18 Best Reward Apps (2020) – Earn Free Rewards For Shopping!

When it comes to saving money, there’s nothing more satisfying than being paid simply because you shopped.

Cash back or reward apps that save money are a dime a dozen these days, and that’s for good reason.

According to the Colloquy Loyalty Census Report, loyalty program membership in 2017 growth grew by 15% to 3.8 billion, largely due to cash back incentives. If there’s one thing for sure, it’s that money saving apps and loyalty programs are certainly here to stay.

Finding the best reward apps can be a difficult task however, especially considering just how many choices there are.

Furthermore, while many of these programs might seem lucrative at first, it isn’t uncommon for apps to have high payout thresholds or for their offers to mysteriously get worse over time, making it impossible to cashout.

Thankfully, if you want to earn free rewards just for shopping, these reward apps are a reliable way to make the most out of your hard-earned money.

I’ve decided to break down the best shopping reward apps into one comprehensive list, so get ready and start earning some free money!

1. Drop

Drop is an easy-to-use IOS and Android app that rewards you for shopping and aims to “supercharge your credit and debit cards,

All you have to do is link your debit or credit cards to Drop, and you will earn Drop Points when you spend on active offers.

Currently, Drop lets you earn shopping rewards by:

• Purchasing from sponsored brands.
• Signing up for new subscriptions and services.
• Taking advantage of Drop partner coupons and cash back rewards.

Drop Points can be redeemed for a variety of rewards such as gift cards to Amazon, Starbucks, and many popular restaurants. Payouts happen fairly quickly, and users are notified of their awaiting rewards via email.

You can also use the Drop app to make money playing video games and by answering short brand surveys.

To date, I’ve earned roughly $50 from Drop without putting in any effort, so it’s definitely an effective rewards app to try out!

Here’s my redemption history from using Drop.

Sign up for Drop with my referral link and earn 5000 Drop points ($5).

Extra Reading – Checkout Our Official Drop App Review.

2. Rakuten (Formerly EBates)

Rakuten is another cash back platform that can save you money, and it’s also very simple: just shop online through Rakuten’s affiliate stores and be rewarded with cash back.

Rakuten has an extensive array of merchants to choose from, with cash back amounts typically ranging between 0.5%-8% but sometimes reaching as high as 30%.

Amazon, Sephora, Groupon, Old Navy, Home Depot, Forever 21, and so many other stores are partnered with Rakuten and have products available.

Once you click through to your store of choice and make a purchase, the cash back will show up in your Rakuten account.

Your Rakuten earnings will be paid out after it has been in your account for 60 days, and will be paid with PayPal on the 15th of February, May, August, and November as long as you have more than $5 in your account.

I’ve earned just nearly $560 by referring friends to Rakuten and shopping on Amazon. You can checkout my review of Rakuten to learn more.

Rakuten is an example of a popular cash back website. Thanks to their browser extension, it’s basically passive.

You might be thinking, this is a website, not a rewards app. What gives!?

Well, Rakuten also has a nifty mobile app that gives you in-store coupons, exclusive deals, 5% cash back on thousands of restaurants, and more perks.

Considering how versatile this platform is, there’s no denying that Rakuten is one of the best reward apps out there.

Sign up for Rakuten with my referral code! You’ll help me out, and new Rakuten members receive a welcome bonus of $10 when they spend $25 or more within 90 days.

Extra Reading – The Best Passive Income Apps In 2020.

3. Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards is a free receipt scanning rewards app and is available for IOS or Android devices. Fetch Rewards is only available in the United States, but this app is a tad different than other reward apps.

See, Fetch Rewards pays you for being brand loyal, not store loyal.

As long as your receipts contain partnered brands, you earn points. It doesn’t actually matter where you shop, provided you are in the United States.

Fetch Rewards has plenty of popular brand partners, including:

• Pepsi.
• Kraft.
• Heinz.
• Dove.
• Taco Bell.

However, this app is definitely more than just your basic grocery rewards app, and includes household goods, alcohol, magazine subscriptions, and beauty products as well as food items.

Eligible receipts are guaranteed $0.25, although special offer rewards can easily range from $2 to $3.

The cashout minimum is also conveniently $3. Gift card options include Amazon, Target, Walmart, Dunkin Donuts, and plenty of other major retailers.

If you do most of the shopping for your household, Fetch Rewards is one of the best reward apps you can use simply because of how consistent it is.

Signup for Fetch Rewards and start easily saving money! Use code “APREWARDS” to redeem 3K points!

4. Honey

Now, Honey isn’t exactly a pure rewards platform since this Honey is a browser extension and mobile app.

