Ibotta Review – Redeem Offers and Earn Cash Back

Groceries are one of the most significant expenses in many people’s budgets. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American family spent over $7,361 ($613.42 per month) on food in 2020, including eating at home and at restaurants.

It’s no wonder that many households search for ways to save on this expense, including using coupons and shopping apps. One such shopping app is Ibotta, which can help you earn cash back on your groceries and other in-store and online purchases as well as eating out at restaurants.

How Ibotta Works

Ibotta is a smartphone app and browser extension that lets you earn cash back on products and services you use every day. It works a bit like clipping coupons, but instead of money off the top, you get rebates on preselected goods you buy during shopping trips, either in-store or online.

It partners with thousands of retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, convenience stores, home improvement centers, pet stores, and pharmacies as well as brands to encourage shoppers to check out their new stuff and reward shoppers for purchases they make every day.

So while apps like Ibotta are typically associated with grocery shopping, you can earn cash back on other purchases as well, including at major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. You can check the full list of supported retailers on Ibotta’s website.

Although Ibotta is currently only available for use in the United States and Puerto Rico, you can use it on military bases worldwide.

Ibotta is reasonably straightforward to use.

1. Find Offers

Before you shop, open your Ibotta app or browser extension and select a retailer. That takes you to a page where you can browse offers for products that store carries.

If you find any offers for products you plan to buy, select the offer, and Ibotta adds it to your grocery list. Sometimes, you must watch a short video or answer a survey question before it adds the offer. For others, you just have to select it.

Many offers overlap with other retailers. For example, if you select an offer for a $1 rebate on apples at Walmart and it’s something supported by Whole Foods or Aldi, the offer will automatically apply to your shopping trips at those stores too. But check the offer details, as the offers don’t always apply to all stores, even if it’s a brand another store carries.

2. Go Shopping

You can buy the products you selected from any supported retailer, bearing in mind that some offers are retailer-exclusive.

Check the offer details and exclusions to ensure you buy the correct product, or you won’t get your cash back. Sometimes, you have to purchase a specific variety of item — for example, Cool Ranch Doritos rather than just any Doritos — to qualify. You may also be required to buy a particular size or quantity. The Ibotta app allows you to scan a product’s bar code in-store before purchasing it to check.

And if you’re shopping online, the Ibotta browser extension works as a pop-up sidebar. The sidebar works differently with each retailer.

For example, if you’re shopping Walmart’s grocery pickup and delivery service, the sidebar takes you directly to the products that qualify for the rebate when you push the Shop button next to each item in the List tab of the sidebar. It also highlights the correct products on the retailer’s website with either a green or pink box. A green box means you already clipped the rebate. A pink box means the product qualifies for a rebate, but you didn’t clip it yet. That makes it incredibly easy to know if you’re buying the right product.

Other retailers, such as Target, aren’t as straightforward. While you can still shop with the handy sidebar, you don’t benefit from the pink and green boxes surrounding qualifying products.

Also, you can only use some rebates once, such as a single container of Yoplait yogurt, no matter how many units you purchase. You can use other rebates multiple times, such as $0.25 cash back on each of up to 10 Yoplait yogurts. Additionally, some rebates require you to buy multiple items or units to qualify for the offer.

3. Redeem

Once you’ve purchased your selected goods, there are several ways you can send Ibotta proof of purchase to qualify for your rebates and get your payout.

Send a Receipt

If you shopped in-store, open your Ibotta app, select the Redeem icon and then select your store. The app then prompts you to either scan the bar code or QR code at the bottom of the receipt or snap a photo of the entire receipt, depending on the retailer’s preference. Ibotta then automatically matches your receipt to your selected offers.

If it doesn’t match a selected offer, you can add it before sending your receipt. Simply select theAdd Offers button that appears after you scan your receipt. Scroll through your list, and tap the one that’s missing. The app might then require you to scan the product’s bar code to prove your purchase. Sometimes, retailers require you to scan item bar codes regardless of whether they’re matched on the receipt. It all depends on the retailer’s preference.

Once everything is correct and all your rebates are accounted for, tap the Send Receipt button. You can expect to see your rebates in your Ibotta account within 48 hours. You must submit all receipts within seven days of purchase to qualify.

Link a Loyalty Account

You can also use your store’s loyalty account to prove your purchases. If a retailer is set up to use loyalty cards with Ibotta, input your card’s membership number directly into the app. Then, when you purchase products that match your selected offers, Ibotta automatically matches them, saving you the step of having to scan or take a picture of your receipt.

