With all the cash back apps out there, you may be wondering "Is Ibotta legit?". Does it really get you money back as it claims? The answer is yes! Ibotta is legit and you can earn money back each time you shop.
Using Ibotta can get you some real cash back on your purchases, especially when shopping for groceries. So instead of throwing away free money, giving Ibotta a try can help you save more!
Ibotta is very easy to use and there's actually different ways you can get even more cash back.
I personally use Ibotta myself and love this app when it comes to getting free money back on my purchases.
Let me show you how Ibotta works and I'll go over all the ways you can maximize your savings with this app.
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What is Ibotta?
So, if you're wondering if Ibotta is legit rest assured that it's a legitimate free app that pays its users to earn cash on their everyday purchases from groceries, online shopping, bonuses, and more.
To date, Ibotta has paid it's users $860 million! Can you believe that? There's over 1.2 million ratings from the Apple App Store with a solid 4.8 out of 5, can't get any better than that!
The Ibotta app also has great ratings on the Google Play Store, where it has an average score of 4.5 out of 5 from over 530,000 ratings.
Ibotta
Free $20 welcome bonus
Ibotta is a free app that gets you real cash back on your purchases from groceries, brands, clothing, medication, online shopping, and so much more
Average use of Ibotta could bring you $240 a year or more - aside from your free $20 welcome bonus - Ibotta has paid it's users over $860 million so far
How does Ibotta work?
Ibotta will give you cash back on certain items you purchase through one of their 1,000+ participating major retailers.
You can get free cash back when you purchase grocery items, pet food, health products, clothes, and so much more.
There's a few ways to get extra money back once you sign up and start your Ibotta account.
Once you sign up with Ibotta and download the free phone app (and claim your free $20 sign up bonus), you'll have a few options to start getting your free cash back.
Getting free money back with Ibotta is so easy, we'll cover some of the ways below.
In store Purchases
Ibotta will get you money back when you're shopping for groceries.
Besides just groceries, you could also earn cash back at over 300 participating retail chains which include restaurants, movie theaters, convenience stores, home improvement centers, pet stores, and pharmacies.
Some stores you may be familiar with:
- Aldi
- Costco
- Dollar Tree
- Kroger
- Target
- Whole Foods Market
- PetSmart
- Walmart
- Hobby Lobby
- Rite Aid
- Banana Republic
- Express
- Gap
- 300 more!
Once you've found the store you plan to do in-store shopping at, choose the items you plan to buy, add it to your Ibotta list, and once you get your receipt, scan into the app to get your cash back.
Linking your store loyalty card
If you want to skip scanning your receipt, an easy way to do this is to link up your store loyalty card with the Ibotta app.
Keep in mind that not all the stores will have this feature within the app. If the store you plan to shop at does have this feature, it will say "Link Account" when you go click on the store name within the app.
Once you link your loyalty card and shop in store, the cashier will scan your card. Ibotta will then automatically process your purchase information and match up and offers you have added to your list.
You will receive cash back automatically without scanning any receipts just as long as you scan your store loyalty card at the register.
Scan your receipt by taking a photo
The second way to get your cash back with Ibotta is by taking a quick photo of your receipt to submit it.
If your receipt is long, don't worry, you can take multiple snapshots to ensure you're able to submit the entire receipt.
Ibotta will be able to read your receipt and match it up with the offers you've added to your list to get you cash back.
Some receipts even come with a QR code which looks like a square box with a bunch of random dots on the bottom of the receipt. So instead of snapping the entire receipt, you can simply take a photo of the QR code and Ibotta will receive the information from your purchase and match up your offers.
Save When Online shopping
If you do some online shopping too then Ibotta's also got you covered. You can choose from any one of the hundreds of participating online retailers from food delivery, clothing, travel sites, and so much more where you can save money from.
Some of the online stores you can choose from are:
- Banana Republic
- BestBuy
- Chewy
- Expedia
- Express
- Forever 21
- Gap
- Hotels
- Lowes
- Orbitz
- ULTA
- Zappos
The process to get cash back when shopping at your favorite online retailers is super easy.
First you'll find the online store you plan to make a purchase from, then click on "Shop" on the Ibotta app or on desktop, you will be forwarded to the online store's website.
From there, you make your purchase as usual. Behind the scenes, Ibotta will get you cash back for your purchase.
Is Ibotta legit?
Yes, Ibotta is a completely legit app and will get you real money back for your everyday purchases.
Ibotta has been around for 9 years now and have paid it's users $860 million so far!