However, Honey does let you earn cash back for shopping, and I’ve saved more than $200 by using Honey, so I figured it deserved a place on this list.

When Honey members shop at more than 4,000 Honey partners, they earn Honey Gold.

You can redeem their gold for a wide variety of free gift cards, and this is a completely passive way to save money once you install the extension or try the app.

Ultimately, Honey is definitely one of my favorite coupon platforms and ways to earn cash back, and there’s no harm in seeing how much money Honey can save you the next time you shop online.

Plus, the Honey mobile app acts as a consolidated shopping portal and coupon finder that makes it easy to earn free shopping rewards.

Find the sweetest deals with Honey and start earning cash back rewards!

Extra Reading – Honey Browser Extension Review.

5. Checkout 51

Checkout 51 is a popular receipt scanning app that is similar to Fetch Rewards.

Checkout 51 partners with almost major grocery stores and companies like  Costco, Canadian Tire, Dollarama, and Walmart.

When you purchase eligible items and upload a receipt for proof of purchase, you earn cash back. Items typically earn less than $1 in cash back, but occasional offers like razors or beauty products can earn more.

For example, I just bought some cold medication this week, and Checkout 51 had a $4 cash back offer:

I reached 20% of my cashout threshold just by buying this product…which I needed to buy anyway!

If you frequently grocery shop and enjoy the Checkout 51 offers, you can expect to earn around $20-$30 per month.

If you don’t enjoy the items that are frequently listed on Checkout 51, it might take a bit longer to reach your $20 threshold.

One must-know tip for Checkout 51 is to check in with the app on Thursday mornings.

New offers for Checkout 51 go live on Thursdays at 12:00 AM in each time zone, so users who get an early start can load up on their rebate offers before the expire the following Wednesday.

Ultimately, I think Checkout 51 is one of the best cash back apps for groceries, and rebates often cover a large percentage of a product.

Sign up for Checkout 51 and start earning cash back.

Extra Reading – 12 Ways to Make & Save Money In A Pinch.

6. Caddle

Caddle is a Canadian cash back app that also appeared on Dragons Den, and this app is one of the newer players in the field of money saving apps.

With Caddle, you can save money with cash back rebates, but you have a few options to earn money, including:

• Scanning and uploading grocery receipts for proof-of-purchase.
• Answering surveys about shopping habits or other lifestyle questions.
• Watching specific advertisements via the Caddle app.
• Shopping at specific online stores or buying certain products online.
• Writing reviews and interacting with brands.

My favorite part is that upon signing up, you can earn between $7-$8 just by filling out your personal information, signing up with your email, and answering a few surveys.

Additionally, unlike many other cash back apps, Caddle offers more than grocery rebates, and some of the offers are very lucrative.

For example, you can earn more than $20 cash back for certain offers by buying in bulk on Amazon or specific retailers.

Caddle has a cash out threshold of $20, but you can definitely reach the threshold easily thanks to the signup bonuses. You get paid via cheque, and the app refreshes offers quite regularly.

As you can see, Caddle is a legit shopping rewards app and does pay out their users!

Sign up for Caddle today and start saving! Use the code TOM43988 to earn an additional $1 upon signup!

Read more about earning cash back with Caddle in Caddle review!

7. Receipt Pal

Receipt Pal is another receipt scanning app that pay you for uploading receipts into the app.

However, unlike some of the cash back apps in this list, Receipt Pal isn’t exclusively for groceries.

If you upload a receipt within one week of purchase, you earn points which can be exchanged for a variety of gift cards.

A receipt is worth roughly $0.07, which isn’t great, but hey, free money is free money!

You can also connect their Amazon account or email to automatically upload receipts to earn points, so you can easily maximize how much you earn with Receipt Pal.

Overall Receipt Pal is a semi-passive cash back app that isn’t a bad way to earn some free gift cards!

This isn’t the most lucrative rewards app for 2020, but if you already use receipt scanning apps, you might as well add Receipt Pal into your routine!

Signup for Receipt Pal and start making the most of spare receipts!

8. Ibotta

Ibotta is a popular receipt scanning app that lets you earn rewards for purchasing from select stores and partners.

Simply go shopping, send a picture of your receipt with the Ibotta app, and earn cash back on eligible products.

Ibotta currently partners with over 300 retail chains, including Walmart, Publix, Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy, Target, and many more popular shopping destinations.

Money you earn will appear in your Ibotta account within 48 hours. You won’t make a fortune with Ibotta, but you can realistically expect to earn around $20-$30 per month if you are the primary spender in a family of 3 or 4 people.

