Cashback shopping apps give you an overview of all the best deals at local retail stores and let you earn points or hard cash you can later spend on other necessities. They’re an excellent way for businesses to win over customers and a chance for you to get more value for your money.

In this article, we reviewed the top 5 best cashback apps in 2024, looking at their ease of use, functionality, number of retail and online stores covered, and the amount of money you can earn to help you make an informed decision and save every dollar.

The Best Cashback Shopping Apps in 2024 | Top 5 Shortlist

There are a lot of cashback apps out there, some better and safer than others. If you want to avoid scams and choose only the best cashback shopping apps that let you earn the most money, here’s a list of the top 5 tested cashback apps with excellent user reviews:

  1. Upside — Overall the Best Cashback Shopping App in 2024
  2. QuickRewards — Trusted Cashback App That Offers Five Different Ways to Earn Money
  3. TopCashBack — Free Cashback App With Over 60 Ways to Withdraw Your Money
  4. BeFrugal — Popular Cashback App With Up to 40% Cashback and Regular Discount Coupons
  5. iBotta — Fun and Exciting Cashback App With Additional Weekly Bonuses on Top of Standard Cashback Offers

Best Cashback App for Online Shopping | Top 5 Reviewed

Here are in-depth reviews of the best cash-back shopping apps on the market, so you can see how they compare head-to-head and choose the one (or multiple), that’s best for you.

1. Upside — Overall the Best Cashback Shopping App in 2024

Upside is a popular shopping cash-back app with overwhelmingly positive user reviews. It’s easy to install and use, offers great cashback rates on groceries and gas and lets you cash out via PayPal or bank deposit.

Upside | The Best Cashback App for Saving on Everyday Items

Upside’s partnered with over 50,000 locations nationwide, including everything from gas stations and restaurants to your local grocery store and favorite pizza place.

The app displays all available offers on the map, alongside the highest possible cashback, so you can quickly discern which business offers the best deals and see how much cashback you’ll earn at different locations.

The map will show you all nearby cashback offers

To earn cashback, all you have to do is activate the specific offer in the app before making your purchase. You’ll then have 24 hours to scan receipts for money to claim the offer.

After successful receipt scanning, the application automatically processes the cashback. While this can take up to a few days, depending on the business, the money will reliably reach your account every time.

You can see the current balance and lifetime earnings in a dedicated tab and cash out at any time. Alternatively, you can claim some specific offers via the app check-in.

Within 20 minutes of checking in, you’ll have to make a purchase using a linked credit or debit card, and the cashback will be automatically added to your account after processing without requiring you to scan the receipt.

Pros

  • Simple and easy to use
  • Displays all locations and offers on the map
  • Fast receipt transaction processing (typically within 24 hours)
  • A reliable app that doesn’t crash or suffer from bugs
  • Leverages geolocation to show you the best nearby cashback offers

Cons

  • Different locations of the same brand may offer different cashback rates (or no cashback at all)
  • The app would deny receipts if they were scanned by another cashback app
Covered Industries Avg. Receipt Processing Time Referral Program Cashout Options
Fuel/C-Store, Groceries, Restaurants 24 hours $7/user + 1 cent for every gallon of gas purchased

PayPal, Bank Transfer

2. QuickRewards — Trusted Cashback App That Offers Five Different Ways to Earn Money

QuickRewards is more than just a cashback app — it lets you earn money by completing online surveys, playing games, watching videos, and completing offers on top of shopping online.

QuickRewards | Trusted Cashback App With Five Ways to Earn

Apart from being super intuitive and easy to use, the best part about QuickRewards is the fact that it has no withdrawal minimum. In other words, you can cash out as little as one cent via PayPal.

On top of the money you earn by using the app, you’ll also receive weekly newsletters from the company containing gift cards you can exchange for a wide variety of items in online stores.

While QuickRewards might sound too good to be true to some people, it has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, so you can rest assured that the company is 100% legitimate and that you’ll be able to claim your rewards and earn your cashback without issue.

Additionally, the company’s been in business for over two decades now, with over $7 million paid to users in total.

As the name of the app suggests, QuickRewards processes your rewards and cashback faster than most other similar apps. You can expect the money to show up in your account within 24 hours of completing a specific task.

The withdrawals are processed almost instantly, with the only factor contributing to the waiting times being PayPal itself or your associated bank.

With five different earning options at your disposal and an excellent referral program, QuickRewards is a great way to earn some extra money on the side by participating in activities that take less than five minutes.

Pros

  • 5 different ways to earn money
  • Fast processing times
  • No minimum threshold for withdrawals
  • A+ Better Business Bureau rating
  • Weekly gift cards via email

Cons

  • Low rates for playing games (~$0.01 for every 4 games installed and played)
Covered Industries Avg. Receipt Processing Time Referral Program Cashout Options
Online Retail, Gaming, Surveys, Advertising 2 — 24 hours $3/friend referred — added to your account after they withdraw at least $3

PayPal, Amazon Gift cards, Physical gift cards (mailed to your address)

3. TopCashBack — Free Cashback App With Over 60 Ways to Withdraw Your Money

TopCashBack is another extremely rewarding cashback app that lets users save hundreds of dollars each year by shopping at thousands of popular retailers across fashion, tech, retail, travel, home & gardening, fitness, and a dozen other industries.

