look at all the different offers they have, but you can do it anywhere you wish. After finding offers that interest you, you will be able to select them in the app and proceed to do your normal shopping.


After shopping, you will have to verify your purchase. However, if you are shopping online you will not have to do anything. Your purchase will automatically be tracked. It is only if you are shopping in-store that you will have to verify your purchase, which I will go over below…

The 3 Ways to Get Cash Back

There are three different ways that you can verify your purchases and get cash back. These include sending a receipt, linking a loyalty card, or making a mobile in-app purchase.


1) Send a Receipt


This it's what you are going to have to do in some cases when it comes to in-store shopping. You will have already selected your offers, did your shopping, and then you will have to verify that you did indeed purchase what you claim to have purchased by sending a receipt.

This process is easy. You will see a big button in the app labeled as Redeem, which you will be able to click and then choose which store you are looking to redeem offers that. For example, below I chose a Sam's Club. After that the app will use the camera on your phone to take a picture of the receipt… Very easy and can be done in around 10 seconds.

2) Link a Loyalty Card


A nice addition to Ibotta, which they didn't used to have, is the ability to link a loyalty card. This makes things even easier for you. You can simply link your loyalty card, or members card to the app and then all of your purchases will be uploaded without you having to take pictures of the receipts.


This makes things a whole lot easier, but of course not all stores have loyalty card programs and even if they do, you might not be a member. But anyways, it is nice to have this option and if this option is available it is definitely worth your time to link your card.


3) Make a Mobile In-app Purchase


Ibotta also offers cashback on mobile in app purchases. This is another very easy way to get cashback. There is no need to verify purchases here, just as with the linked loyalty card.


All you have to do here is click on which store you want to shop at inside the app and you will be directed to the store's website. You can then proceed to shop as you normally would end your purchase will be tracked by Ibotta, which will automatically give you credit and cashback.

Using The App

Okay... so now you have a good idea on how this app works, but I want to take you through the process and show you in a little more detail.

When you first open up the app you will be able to search for retailers and offers, browse popular offers in your area, browse by category, and so on.

But anyways… Let's say you have a plan. Let's say every Monday you go shopping at Sam's Club and you don't plan on changing this anytime soon. So what you can do is click on Sam's Club inside the app you will be presented with a list of "hot" offers. At the top you also see a menu of different categories.

The categories of course are going to vary depending on the store, but in my case these include…

  • All
  • What's Hot
  • New Offers
  • Dairy & Eggs
  • Pantry
  • Beverages
  • Frozen
  • Produce
  • Beauty & Personal Care 
  • Household
  • Snacks
  • Breakfast
  • Meat & Seafood
  • Kids and Babies
  • And so on...

So let's say that you are just walking through the "What's Hot" category and find a good deal on some Jimmy Dean Delights... That offers a nice $5 cash back…

You can click on the offer for more details and if you like what you see you can click on the + sign next to the offer to add it to your list of saved offers.

As you can see below the + sign turns to a checkmark once it is added. You are going to want to do this before you go out shopping..

These added offers will then be saved to your "My Offers" tab for convenience.


After doing your shopping, if you have your loyalty card a link to your account then you don't have to do anything, but of course if you don't you will have to then upload your receipt as I explained above.


Usually your cashback will be credited to your account within 48 hours. But now that is in your account, how do you actually use this money?? The whole point is getting a little extra money to spend, is it not?


The process of withdrawing cash is very simple and I will be going over this shortly. But first I want to answer a very important question that I know a lot of people are going to be asking… "How much cashback can you make?"

How Much Money Can You Make?

This question may sound like it has an easy answer, but it does not. The better question might be "how much cashback can you realistically make?", But this still is going to vary a heck of a lot.

The fact of the matter is that it will depend greatly on how much shopping you actually do and on what type of products you buy.


Take the example I found below… As I am currently writing this you can get $20 cashback on a 1.75 L bottle of Ciroc and you can get two dollars cashback on Excedrin Extra Strength migraine medication…

The $20 cashback offer is incredible, and even the $2.00 cashback offer is pretty good, but just look at the difference between these two. There is a massive price difference so obviously someone that is buying Ciroc is going to get a lot more cashback, but of course not everyone is going to be looking to purchase something like this.