Groceries are really where Ibotta shines, but the app can also earn you cash at certain hotels, restaurants, clothing stores, or home good stores.

You must earn $20 before cashing out, and payment methods include PayPal or various gift cards.

If you want a solid reward app that similar to Checkout 51, Ibotta is definitely worth trying.

Sign up for Ibotta and start saving money on groceries!

9. Receipt Hog

Receipt Hog is yet another popular rewards app where you earn money for scanning receipts

Receipt Hog is a leading receipt scanning app because you can upload any kind of receipt to earn ‘coins.’

With your Receipt Hog coins, you can redeem Amazon gift cards, pre-paid Visa cards, or PayPal cash.

200 Receipt Hog coins is equal to $1, and most of the receipts I’ve uploaded have granted me 20 coins, or $0.10. It’s a slow process, but it’s easy.

On the bright side, Receipt Hog also has a Hog Slot game where you unlock spins by uploading more receipts. Prizes include bonus coins and cash, and you never know when you’ll get lucky!

Ultimately you won’t earn a lot of money with Receipt Hog, but it is a consistent receipt scanning app that pays and way to earn some guaranteed cash back.

10. Butter

Butter is an interesting and relatively new cash back app that rewards you for linking certain subscription services to the app.

The cash back process is simple: sign up for Butter, and receive 1% cash back for certain subscriptions.

Butter is essentially paying users 1% cash back for their data, and the app will make other recommendations to you based on your preferences.

Butter also offers members certain signup bonuses or special offers for various partners that come and go.

Some of the subscriptions/memberships that work with Butter include:

• Netflix.
• Amazon Prime.
• GoodLife Fitness.
• Spotify.
• Kindle.

Once you earn $25, Butter will send the money to your bank.

1% isn’t an immense amount of cash back, but if you really love subscriptions/memberships, you might be able to cash out once a year with Butter.

Plus, Butter can also negotiate your cable, internet, and phone bills for you and split the savings. This is similar to bill negotiation apps like TrueBill that make it easy to cut down on expenses.

11. Dosh

Dosh is undeniably one of the best reward apps on the scene despite the fact the app has only been around since 2017.

Dosh, like Drop, is very straightforward. Just connect your card to the app and then enjoy cash back when you shop at a variety of stores.

So, which stores does Dosh partner with?

Quite a few, including:

• Walmart.
• Target.
• Walgreens.
• Nike.
• Forever21.
• Guess.

And plenty, plenty more.

However, the best part is that Dosh is completely passive.

Apps like Drop make you pre-select shopping offers to earn shopping rewards. In contrast, Dosh automatically detects when you spend and pays you accordingly.

This makes Dosh a pretty humble yet effective source of passive income, and it’s definitely a must-download reward app.

You also earn cash back rewards when you book travel arrangements through Dosh Travel, making it easier to save money on vacation or business trips.

Dosh has a payout threshold of $25, which is somewhat steep for cash back apps and programs, but the initial $25 isn’t impossible to reach. Dosh offers a $5 signup bonus, and you can earn $25 when you book your first travel arrangement through the Dosh app.

Learn more about Dosh on their website.

12. Swagbucks

Now, as you might know, I don’t think online surveys are worth it.

However, while I don’t think Swagbucks is great for online surveys, and I’ve definitely earned my fair share of free gift cards with this platform.

Swagbucks is a versatile way to make money online, and lets you earn with surveys, download offers, videos, and shopping rewards.

I will admit that Rakutn generally pays more in cash back, but if you are a Swagbucks user and are looking to accumulate more Swagbucks in order to cash out, consider doing your online shopping through Swagbucks instead.

Some Swagbucks earnings from back in the day when I was into phone farming.

Swagbucks has a fairly extensive list of partners, including Amazon, Sephora, Macy’s, RONA, Home Depot, Nike, and Roots. 

Most cash back incentives fall in the 1-3% range, but you will also see offers for 5-15% at times.

Signup for Swagbucks and start earning! Just don’t waste your time doing surveys!

13. Paribus

While Paribus isn’t the most traditional rewards app, it is still an excellent way to save money when shopping by reclaiming some lost savings!

Paribus works by monitoring your online receipts to detect possible rebates or price drops that can save money, even after a purchase has been made.

To get Paribus to work, all you have to do is:

• Sign up on their website.
• Connect Paribus to the email address where your receipts are sent from online shopping.
• Paribus will then monitor these receipts and look for price drops.
• If the item you purchased is eligible for a price adjustment, Paribus works with the retailer to retrieve your rebate.

Paribus is currently partnered with a variety of stores, including Target, Old Navy, Walmart, Best Buy, Kohls, and dozens of other retailers.