Also, Ibotta partners up with many major retailers that I'm sure those mega companies wouldn't join forces with Ibotta if their company is not legitimate.
I personally use Ibotta every time I go to the grocery store or even when I shop online and I just love seeing the notification each time I'm due to get some money into my account.
How much you earn with the Ibotta app is completely up to you. If you're just an average user then you can expect to make back around $25 a month, depending on your purchases and how consistently you use the app.
Rather than throwing perfectly good money down the drain, why not get your money back on things you would normally buy anyway.
That extra $25 a month or more can definitely come in handy one of these days when you want to get your office some coffee, get gas, give out gift cards for acquaintances, and more.
Step-by-step guide to using Ibotta
Ibotta made it super simple to use their app or desktop version. I'll go ahead and walk you through how to get started.
Sign up for Ibotta
First, you'll need to sign up and create your Ibotta account. You'll even qualify for their sweet $20 sign up bonus, only valid for first time users.
You can sign up straight from your phone or desktop.
Download the Ibotta app
If you have Apple, go on over to the App Store and if you have Android, go to the Google Play area. Find Ibotta and download it to start using it from your phone.
Install the Ibotta Google Chrome extension
If you're on desktop, you'll be able to download the Ibotta Chrome extension to get money back when you shop online.
Submit your receipt to Ibotta
Once you've got your Ibotta account and app installed, launch the app.
- Find your store where you plan to make a purchase from
- Pick out the items you plan to buy and add it to your list
- Head to the store and purchase all necessary items
- Once you get your receipt, upload it to Ibotta
- You'll see a notification right away telling you how much you're earning back
Link store loyalty cards
When you link your store loyalty card with Ibotta, you won't have to scan your receipts to get money back.
All you need to do is choose your offers from Ibotta, make sure the cashier scans your store loyalty card when you purchase, and earn extra cash back from Ibotta.
Ibotta $20 Sign up Bonus
Ibotta is upping their sign up bonus!
It used to be $10 but now they're offering $20 for a sign up bonus (only for new users). They'll give you about 30 days from when you first start the app to claim the $20 worth of offers.
Can I make money with Ibotta?
Yes, you absolutely can make money back with Ibotta.
Ibotta really works and gets you cash back for your purchases from in-store or online.
So, instead of throwing away free money, use Ibotta to help get you money back. Each dollar adds up over time. I've earned over $140 with Ibotta so far and I love it!
Here's 3 most common ways to earn the most with Ibotta:
- Get cash back on your purchases- You'll make money back from your purchases from in-store as long as you choose your offers in Ibotta and scan your receipt or link up your store loyalty account card. You'll also get cash back from online purchases made easy with the Ibotta Chrome extension.
- Refer your friends and family- Ibotta will give you bonuses for their referral program when you get a friend or family member to join.
- Ibotta loves bonuses- When you start using Ibotta, you'll start to see a lot of bonus offers on the home screen of the Ibotta app. Basically, Ibotta will give you even more cash to complete bonuses in the time frame they have noted. Also, check your e-mails because Ibotta sends random bonus offers which are not always available in their app and it requires you to activate it from the e-mail link.
How much money can you make with Ibotta?
The amount of money you make with Ibotta depends on the offers you choose within the app, your online shopping activity, how often you shop in-store, and how consistent you are with using the app.
For average users, you can expect to earn back $25 a month.
However, I have seen instances where people earn hundreds and thousands with Ibotta too so it all really depends on if you make the most out of the app.
What gift cards can I get from Ibotta?
If you're ready to cash out your money with Ibotta, you'll get to choose from cash if you have a PayPal account, Venmo, and gift cards to over 50 different stores.
Gift card options:
- Amazon
- Target
- Walmart
- Starbucks
- iTunes
- Sephora
- Among 50 others
Does Ibotta really give you money?
Yes, Ibotta really gives you cold hard cash back for your in-store and online purchases. Also, they pay you $20 for signing up as a new user, referring friends and family, bonuses, and working as a team.
Ibotta does offer many ways for you to save money and earn cash back.
How do you get your money from Ibotta?
Retrieving your money from Ibotta is simple.
- Visit your Account from the Ibotta app and click on "Withdraw Earnings"
- Next, you'll get the option to choose your payment method.
- You can add your bank account, link your PayPal or Venmo, or choose from 50 different gift cards.
How long does it take to get my money from Ibotta?
If you choose to receive your payment with your linked PayPal account or Venmo, you'll receive it within minutes.
If you'd rather receive a gift card, you'll receive an e-mail containing your digital gift card within 24 hours.