Now this is a very extreme example, but it proves my point… Results will vary.

That said, this app is super easy to use and even a little bit of cashback on shopping that you are going to do regardless is worth it. 

Cashing Out & Gift Cards

There is a $20 withdraw threshold that you have to meet before being able to cash out or get gift cards. ​

When it comes to withdrawing your money there are plenty of options. You can choose to get regular old money sent to you via PayPal or Venmo or you can choose to receive gift cards.


And yes you are seeing that screenshot below correctly… I do have (or did have before withdrawing some money) $239.33 in my account. I've been saving up for quite some time.

I've been using Ibotta for a couple years now and I have withdrawn via PayPal as well as used my cash back to get many different gift cards.

Gift Cards

When it comes to the gift cards there are plenty of options when it comes to gift cards. You have all the big retailers, such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc. A full list of all of the available gift cards as I am currently writing this is as follows:

  • Whole Foods Market
  • Apple Music
  • AMC Theaters
  • Abercrombie and Fitch
  • Amazon.com
  • American Eagle
  • Applebee's
  • AutoZone
  • Aéropostale
  • Barnes & Noble
  • Bass Pro shops
  • Bath and Body Works
  • Betty Bath and Beyond
  • Belk
  • Best Buy
  • Buffalo Wild Wings
  • Cabela's
  • Chili's
  • Chipotle
  • Domino's
  • Express
  • Fanatics
  • Fandango
  • Foot Locker
  • GameStop
  • Gap
  • Global Hotel Card
  • Groupon
  • Hollister
  • Hotels.com
  • IHOP
  • JCPenney
  • Joann
  • Kmart
  • Khol's
  • Lowe's
  • Nike
  • Old Navy
  • Olive Garden
  • Overstock.com
  • Papa John's
  • Peet's Coffee
  • REI
  • Red Lobster
  • Read Robin
  • Regal
  • Sam's Club
  • Sears
  • Sephora
  • Southwest Airlines
  • Starbucks
  • StubHub
  • Target
  • Home Depot
  • Uber
  • Ulta Beauty
  • Wine.com
  • buybuy Baby
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Walmart

Once you find a gift card that you want you will be able to click on it and then select the price. Sometimes there will be gift cards available for $20, $25, $50, etc.

After selecting the price you will have to confirm your Ibotta password in the gift card will then be emailed to you.

This email usually arrives within seconds and comes in as "your gift card has arrived!". But if it doesn't arrive right away, don't panic. It arrived within a couple minutes, but there was at least one time that I remember when it took around 20 minutes to receive it… In which time I was starting to worry.


In the email you receive you will be able to click a link which will take you to your electronic gift card. The gift card will have a code on it as well as a scan-able QR code, which you can bring up by clicking the "tap to use" button.

PayPal

When it comes to using PayPal, withdrawing your money is just as easy. You will simply enter the amount you wish to withdraw and then enter your password. Usually the money arrives shortly after.


I actually haven't used PayPal in quite some time because I like getting gift cards, but I have in the past and you can see a nice crisp $100 payment I sent myself a while ago…

I haven't used Venmo but I assume it is the same process.

The Referral Program

Ibotta has a referral program where you can make a little bit of extra money referring others to join. The way it works is like this:

Every member has their own unique referral link and code. And you get someone to join through your referral link or enter your referral code when joining, you will receive a $5 bonus after they redeem their first cashback offer inside the app. In addition, they will also get a $10 bonus for joining.

So really is a win/win. If a person joins without going through a referral link, they don't get the nice $10 welcome bonus, but if they do they will.

​

And by the way: You can join Ibotta through my referral link here to get your $10 welcome bonus. 