Paribus also monitors the timeliness of guaranteed deliveries from Amazon or Walmart. If orders are delayed or late, Paribus will contact the merchant to seek compensation.

Signup for Paribus and don’t miss out on price matching and price drop protection!

Extra Reading – The Best Money Saving Browser Extensions.

14. Bumped

I’ve mentioned Bumped on this blog before, and this app is probably one of the coolest reward apps around right now.

With Bumped, you earn free stocks from the companies you spend at instead of cash back.

When you signup with Bumped, you select a single merchant from each of the 16 categories to earn stock from.

There’s a wide array of categories, and some of the most popular merchants include Starbucks, Netflix, Spotify, and Walmart.

You’ll generally earn 1-3% in free stocks for shopping, but some merchants pay up to 5%.

Just note, you will need to provide your SSN when signing up and creating an account because you are dealing with stocks instead of cash.

However, you can double dip while using Bumped and still enjoy the benefits of whatever cash back credit card you use.

You’re free to sell your portfolio/specific stocks at any time, and you can transfer the cash back into your linked bank account following order completion.

If you want to learn how to invest, I definitely recommend checking out Bumped. 

Signup for the Bumped wait-list on their website!

Extra Reading – Bumped App Review 2020.

15. PEI

Pei is an automatic cash back app that works the same way as Drop.

However, unlike Drop, Pei lets you cash out for cash or Bitcoin and is completely passive like Dosh.

Plus, Pei ahs a lot of partners, including major brands like Uber, Starbucks, Walgreens, CVS, and hundreds more.

Most cash back offers range from 1-2%, although Pei also has a loyalty bonus that grants $0.50 if you shop at a store 5 times. Plus, they have some ‘$2 for $20’ offers on stores that reward a $2 bonus for spending $20 or more.

You can cashout upon reaching $15 through PayPal, Bitcoin, or prepaid Visas.

Ultimately, if you like the passive nature of apps like Dosh, I think Pei is one of the best reward apps in 2020 that you can try.

Extra Reading – Pei App Review 2020.

16. KOHO

KOHO is a free Canadian reloadable Visa card, and the KOHO app lets you aomatically earn cash back on your purchases.

I don’t use KOHO but many of my friends do, and the fact that you earn automatically without having to scan receipts or upload proof of purchase is nice.

However, KOHO pays 0.50% cash back on purchases. I don’t use KOHO because my credit card pays between 1-2%, so I’d recommend shopping around to see if you can do better.

Just note: KOHO doesn’t charge any fees unlike many credit cards, and the app has some nifty budgeting tools and financial resources built in, like an automated savings plan (which you can setup and tweak to meet your goals).

17. HOOCH Rewards

HOOCH Rewards is a relatively new rewards app, and the platform functions similarly to Drop or PEI.

HOOCH lets you earn up to 10% cash back plus some nifty perks when shopping, travelling, or dining with more than 250,000 partners.

You earn a $5 bonus when signing up, and you can earn more rewards for drinking or dining at HOOCH venues or booking a hotel through the app.

The cashout limit is $25, which kinda sucks, but the signup bonus can help with the first redemption.

Points can be redeemed for free gift cards, and I’d recommend checking out HOOCH if some of the other reward apps aren’t cutting it for you.

Learn more about Hooch Rewards!

18. Shopkick

Shopkick is another popular rewards app, and you can benefit from shopping online or in-store with Shopkick.

Shopkick users can earn ‘kicks’ for buying partnered products online or in-store, but you can also earn points for simply scanning items as well (I assume this is for market research purposes).

250 kicks equals $1, and points can be redeemed for free gift cards with companies like Target, Starbucks, or Amazon.

Shopkick is currently partnered with more than 250,000 retail locations, so you can definitely find a way to earn cash back with this app if you live in the United States.

If you want a mix of a rewards app, cash back portal, and mystery shopping gigs, this is definitely the app for you!

Read our 2020 Shopkick review to learn more!

Final Thoughts

None of the apps in this list are going to earn hundreds of dollars per month (unless you have a serious shopping budget).

However, if you take advantage of a few of these popular reward apps, you might be surprised at how much you can earn annually.

They might seem tedious or irrelevant at the start, but even completely passive reward apps like Dosh or receipt scanning apps like Receipt Hog can make a difference over time.

If you implement a few of these apps, you will earn a couple of free gift cards every year, so you might as well try them out!

If you want to save even more money when shopping, I also suggest checking out my post on the best money saving browser extensions!

That’s all for now! I hope this list of the best 2020 reward apps helps you save even more money this year.

Catch you guys in the next one.