Link an Online Account

If you’re using the Ibotta browser extension to shop grocery pickup or delivery services, you need to link your shopping account. That could be different from a loyalty account since not all online grocery services have them. For example, Walmart has no loyalty program, but you still need to register for a Walmart.com account online to use their grocery pickup and delivery service.

For Ibotta to track your rebates, link your store account with the Ibotta browser extension. The process varies by retailer but could include entering the email address and password or phone number you signed up with.

Make Mobile In-App Purchases

In addition to in-store shopping, you can use Ibotta to make online purchases using your smartphone at any of its partner retailers. Simply open your Ibotta app, scroll down to where it says, “Shop by category,” and select “Online shopping.” That takes you to a page listing stores where your purchases can earn you cash back. These include mega-retailers like Amazon, Groupon, Kohl’s, and Bed Bath & Beyond.

The Ibotta app allows only for in-app and app-to-app purchases, so always start in the Ibotta app instead of going directly to a shopping website. If you don’t start from the app, it will have no way to track your purchases.

Although you won’t need to send Ibotta a receipt if you shop through the app, it encourages shoppers to hang onto their receipts until it credits the offer in case something goes wrong during the purchase process.

Activate Cash-Back Offers

If you’re not shopping for groceries, Ibotta’s offers typically include a percentage of cash back on your purchases, just like other popular browser extensions, such as Rakuten, Honey, or Capital One Shopping.

To get credit for your purchase, activate the cash-back offer in the sidebar. Then just shop as usual.

4. Get Cash Back

After you’ve completed your shopping and submitted your proof of purchase, Ibotta deposits cash in your Ibotta account within 48 hours. Once you reach a threshold of $20 in your account, you can opt to cash out. Ibotta sends your funds to your PayPal account, or you can opt to have them sent directly to your bank account. Alternatively, you can purchase a gift card from one of their supported retailers.

Key Features of Ibotta

In-store and online cashback offers are the primary ways to save money with Ibotta. But this shopping platform offers even more features that make it a convenient tool for scoring extra cash.

Product Search

If you’re in-store or have a short list, you can use the search bar in the mobile app to look for an offer on the products you’re there to buy.

Likewise, the browser extension includes a search tab, so you can look to see if there’s an offer on the product you want without having to search through hundreds of irrelevant offers.

If you have a longer list, Ibotta organizes grocery offers by common categories like produce, dairy and eggs, snacks, and meat and seafood, allowing you to zero in on what you need. It also learns your preferences and opens with offers specially selected for you. Or scroll through all the offers to discover everything available.

Non-Grocery Rebates

Ibotta supports a wide variety of online retailers in non-grocery categories like clothing, sporting goods, hardware, entertainment, and travel. Before you do any online shopping, check out Ibotta’s list of retailers and compare their current cash-back offers to those from other online shopping tools you use, such as Rakuten, Honey, or Capital One Shopping.

Customer Support

Ibotta’s customer support features individual teams that can help with specific questions, such as an online shopping team dedicated to answering questions about online shopping. It allows customers to get the right support people quickly and efficiently deal with queries and problems.

Advantages of Ibotta

There’s a lot to like about Ibotta. These advantages make Ibotta one of the most popular cash-back apps.

• It’s Easy to Check Products Against Offers. If you’re shopping in-store, you can easily use your smartphone to scan the product’s bar code to find out if it matches the offer. And while shopping online can be a bit trickier, if you shop a pickup and delivery service like Walmart, the color-coded boxes surrounding the products with available rebates ensure you buy the correct goods.
• You Can Score Cash Back for Products You Regularly Purchase. Keep Ibotta in your cash-back arsenal for saving money on regular, everyday purchases. It helps you save on your grocery purchases and supports a wide variety of online shopping. And anything that can help you save money is a plus.
• Some Offers Aren’t Brand-Specific. Although the vast majority of Ibotta’s rebates are for brand-name products, it offers the occasional “any-brand” offer. With any-brand rebates, you can earn cash back on pantry staples you regularly purchase, such as milk, eggs, bread, cereal, and fresh produce, regardless of the brand. So even if you regularly buy store brands to save money, you can still use Ibotta.
• You Can Boost Your Savings by Combining Rebates and Coupons. Perhaps one of the best benefits of using Ibotta is that you can stack your savings with coupons. Even if your store has rules against using multiple coupons on the same product, Ibotta isn’t a coupon, so it gets around these rules. For example, if you want to purchase something that costs $1, and you have a $0.50-off coupon plus an Ibotta rebate for $0.75, you could actually earn $0.25 by buying it.
• It Partners With Numerous Retailers. Ibotta partners with thousands of different retailers, including physical stores and online retailers. Ibotta’s partner retailers include retail chains, movie theaters, restaurants, pharmacies, pet stores, hardware stores, travel sites, flower shops, and delivery services like Instacart. If you’re doing any kind of shopping, whether in-store or online, it’s worth it to check your Ibotta app first to see if the retailer is connected with Ibotta.
• You Can Use It for More Than Just Groceries. Although Ibotta’s original purpose was grocery savings, the app is continually expanding to include other kinds of shopping. In addition to groceries, you can use Ibotta to purchase everything from clothing and cosmetics to music and travel. You can also use it to save at restaurants, including earning cash back on your overall meal, cash back on gift cards, or cash back for certain purchases (like beer, wine, and liquor). And you can even earn cash back on restaurant food delivery and takeout services.
• You Get Real Cash. Unlike some rebate apps, such as Capital One Shopping, where you can only redeem the points you earn for gift cards, Ibotta’s cash back is real cash. Although you can use your cash to purchase a gift card from any of Ibotta’s supported retailers, you can also opt to have cash directly deposited into your PayPal or bank account.
• You Can Earn More Through Teamwork, Bonuses, and Invite Offers. In addition to its typical rebate offers, Ibotta allows you to earn even more by building shopping teams, participating in seasonal bonuses, and taking advantage of invite offers. These opportunities can really boost your Ibotta earnings and turn the app into a nice side hustle.

