8 Best Cashback and Rewards Apps That Actually Pay (2026)

Cashback apps are the closest thing to free money — but only if you use the right ones and don’t change your spending habits to “earn” rewards. The truth: most cashback apps pay $5–$30/month for typical users. That won’t make you rich, but it’s money you’re currently leaving on the table.

We tested and researched the most popular cashback apps to figure out which ones are actually worth your time and phone storage.

How We Evaluated

Every app was rated on:

• Realistic monthly earnings — not the best-case-scenario number in their marketing
• Payout threshold and speed — how fast you actually get your money
• Effort required — does it work passively or do you need to scan receipts daily?
• Privacy trade-offs — what data are you handing over?

Grocery & Everyday Shopping

1. Ibotta

What it does: Cashback on groceries, online shopping, restaurants, and more
Realistic earnings: $15–$40/month with regular grocery shopping
Payout threshold: $20 minimum (via PayPal, Venmo, or gift cards)
Effort: Medium — you select offers before shopping and scan receipts or link loyalty cards

Ibotta is probably the most reliable cashback app for everyday spending. The app has pre-loaded offers on common grocery items (milk, bread, snacks) that you activate before shopping. After purchasing, scan your receipt or link your store loyalty card for automatic credits.

Pros:

• Works at most major grocery chains
• Pay Any Brand offers apply to generic items
• Frequent bonuses for completing sets of offers

Cons:

• You need to remember to check offers before shopping
• Some offers are for brands you wouldn’t normally buy
• $20 minimum payout is a bit high

2. Fetch Rewards

What it does: Points for scanning any receipt — grocery, restaurant, gas, anything
Realistic earnings: $3–$8/month in gift cards
Payout threshold: 3,000 points ($3 gift card)
Effort: Very low — just scan every receipt

Fetch is the easiest cashback app to use. You snap a picture of literally any receipt and earn points. Specific brands and products earn bonus points, but you get base points on everything.

Pros:

• Scan any receipt from any store
• Very low payout threshold
• Takes 5 seconds per receipt

Cons:

• Low earnings compared to targeted apps like Ibotta
• Points convert to gift cards only (no cash option)
• Best rewards are for specific brand purchases

3. Checkout 51

What it does: Weekly cashback offers on grocery and household items
Realistic earnings: $2–$6/month
Payout threshold: $20 (check mailed to you)
Effort: Low — scan receipts after shopping

Checkout 51 publishes new offers every Thursday. The selection is smaller than Ibotta, but some offers stack. Good as a secondary app alongside Ibotta.

Online Shopping

4. Rakuten (formerly Ebates)

What it does: Cashback on online purchases at 3,500+ stores
Realistic earnings: $10–$30/month for regular online shoppers
Payout threshold: $5 minimum (PayPal or check)
Effort: Very low — install browser extension and click before buying

Rakuten is the best cashback tool for anyone who shops online. Install the browser extension, and it automatically activates cashback when you’re on a supported retailer’s site. Rates range from 1% to 15%+ depending on the store and ongoing promotions.

Pros:

• Works at Amazon, Walmart, Target, Sephora, and thousands more
• Browser extension makes it nearly automatic
• Quarterly “Big Give” events with doubled cashback rates
• Low $5 payout threshold

Cons:

• Payouts are quarterly, not instant
• You must click through Rakuten before purchasing (extension helps)
• Cashback rates vary — some stores only offer 1%

Pro tip: Stack Rakuten with a cashback credit card for double-dipping. Buy at Target through Rakuten (3% back) using a card that gives 2% on all purchases = 5% back.

5. Honey (PayPal)

What it does: Automatic coupon codes + Honey Gold rewards
Realistic earnings: $2–$10/month in gift cards
Payout threshold: 1,000 Gold ($10 in gift cards)
Effort: Very low — browser extension runs automatically

Honey’s main value is finding coupon codes at checkout — it’ll automatically try codes and apply the best one. The cashback component (Honey Gold) is a bonus on top of that.

Pros:

• Coupon code testing is genuinely useful
• Saved our test accounts $12–$40/month on coupons alone
• Doesn’t require you to change where you shop

Cons:

• Honey Gold rewards are lower than Rakuten’s cashback
• Owned by PayPal — significant data sharing
• Some claims that it overrides affiliate cookies (controversial)

Round-Up & Passive Savings

6. Acorns

What it does: Rounds up purchases and invests the spare change
Realistic savings: $30–$60/month invested (from round-ups)
Cost: $3/month (Bronze plan)
Effort: Fully passive after setup

Acorns isn’t a cashback app — it’s a micro-investing tool. Link your debit card, and it rounds every purchase to the nearest dollar and invests the difference. A $3.50 coffee becomes $4.00, and $0.50 goes into a diversified portfolio.

Pros:

• Completely automatic after linking your card
• Good way to build an investing habit
• Includes “Found Money” cashback from partner brands (Nike, Walmart, etc.)

Cons:

• $3/month fee eats into small balances significantly
• Not worth it if you invest less than $100/month through round-ups
• Returns depend on market performance — not guaranteed

Our take: Acorns makes sense if you’d otherwise invest nothing. But if you’re already investing, the $36/year fee is steep for what you get.

7. Upside (formerly GetUpside)

What it does: Cashback on gas, groceries, and restaurants
Realistic earnings: $5–$15/month
Payout threshold: $1 minimum
Effort: Low — check the app before filling up or dining out

Upside is excellent for gas cashback. Open the app, claim an offer at a nearby gas station, fill up, and the cashback hits your account within 48 hours. Restaurant and grocery offers are also available but vary by location.

Pros:

• Gas cashback is genuinely useful (typically $0.10–$0.25/gallon)
• Very low $1 payout threshold
• PayPal, bank transfer, or gift card payments

Cons:

• Availability depends on your area
• Restaurant/grocery offers are hit-or-miss outside major cities
• You need to remember to claim offers before purchasing

Credit Card Rewards (Bonus Pick)

8. Your Credit Card’s Built-In Rewards

This isn’t an app, but it’s often the highest-return “cashback tool” people overlook.

Pro tip: If you’re using a debit card for everyday purchases, switching to a no-annual-fee 2% cashback credit card (and paying it off monthly) effectively gives you a permanent 2% discount on everything.

Stacking Strategy: How to Maximize Returns

The real power comes from combining these tools:

1. Check Ibotta for grocery offers before shopping
2. Pay with a cashback credit card (2–6% back)
3. Scan receipt with Fetch for bonus points
4. Use Rakuten for all online shopping
5. Use Upside before filling up on gas

Realistic total with stacking: $30–$80/month without changing your spending habits.

What to Avoid

• Apps that require high spending to earn meaningful rewards — If you need to spend $500/month to earn $5, it’s not worth the mental overhead
• Receipt apps that pay fractions of a cent — Some pay $0.01 per receipt. Your time is worth more.
• “Survey for cashback” apps — These are survey platforms with a cashback veneer. The hourly rate is usually below $3/hour.
• Apps that heavily incentivize referrals — If most of the “income” comes from getting friends to sign up, the product isn’t the product

Bottom Line

Cashback apps are worth using if you treat them as a background optimization — not a hustle. Install Rakuten and Ibotta, set them up once, and collect $20–$50/month without thinking about it.

Don’t change what you buy to chase cashback. Don’t spend 30 minutes clipping digital coupons to save $1.50. The best cashback setup is the one you forget about until the payout notification arrives.