The Ibotta cash-back shopping app and browser extension allow you to earn cash back when you shop online.
While Ibotta is known primarily for its cash back at grocery stores, you can also earn cash back at gas stations, restaurants, pharmacies, and many other places.
Ibotta is currently available in over 300 stores, including Food Lion, Target, Walmart, and QuickTrip, among many others.
Nevertheless, 300 in-store retailers are just the beginning. More than 500,000 locations offer cash back through the mobile app.
At the time of this writing, over 40 million users have downloaded the app, and over $1.2 billion has been paid out.
Is Ibotta Trustworthy?
The Ibotta app is a legitimate cash-back rewards site and is available for free. It was founded in 2012 by Bryan Leach, and its headquarters are located in Denver, Colorado.
In the App Store, Ibotta has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars with over 1.5 million customer ratings, while on the Google Play Store, it has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars with over 607,000 ratings.
With over 1,200 customer reviews, Trustpilot has rated Ibotta 4.2 out of 5 with over 60% of those ratings being Excellent.
Ibotta: How Does It Work?
Ibotta is a mobile app that can be used both in-store and online to earn cash back. As an example, here is how it works.
Online Shopping with the Ibotta App
Ibotta allows you to easily activate cash-back offers when you launch your online shopping trip from the app or web browser. As Ibotta has partnered with over 2,000 online retailers (including Amazon), there are many opportunities to earn cash back.
With Ibotta, you can do this very easily. When you open Ibotta on your computer, you can either search for the online store you are about to shop with or browse all available online stores and click “Shop” to select the retailer you wish to shop with.
Suppose you are going to shop at Walmart.com after clicking “Shop”. After that, you will be redirected to the Walmart.com site where your cash back has been activated and you can begin earning rewards.
In-Store Shopping with The Ibotta App
Using Walmart as an example, open up the app and click Find Offers to earn cash back.
The next step is to add the offers you wish to purchase to your account. As an example, due to the fact that you plan to do your grocery shopping at Walmart, you can filter any offers that are specific to any brand. In some cases, it may be necessary for you to complete a quick survey regarding the product you are adding. Additionally, the app may display a recipe related to the product.
As soon as you have identified the offers that you are interested in, you can begin shopping. All you need to do is visit your local Walmart store and purchase your items as usual.
In order to receive cash back, you must upload a photo of your Walmart receipt by using the app’s camera feature.
By scanning your receipt, Ibotta automatically cross-references the offers you previously selected before you went shopping with the completed purchases on your receipt.
If a match is found, you will be asked whether you would like to redeem the offer for cash back. After reviewing the receipt, if everything appears to be in order, you can process it.
Linking Loyalty Accounts
By connecting your store loyalty accounts, you can avoid having to upload your receipt by taking a picture in the app.
The majority of major retailers are affiliated with Ibotta. Because of this, it is also linked to the loyalty programs of these retailers.
In order to link a loyalty account, open the app and select the retailer you plan to visit. Next, tap the Link Account button at the top of the app, and enter the information from your existing loyalty account or create a new one.
As soon as you complete the process, Ibotta automatically credits your account with cash back for purchases at that store – provided that you use your loyalty card during the transaction.
Refer Friends and Family
You can earn cash back in addition to rebates on in-store and online purchases by sharing your unique link with your family and friends. As a reward, you and your friend will receive an additional $10 cash back when your friends sign up using your code.
Make A Payment with Ibotta Gift Cards
Over 150 national chains of stores and restaurants are affiliated with Ibotta. By using gift cards in combination with the Ibotta feature, you will instantly earn cash-back and discounts on in-person purchases through the Ibotta app. Additionally, you can save up to 10% instantly without having to use a coupon.
The first step in ordering gift cards is to add your debit or credit card to your Ibotta account (see “Payments”). During the checkout process, you will display the Pay with Ibotta gift card code to the cashier. You will earn cash back as soon as the cashier scans this code.
If you regularly visit Starbucks, Steak and Shake, Applebee’s, Chipotle, Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse, Peet’s Coffee, and so on, you may find this feature to be very useful.
What Is the Process for Receiving Your Money from Ibotta?
The money you earn from Ibotta can be deposited directly into your bank account, sent to your PayPal account, or given as a gift card.
- Send to my Bank: Your cash-back can be deposited directly into your bank account if your bank is a partner of Ibotta.
- Send to my PayPal: PayPal cash can be used to receive your cash-back.
- Free Gift Cards: Numerous retailers offer free gift cards in exchange for cash-back.
