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I’ll be honest — when I first heard about cashback apps, I assumed they were scams or that the savings would be so small they weren’t worth the effort. Then a friend showed me her Rakuten dashboard: $640 earned in one year, just from shopping she was already doing. No surveys, no games, no tricks. Just clicking through an app before buying things she was already going to buy.
That got my attention. After testing dozens of cashback apps over the past two years, I’ve found that the best cashback apps can realistically save you $200-$600+ per year — without changing your shopping habits. The key is knowing which apps are actually worth your time and which ones aren’t worth the phone storage.
Here are the best cashback apps in 2026, ranked by real earning potential, ease of use, and overall value.
How Cashback Apps Work
Before diving into the rankings, here’s the quick explanation: cashback apps partner with retailers and brands. When you shop through the app (or scan your receipt after shopping), the retailer pays the app a commission. The app shares a portion of that commission with you as cash back.
You’re not paying more for the products. The cash back comes from the retailer’s marketing budget, not your wallet. You’re essentially getting paid a small percentage for routing your purchase through a specific app.
Most apps pay out via PayPal, direct deposit, or gift cards once you hit a minimum threshold (usually $5-$25). The savings are modest per transaction — typically 1-10% — but they compound meaningfully over a year of normal shopping.
The 8 Best Cashback Apps Worth Using
1. Rakuten — Best Overall Cashback App
What it does: Offers cash back (1-15%+) at over 3,500 online stores. You click through the Rakuten app or browser extension before purchasing, and the cash back is tracked automatically.
Realistic annual earnings: $200-$600+ depending on your online shopping volume.
Payout: Quarterly via check or PayPal. Minimum $5 threshold.
Why it’s #1: Rakuten partners with virtually every major retailer — Amazon, Walmart, Target, Nike, Sephora, Home Depot, and thousands more. The browser extension makes it nearly effortless: it pops up automatically when you visit a partner store and activates cash back with one click. According to Rakuten’s official site, members have earned over $3.7 billion in cash back to date.
Best for: Anyone who shops online regularly. If you spend $5,000+ per year on online purchases, Rakuten alone can return $200-500.
2. Ibotta — Best for Grocery Cash Back
What it does: Offers cash back on groceries, household items, and select retailers. You can activate offers before shopping and link your store loyalty cards for automatic tracking, or scan your receipt after shopping.
Realistic annual earnings: $100-$300+ for regular grocery shoppers.
Payout: PayPal, Venmo, or gift cards. $20 minimum threshold.
Why it’s great: Ibotta dominates grocery cash back. The app regularly offers $0.25-$3.00+ back on individual grocery items, plus bonuses for completing offer bundles. The loyalty card linking feature means you don’t even need to scan receipts at many stores — the cash back is applied automatically.
Best for: Families and anyone who spends significantly on groceries. Pairs perfectly with our strategies for saving money on groceries.
3. Fetch Rewards — Best for Effortless Receipt Scanning
What it does: You scan any receipt from any store and earn points redeemable for gift cards. Specific brands offer bonus points, but every receipt earns something.
Realistic annual earnings: $50-$150 in gift cards.
Payout: Gift cards (Amazon, Target, Visa, Starbucks, etc.). Minimum varies by card ($3-$5).
Why it’s great: The barrier to entry is the lowest of any app. Scan any receipt — grocery, gas station, restaurant, pharmacy — and earn points. No need to activate offers in advance or shop through specific links. The base earning rate is modest, but bonus offers on specific brands add up. It takes less than 10 seconds per receipt.
Best for: People who want cashback with zero planning. Just scan everything.
4. Capital One Shopping — Best Browser Extension for Price Comparison
What it does: Automatically applies coupon codes at checkout and offers cash back through its browser extension. It also compares prices across retailers and alerts you if the same product is cheaper elsewhere.
Realistic annual earnings: $50-$200+ (highly variable based on shopping habits and coupon availability).
Payout: Credits redeemable for gift cards. No minimum threshold.
Why it’s great: The coupon code feature alone justifies installing it. At checkout, it automatically tests available promo codes and applies the best one — saving you money you wouldn’t have saved otherwise. The cash back is a bonus on top. You don’t need a Capital One credit card to use it.
Best for: Online shoppers who want automatic savings without actively managing apps.
5. Dosh — Best for Passive, Automatic Cash Back
What it does: You link your debit or credit cards, and Dosh automatically gives you cash back when you shop at partner merchants — no scanning, no clicking, no activating offers.
Realistic annual earnings: $30-$100.
Payout: PayPal, Venmo, or direct deposit. $25 minimum threshold.
Why it’s great: It’s the most truly passive cashback app. Link your cards once and forget about it. Cash back appears automatically when you shop at partner restaurants, hotels, and retailers. The earnings are smaller than active apps, but the effort is literally zero.
Best for: People who want to set it and forget it completely.
6. Honey (PayPal Honey) — Best for Automatic Coupon Codes
What it does: Browser extension that automatically searches for and applies coupon codes at checkout on thousands of sites. Also offers a rewards program (Honey Gold) for shopping through its portal.
Realistic annual earnings: $30-$150 in coupon savings + Honey Gold rewards.
Payout: Honey Gold redeemable for gift cards. Coupon savings are immediate at checkout.
Why it’s great: Like Capital One Shopping, Honey excels at automatically finding discount codes. It’s particularly strong at catching codes on fashion and lifestyle retailers. The Honey Gold rewards program adds an extra layer of earnings when you shop through their portal.
Best for: Fashion and lifestyle shoppers who frequently buy from online retailers with active coupon codes.
