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With grocery receipt scanning apps, you can earn cash back on purchases that you make at the grocery store.
This method usually takes under a minute, and you’re earning free money just for taking a picture of your receipts.
You’ll even find that some of these apps extend beyond groceries, giving you cash back on alcohol, food purchased at restaurants, electronics and other types of products.
In this article, you’ll find the top 10 free money making apps that will pay you to scan your grocery receipt from your smartphone.
Want to skip the reviews and get right to it?
Here’s a quick list of some of the best receipt scanning apps:
- Ibotta ($10 bonus when you redeem your first offer)
- ReceiptPal (earn money with any receipt)
- Fetch Rewards ($1.50 bonus with promo HH3MN)
- NEW! – CoinOut (cash back for both in-person and online purchases)
- NEW! – Trunow ($2 sign-up bonus with promo TOF19)
- More Below…
Here are some of the benefits about using grocery receipt scanning apps:
- Most come with a free sign-up bonus.
- All of these apps are 100% free.
- You’ll find that some of these apps work at any store no matter what you buy.
- These apps can be deal stacked – this means that you can use the same receipt on multiple apps, possibly doubling, tripling or even quadrupling your savings.
- Save hundreds on groceries per year.
With that said, let’s dive right into the reviews.
For those that want to skip the text, you can watch the video version that explains this article below.
Table of Contents
1. Ibotta
- Registration Bonus: $10 after you claim your first offer
- Join Ibotta
Ibotta takes the #1 spot due to its variety in choices and its long-ranking history. Ibotta was one of the very first rebate apps available for grocery shopping.
This app ranks high due to the high rebate amount (sometimes as much as $5 for one product) and is constantly growing with new product rebates coming out every week.
Most of the items found on this rebate are items that you would buy on a weekly basis, such as milk, yogurt, eggs, garbage bags, cereal, soda and more.
Ibotta is also partnered with many common retailers so you don’t have to worry about where you go shopping in order to get your rebate.
The best part? You get a $10 bonus when you redeem your first receipt.
Ibotta also has a new cash back feature that allows you to earn more when shopping through their partner apps. For example, earn cash back on Groupon when you open the Ibotta app and click on “Shop with Groupon.”
From there, you’ll be redirected to the Groupon app (or be asked to install it if you haven’t already). You’ll be reimbursed 10% (this rate may change) of your total Groupon purchase price in your Ibotta account.
2. ReceiptPal
- Registration Bonus: None
- Join ReceiptPal
ReceiptPal is another great receipt scanning app that pays you no matter what you buy or where you buy it. In other words, as long as you have any type of receipt, you can claim it for cash back.
The best part is that you can upload receipts from any type of store and still receive money in your ReceiptPal account, as it’s not limited to grocery shopping.
The biggest downsides with ReceiptPal is that there’s no sign-up bonus and the payout is very limited. It may take a while before you reach the minimum balance to cash out for a gift card. However, it’s still a great addition to the list.
Read our full ReceiptPal Guide
3. Fetch Rewards
- Registration Bonus: $1.50 with promo code HH3MN and scan first receipt
- Join Fetch Rewards
Fetch Rewards is one of the more recent receipt scanning apps on this list. The great thing about this app is that compared to a lot of other apps on this list, you can buy your products at any store.As long as your offer shows up on both your receipt and in the mobile app, you’ll receive cash back for scanning your receipt.
Since they are a fairly recent app, their offers might not be as abundant as with apps such as Ibotta and Checkout 51. However, they are quickly expanding. We usually find a few more offers available each week.
Get a $1.50 sign-up bonus when you join using promo code HH3MN. You need a minimum of $3 to cash out for a gift card of your choosing. Keep in mind that you have 14 days to claim your receipt from date of purchase.
Read our full Fetch Rewards Review
4. CoinOut
- Registration Bonus: None
- Join CoinOut
CoinOut is the newest receipt scanning app on our list. Recently featured on Shark Tank, this app is known for both its great in-store as well as in-person cash back opportunities.
