We tested the top rebate and cash back apps for groceries and found that the best option varies by person and depends on factors like where you shop, the brands you buy and your preference for shopping in-store or online.
Here’s a list of the top options, including notes on who will benefit the most from each app.
Note: The review scores in this post were collected on June 9, 2024. We revise this post periodically throughout the year to update this data.
Top Cash Back Apps for Groceries
#1. Ibotta
Ibotta tops the list as an option for both in-store and online shopping with wide availability and the highest potential earnings.
Download and search the Ibotta app for digital coupons on food and other items at grocery and retail stores (both brick-and-mortar and online). Buy the items you have coupons for, and upload a picture of your receipt to your Ibotta account. The Ibotta app will deposit your cash-back bonus into your account within 48 hours of verification. Once your account reaches $20, you can transfer the money to your PayPal or Venmo account.
App Store ratings: 4.8/5 with 1,791,624 reviews.
Google Play ratings: 4.5/5 with 681,199 reviews.
Sign-up bonus: New users will receive a $5 bonus after spending $15 through the app’s cash-back shopping portal.
Learn more: Read our Ibotta review and learn about other apps like Ibotta.
#2. Fetch Rewards
Fetch stands out for shoppers who want simplicity, as there’s no watching videos or scanning barcodes.
The Fetch Rewards app allows users to earn points for sharing their digital and physical grocery receipts. You don’t have to preselect the items or clip coupons — Fetch accepts all receipts.
Most receipts pay 25 points, which equates to a few cents. However, you can earn significantly more by purchasing sponsored brands and items. Often, you’re buying these products anyway, so there’s no brand-changing required.
A tip worth mentioning is that you can upload the same receipt to both Fetch Rewards and Ibotta.
App Store ratings: 4.8/5 with 5,119,611 reviews.
Google Play ratings: 4.6/5 with 1,115,511 reviews.
Sign-up bonus: Get 3,000 bonus points automatically by using our sign-up link.
Learn more: Get tips to maximize your earnings in our Fetch review.
#3. Fluz
Ideal for shoppers who purchase groceries with a debit card, or who don’t earn more than 1% back by using their credit card. It’s also one of the few apps that works with Instacart.
Fluz is a cash-back app that allows you to earn rewards by purchasing gift cards through the app and then using those gift cards to make purchases at participating retailers. You can stack cash-back earnings from Fluz with rewards from other apps.
While many of the other options on this list require you to complete small tasks — like watching an ad or uploading a receipt — using Fluz only takes a minute and can save you as much as 4% at major supermarkets including Kroger, Ralph’s, Safeway and Whole Foods. It can also be used for Instacart orders.
App Store ratings: 3.8/5 with 1,175 reviews.
Google Play ratings: 4.0/5 with 1,137 reviews.
Sign-up bonus: Join with this link to get a voucher worth 35% cash-back (up to $10).
Learn more: Learn more about the app in our Fluz review.
#4. Shopkick
Great for anyone who can afford to spend a few extra minutes at the store hunting down an item or two and taking a picture.
Link a debit or credit card to the Shopkick app. You’ll earn points (called Kicks) when you purchase eligible items and submit a copy of your receipt. Your Kicks can be redeemed for gift cards from dozens of retailers.
Other ways to earn Kicks include walking into a specific store and scanning the barcodes of specified products.
App Store ratings: 4.6/5 with 82,439 reviews.
Google Play ratings: 3.8/5 with 232,778 reviews.
Sign-up bonus: Get 500 Kicks by using the promo code WIN521288 when you sign up for a new account.
Learn more: Read our Shopkick review.
#5. Checkout 51
Primarily a receipt scanning app, Checkout 51 also offers surveys and a cash-back shopping portal.
Checkout 51 works at any grocery store. After downloading the app, search for coupons and offers and add them to your account before you go grocery shopping. When you’re done, just open the app, mark the items you actually purchased, and upload a picture of your grocery receipt. Once your receipt is approved, your cashback will appear in your account.
App Store ratings: 4.0/5 with 6,276 reviews.
Google Play ratings: 4.1/5 with 78,798 reviews.
Sign-up bonus: None currently available.
#6. Receipt Hog
Similar to Fetch in that it’s simple to use. While we’ve found the earning potential is low, you do have the option of cashing out with PayPal.
If you like flexibility, you’ll love Receipt Hog. It doesn’t matter what store you shop at or what you buy. You can upload any receipt and earn points, called Coins, for every upload. The number of Coins you earn depends on the amount you spend, so the more you buy, the more you save. Coins can be redeemed for cash via PayPal or Amazon gift cards.
App Store ratings: 4.7/5 with 177,236 reviews.
Google Play ratings: 4.5/5 with 234,168 reviews.
Sign-up bonus: None currently available.
#7. The Krazy Coupon Lady
A robust app for coupon clippers who want to go digital.
This app is like a one-stop shop for coupons. It has coupons from circulars, stores and manufacturers, as both digital and printable coupons. The app will send new offers to your phone as it finds them, wherever it finds them. The app also offers tutorials and videos to teach those new to couponing how to optimize their savings.
App Store ratings: 4.9/5 with 147,183 reviews.
Google Play ratings: 4.8/5 with 56,665 reviews.
Sign-up bonus: None currently available.
#8. Flipp
Another app worth downloading for coupon clippers to check on local deals.
Flipp lets you see all the circulars in your area (just enter your zip code when creating your account) to save money on grocery items, household items, clothes, electronics, and more. “Clip” the coupons, which will be attached to your store loyalty cards.
You can also use the app’s price matching feature to get the lowest price in stores that allow price-match savings.