7. Checkout 51 — Best for Canadian and US Grocery Deals
What it does: Weekly cash-back offers on groceries and household items. Upload your receipt, and the cash back is credited to your account.
Realistic annual earnings: $50-$120.
Payout: Check mailed to you at $20 threshold.
Why it’s great: Checkout 51 refreshes offers every Thursday, keeping the deals current. It works alongside Ibotta — you can earn cash back from both apps on the same purchase if both have an offer for the same product.
Best for: Grocery shoppers who want to stack savings with other apps.
8. Shopkick — Best for In-Store Browsing Rewards
What it does: Earn points (kicks) for walking into stores, scanning product barcodes, watching product videos, and making purchases. Points are redeemable for gift cards.
Realistic annual earnings: $25-$75.
Payout: Gift cards. Varies by card.
Why it’s great: Shopkick is unique because you can earn rewards without buying anything — just by walking into stores and scanning barcodes. It’s a fun, gamified approach that works well as a supplement to other cashback apps.
Best for: People who enjoy in-store shopping and want to gamify their savings.
How to Stack Cashback Apps for Maximum Savings
The real power of the best cashback apps comes from stacking multiple apps on the same purchase. Here’s how:
Step 1: Use Rakuten or Capital One Shopping when buying online to earn cash back or apply coupon codes.
Step 2: Pay with a credit card that earns its own rewards (if you have one and pay in full monthly — see our guide on how to use a credit card responsibly).
Step 3: After in-store grocery shopping, scan your receipt on both Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. They track different offers, so you earn from both.
Step 4: Let Dosh run in the background on your linked cards for automatic savings at partner merchants.
A single grocery trip might earn you Ibotta cash back + Fetch Rewards points + credit card rewards — triple-dipping on the same purchase you were making anyway.
How Much Can You Realistically Earn?
Let’s be honest: the best cashback apps won’t replace your income. They’re a supplement — a way to claw back a small percentage of money you’re already spending.
Conservative estimate (casual user, 1-2 apps): $100-$200/year
Active user (3-4 apps, consistent receipt scanning): $300-$500/year
Power user (stacking apps, high shopping volume): $500-$800+/year
Those numbers might not sound life-changing, but $300-500 per year is a month’s groceries, a significant emergency fund contribution, or a meaningful dent in credit card debt. It’s real money for zero additional spending.
Cashback App Red Flags to Avoid
Not all cashback apps are worth your time. Watch out for:
Apps that require you to buy things you wouldn’t normally buy. If an app’s best offers are on products you don’t use, you’ll spend more to “save” — which is the opposite of the goal.
Unrealistically high earning claims. Any app promising $500/month in passive cash back is misleading. Realistic earnings are $10-50/month for most users.
Apps that sell your data aggressively. Read privacy policies. Some free apps monetize by selling detailed purchase data. The apps listed above are transparent about data use, but smaller or unknown apps may not be.
High payout minimums. If you need $50+ before you can cash out, it might take months of active use to see a single payment. Stick with apps that have $5-$25 minimums.
Start Earning Cash Back Today
The best cashback apps are the ones you’ll actually use consistently. If you only install one, make it Rakuten for online shopping or Ibotta for groceries. If you want to maximize returns, add Fetch Rewards and Capital One Shopping for a low-effort stack that covers most purchases.
These apps work best as part of a broader strategy to keep more of what you earn. Combine cashback apps with smart budgeting, frugal living habits, and cutting unnecessary subscriptions, and the savings compound into meaningful financial progress.
For more ways to put extra money in your pocket — from side hustles to selling what you own — check out our complete guide on how to make extra money.
FAQ Section
What is the best cashback app for groceries?
Ibotta is the best cashback app specifically for groceries. It offers the widest selection of grocery cash-back offers, links with store loyalty cards for automatic tracking, and regularly provides bonus rewards for completing offer bundles. Stack it with Fetch Rewards for even more savings on every grocery trip.
Are cashback apps safe to use?
The major best cashback apps like Rakuten, Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, and Capital One Shopping are safe and reputable. They use bank-level security for any payment information and have transparent privacy policies. Avoid unknown apps that request unnecessary permissions or lack clear privacy disclosures.
Can I use multiple cashback apps on the same purchase?
Yes, and you should. Many cashback apps track different things — Rakuten tracks your online click-through, Ibotta tracks specific product offers, and Fetch Rewards scans your receipt. Using multiple apps on the same purchase is called “stacking” and it maximizes your returns without any additional spending.
How long does it take to get paid from cashback apps?
It varies by app. Rakuten pays quarterly (approximately every 3 months). Ibotta and Fetch allow cash-outs once you hit their minimum threshold, which can be within days to weeks of regular use. Capital One Shopping credits accumulate and can be redeemed anytime. Most apps take 24-48 hours to verify purchases before crediting your account.
Do cashback apps actually save money or do they make you spend more?
The best cashback apps save money when used correctly — meaning you only use them for purchases you were already planning to make. They become counterproductive if you start buying unnecessary items just to “earn” cash back. Treat cash back as a bonus on existing spending, not a reason to spend more.
Is Rakuten legit?
Yes. Rakuten (formerly Ebates) has been operating since 1999 and has paid over $3.7 billion in cash back to its members. It’s publicly traded in Japan and partners with over 3,500 retailers in the US. It’s one of the most established and trusted cashback platforms available.
Toyin Onagoruwa is the founding editor of BrokeMeNot. He works as a software engineer in banking and has over 5 years of experience writing about personal finance, credit cards, and frugal living. He combines his fintech engineering background with real-world money management experience to create financial content you can actually use. Connect with him on LinkedIn.