In order to earn cash back for online shopping, log-in to the app and click on one of the links to their stores. You’ll be redirected to a website where you make a purchase on any product.
CoinOut will automatically keep track of your online purchase, giving you between 1% and 10% in cash back depending on the retailer.
In order to earn cash back for in-person purchases, click on the “Scan” button in the app and take a picture of your receipt. The best part about this option is that it works for any store!
The amount you receive for in-person purchases is also dependent on the total as well as the retailer.
5. Trunow
- Registration Bonus: $2 bonus when you scan your first receipt using promo code TO1F19
- Join Trunow
Trunow was just recently launched to help you save money on your gas receipts. For each receipt you scan, you automatically get a 1% cash back bonus plus an additional 2% toward rewards. The best part? Trunow accepts all gas stations, so you don’t have to worry about where you go to fill up.
Trunow offers a great registration bonus of $2 when you sign-up using promo code TO1F19 and scan your first receipt. Not only that, but you get a chance to win a new reward when you sign-up by spinning a wheel. I was lucky and received $2.50 off my next gallon of gas.
There’s no limit to the amount of rewards you can earn. This app helps you save even more by using your current location and telling you which gas station nearby has the cheapest price.
6. Checkout 51
- Registration Bonus: None
- Join Checkout 51
Checkout 51 is incredibly similar to Ibotta. While Checkout 51 may not have as wide of a product selection as its number one counterpart, it continues to grow and often gives out rebates for vegetables and fruits, something not common with most rebate apps.
The app continues to grow and does a great job of updating its weekly selection with new offers. One great feature is that it caters to the holidays. Right now Thanksgiving is approaching, so you can easily find rebates on pumpkin pie ingredients.
Offers are updated once a week every Wednesday night at midnight. You have just one week to claim your receipt.
Read our full Checkout 51 Guide
7. Shopkick
- Registration Bonus: 250 kicks
- Join Shopkick
Shopkick is an app that was originally created to reward you just for walking in stores. Turn on your location settings and your bluetooth. Each time you walk into a retailer that they’re partnered with, you earn a certain amount of “kicks”.
These kicks can be exchanged for cash prizes or for gift cards of your choosing. Not only that, but you can also earn kicks for scanning barcodes of products within stores.
However, they’ve recently expanded. You can now earn cash for shopping online, linking your credit/debit card and making purchases at their partner retailers and also scanning your store receipts.
When scanning receipts, you’re not limited to just groceries. Keep in mind that with this app you need to scan specific products at specific stores, so the location and the product both matter.
This is one app you definitely want to add on your list since there’s many ways to earn. Get a bonus of 250 kicks upon registration.
8. Makeena
- Registration Bonus: $1 with promo code lizzod
- Join Makeena
Makeena has been around for quite some time now hidden under the radar. However, their popularity is quickly increasing due to the fact that many people love using the app.
The great thing about Makeena is that it actually motivates you to eat in a healthier way. Right off the bat you’ll notice that the majority of their offers consist of fruits and vegetables – something you won’t find on the other apps! A lot of the offers are organic as well.
The best part? Unlike other apps on this list, it doesn’t matter where you buy the items. As long as they appear on your receipt, you’ll be able to redeem your receipt for cash. Some of the more common items include spinach, organic apples, organic sweet potatoes, fresh organic broccoli, any variety of kombucha and more.
You do need a minimum of $20 to cash out to either your PayPal or Venmo account, yet I usually find that this amount is quite easy to reach due to their wide variety of offers.
9. BerryCart
- Registration Bonus: $2 with promo code 7xYw14Jb and scan first receipt
- Join BerryCart
If you’re a health-nut, then this is the receipt scanning grocery app you’re looking for. BerryCart offers you rebates on products with specific attributes, such as Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Soy, Organic and more.
There’s even a filter meaning you can search for a product based on what attribute it carries. These items tend to be less common and are difficult to find. However, BerryCart has you covered with a built in GPS of all of the stores near you where you can buy the specific product.
Eat healthy and get paid. Use promo code 7xYw14Jb to get a $2 bonus when you scan your first receipt.
Read our full BerryCart Review
10. SavingStar
- Registration Bonus: None
- Join SavingStar
SavingStar didn’t always used to be part of the receipt scanning app family. This app was originally designed to help you link your loyalty cards and automatically receive discounts when making a purchase – all work was done on their end once you uploaded your information.
While they still have this feature, SavingStar has expanded to provide you with cash back when you scan a receipt, and are quite competitive among the top contenders on this list.
They actually have a lot of offers out there. Last time we checked, there were roughly 50 to 60 available rebates. Not only that, but their payout is extremely high for a receipt scanning app. For example, get $4 in cash back when you spend $15 or more on Purex detergent.
The great part about SavingStar is that you can buy a product at an incredibly wide variety of stores in order to claim your cash back. At the latest, you need to scan your receipt a maximum of 3 days after an offer has expired.
11. MobiSave
- Registration Bonus: $1
- Join MobiSave
MobiSave is a product-specific receipt scanning app. It doesn’t matter where you buy the product, as long as your receipt is itemized and shows the specific product you’re redeeming.
Not only can you get cash back on groceries, but on other products as well such as those that fall under the categories of beauty, household, baby, health and even prescriptions. The typical cash back amount with MobiSave is a bit higher than other apps on this list with a minimum of $.50 cents in savings.
It’s not uncommon to find an offer that gets you a few bucks off of a specific purchase. However, the one downside is that they are quite limited on their offers, but they have grown quite a bit and are still expanding their selection.
Refer a friend and you both get a $1 bonus when your friend scans their first receipt.
12. Receipt Hog
- Registration Bonus: 5 free spins (promo code zuss1319)
- Join Receipt Hog
Receipt Hog acts in a very similar manner to ReceiptPal. You can scan any receipt from any store and still receive cash back. The only downside is that it typically has to be from a grocery store, but sometimes they do take receipts from other retailers.
What makes ReceiptHog a little more fun is that the app comes with a small game called Hog Slots. Each time you upload a receipt or refer a friend you are given spins.
Take a spin on the slot machine and have a chance to earn more cash and other prizes. Receipt Hog usually pays slightly better than ReceiptPal as well. Use referral code zuss1319 to get 5 free spins.
13. Punchcard
- Registration Bonus: None
- Join Punchcard
The Punchcard app pays you when you shop at popular retailers such as Subway, Starbucks or Target. Although it’s a fairly new app, you’d be surprised by the amount of stores there are partnered with, even if you live in a small town or city.
Mom and pop locations are even offered on the app. Once you scan your receipt, you need to spin the Punchcard wheel to earn a certain amount of points. These points can be exchanged for cash prizes or gift cards to Amazon, CVS, Starbucks and other stores.
You need a minimum of 5,000 points ($2) to claim a gift card. While you won’t earn a lot of money using this app, it includes a lot of stores that the others on this list won’t have.
14. Shopmium
- Registration Bonus: Lindt Chocolate Bar (promo code KKKFFCEX)
- Join Shopmium
Update: Shopmium has now joined Coupons.com. You can find all of their available offers on the Coupons.com app.
Originally developed in France, Shopmium can save you a bundle on some of the more uncommon grocery items. This includes protein powder, olives, bagels, beef jerky and even 5-hour energy.
It’s always a good idea to check with Shopmium on a weekly basis for those items you think you don’t have a chance at getting a rebate with. One great thing with Shopmium is that it’s retailer independent, meaning you can shop anywhere as long as you buy the product they’re looking for.
Use referral code KKKFFCEX to get a Free Lindt Chocolate bar.