If you wish to transfer your funds to your bank account or PayPal, you must first earn $20 in cash-back.
Depending on the type of gift card you wish to redeem, you may need to accumulate $25 in cash-back before you can redeem it. The funds can then be transferred to a gift card.
Sign Up for Ibotta
In order to sign up for Ibotta online, you will need to provide your first name, email address, password, date of birth, zip code, and gender. It is also possible to enter an Ibotta referral code.
Ibotta requires you to download an app or browser extension in order to earn cash back.
Is Ibotta a Safe App?
Ibotta is a safe and secure application. It is likely that the company has a large number of IT personnel working in-house to safeguard your personal information. Furthermore, they utilize advanced security protocols, such as 256-bit data encryption.
In case you are concerned about data privacy, you should be aware that Ibotta does sell your data to third parties. This is how the company generates revenue. The truth of the matter is that it is impossible to know what they do with your data, where it goes, and how secure it is once it is passed to a third party.
According to their privacy policy, Ibotta and its partners use your personal information to:
- Identify the places you visit most frequently, determine the frequency with which you visit these locations, and send notifications when you arrive or leave those places; as well as
- Provide you with advertisements and marketing solicitations through services, email messages, text messages, push notifications, applications, or other means.
Ibotta Customer Service
Ibotta provides a self-help customer support portal where you can search and find answers to many common questions. Alternatively, you can use their chatbot feature if you do not find what you are looking for.
Click on the question mark in the bottom right corner of the screen and type in your question.
Although Ibotta has a Contact Us page, we are unable to find any useful information on it. We were able to find this email address: support@ibotta.com
Ibotta Pros and Cons
Let’s examine some of Ibotta’s pros and cons since nothing is perfect in life, including cash-back apps:
Pros:
- The easiest way to save money on everyday purchases
- It is possible to earn cash back at most national retailers
- It is 100% free to download and use the app
Cons:
- Links with only major retailers and major brands
- There appears to be a lack of customer support
- While you are in a store, the app tracks your location
Ibotta Alternatives
Here are some of the more popular shopping rewards sites you can download today if you are looking for similar applications:
- Honey
- Rakuten
- Capital One Shopping
FAQs
With Ibotta, can you really make money?
The answer is yes. You can earn cash-back by making purchases that you would have made anyway. In order to receive money from Ibotta, you must first spend money at major retailers. Upon earning cash-back, you can redeem it for cash, PayPal, or gift cards.
Is Ibotta a legitimate app?
There is no doubt that Ibotta is a legitimate app where you can earn real cash back from your favorite retailers.
How reliable is Ibotta?
Ibotta is a legitimate cash-back site with excellent ratings on the App Store, Play Store, and Trustpilot. This is not a scam.
Is Ibotta free to use?
Ibotta is completely free to download and use. There are no upsells or membership fees involved. In order to receive cash back, you must make a purchase at a retailer. It is a no-brainer to use the app and earn cash back since you will most likely be shopping anyway.
It is important not to overspend or buy anything you would not normally purchase. It has been said, a penny saved is a penny earned. However, if you wind up spending more money with Ibotta than you normally would, you will not benefit from its services.
Which is better, Ibotta or eBates?
It is a matter of personal preference. You may be better off using Ibotta if you like apps. Also, Ibotta is easier to use at brick-and-mortar locations since receipts can be uploaded directly to the app, which then provides cash back.
eBates, on the other hand, has been around for a longer period of time and has established relationships with a greater number of online retailers.
Is there a mobile app available for Ibotta?
For Apple iOS users, you can download the Ibotta app from the App Store, while for Android users, you can download it from the Google Play Store.
Is it possible to use multiple cash-back apps?
The answer is yes, and you should! If you use multiple cash-back apps, you will be able to earn more extra money. Download the Fetch app and start racking up points and redeeming them for free Amazon gift cards if you enjoy scanning receipts.
Conclusion
With Ibotta, you can earn cash back on purchases that you would have made anyway.
Do you enjoy using coupons and saving money? Are you a fan of shopping at major retailers such as Walmart and Target and dining at chain restaurants such as Applebee’s and Olive Garden? Thus, if your answer is yes, you will most likely be extremely satisfied with the Ibotta app.
In contrast, if you prefer to buy your coffee at a local shop or eat at a local restaurant, you may not be able to benefit from Ibotta’s services.
It is important to remember that the road to financial freedom does not include frequent shopping sprees. Even so, if you are planning to shop at those stores responsibly, a little cash back won’t hurt.
