7 Ways to Maximize Your Savings With Receipt-Scanning Apps!

7 Ways to Maximize Your Savings With Receipt-Scanning Apps!

Disclosure: This blog may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services I believe can genuinely help you in your journey to make money online. Your support helps keep this blog running and allows me to continue providing valuable resources. Thank you!

Now that you know which apps I use, let’s talk about how to use them. Each week, usually on Sundays, I go into each app to scan my receipts and look for new cashback offers. Using multiple receipt-scanning apps together can maximize your savings and cash-back potential, allowing you to earn rewards from a single receipt across different platforms. Here’s a list of the best receipt apps that work well together, so you can get the most out of every shopping trip:

1. Ibotta

• How it works: Ibotta offers cash back on groceries, household items, and more when you upload a receipt or link a loyalty card.
• Payout: Cash via PayPal, Venmo, or gift cards once you reach $20.
• Why it’s great to use together: Ibotta partners with many major retailers and offers specific brand cash-back offers. It can be used alongside other receipt apps for additional savings on the same purchase. One of my favorite ways to maximize my savings with this app is to use my cash back to purchase gift cards. You will get the gift card you were already going to use and you will earn a percentage back for buying through the app!
• What you need to know: Make sure you go into the app and select your offers BEFORE shopping. If you forget, you can still add an offer but it must be within a few hours or it won’t work.

2. Fetch

• How it works: Simply scan any receipt from grocery, convenience, club stores, etc., and earn points. There are bonus points for purchasing specific brands. Make sure you upload online receipts as well.
• Payout: Gift cards (Amazon, Target, etc.) once you reach as low as 3,000 points (equivalent to $3).
• Why it’s great to use together: Fetch Rewards doesn’t require you to pre-select offers, and it works with receipts from almost any retailer.

3. Swagbucks and/or Inbox Dollars

• How it works: Swagbucks & Inbox Dollars both let you upload receipts to earn points, especially for groceries. It also offers other ways to earn through surveys, online shopping, and more. You can email your online receipts (there are a few exceptions, found here) to Swagbucks for credit.
• Payout: Gift cards or PayPal.
• Why it’s great to use together: Swagbucks & Inbox Dollars both cover a lot of categories and can be used along with Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, and others for stacking rewards. I always make sure to check what new offers are available. Because they are sister companies, you can only scan your receipt into one or the other. Usually, the offers will be the same. Sometimes they are different though, so I always check both to see which offers the best deal.

4. CoinOut

• How it works: Scan any receipt from any retailer, and you earn a small amount of cash back for each receipt. Make sure you scan your online receipts as well!
• Payout: PayPal, bank deposit, or Amazon gift card.
• Why it’s great to use together: CoinOut doesn’t limit your earnings based on brand or store, so it’s a great general cash-back app to use alongside more targeted ones like Ibotta.

5. Upside

• How it works: Upside offers cash back on gas, groceries, and restaurants. You need to upload a receipt or check-in with your card at select locations.
• Payout: PayPal, bank transfer, or gift cards.
• Why it’s great to use together: It focuses on gas and restaurant purchases, which are often not covered by other apps. You can use it alongside grocery receipt apps like Ibotta and Fetch.

6. ReceiptPal

• How it works: You upload any receipt to earn points, which can be redeemed for gift cards. Link your Amazon, Walmart and Instacart accounts, as well as your e-mail so that you can scan for online receipts weekly!
• Payout: Gift cards (Amazon, Best Buy, etc.).
• Why it’s great to use together: ReceiptPal doesn’t require specific brands, so it’s easy to use alongside other apps.

7. Rakuten

• How it works: Rakuten is more focused on online shopping, but you can link your card to earn cash back at select in-store retailers.
• Payout: PayPal or check.
• Why it’s great to use together: Rakuten stacks with many of the other receipt apps when shopping online or in-store, especially if you’re taking advantage of store-specific bonuses.

How to Use These Apps Together

You can maximize cash-back by using several apps with overlapping rewards. Here’s a step-by-step process for stacking them:

Before shopping:

• Check Ibotta and Fetch Rewards for cash-back offers on products you’re already planning to buy.
• See if any stores offer additional bonuses via Rakuten for in-store or online purchases.

After shopping:

• Immediately scan your receipt into Ibotta and Fetch to get product-specific cash back.
• Upload the same receipt to Receipt Jar, ReceiptPal, POGO, and CoinOut for general rewards.
• Use Swagbucks or Inbox Dollars for additional points if they offer receipt scanning for your purchases.

For gas or dining out:

• Go onto the app before getting gas or visiting a convenience store to see if that location offers cash back. If so, select to claim the offer. Come back after you make your purchase to select which card you made your purchase with.
• If applicable, scan your gas or restaurant receipt with Upside for extra cash back.

Using a combination of these apps allows you to double-dip or even triple-dip on a single receipt, maximizing your cash back without much extra effort. I know it seems like a lot of information, but I promise you that you will get into a routine with it soon enough. Anything that you can do to earn money back on the purchases you are already making will be worth it!