Pros vs Cons

Pros

  • Easy to use 
    • The app is very well laid out and easy to navigate
  • Fair number of offers
  • They make things easy
    • As I went over you can upload a receipt or just link a loyalty card if possible. More and more apps are allowing you to do this nowadays which is nice.
  • Plenty of withdrawal options
    • There definitely isn't any shortage when it comes to withdrawal options.
  • Fast payments 
  • Good support
    • One thing I didn't mention is that the support that Ibotta it's very good. Having use this app for several years, I've only had to contact support one time. The reason was because my account was locked because of "suspicious activity" or something like that. I had over $100 in my account at the time and was getting worried, but the support team made it easy and I was able to get my account back in no time.
  • Great ratings
    • There our some other high rated cashback apps out there, but Ibotta definitely is one of the best. They are a very trusted company and just to give you an example of how well-liked they are, you can see on Google Play they have a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 with over 300,000 ratings…
  • Good referral program

Cons

  • Certainly won't get rich
    • You what make a lot of money with this. This is one thing you definitely need to understand or you will just be disappointed. That said… The money adds up and since you are already going to be shopping… Why not get some cash back?
  • Would be nice to see entire purchase cash back options 
    • Another con is that they don't offer all that many cashback options for entire purchases. You know, when you receive a flat cashback percentage, like say 3%, on your entire purchase at a certain store/restaurant. 
    • Ibotta does offer some of these entire purchase cashback percentages, but that is just for online shopping from what I have seen. The in-store shopping is per item. Other apps, like DOSH for example, will give you cashback on your entire purchase at certain store/restaurants, which is awesome, but this app just doesn't have all that many offers.

Ibotta App Cheats

Of course we want to all make as much money as possible, so are there any hacks/cheats that you should know about? Unfortunately there are not any Ibotta app cheats that I know of, nor are there any hacks that you can do to make more money.


That said, it is a good thing that it is this way because if you want to continue to make money with this cashback app then they need to stay in business… And if people are going to be cheating and hacking the system, they will likely go out of business.

But anyways… I am still open to new knowledge. If anyone reading this is aware of any hacks/cheats then you can share them below in the comment section for other readers to see.

Who Ibotta Is Best For

Ibotta is best for people looking to save some money when shopping, which of course comes in the form of cash back. Couponers in particular should definitely appreciate and enjoy this app.

But really I think a cashback like this is good for just about anyone. If you are a mother or father he does a lot of the grocery shopping then it will probably be worthwhile to sign up. But of course the cashback savings doesn't end there… You can save on clothing, restaurants, and even travel.

Ibotta vs Other Cash Back Apps/Programs

There are a lot of different cashback apps/programs out there and of course you want to be using the best. You don't want to be wasting your time with something that isn't getting you the maximum cash back. Two other very good ones include DOSH and BeFrugal.

DOSH is a cashback app that I mentioned earlier. It is similar to Ibotta except you are in a flat cash back percentage on your entire purchase at certain stores/restaurants. It is really nice, but there aren't all that many participating stores/restaurants in it varies a lot depending on where you live. But maybe this would be better with time.


BeFrugal it is also pretty good. They offer some pretty high cashback percentages, the downside being that the only offer cashback for online purchases, while only offering coupons for in-store shopping.


These two are both good, but I would probably say that I bought it is my favorite and there is no wonder why it is so popular. If you were to ask me which one I recommend, it would be Ibotta.

Scam or Not?

Obviously this app is not a scam. I just want to make a point to reiterate this.


If it was a scam then I wouldn't have gotten paid from it multiple times, and I wouldn't be continuing to make money with it. It also wouldn't have a 4.5 star rating out of 5 stars on Google play with over 300,000 ratings.


There are some cashback apps out there that are somewhat "scammy" and make it difficult for you to get your rightfully deserves cashback, but I bought is not one of them. They are a very reputable company and if you do, for one reason or another, not receive the cashback you are supposed to and you will be able to contact support in they will work things out to make sure you get it.

Is Ibotta Worth It?

Do you shop? Do you like money? Do you have an android or iOS device? Then it is probably worth it for you.

But this largely depends on how much shopping you actually do. If you are a 17-year-old that lives at home with your parents and does little to no shopping, it probably wouldn't even be worth the time to install it. But if you do your shopping for yourself, or maybe you are a parent that shops for multiple people, then it probably would be worth it. It just all depends.


Give It a Try... Its Free

The good thing is that is free and there is no harm in giving it a try. You can install the app, tested out and see if it is worth your time, and go from there.


Join Ibotta & Get a $10 Welcome Bonus!

Anyways... I hope you enjoyed this review and found it helpful. Be sure to like and share if so. Also, leave any questions or comments down below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can 🙂