What if you can get cash back on your purchases for any brand?

With numerous cashback apps and sites circulating the internet, you may get overwhelmed by how each of these works and how it can help you get a few dollars back.

Enter Ibotta, a legit cashback savings app, free to use and pays in cash via Paypal or Venmo. Also, no need to redeem points, no prints, and no coupons.

It's straight-up money back in your pockets!

Food expenses can top 10% of your total spending and may even bust your budget if care is not taken.

In fact, according to USDA, in 2019, Americans spent an average of 9.5 percent of their income on food – divided between food at home (4.9 percent) and foods consumed on eating out (4.6 percent).

Therefore, saving money at the grocery store is a great way to give your budget a break, and there are many different ways to do so.

This article will walk you through a review of the Ibotta app, how it works, the app's features, and answer all your burning questions about Ibotta.

What is Ibotta?

Ibotta is an app that can earn you cash for anything you buy regardless of whether you shop online or offline. You just upload a picture of a receipt and boom! Instant cashback.

Furthermore, it is one of the most frequently used shopping apps in the US, with over 1,500 leading brand partners. They claim to have paid back over $600 million to more than 35 million users.

Ibotta embodies its mission to “Make every purchase rewarding.” It started as a way for consumers to earn cash back on groceries and everyday regular purchases like produce, cereal, pet food, dairy meat, snacks, etc.

Recently, they also added cashback on alcohol purchases like liquor, wine, and beers. Other cashback offerings include home improvement stores, travel expenses, clothing retailers, and more.

Additionally, Ibotta is available to download via Android Playstore or iOs Apple store.

Getting Started with Ibotta

How does Ibotta work? There are two main ways to get started. First, you can earn cashback when you shop in-store as well as shopping online.

In-store shopping

Ibotta offers flexible ways to save on your shopping, from offers on individual products to instant cashback for your entire purchase.

• First, open the Ibotta app and choose a retailer.
• Next, click the ‘Find Offers' button and add this to your account.
• Then, hit the store and shop as usual.
• Submit a copy of your receipt by uploading it through the in-app camera function, or you can also scan the QR code at the bottom of the receipt.
• Wait for a few minutes and receive your instant cashback!

In some instances, you may have to answer a quick survey about the product you're adding. The app may also display a recipe related to the product or make you watch a few video clips.

Online shopping

With hundreds of online retailers, food delivery services, travel sites, and more, Ibotta's got you covered. You can choose to shop on the go with your phone or use your computer.

When you use your phone, download the Ibotta app. Then, choose the website you want to visit and shop as usual. The app will give you cash back and add it to your Ibotta earnings.

On the other hand, if you prefer to use your computer, add the Ibotta extension to your browser. Next, log in with your email address, or you can create a new account.

And, when on a supported site, the Ibotta extension will pop up. Make sure it is activated to earn cashback on your every purchase.

Features

Pay with Ibotta

This feature lets you instantly earn cashback and discounts on in-person purchases right from the Ibotta app. To use this pay with Ibotta feature, first, you have to add your debit or credit card to your Ibotta account.

You'll then pick all the items you want to purchase, take them to the cashier and show the ‘Pay with Ibotta' gift card code or barcode to the cashier to make your payment. Once the cashier scans this code, you pay for your items and instantly earn money back.

They have partnerships with over 50 nationwide stores and restaurant chains such as Applebee's, Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse, to name a few. Ibotta app can help you earn up to 10% back on your purchases on popular retailers that accept Ibotta the Pay Feature: Lowe's, Barnes and Noble, Old Navy, Walmart, and more.

Grocery Pickup and Delivery

The newly added feature in Ibotta now lets you get cashback on pickup and delivery from grocery stores and delivery services. The grocery pickup and delivery category both work in the Ibotta browser extension and on the mobile app.

Here is a list of some of the participating retailers for this category:

• Walmart Grocery
• Instacart
• Shipt
• Target
• Safeway Online
• Walmart Pick up and delivery.

Connect to Loyalty Card

Ibotta allows you to link loyalty accounts for your favorite retailers as it partners with over 100 different stores, making it easier for you to earn cashback.

Therefore, if manually uploading receipts is a hassle for you, you can submit your retailer's loyalty card info to your Ibotta account, provided you use your loyalty card at checkout.

Gift cards

Ibotta also lets you grab a gift card from your favorite shops and restaurant and get cashback upon purchase instantly. Up to you if you want to use it now, save it for later, or give it as a gift. You will get 10% cashback on the entire amount of purchase.

Nearby store alerts

In line with this, you will now never have to miss out on any cashback deal! Through the Ibotta app, you will directly get notified when you are near an Ibotta app partnered merchants, and so you can start shopping there!

Refer a friend

Additional ways to earn extra cash aside from money back is the refer a friend program of Ibotta. Each Ibotta app user has referral links to share and earn $5 for every successful sign-up.

Bonus

All new members are eligible for the welcome bonus; they can also join a team. When your combined team reaches a certain redemption threshold through Ibotta, all team members receive extra rewards.

You can earn bonuses by Ibotta's exclusive deals and offers or shopping at certain stores. There is also a bonus that you can achieve when you buy the same product or brand several times a row. Bonus streaks!

Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
Completely free to join and use	Some security issue in terms of tracking your location
Wide variety of supported retailers	Limited customer support
Easy way to save money on groceries and other regular purchases	Links only with major retailers and huge brands

Alternatives to Ibotta

Like I have mentioned, there are numerous cashback apps out there similar to Ibotta that offers almost the same services. These apps include:

• Dosh
  See our full review
• MyPoints
  See our full review
• Rakuten
  See our full review

If you are more into coupons and discount codes, check out Honey and Capital One Shopping.

Learn More:
Honey App Review
Wikibuy/Capital One Shopping

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Ibotta legitimate?

Ibotta is a legit cashback savings app. It uses bank-level encryption, protects your data, and never stores it on its servers, so you can rest assured that no one, not even Ibotta employees, can access your data. Besides, Ibotta does not sell or share your personal information.

Ibotta has been in the industry since 2012, a pretty strong enough indicator of a good, established, and legit company.
On the other hand, Ibotta has a self-help customer support portal, and you can also submit a help request online. They do have a contact page or email address on their website.

Does Ibotta really give you money?

Technically, you first have to spend money to get money from Ibotta. So, this will be yes and no. Yes, Ibotta will give you money in exchange for the spending you have made through the app, and no, because that money is through a form of cashback.

However, you're spending money on things you already need anyway, so the cash you get back from those purchases is how Ibotta gives you free money. $5 on $50 spent is better than $0 on $50 spent.

How do you get the money from Ibotta?

Ibotta gives payouts through Paypal or Venmo. But, you can also redeem your cashback as a gift card. It's that easy! No more need to acquire points to redeem in exchange for cash. Just plain money straight to your account and displayed on the app's dashboard. Additionally, you can cash out once you hit the $20 minimum threshold.

Which is better, Rakuten or Ibotta?

At first glance, these two apps share a resemblance in terms of features and offered services. Overall, it all depends on your choice and experience of using the app. If you either one, you can check out the reviews below.

Read more:
How does Rakuten work? Will it Actually Save You Money?
Ibotta vs. Rakuten Which is better and Can Earn You More Cashback?

Although Rakuten (Ebates) has been in the business for a while and is one of the first to offer cashbacks on leading retailers, Ibotta's edge lies in its user-friendly mobile app and instant cashback payouts. Ibotta also lets you get cashback on everyday purchases in grocery stores.

How much can you make with Ibotta?

Average earnings from Ibotta typically reach $20 monthly. However, there are other ways to earn extra cash within the app and other means to make more money. It may be a few dollars back, but it all adds up.

Is it safe to link my loyalty account to Ibotta?

As far as security concerns, Ibotta only receives data about the items you purchase and where you purchase them. The app does not receive and cannot access any personally identifiable information associated with your linked cards.

However, it does track your location because of its nearby store alerts. You can deactivate this feature if it bothers you. Having stated that, according to Ibotta's privacy policy, it uses your information to infer the location of places you visit most often or the amount of time you spend at these locations.

Ibotta sends you notifications when you arrive or leave those places. It also provides advertisements and marketing messages through email, pop notifications, and other means of communication.

More Questions…

What is the catch in using Ibotta?

The only catch that I can think of is that Ibotta will collect your details to refer you to its partnered stores. Although data collection is the standard practice for most cashback apps and sites, if this is an issue for you, you can try other cashback apps instead.

It is also how Ibotta makes money. Like any other affiliate, Ibotta's partner stores pay them a commission, and they share that commission with end-users like us in the form of cashbacks. It's a win-win for all parties!

Who's Ibotta for?

People who are most likely to shop online and even offline and are most likely to buy any generic grocery items will benefit the most from Ibotta. It's just one way to save money on everyday expenses, including groceries, but there's more to that. Ibotta has current cashback offers on wine and liquor, vitamins, make-up, craft stores, electronics, and more!

Is Ibotta worth it?

Overall, the Ibotta app is worth it. It's free to use, and you get cashback for buying stuff. It's one great way to save your budget. You will not earn a lot of money with Ibotta, but it's easy money regardless.
If you are a frequent shopper at Walmart, Applebee's, and Costco, it won't hurt to earn some cashback here and there while shopping on these websites and store locations. Besides, it's free money back to you!

Final Thoughts

As most cashback apps intend for their users to do, making purchases on its participating retailers, you as a customer, should still be mindful of how you use cashback apps and sites and spend your money. Remember not to buy things you don't need just because you will get free money back.

Keep in mind that this money back is cash that you initially let go of, and you are only getting a bit of that money through using this app. What stuck with me most is that there are plenty of ways to save and earn extra money through free phone apps.

Ibotta also offers additional ways to make a few bucks like a cash bonus and referral bonus. Also, there's free entertainment in the form of a few poll surveys or short video clips to add or claim offers. Because of the large size of Ibotta's membership, companies are willing to pay Ibotta for the real-time feedback offered by Ibotta's members.

It makes Ibotta sort of like a real-time focus group, and this is also another way the app generates profits.

However, it's easy to get tempted once you use the app. You might stumble upon items you don't need and be urged to buy. In this case, guard your wallet!

In general, cashback apps are fantastic and useful once you use them right.

Do you use ibotta? How much have you earned in cashback and rebates so far? If this is your first time hearing about the app, you might want to try it today!

Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. Cheers to better money management and financial freedom! Boost your finances!