15. Walmart Savings Catcher
- Registration Bonus: None
- Join Walmart Savings Catcher
Last but not least comes the Walmart Savings Catcher. If you’re a frequent shopper at Walmart, this is the best app for you out of the bunch.
After receiving your Walmart receipt, scan it to the Savings Catcher and it will automatically be compared to prices from other top retailers. If they find a cheaper price on a product that you purchased, you will receive the difference in cash back.
Even if you’re not sure if you’re going to get a discount, you might as well scan every Walmart receipt you get just in case. If you don’t receive a bonus, there’s no penalty. The only downside? It’s limited to Walmart.
Read our full Walmart Savings Catcher Review
16. Snap By Groupon
- Registration Bonus: None
- Join Snap By Groupon
Update: This app no longer works as a receipt scanning app. However, you can still earn cash back through other methods.
This app was originally called SnapSavings, but was later bought out by Groupon. Snap by Groupon is one of the few apps that offers cash back on produce, but doesn’t have as much variety as other rebate apps.
The one thing I can trust about Snap is that each week they’ll usually have completely different offers from the week before, so always be certain to check back. Snap is also growing steadily, slowly increasing the amount of product offers that they have.
Read our full Snap By Groupon Review
What Are Some Other Great Rewards Apps For Earning Cash Back On Groceries?
Run out of offers on receipt scanning apps? Not to worry. There are plenty of other rewards apps that will give you rewards for shopping. Let’s take a look at some of our favorites.
17. Drop
- Registration Bonus: $1 when you link your credit/debit card
- Join Drop
Don’t want to deal with receipts and still earn cash back? You don’t have to with Drop. Simply link your credit card to the app, and each time you make a purchase at one of their partnered retailers, you’ll automatically earn cash back.
This is what I love about the Drop app: once you finish setting up, the only thing you have to do is claim your rewards. Originally only available in Canada, they recently became available in the US as of a few weeks ago.
Keep in mind that when you first join Drop, you can only choose up to 5 retailers in which you can earn cash back. However, the more you use Drop, the more retailers you’ll be able to add to your list in the future.
Join and receive a $1 sign-up bonus when you link your first card.
18. Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel
- Registration Bonus: None
- Join Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel
Want to easily make $50/year in passive income? That’s essentially what you’re doing with the Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel.
When you install this app to your phone, Nielsen tracks your phone activity. This typically includes your battery life, what apps are installed, etc. In exchange for your data, you get paid.
The best part? There’s no limit to the amount of devices you have the app installed on. Instead they have a limit to the amount of devices per geographical area.
Right now you can install the program to either your desktop or mobile device. However, when you install it to your desktop you don’t earn points but rather are entered in prize drawings for up to $10,000.
Read our full Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel Review
19. Dosh
- Registration Bonus: $1
- Join Dosh
Dosh gives you cash back when making purchases in 2 ways: linking your credit card and shopping online at their partnered retailers.
When you make a purchase with your linked credit card, it doesn’t matter if you shop through their app online or offline. You’ll earn cash back either way. For example, a while ago they were paying up to 7% cash back on everything at Jack in the Box (keep in mind these rates may change).
When making purchases online for cash back, you need to first open the app. From there, click on their partner retailer to be redirected to that retailer’s website. Make your purchase like you normally would and within a week earn the amount of cash back in your Dosh account.
Get a $1 bonus just for signing-up as a new user. You need a minimum of $15 to cash out.
Final Thoughts
These apps are great for earning cash back on groceries. Keep in mind that you can stack these apps, meaning you can use more than one for the same receipt.
For those interested in a video version of this article, you can watch it below:
- 35 Ways to Score Free Amazon Gift Cards
- 25 Survey Sites That Will Make You $600+/Month in Extra Income
- 35 Work at Home Gigs That Pay Once a Week or Daily
Check back for updates to our top ten list when new apps come out. Have any experiences with the apps above? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