What is the minimum to withdraw from Ibotta?
You'll need a minimum of $20 in order to withdraw from Ibotta with the PayPal/Venmo method.
The same goes for gift cards, you'll need a minimum of $20 for some of the gift cards. There are other gift cards that require a $25 minimum to claim it.
However, with the $20 sign up bonus that Ibotta is offering, you should get at least the minimum covered in no time at all.
Does PayPal charge for Ibotta?
Nope, PayPal will not charge you a fee when you withdraw Ibotta earnings, which is awesome!
What is the best way to use Ibotta?
To get the most out of this cash back app, here are the best ways to use Ibotta:
- Claim offers to earn cash back from the Ibotta app when you're shopping in-store.
- Use the Ibotta Chrome extension when shopping online to get money back from purchases.
- Link your store loyalty accounts so that you don't need to scan your receipt.
- Earn even more by completing the bonus offers from within the app.
- Activate bonus offers sent from Ibotta to your email.
- Refer friends and family to earn bonus cash.
- Earn more when you're in a team. Referring your friends and family will automatically group you into a team. As a team, you all will qualify for teamwork bonus offers.
Is the Ibotta app safe to use?
Yes, Ibotta app is safe to use as they state that all payment information is protected with 256-bit bank-level encryption.
If you still would like further protection when using Ibotta, you have the option of:
- Phone verification when using the app
- Enable Face ID for passwords
- Create a strong password
Tips and tricks to get the most with Ibotta
To get the most out of your money with Ibotta, there's a few tips and tricks that can help you save money and bring in cash.
Get free items from the dollar stores
I enjoy visiting dollar stores from time to time and pick up random things. For the most part, a majority of the items will be $1 more or less.
Ibotta actually has offers for the Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar.
The cash back offers range from cents to $3 cash back for certain items. Some items could probably be picked up for free!
For instance, Ibotta could be offering $1 cash back for deodorant which you've purchased for $1, basically getting you that item for free.
Combine cash back offers
You will claim offers to redeem with Ibotta to earn cash back. However, you can combine offers together to get extra money back.
Within the app, if you go to the "Earn More" tab, you'll see additional offers for multiple brands.
These extra offers stacks on top of the ones you've already chosen to get you saving money.
Stack coupons with Ibotta
You can use store or manufacturer's coupons combined with the offer you're claiming to get even more savings.
It's great that Ibotta will still give you cash back for offers even though you've used an actual coupon.
Where is Ibotta hidden bonus?
Ibotta will often send you hidden bonuses that you can't otherwise find within the app. You'll receive an email from Ibotta telling you about the bonus offer which you'll have to activate.
Once activated, you'll see it in in the "Earn More" section within the app.
Create a team
When you refer your friends and family to the Ibotta App, you'll automatically form a team.
As a team, you will all be eligible to participate in team bonuses. Once you all achieve the requirements, everyone in the team will get the teamwork bonus in addition to all other cash back offers and bonuses.
Earning more bonuses
Don't forget to check the "Earn more with bonuses" area on the home screen of the app. From there, you'll see additional bonuses you can qualify for to earn even more money.
Check the "Earn More" tab within the app to check additional bonuses and additional cash back when buying certain brands.
What is the best cash back app?
So you may be wondering what is the best cash back app to use? Besides Ibotta, there's Fetch Rewards, GetUpside, Swagbucks, and Rakuten.
You can check different cash back offers on Swagbucks and Rakuten to see where you can get the most out of your money.
With scanning receipts, after scanning it to Ibotta, you can then use Fetch Rewards to submit it there for even more points.
You can also get cash back at the pump and restaurants with GetUpside.
Overall, there's a lot of cash back apps out there and instead of just sticking with 1, use as many as you can to get the most cash back.
On the plus side, these cash back apps and sites give you sign up bonuses for free which is just plain awesome! Who can complain with more free money?
- Sign up with Ibotta to receive a $20 welcome bonus
- Create a Rakuten account to receive a $10 welcome bonus
- Create a Swagbucks account to receive $10 welcome bonus
- Sign up with Fetch Rewards and receive 2,000 points = $2 sign up bonus
- Sign up with GetUpside to get $0.15 per gallon cash back sign up bonus
What's better than Ibotta?
The app which comes close to Ibotta is Fetch Rewards.
Fetch Rewards is a receipt scanning app which gives you points. You can submit your receipts for groceries, clothes, gas, food, pharmacy, and more.