TopCashBack | Best Cashback App in the UK

The standard TopCashBack account is completely free and gives you hundreds of incredible deals to choose from, with cashback offers going up to a whopping 20% of your purchase.

Advertisers and retailers sponsor the site, so all the cashback you earn is yours to keep — there are no hidden charges or withdrawal fees.

Another huge advantage of TopCashBack is the fact that the app offers over 60 different ways to withdraw your money. The options range from PayPal and your bank account to a variety of popular gift cards you can use in hundreds of stores around the US.

Additionally, you can use the cashback you’ve accrued to purchase gift cards from TopCashBack’s shop. The gift cards are emailed to you, and you can use them in associated online stores.

What we like about TopCashBack is the convenience. You can browse all available offers on the official website, download the mobile app, or even install a browser extension to ensure you never miss a great cashback deal.

One thing to note when it comes to TopCashBack is that it may take up to seven days for your cashback to get processed before it appears in your account. Plus, you can only withdraw the money after the retailer’s refund/returns period is over, which typically ranges from 30 to 90 days.

Pros

  • Completely free to use
  • Incredible offers for hundreds of brands
  • No hidden fees or charges
  • Great referral program payouts
  • Over 60 different ways to withdraw your money

Cons

  • Long processing times
Covered Industries Avg. Receipt Processing Time Referral Program Cashout Options
Fashion, Tech, Home & Garden, Food & Drink, Health & Beauty, Travel, Retail, Fitness 7 days £35 for your first friend referred — deposited to your account once they earn £10 using the app

PayPal, Bank deposit, Gift cards

BeFrugal is another excellent option for anyone who’s budget-conscious and wants to get the most for their money.

BeFrugal Cashback App | Up to 40% Cashback

The app offers some of the highest cashback rates we’ve ever come across, with up to 40% cashback in thousands of stores across the US. Additionally, you can take advantage of regular discount coupons to save even more money during every shopping trip.

New users will also get $10 added to their accounts when they join BeFrugal, as well as an additional $10 for every friend referred.

What’s great about BeFrugal is that it offers browser extensions for Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and Safari. This allows you to log into your BeFrugal account when shopping online on your desktop PC, laptop, or iPad.

Conversely, you don’t have to spend time searching for the best deals or worry about forgetting to apply a discount coupon — the BeFrugal app will do so for you automatically.

When it comes to deals and coupons, you can either browse all active deals on BeFrugal’s website or adjust the preferences on your phone to only receive notifications for stores and deals that matter to you.

This prevents the app from spamming you with deals you don’t care about while simultaneously ensuring you don’t miss a deal you’ll love.

Another reason to opt for BeFrugal is that you can get paid in a wide variety of ways, including:

  • PayPal
  • Venmo
  • Zelle
  • Direct bank deposits
  • A variety of gift cards

The withdrawal processing times can take a while, with users reporting they haven’t received their funds for over a month, which may be a reason to opt for one of the faster alternatives, like Upside.

Pros

  • Discounts, coupons, and featured deals
  • Highest cash back out of all cashback apps (up to 40%)
  • Browser extensions for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge
  • $10 free on account creation plus an additional $10 for every friend referred

Cons

  • Slow withdrawal processing times
Covered Industries Avg. Receipt Processing Time Referral Program Cashout Options
Retail, Food & Drinks, Electronics, Tools, Pets 7 days $10/friend referred

Direct bank deposit, PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, Gift Card

5. iBotta — Fun and Exciting Cashback App With Additional Weekly Bonuses on Top of Standard Cashback Offers

iBotta lets you take advantage of the best offers on the web when you’re shopping online and helps you save big through exclusive discounts, whether you’re shopping on your laptop/PC or your mobile phone.

iBotta Cashback App With Weekly Bonuses

While the app is exclusive to online retailers, iBotta offers excellent deals with up to 30% cashback, which you won’t find anywhere else.

Additionally, once you install the free Google Chrome extension, you’ll be able to activate discounts and claim cashback with a single click, as well as compare prices of every online retailer to ensure you get the best deal.

iBotta partners with some of the world’s biggest online retailers to bring you the sweetest deals, including Home Depot, eBay, BestBuy, Walmart, Chevy’s, Kohl’s, and a dozen other popular store chains and online marketplaces.

Apart from getting the best cashback deals, you can also get bonuses for using the iBotta app. They work like achievements in video games, meaning you get rewarded hard cash for completing certain milestones, such as spending a certain amount on party supplies.

Additionally, iBotta offers a $15 welcome bonus for all new users, which is automatically added to your account after spending at least $50 on online purchases through the app.

If you refer a few friends, you’ll also be eligible for team bonuses, which add a few dollars to everyone’s account each week on top of what you’re already earning back.