App Store ratings: 4.8/5 with 411,796 reviews.
Google Play ratings: 4.7/5 with over 336,353 reviews.
Sign-up bonus: None currently available.
#9. CoinOut
An ideal app for anyone who simply wants to upload a receipt without the need to buy specific products or scan barcodes.
CoinOut allows you to upload receipts from any retailer and get a random amount of cash-back added to your wallet. It also functions as an online shopping portal, where you can earn extra cash-back from online purchases at major retailers. There’s no minimum to cash-out via bank transfer or gift card, but there is a $20 minimum for PayPal.
App Store ratings: 4.6/5 with 62,841 reviews.
Google Play ratings: 4.4/5 with 48,013 reviews.
Sign-up bonus: None currently available.
#10. ReceiptPal
Lower earning potential than other universal receipt scanning apps, but worth it for those who like double dipping on rewards.
With a few exceptions, you can upload a receipt from almost anywhere you shop and earn points with ReceiptPal. Every four receipts will earn you 100 points, and you can submit up to 20 weekly. The points can be redeemed for gift cards. Plus, for every receipt you upload, you’ll be entered into a weekly drawing that takes place each Monday and pays out $250.
App Store ratings: 4.5/5 with 21,380 reviews.
Google Play ratings: 4.0/5 with 38,469 reviews.
Sign-up bonus: None currently available.
#11. NCPMobile
Solid earning potential if you don’t mind the extra effort of scanning barcodes.
NCPMobile is a barcode scanning app. Scan the barcodes of eligible items you buy, answer a few questions about the purchase, and then submit your feedback to earn points. The points you earn can be redeemed for gift cards.
App Store ratings: 4.3/5 with 7,550 reviews.
Google Play ratings: 4.5/5 with 47,311 reviews.
Sign-up bonus: None currently available.
Grocery Store Specific Shopping Apps
These are just a few of the major retailers that have dedicated mobile apps. While apps like these typically don’t give cashback, they do often feature exclusive coupons and deals that can help you save money on your grocery purchase.
Target’s Circle App: This app lets you see Target’s in-store offers right on your phone. Search by category or collection, or enter a brand or item into the search bar. You can also scan a barcode to see if there are any savings on that particular item. When you find an offer you want, click it and it will be added to your list. When you’re checking out, scan the barcode in your Target app at the register and the discounts will be applied.
Kroger: Not only does the Kroger app save you money on household staples and grocery items, it also saves you time. You can shop from the app and pick up when you arrive at the store, or you can have your order delivered. You can also view weekly ads, coupons and special offers, and load digital coupons to your loyalty card.
Whole Foods: You can use the app to see weekly sales and specials. To really save though, you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member. Prime members receive special offers and an extra 10% off hundreds of weekly sale items. Sign in through Prime and scan the QR code in the app when checking out.
Meijer: The Meijer app offers users digital coupons, special offers, rewards for buying eligible items, and access to the weekly circular. Users earn rewards like $5 off their next shopping trip after spending $250 or more in total purchases.
Walmart: This app allows users to view the weekly circular, create a shopping list, receive notices about special offers, scan items to check their price, send money, and refill prescriptions.
3 Smart Ways to Maximize Cash Back on Groceries
- Use the right credit card. Consider getting a cash-back credit card that lists grocery stores as a bonus category. I have the American Express Gold Card, which earns me 4x points on groceries. Points are worth approximately 2 cents each, so that means I earn 8% cash-back every time I shop. This card has a high annual fee ($250), but since we’re a family of five who eats primarily at home, we find the 8% cash-back to justify that yearly cost. Another card worth considering is the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, which earns 6x points on up to $6,000 per year in purchases and has a $95 annual fee.
- Stack reward apps. Most of the apps listed here can be stacked with each other, as well as with credit card reward points and potential rewards from an in-store loyalty program. See how much you can save by stacking with our easy-to-use cash-back calculator.
- Use a shopping portal when buying groceries online. If you buy groceries online, use one of the top cash-back shopping apps and websites to see if there’s an opportunity to garner additional savings.
Cash Back on Groceries: FAQs
Some companies that offer cashback rewards for receipts use those receipts to verify that you purchased sponsored products or brands. One example of this is Ibotta, which gives you cashback for buying specific items that are advertised within the app. Other companies use the data on your receipts for market research purposes, analyzing things like what items people purchase in combination, what time of the day certain groups of people shop, etc. This is the case with pure receipt-scanning apps like Receipt Hog.
Fluz offers a flat cash-back rate for Amazon purchases paid for through the app (the specific amount varies depending on whether you use a debit card, credit card or bank account). Fetch accepts digital Amazon receipts, but you have to connect your inbox and allow the app to scan your email.
The answer to this question depends on many factors, including your creditworthiness, how much you spend on groceries and where you shop. As we mentioned in the previous section, two of our favorites are the American Express Gold Card and the Blue Chase Preferred Cash Card. Another good option is the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card, which gives you 5% cash-back on all Whole Foods purchases.
Other popular cards that offer cashback rewards of groceries include the Citi Custom Cash Card (5% in your highest spending category), the CapitalOne SavorOne Card (3% at grocery stores) and the Costco Anywhere Visa Card (2% on groceries purchased at Costco).
The Best Cash-Back Apps For Groceries: Final Thoughts
Groceries aren’t getting cheaper any time soon. If you’re a budget-conscious person who is willing to put in a little bit of time and effort, it’s not unreasonable to think you can shave 1% to 3% off your grocery expenditures by using one or more of the apps mentioned in this article. Using a cash-back credit card with a dedicated earning category for groceries can often double that savings.
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