The modern lifestyle has all of us looking to make money online and what could be more convenient than doing it from your smartphone? In today’s product review, I will be showing you how to earn with Ibotta app through the cashback and referral program – with proof that it works. Buckle up people because shopping has never been more rewarding than this.
What is Ibotta
When using the Ibotta app you can earn cashback from shopping in-store or online at various grocery outlets, supermarkets, pharmacies, movie theatres as well as dining restaurants. This is possible because the company has put together a collection of well-known brands such as Costco, Walmart, and Amazon, for customers to choose from. So be prepared to be spoiled for choice!
When you shop at these retailers through the links they provide, you earn a percentage of the sale back towards your account. This will accumulate until you reach the $20 withdrawal threshold after which the money can be paid through PayPal or in the form of gift cards of your choice.
The app is totally free-to-use and can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play. Just create a user account and you are ready to go. Now, let’s see how we can start earning money with Ibotta.
Ibotta Cashback Program
There are 3 ways to join the cashback program. With the in-store method, you can browse for items through the product categories or select an outlet near you. If you are already in the store, you may also scan the item to check for rebate availability.
Each offer comes with details you need to know before purchasing like the amount of cashback, product variety, expiration date, and availability. Some offer only a few cents while others could go up to a few dollars per item and even give you bonuses when you redeem a certain amount of orders.
Taking pictures of the shopping receipts is required to process the cashback. But according to the latest news, that’s going to change soon as the app finds new ways to sync purchasing history either through loyalty card program or QR code scanning.
The second method is through online shopping whereby you just need to click on the partnering stores and shop like usual through the Ibotta app. When you check out, the cashback will automatically get deposited into your account. This works very much like other rebate sites such as Rakuten Ebates and TopCashBack.
The third method is called Pay WIth Ibotta and this feature works by linking your debit or credit card into the system. When you pay through the app, you get instant cashback on the entire purchase. At the moment, there are about 30 participating stores and restaurants that use this payment system.
Ibotta Referral Program
As a registered customer, you are automatically given a unique code and link that let you refer new users to the app. When someone signs up and redeem their first rebate, you’ll earn a $5 bonus per referral. They regularly run promotions and special sign up events during festive periods, and throughout the year so if you take advantage of these, you could earn a lot more.
This code can be shared through social media, email and even YouTube videos. If you are interested in money-saving tips and want to share with more people, then you should really promote Ibotta through a blog. Everyone goes online to learn about new things nowadays so your helpful content will certainly trigger them to take advantage of the app as well.
Don’t know how to create a blog? Use this builder below to help you. It’s free!
The Pros of Using Ibotta
So what is there to like about Ibotta? Some of the best-reviewed aspects of the app are:
- It’s a great shopping tool for coupon lovers – minus the hassle of traditional cut out coupons – and it helps a lot in savings especially if you spend regularly on grocery shopping. In case you don’t know, Walmart offers the most cash back with this app.
- There are more than 300 brands for you to earn cashback with – not just on physical stores but also online shopping and on travel sites like Expedia.
- Offers are refreshed every Wednesday, so there’s always something to look forward to every weekend.
- You can use Ibotta with other coupon codes to get more savings.
- Offers are valid for purchases up to a week old. That means, if you find a new rebate for an item you bought about 5 days ago, you can still earn cashback. So keep those receipts!
- Depending on the promotion period, every new user is rewarded with a welcome bonus (think free money) when they redeem an X amount of qualifying offers. That’s a good incentive for people to sign up through your referral link.
- Cashback can quickly add up if you shop often enough and some people could make over $10K within several years of using the Ibotta app, just like this young mother as shown on her Ibotta review video.
- The referral program is a potential source of passive income if you are a regular user of Ibotta and committed to promoting it online.
The Downsides of Using Ibotta
As good as it may seem, using the Ibotta app does come with a few cons that you need to be aware of;
- The app is only available for people living in the US.
- Snapping photos of receipts can be troublesome and faulty receipts will not qualify for cashback so it takes a bit of practice.
- Some products that are offered inside the app may not necessarily be in stock inside the store, even though it says it’s available. So be ready to make last-minute changes on your purchases.
- Cashback for Walmart may be the highest but the same cannot be said for other online outlets. Other sites like Swagbucks or Rakuten Ebates may offer more competitive cashback values so it may be wise to do some research before shopping.
- Your favorite outlet may not be on Ibotta. You would think every outlet uses the app but in some places, that’s just not the case.
Is Ibotta Worth Using?
The answer would be a huge yes. I mean, what’s there not to like about earning from cashback and referral bonus while doing your regular shopping?
It’s digitally convenient and there’s nothing much to sweat about. Overall it’s a great app for the modern tech-savvy consumers and I do find the features to be more superior than most rebate sites.
Just keep in mind though that what you make is just a side pocket money. It’s not something you should rely on for paying the bills or cover rent, but if you need to buy something, it’s an alternate source of cash that can be used immediately.
Speaking of cash, have you ever wondered about other ways to make money besides using cashback? Something that is more reliable, long term and can potentially provide you with financial and time freedom?
I have been doing affiliate marketing since 2014 and it has been growing my monthly income for several years now. If you like to give it a try, head over to my recommended training platform and sign up for free training. I will personally guide you through the step-by-step so I hope to see you there.
It is literally the first time that I am hearing about this app where I could earn some cash by just taking pictures of receipts and also referring people to use the platform. Even though it is not the best of ways to make money online, it is still some money. I wanna know if they take receipts from every store across the country.
Not all stores are supported by Ibotta, but I know they are constantly adding new retailers to the list.
Wow! I had never heard of Ibotta before but it sounds really cool. I shop on Amazon all the time and I am glad that the app works with Amazon as well. $20 dollars seems like a reasonable amount to cash out. I am going to download Ibotta now and start recommending it to my friends.
Certainly agree that you should be looking at ways to make money with your smartphone. It’s basically a handheld computer. If you are the type of person that does a lot of grocery shopping, then it makes a lot of sense to use these cashback apps because small amounts of cashback do add up. And why not make some extra with referral commissions too.
Wow! I am very impressed with the referral incentive – $5 per referral – that’s a nice deal to hook up with. Getting referrals should be quite easy because I think everyone wants to make money no matter how small the amount may be. This can be done easily while you’re shopping, so no additional effort is necessary.
People who live within the US borders should be content about having the opportunity of using Ibotta. It basically helps them with making some savings right after purchasing – that’s an alternative interpretation of cashback! And there is definitely a large palette of eligible purchases, given the fact that Amazon is one of the involved brands.
Also, the referral system is an advantage to users who have social visibility and trustability among other people – it is easier for them to convince other people (like friends) to join Ibotta.
Hi Cathy! The name ‘Ibotta’ had come across my plate a little while back, but I never really looked into it. I found your review very thorough and insightful. Who doesn’t love cashback?!
I think this app seems like an excellent replacement for paper coupons. I am part of a few loyalty programs locally that regularly send me paper coupons and I can never seem to remember them until it’s too late like when I’m literally checking out at the store.
As someone who makes a regular effort to support local business, however, I wonder how useful this app would be in smaller towns. Do you have any experience in that regard? i.e. are there smaller retailers available on the app depending on your location? Thanks.
Hi Tucker, not much experience with retailers over here but local restaurants are getting traction so that’s something to look forward to during my weekend eat-out. I sure hope more places are partnered with Ibotta on your side of the world 🙂