Pros

  • Fast withdrawal processing times
  • Wide range of products and discounts for virtually all major online retailers
  • Allows you to compare prices between different vendors with a single click
  • Excellent weekly bonuses that unlock additional earning opportunities

Cons

  • $20 minimum for withdrawals
  • Offers must be claimed before making a purchase
Covered Industries Avg. Receipt Processing Time Referral Program Cashout Options
Online Retail 24 hours Referring friends unlocks weekly team bonuses that add extra cashback to your entire team

Direct bank deposit, PayPal, Gift Cards

Top Cashback Apps for Shopping | Top 5 Compared

With a head-to-head comparison like the one below, you’ll be able to compare what each of the best cashback app is best suited for, their processing times, referral programs, and cashout options:

Cashback App Covered Industries Avg. Receipt Processing Time Referral Program Cashout Options
Upside Fuel/C-Store, Groceries, Restaurants 24 hours $7/user + 1 cent for every gallon of gas purchased

PayPal, Bank Transfer

QuickRewards Online Retail, Gaming, Surveys, Advertising 2 — 24 hours $3/friend referred — added to your account after they withdraw at least $3 PayPal, Amazon Gift cards, Physical gift cards (mailed to your address)
TopCashBack Fashion, Electrical, Home & Garden, Food & Drink, Utilities, Travel, Retail 7 days £35 for your first friend referred — deposited to your account once they earn £10 using the app

PayPal, Bank deposit, Gift cards

BeFrugal Retail, Food & Drinks, Electronics, Tools, Pets 7 days $10/friend referred Direct bank deposit, PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, Gift Card
iBotta Online Retail 24 hours Referring friends unlocks weekly team bonuses that add extra cashback to your entire team

Direct bank deposit, PayPal, Gift Cards

What is a Shopping Cashback App?

Shopping cashback apps are phone applications that you can install on your device to earn back a portion of the money you spend with each purchase. The way these and the best gas cashback apps work is remarkably simple.

Cashback apps partner with the world’s biggest brands and display their deals and discounts to help them reach new customers and increase their profits. In return, you, as the user, get a portion of the money back, which is deposited into your account on the app.

These apps are primarily funded by advertisers and the brands they collaborate with, which allows them to reward users for shopping on the featured websites or in local stores the app partners with.

In most cases, you’ll have to scan the receipts for cash or activate a specific deal within the app before making a purchase.

The deals different apps offer may vary drastically and may even be customized for different users according to their preferences and purchase history with a specific brand.

In addition to getting a portion of your money back, the best cashback apps also include other ways to earn, such as gift cards, bonuses, and referral programs.

All in all, a cash back application is a great way to get the most out of your money, especially since the products covered are mostly everyday necessities you’d buy anyway, such as groceries, gas, and food & drinks.

Why Do I Need a Shopping Rewards Program?

With the ever-increasing cost of living, people are looking for ways to stretch out their monthly budget and get more value for their money.

Suppose you want to save money on everyday purchases by taking advantage of exclusive discounts and cashback offers. In that case, you need a reliable, proven cash back application that offers cash-back rewards on every purchase.

Whether you’re just grocery shopping or planning a big purchase, it pays to have a cashback app installed on your phone. The best receipt rewards apps are easy to install and use, and all it takes is a single click before your purchase to save as much as 40% of the total price.

If you’re looking to save a bit of extra cash, you can also:

  • Get loyalty cards
  • Use discount coupons
  • Leverage special bonuses
  • Refer a few friends to earn money off of their every purchase

Nowadays, when all major retailers offer some sort of shopping rewards or loyalty program, not taking advantage of these deals is equivalent to throwing money down the drain.

Given the fact that all of the best cashback apps we reviewed in this article are free, we see absolutely no reason not to give them a shot and save hundreds of dollars every year by improving your spending habits.

Cashback App FAQs

Which App Gives the Highest Cashback?

Do Cash Back Apps Work?

What’s the Best Cashback App for Online Shopping?

Can You Use Multiple Cashback Apps at Once?

What’s the Best Cashback App for Grocery Shopping?

Are Cashback Apps Safe?

Conclusion | What’s the Best Shopping Cashback App in 2024?

There are hundreds of apps offering cash-back rewards, but not all of them are worth your time and effort.

To help you avoid scams and ensure you choose the best receipt rewards app for you, we’ve tested and reviewed the most popular cash rewards apps on the market. Here’s a quick reminder of the best apps to get cash back on all eligible purchases:

  1. Upside — Overall the Best Cashback Shopping App in 2024
  2. QuickRewards — Trusted Cashback App That Offers Five Different Ways to Earn Money
  3. TopCashBack — Free Cashback App With Over 60 Ways to Withdraw Your Money
  4. BeFrugal — Popular Cashback App With Up to 40% Cashback and Regular Discount Coupons
  5. iBotta — Fun and Exciting Cashback App With Additional Weekly Bonuses on Top of Standard Cashback Offers

Overall, Upside is our #1 choice, given the fact that it’s simple and easy to use, provides the location of all nearby stores with excellent cashback deals, and gives you 24 hours to scan the receipt and claim the offer.

Create your free Upside account today and start saving big with the best cashback app in 2024.