Top perks
It's free
Ibotta is free to use. There are no fees to use the service, and no fees are deducted from your cash back earnings. Ibotta provides a simple way to earn extra money and can be an excellent addition to your personal finance apps.
Features 2,000-plus retailers
You'll have many options to earn cash back when using this cash back app. Ibotta features 2,000-plus retailers in various categories, including grocery stores, convenience stores, home renovation stores, pet stores, and more. Popular retailers include Walmart, Ace Hardware, GNC, Famous Footwear, PetSmart, and Target.
Earn a $10 welcome bonus
You'll get rewarded for becoming a new Ibotta user. Currently, Ibotta offers new users who meet the welcome offer requirements a $10 welcome bonus. You can reach this bonus by spending at least $30 at participating online retailers.
While a $10 welcome bonus may not sound like a lot of money, it can get you closer to the $20 minimum cash-out amount needed to request a payout.
Get paid to refer friends
Ibotta will reward you for sharing this app with friends and family. Every time someone uses your Ibotta referral code to join Ibotta and then redeems an offer, you'll earn $10. Each person you refer to Ibotta will also earn $5. This is a simple way to share the app with others and earn extra cash back.
Earn cash back on gift card purchases
You can also earn cash back rewards by purchasing virtual gift cards through Ibotta. You must link a debit card to the Ibotta app to buy gift cards from over 120 retailers. Each store has its own cash back offer for gift cards, but you can expect to earn around 5% for most retailers.
Earn more with bonuses
Ibotta also has special bonuses that allow you to earn even more cash back. You can find current bonus opportunities under the "Bonuses" section of the app. Some bonus opportunities are brand or category specific, while others are not.
Take a look at these bonus offers to maximize your earning potential. And be sure to read the details of each bonus opportunity and follow the instructions to earn more.
You can cash out at $20
You can request a payout once you reach $20 in cash back rewards. Some other cash back apps don't offer flexibility with payouts. For example, you'll be paid out quarterly if you use Rakuten. That means you only get four payments per year. Shoppers who use Ibotta regularly can cash out more frequently.
What could be improved
When you use Ibotta for in-store purchases, you must first add offers to your saved offer list. This can take some time to do as you plan for your shopping trip and figure out what stores you want to shop at and what items you want to buy. If you forget to add offers, you won't qualify for cash back earnings -- which can be frustrating.
You need to upload receipts
You must also upload a photo of your receipt when you shop in-store. This is how Ibotta tracks that you made a qualifying purchase. Once you get used to doing this, it becomes a habit -- but it does take some extra time. Other apps don't require you to upload a receipt, which is more convenient.
Many offers are store-specific
Many of the cash back offers found within Ibotta are store-specific. That means you can't use a cash back offer found under Target for a trip to Walmart. This requires some more thinking and planning when you do your shopping.
Many offers are brand-specific
Many of the in-store offers found throughout the app are brand-specific. This is something to be aware of if you typically buy store-brand items. Name-brand items usually cost more than store-brand items, so you want to ensure you're not overspending to earn a cash back reward. Some stores have "any item" offers that can be store brands, but these offers usually pay less.
There are ads
Sometimes an ad will pop up while you're using Ibotta. The ad may advertise another offer or show a short video about a product. This isn't unusual for a free app, but other cash back apps don't have ads.
You must make online purchases through the app
If you plan to earn cash back when shopping online, you must do so within the Ibotta app or from a computer using the Ibotta browser extension. This is how Ibotta tracks your purchases. This may be inconvenient for people used to doing their shopping through their phone's web browser. Additionally, if you forget about this and start to shop through your browser, failing to click through the app will result in no cash back earnings. The good news is online purchases don't require you to upload a receipt.