8 Favorite Cash Back Apps and Sites

Apparently, today is National Cash Back Day (did you know that was a thing?? I didn’t until last week). So, in honor of that, I’m sharing my favorite cash back apps and websites.

There are quite a few cash back apps and sites out there, but these are ones I trust, and most of them I have used for a while.

And while none of them are going to make you rich, getting a little money back on things you’re already buying anyway certainly never hurt anyone! And in combination with each other, I’ve been able to earn money or gift cards every couple of months.

(And I don’t even spend a crazy amount of time trying to earn them. I’ve seen people more savvy and dedicated than I am earn significantly more. However… we have to remember that while these apps & sites may be free, there are always opportunity costs to how we spend our time.)

Also — some of the apps and sites I’m going to mention payout in cash and some payout in points you can exchange for gift cards. But I’m lumping them all together under the term “cash back” because to me a gift card is as good as cash.

Check out my list and hopefully, you’ll find a couple of new ones! And if you know of any that aren’t on my list, share them in the comments below!

**Note: Some of the links in my list are my referral links, which means I will earn cash or points in you sign up through my link.

My Favorite Cash Back Sites

Rakuten (formerly ebates)

I’ve been using Rakuten (formerly Ebates) for YEARS, and I’ve earned quite a few lovely checks from them. They are especially great to use for holiday shopping (which is right around the corner!), and they usually have extra cash back days around Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

Sign up here and get $10 FREE!
BeFrugal

This one works the same as Rakuten. When I’m about to make an online purchase, I shop around to find the best deal. Between these two sites and Swagbucks (which I’ll explain next), I can usually find a pretty good cash back deal.

Sign up here and get a $10 sign-up bonus!
Swagbucks

Swagbucks works a little differently in that it rewards you in points which you can then redeem for gift cards. But they have a huge selection of possibilities, including Amazon, which is basically cash to me!

The great thing about Swagbucks is there are lots of other ways to earn points besides shopping — such as taking polls, watching videos, and even performing your normal web searches!

Insider Tip: Most of the gift cards are 100:1 point-to-$ ratio, but there’s a slight discount for some of the gift cards. For example, a $10 Amazon card is 1,000 points, but a $25 gift card is only 2,200 points. That’s a 12% discount. So, I always save my points until I have 2,200 before redeeming.

Sign up (again, for free) here and get a 300SB bonus!

Others

Shoptathome.com — I have used this one in the past, but not for quite some time.

My Favorite Cash Back Apps

Ibotta

Ibotta is an app you can use to earn cash back on everyday purchases, such as groceries, household items, beauty supplies, and more!

To be completely honest, I don’t earn a ton of money from it because I don’t buy a lot of the items in their lists (I rarely buy name-brand and avoid most processed food), but throughout the year, I accumulate around $100 or so that we put towards Christmas presents. And this time of year, that sure helps!

Insider Tip: I make good use of the “Any Item” offers, look for offers I can combine with coupons, and try to be strategic with the challenges.

Sign up here!
Fetch Rewards

With Fetch Rewards, you can earn points on any grocery items at any store — even gas stations!

What I LOVE about Fetch is that I don’t have to spend time searching through offers — I just scan my receipt and it finds them for me!

Every once in a while, I’ve had a bonus offer not give me the points, but their customer service is fantastic, and I’ve never not had an issue resolved in my favor.

Because of my shopping habits, Fetch has actually been working out for me better than Ibotta (though I still use both), and I’ve been earning an Amazon gift card about once a month.

Sign up here and use referral code TV2UN to get 2,000 bonus points when you scan your first receipt!
CoinOut

CoinOut is brand-new to me, and I haven’t earned enough to have a payout yet, but it came recommended by someone I trust, and it’s super easy to use. What I love about it is you can scan and earn on (almost) any receipt (though it’s often only a few cents each).

Insider Tip: Be sure to read the “How It Works” section to learn what kinds of receipts are not eligible and for tips for earning more points per receipt!

Sign up here!

Others

Checkout51

I’ve used this one in spurts over the years. Sometimes I have a lot of luck with it, and sometimes I don’t. It’s not my favorite cash back app, but I always check over it before I make my shopping lists, and it is another option to add to your list.

Sign up here & earn cash back toward free groceries!

Another favorite reward app

Achievement

This one is not a cash back app, but I did want to mention it as a great way to earn free money.

You don’t have to make any purchases to earn points. Instead, you earn by making healthy choices — taking steps, drinking water, tracking your heart rate, even SLEEPING! Occasionally, there are other ways to earn, as well, such as by reading a health-related article or taking a poll.

Like the other apps, it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme by any means, but hey — earning money for doing things I should be doing anyway?? I’ll take it!

Sign up here to start earning!