Cashback and rewards apps are the new rewards cards, which were the new coupons. These apps are changing the way consumers shop and save. Here are our top 10 favorites.
As kids, many of us saw our parents clipping coupons and taking advantage of sales to help save money. Even if your parents weren't expressly focused on saving at the grocery store, their financial decisions would have helped your family thrive through the thick and thin.
Today, clipping coupons is not realistic. It's time-consuming, and one could also argue that coupons are a waste of paper. In most cases, flyers and coupon books barely make it through the door before being thrown into the trash or recycle bin.
If ten years ago, we were obsessed with rewards cards like Air Miles, today, we see those rewards shift to the smartphone and mobile platform. Cashback and rewards apps are the new rewards cards, which were the new coupons. These apps are changing the way consumers shop and save.
Why you should be using cashback and reward apps
Reward programs are not new, but technology is reinventing them. Today's consumers are always looking for a great deal, but we've gone ahead and changed the way we secure those deals.
Cashback and rewards apps make saving money fun. By making it an interactive game with points, missions, steps, and rewards, you can enjoy yourself while reaping the benefits.
But how do you capitalize on the best cashback and rewards apps? What should you focus on, what's worth your time and how do you weed out the best deals?
Here are the top reward and cashback apps:
1. Drop
Drop is a slick app with a user-friendly interface that boasts more than 300,000 users. Their appeal is earning points with your debit card and double the points with your credit card. Five thousand points equal $5 in rewards value. This app is best for users who don't rely heavily on rewards credit cards and prefer to use their debt card and still get rewards.
One of the benefits of the app is also the fact that you're spending your own money rather than racking up credit just to earn points. Drop has a sophisticated security system to ensure that your personal data and transactions are safe. They claim transparency and have a lengthy security explanation on their website.
Drop has an excellent customer service department and a thorough FAQ page that should answer most of the common questions you might have. In particular, Drop is focused on the millennial demographic, who may use debit cards rather than credit cards.
2. iBotta
iBotta consistently scores well with savvy savers. It's user-friendly and available for both iOS and Android. Just download the app and unlock the rebates. A series of tasks bring the idea of gamification to an otherwsie tedious task, making saving money even more fun. Users see each job as a challenge that needs to be completed, and you can also get the whole family in on it.
Once you're ready to go shopping, buy the products you've unlocked at any of the stores that are listed on the app. Next, you will need to verify your purchases by scanning the barcodes and submitting a photo of the receipt. You're ready to cash in, and the money will appear in your iBotta account within 48 hours.
This app continues to evolve in its ease of use, which means the developers are responsive to reviews and actively seeking the best possible consumer experience. Many retailers allow you to process receipts in real-time, which means money in your pocket faster. Some of the benefits of iBotta include no more cutting and carrying coupons; you have one accessible portable device to start saving and earning money. According to iBotta, the average user is making about $30 a month. That's $30 that you can keep or spend on something else.
3. Bitwalking
Whether you're a walking enthusiast, spend a large part of your workday walking, or you just want to get fit, Bitwalking is the app for you. Advertising themselves as the "new global currency," Bitwalking will get you moving and participating in the larger world around you.
Bitwalking is egalitarian and practical. You're not paid to walk; you generate the money on your own. So that means the women in Uganda who walks five miles to get water every day is at the same advantage as the casual walker in San Diego who meets her walking group each morning. Bitwalking provides the platform to convert it to a currency that can be spent in the Bitwalking store or through third-party partners.
You can also trade walking dollars with other users. Walking dollars also be transferred to anyone, anywhere in the world. Imagine earning money just from walking? It really gives new meaning to your resolution to get fit in 2018. You can potentially watch your waistline get slimmer while your wallet gets fatter.
4. Mobee
Have you ever thought of becoming a secret shopper? Mobee makes shopping fun as you get to go undercover as a secret shopper. Many people love this idea because not only do you get to evaluate products but you can comment on the customer service, and you will actually be able to see results of your feedback.
Once you have the app, you can open Mobee to see stores near you that will pay you to shop. Each Mobee shop will ask you to complete a set of missions that relate to a specific area of the business that they want you to review. When your shopping trip is over, take a few minutes to answer 5-10 questions, and the job is done.
One of the best benefits of this app is the fact that you're getting paid for a service while also improving shopping conditions and customer service for everyone at the same time.
The Mobee team performs a manual quality control check on your results and credit you points. These can be used for a range of prizes, gift cards and in some cases cash. The interactive nature of this app makes your shopping experience more enjoyable, and you have a direct impact on the future customer service policies of the business. Think of it as a quest for cash and rewards.
5. Belly
Belly's goal was to replace multiple loyalty programs with a straightforward app. You'll often notice the Belly logo around the cash registers of some of your favorite stores or restaurants. Since it's a "universal loyalty program" many different establishments use it at once, and you can collect points on one simple app replacing the numerous rewards cards you might have taking up precious space in your wallet.
Belly also has a unique feature where it can show you nearby stores and restaurants that are Belly participants, which could, in effect, influence your shopping decisions.
6. Fronto
Fronto is your companion app, like a best friend who's there but never judges you or gives you bad advice. It's interested in everything that you're interested in. Whether you're browsing new articles, looking for a new outfit or shopping online for the kids, Fronto allows you to unlock and redeem points that can be used for cash or gift cards from the retailers you're already buying from. You can browse online and earn points while working or completing schoolwork. The app is non-intrusive.
With more than nine million downloads and more than $5 million in redeemed rewards, Fronto has longevity and success. It's been around since 2012 when they launched the first world's first lock screen media app. They get great press and reviews, and the concept is so simple. Making your smartphone smarter just by waking it up and swiping is as easy as it sounds. Your reward points can be used with Amazon, Gift Card, and PayPal.
7. Cosign
If you're the type of person who is always sharing on social media, Cosign is the app for you. Specifically targeted to the clothing, tech, beauty, and food industries, Cosign lets you tag your favorite brands in your pictures and then receive money when your friends buy the same products.
In a world where influencers seem to be driving marketing trends, this app enables you to become your own influencer while making money off social media posts that you would probably be posting regardless. It essentially turns your social media feed into a ready-to-buy stream of recommendations that your friends can trust. As people purchase your products, you collect cash rewards; once you hit $40, you can cash out and transfer the money right into your bank account.
8. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is another app that wants to be a part of your life and the routine activities you would be doing online anyway. Watching online videos and taking short surveys will earn you gift cards. The polls will make you feel like you're part of something bigger and the retailers are listening to your opinions. Bloggers and remote workers love this app, and it's especially great for people who are home a lot of the time and want to earn extra rewards while going about their daily routine.
There are a lot of useful tips out there for using Swagbucks, and we recommend reading them before you start so that you can get the most out of this app. Bonus features and the ability to passively earn while playing Swagwatch and SBTV offer even more ways to reap the rewards. Signing up for the Swagbucks survey profile will help you receive more surveys that you qualify for, thus increasing your rewards potential and allowing you to have input with companies that fit your lifestyle and spending profile.
9. Shopkick
Shopkick allows you to earn points in-store and online. Shopping in your regular stores, scanning the items and making a purchase will earn you rewards points. Submitting your receipts is easy. They call their reward points "kicks," and they can undoubtedly kickstart savings for you as you collect and redeem points for gift certificates as your favorite stores like Starbucks, Sephora, and Toys R Us.
As its popularity continues to grow, more companies will partner with Shopkick to provide, even more, options for redeemable features. At the moment, AMC, Marshalls, and more are just a few of the other brands you can secure deals with.
10. Checkout 51
Working similarly to iBotta, Checkout 51 is everyone's best friend when it comes to grocery shopping. New offers get loaded every Thursday. You can go into the app, load your offers, and head to the stores. Just upload pictures of your receipts to take advantage of the cashback.
The one area where Checkout 51 differs from iBotta is the fact that offers can be redeemed at any store, which makes it much easier to use on a national scale. Once you have earned at least $20, you can transfer your Checkout 51 rewards to cash in your bank account.
Check out apps from specific stores, too
In addition to the third-party apps available with no formal affiliation to specific retailers, more stores are getting savvy when it comes to attracting customers who want to save. Target and Walmart are just a few stores that have taken their coupon clipping online in the form of apps. In many cases, the deals you find on the store's unique apps can also be combined with sales from other apps, which will help you double or triple the savings in some cases.
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