Disadvantages of Ibotta

Although Ibotta is a versatile, easy-to-use shopping platform with tons of fantastic features, there are a few drawbacks.

• It May Not Have Offers for the Products You Normally Buy. Ibotta adds new rebate offers all the time. But they may not be for products you usually buy. To earn cash-back rebates for your shopping, you must purchase the specific product in the offer. Although the app occasionally offers any-item rebates, these are typically for small amounts, such as $0.25. If you can’t find any offers for the things on your family’s shopping list, Ibotta is unlikely to save you much money.
• May Encourage Impulse Buying. Because Ibotta’s primary purpose is to serve retailers by getting customers to buy new products and brands, it may lead you to buy goods you might not have purchased otherwise. If you do that, Ibotta is more likely to cost you money than help you save it.
• Some Rebates Are for Specific Product Varieties. I’ve gone to the store on more than one occasion, purchased a product I thought had a rebate, and then uploaded my receipt only to discover I’d bought the wrong variety, flavor, or size. More than once, the app even insisted the product was “wrong” when it appeared to be precisely the item in the offer. Always check the specific offer details and exclusions to ensure you’re purchasing the right flavor, size, or quantity to qualify for the rebate. Or use the app to scan the bar code before you buy.
• It Doesn’t Work With Some Retailers. Although Ibotta supports thousands of retailers and adds more all the time, it may not currently support your favorite store. Even if you buy the right product, you won’t qualify for the rebate if you don’t buy it at a supported retailer. Moreover, some rebates are specific to certain stores, so even if Ibotta supports your store, it may not support a particular rebate at that store. Always check the offer details and exclusions before shopping.
• It Requires a Time Investment. Just as with couponing, scrolling through Ibotta’s list of offers can take time. You may invest that time and find only one or two offers you can use, and they may be for nominal cash-back amounts. Although Ibotta often has cash-back offers of $1 or more, it’s more common to find rebates worth $0.25 or even $0.10.
• Account Maintenance Fees Can Reduce Your Payout. If you actively use Ibotta, you don’t need to worry about account maintenance fees eating into your earnings. But if you go for six months or longer without using the app, Ibotta charges a monthly account maintenance fee. It deducts this fee from your rebate earnings until your account reaches zero.

How Ibotta Stacks Up

Ibotta isn’t the only mobile app that pays you back for everyday purchases. It competes with a growing cohort of similar apps, each with its own particular mix of features and capabilities.

One such app is Fetch Rewards. Here’s how Ibotta stacks up against it.

Final Word

Cash-back apps can help put some money back in your pocket, which is why many users love Ibotta. But it may not be as much as you were hoping for if you can’t take advantage of many of the available offers or use the app at your favorite stores.

Fortunately, the app is adding more retailers and more ways to shop every day. Plus, it’s easy to use, especially when it’s connected to a loyalty card. And if you’re someone whose shopping habits fit well with Ibotta’s requirements, there’s little reason not to use it.

Fortunately, Ibotta is only one tool in your larger toolkit for saving money on groceries and online shopping. Buying groceries in bulk, shopping at lower-cost stores, keeping an eye out for sales, and shopping with a detailed meal plan can also help you dramatically reduce your grocery bill.