Did you know that coupons aren’t just found in paper form anymore? There are a multitude of apps out there that allow you to digitally clip coupons and even give you cash back for purchasing! These are my top 9 rebate and coupon apps that I use on a semi-regular basis and want to share how they work. These are all great ways to save and earn a little extra money, and I’ve included links to each one for easy downloading.
1.) Ibotta
Ibotta is one of the first rebate apps I came across when they first started getting popular. The items are separated by store, then by category. Most stores have the same items available for rebates, but there are also store-specific special offers that you can check out. All you do is purchase the item, and then scan the barcode to verify the purchase and then take a picture of the receipt. The rebates are worth anywhere from $.25 to $2.00, depending on the item, and the best part is, you can use coupons in addition to redeeming the rebate, saving even more money!
I wasn’t very fond of Ibotta at first, mainly because I rarely bought name-brand items. But they’ve now added generic fresh dairy/meat/produce offers, so you can earn around $.25 for buying any brand of milk, or any brand of bacon. They’re small amounts, but if you do this every week, it adds up!
To redeem your cash, you need at least $20.00 in your account, and then you can redeem it for a PayPal payment, or a small list of gift cards, including Amazon and Starbucks.
2.) Checkout51
Checkout51 is very similar to Ibotta but typically doesn’t have as many offers. It’s also divided by category and you can earn $.25-$2.00 or more on certain items. Unlike Ibotta, all you have to do here is submit your receipt and choose from the list which items you’re redeeming.
Checkout51 is somewhat inferior to Ibotta because it only has one generic produce offer, and they give you a list of around 5 items to choose which one you want a rebate on, typically $.25. Once you reach $20.00, you can request a check to be sent to you, so no gift card redemptions here.
3.) SavingStar
SavingStar is just like the above two, where it lists items to purchase for a rebate. It differs slightly in that some offers require you to spend a certain amount of money to get a rebate. For example, right now there’s an offer to receive $5.00 back when you spent $15.00 on International Delight creamer, which can be a great deal!
SavingStar also offers a “healthy offer of the week”, where you earn a percentage back when you purchase the item, typically produce. Also once a week they offer a 100% rebate on specific items, typically something small like a candy bar, which is really cool! You only need $5.00 to cash out here, and you can choose to have it deposited in a bank account, PayPal account, or redeem for gift cards like Starbucks and iTunes.
4.) ReceiptHog
ReceiptHog is an interesting app I recently discovered. It’s a rebate-type app, but instead of getting rebates for purchasing specific items, you just enter your receipts and earn coins. You get between 5-20 coins per receipt, depending on how much you spent. Once you reach 100 coins in a week’s span, each receipt will only give you 5 coins, no matter how much you spend on the receipt.
It only works on actual stores, which includes gas stations (for grocery purchases), and not restaurants. Once you reach 1,000 coins, you can redeem them for a $5.00 Amazon gift card! It’s a little slow going, as each receipt will give you anywhere from 5-20 coins, but a little bit of effort each week means free money later!
5.) Coupons.com
The Coupons.com app is great if you’re on the go and there are new coupons out you want to print but don’t have access to a computer. It has all the coupons that the Coupons.com website has, so all you do is clip the ones you want to print and send them to your email. When you get home, all the coupons are conveniently in that email for you to print! I’ve used this multiple times and it’s so helpful.
6.) KrazyCouponLady
I just recently found out that KrazyCouponLady has an app! It’s basically everything that’s typically on their website, like store deals, but conveniently placed in app form. You pick your favorite stores, and on the home page it will show you all the deals for each store you picked. If I’m at the store already and want to know the best deals, I’ll just pull up the app and see what I can find.
They also have a coupon section powered by Coupons.com where you can clip and print coupons straight from your phone, provided your phone is connected to a printer. Seriously, how cool is that? This is one app I’m definitely going to use more often now that we’re on an even tighter budget.
7.) Target Cartwheel
I’ve heard so many good things about the Cartwheel app, and I’ve experienced great deals first-hand. The Cartwheel app contains Target store coupons for things like grocery, clothing, and other items in the store. Most of them are a percentage off certain items, which paired with a sale, can be a great deal. And since the coupons in the Cartwheel app are Target store coupons, that means you can use a manufacturer coupon in addition to that for even more savings!
One of my favorite hauls was from the clearance section in a grocery end-cap. All of this stuff was marked down, and I had coupons for the Starbucks and 5% off Cartwheel coupons for everything else! I had never seen such great deals at Target, and I was so excited to stock my pantry.
8.) Favado
Favado is a deals app similar to KrazyCouponLady in that it shows deals from your favorite stores. You can choose up to 3 stores to compare, and it’ll show you all the available deals for each store. You can even type in a keyword, like “cheese”, and it’ll pull up all the types of cheese that are on sale that week. The little paperclip icon next to the price indicates that there’s a coupon available, and if you click on the item, it’ll show you how to get those coupons. It’s a nifty little app if you want to compare prices of your favorite stores!
9.) RetailMeNot
The RetailMeNot app is good for finding stores in your area that currently have coupons, deals, or sales. You can use the Location button to find stores near you; as you can see above, I chose Bath and Body Works. It shows any in-store coupons as well as online codes; see where it says “(Number) uses today” next to the offers? That means that number of people have used the code today and can verify that it still works. The higher the number, the more likely the code will work! The GPS function is nice because it’ll detect the stores around you and notify you if there are any deals available at your favorite stores.
These are my personal top 9. Do you have any favorites that aren’t on this list? Share in the comments below!
This post contains affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.
Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.
Candice Stines
Wednesday 20th of April 2016
I use Cartwheel often as well as Retail Me Not. Ill have to check out some of the other ones! Walmart has an app where you can scan your reciept after purchase and if an item or items are cheaper elsewhere, they will give you the difference.
Kaitlynn
Thursday 31st of March 2016
I finally gave in and downloaded ibotta. I'll let you know what I think haha. Buuuut, if you shop at WalMart you need the app! I scan my receipts, and just recently got almost $2 back from one trip! I usually redeem the gift cards whenever I need some extra cash, so right now I only have about $4 on my savings catcher but it's so worth it. It only takes a second to scan and voila, if there are savings to be had, you'll get them.
Jaime
Thursday 31st of March 2016
The Wal-Mart Savings Catcher app is great! =) I don't shop there much anymore, but I do scan my receipts whenever I buy something there.