The bulk of your points will most likely be earned when you upload receipts from your grocery shopping trip. Fetch Rewards has so many participating brands like:
- Tropicana
- Yoplait
- Scott
- Clorox
- Sargento
- Kodiak
- and so many more
The difference between Ibotta and Fetch Rewards is that you don't have to pick out specific items to earn points with Fetch Rewards unlike Ibotta.
Just simply scan your entire receipt and the app will detect the brands you've purchased from the store and credit you with appropriate points.
For simplicity purposes, Fetch Rewards is a good receipt scanning app for store purchases.
However, you won't get real money back unlike Ibotta. You can redeem your points for gift cards and magazine subscriptions.
Is Fetch Rewards better than Ibotta?
In my opinion, I think you will earn more cash back from purchases using Ibotta.
With Fetch Rewards, you'll only redeem your points for gift cards or magazine instead of PayPal like Ibotta offers.
In terms of getting money back, Ibotta is the way to go over Fetch Rewards.
However, this shouldn't stop you from using both! Double your points!
Take your receipt, submit it to Ibotta for cash back and use it for Fetch Rewards to earn more points.
To learn how to get the most points with Fetch, read my other article:
FAQ
Does Ibotta really give you money?
Yes, Ibotta does really give you money in the form of cash which you can redeem via your PayPal account, Venmo account, deposit into your bank, or gift cards.
Is it safe to give Ibotta your bank account information?
You may be wondering "Is Ibotta legit and safe?" Especially if payment information is involved.
Yes, Ibotta states that all payment information is protected with 256-bit bank-level encryption and they take security seriously.
Rest assured that the only time you would provide any bank account information is when you want to transfer your Ibotta funds to your bank account.
There's also alternate options to get your payment via PayPal, Venmo, and gift cards.
Is Ibotta free?
Yep, Ibotta is completely free to use!
What's the catch with Ibotta?
Basically, "the catch" with Ibotta is they'll give you money back or gift cards in exchange to monitor and share the consumer's shopping habits. If this idea feels a bit much for you, it's similar to shopping online at Amazon or any other store.
Have you shopped online and noticed the "Recommended or Related" section? Companies will use your purchase history to recommend similar products to meet your needs.
Basically, they use this consumer information for marketing purposes.
Is Ibotta worth the trouble?
Actually, using Ibotta is no trouble at all! It's very simple and easy to use.
Takes only a few minutes to scan the app for products you plan to buy from your grocery list, once you get your receipt, scan it, and get your cash back.
It's one of my favorite money saving apps to use when I shop because I actually don't have patience to sit there clipping coupons.
Do you pay taxes on Ibotta?
Nope, Ibotta will not send you any tax forms because the cash back you receive is considered coupons.
How do you get $20 on Ibotta?
Ibotta
Free $20 welcome bonus
Ibotta is a free app that gets you real cash back on your purchases from groceries, brands, clothing, medication, online shopping, and so much more
Average use of Ibotta could bring you $240 a year or more - aside from your free $20 welcome bonus - Ibotta has paid it's users over $860 million so far
Getting your $20 sign up bonus on Ibotta is really easy.
You have to be a new user, sign up for Ibotta, claim your offers within 30 days to get the credit applied to your account.
Can you use coupons and Ibotta?
Yes, the best part about using Ibotta is that you can stack other coupons and still get the full cash back offer amount. This gets you even more savings on your purchases.
Can you scan a receipt twice on Ibotta?
Yes, you can scan a receipt twice on Ibotta as long as it's within 7 days from the date of purchase. Also, if you submit your receipt twice, it should be for the missed offers and not to re-submit for offers already claimed.
So is Ibotta legit and worth it?
I hope this post answered your concerns if you were wondering "is Ibotta legit and worth using?"
Overall, Ibotta is an awesome way to earn money when you make purchases in-store or online purchases.
It's nice to go on a grocery shopping trip, use Ibotta, and get back more money every single time. Each dollar counts and adds up over time.
With Ibotta, there's so many different ways to maximize your cash back like when you grocery shop, do some online shopping, buying certain brands, getting extra bonuses, joining a team to earn more bonuses, and don't forget the $20 sign up bonus too!
By using Ibotta, you'll start earning more money which you can use for a free grocery shopping trip, gas for the car, send gift cards for friends and family, free lunch, and so much more.
So far, I've earned over $140 with Ibotta just by using the app and that's definitely nothing to scoff at.
Ibotta is definitely worth trying out, especially since you could get the $20 welcome bonus, why not?
If you're interested in finding out more ways to make free side cash online or on your phone, check out my other articles: