The Ibotta app is an easy way to save money on things you’re already buying. It offers you cash back on select items just for uploading your receipt! Read my Ibotta review below and learn how I earn money grocery shopping with this app!
I’m all about saving money any way I can; you can read about my monthly progress in my coupon reports. The Ibotta app has helped me save money over the years, typically on the things I was planning to purchase anyway. Although there have been times where the app did entice me to purchase a product I could get cashback on.
Using Ibotta, simply save your grocery receipts and scan them with the app. Earn cashback on your trips to the store and cash out when your account hits $20.00 or more. It’s so easy! You can be a couponer without having to physically clip coupons!
Table of Contents
What is Ibotta?
Ibotta is a free mobile app that pays you cash for purchasing select items at several participating stores. Items you receive cashback for are typically home or grocery related. Baby items like diapers and alcohol are also frequently offered. You get cashback for the things you are already buying!
How does Ibotta work?
Ibotta works by claiming offers to your Ibotta account in advance. Then uploading receipts to the Ibotta app after you have finished your shopping trip. Or, you can link your loyalty card from several stores to the app to skip this step.
How to get started with Ibotta:
1. Download the app for free Click here.
2. Open the app and Click “find offers” in the lower navigation bar.
Browse offers before you go shopping (or wait until after if you don’t want the app to sway your purchases)
3. Unlock the rebate by clicking on the + sign (follow the instructions to get the offer added to your account).
For each offer, there is a specific action you need to take in order to add the offer to your account. Sometimes it’s as easy as just clicking to add it, as in the example below with The Honest Company. Just click to add the $4 offer.
Other times, you may have to watch a short video or answer a question.
An example below with the fruit pops. I have to answer a question before I can even add the $1.25 offer to my account
4. Shop at the store as you normally would
5. Click “Redeem” in the app to take a pic of your receipt once you are done shopping.
You will be prompted to choose the store where you made the purchase. The app will automatically match the items you bought with the offers you saved. Note, you can upload receipts that are up to 7 days old. Receipts older than that are not accepted, so make sure you upload in a timely fashion!
6. Cash-out!
Once your account hits a minimum of $20.00 you can cash out your money. Options include gift cards, Venmo or Paypal. Ibotta makes it so easy to not only earn but to get your cash back as well!
Ibotta has come a long way since I first started using it years ago. I stopped using it for a while because it used to be so tedious. Not only would you have to snap a pic of your receipt, but you’d have to scan the barcode on every single item you were trying to claim an offer for.
I’m never one to let go of a deal, but it was getting to be more time consuming than I would want to spend. So I took a few year hiatus, but I’m newly engaged and have fallen in love all over again.
Will you actually get cashback with the Ibotta app?
The answer is YES! The app keeps track of all of your qualifying offers and earnings. You can cash out once your account hits a minimum of $20.00! Plus there are bonuses you can earn to make reaching the $20 minimum even easier!
Where can I use Ibotta?
Over 300 stores are included! I frequently use for my grocery shopping but many other department stores have offers available too!
A few of my favorite stores to use Ibotta:
- Target
- Walmart
- Costco
- Amazon
- Best Buy
- Walgreens
- Meijer
What type of offers are available with Ibotta?
There is an incredible amount of offers ranging from everything to wine and alcohol to diapers. The app also consistently has $.25 cashback for any item – which means you can simply upload a receipt (any receipt) and get $.25 added.
If you’re looking for healthy options, Ibotta has you covered! I’ve seen rebates for honey, milk, oatmeal, yogurt, shredded cheese, almond butter, oranges, fresh basil, etc. The offers constantly are changing so check back after every trip and you will be in for a surprise!
How do you get the money from Ibotta?
1. Once your account reaches at least $20, you can cash out your account.
When you are logged into the Ibotta app, navigate to your “Account” in the lower right, and click on the green bar that says “Withdraw cash”.
2. You will then be prompted to choose between PayPal or Venmo, or any number of gift cards.
Plus, you may be offered an incentive bonus for choosing a specific gift card. In this case, when I clicked to withdraw cash, I was offered a $3 bonus if I withdrew the cash in the form of an IHOP gift card.
Can you use an Ibotta rebate more than once?
Possibly! Each offer has its own terms and conditions. Click into each offer to see what their details are. it may say “may be redeemed up to 2 times per receipt” or something similar.
How do I know if I purchased the right item?
If you click into each offer, there is an option to “Check Product Barcode.” This allows you to scan the UPC code to ensure you are purchasing the correct item. There is nothing worse than purchasing an item you intend to use an Ibotta offer for, and not qualifying. So this is a great option to check the barcode of the item you’re buying to ensure you get the Ibotta cash! See photo above.
How can I earn cash faster with Ibotta?
Ibotta offers additional cashback incentives on their app. Below is an example. if you redeem 5 offers on the app over the next four days, you will receive a $2.00 bonus! Again, a no-brainer if the offers on the app are things you were going to purchase anyway. Check back often to see what new cashback incentives they are offering because they change all the time!
Final thoughts on the Ibotta App
I love the Ibotta app and think it’s a no-brainer for those looking to save more when going to the store. I will generally scan the app’s offers before heading to the store but try not to let the offers influence my purchasing decisions. This is a perfect app for someone who has an interest in saving money, but not the type to cut physical coupons. It is also a great double-dip for those who have a coupon and a corresponding Ibotta offer!
Looking for more ways to save? check out How to save on groceries without coupons
Do you use Ibotta? What is your favorite, or least favorite thing about the app?
Take one small step today – to help your finances tomorrow,
Steph
