Savings are immensely important in this world of rising prices. Ibotta is one of the leading cashback apps in the U.S., where users can make money by doing almost anything-from grocery shopping to online shopping.
Whether you are an advanced or new user of Ibotta, this comprehensive guide will show you how you can bring in extra cash using Ibotta-without spending an extra dime!
1. How Ibotta Works
Ibotta offers cashback on purchases either in-store or online through participating retailers. After making qualifying purchases, you get cashback by confirming them through the app. You can cash out through PayPal, Venmo, or gift cards.
Types of Offers Available on Ibotta
- Product-based Offers: Cashback is offered based on specific items to be purchased.
- Brand or Store-based Offers: Cashback is given for shopping at certain stores or brands.
- Online Retailer Offers: Rewards for shopping online through Ibotta at participating stores.
How Much Can You Earn? Ibotta offers range from $0.25 to $5 or more, depending on the product. Save hundreds each year by being an active regular user who shops frequently and uses offers judiciously.
2. How Ibotta Works: Initial Setup and Basics
Here is a step by step guide on how ibotta works:
- Download the app: Ensure that Ibotta is downloaded either through the App Store in case of iOS or through the Google Play Store in case you have an Android.
- Create an Account: You can do this via email, Google, or even your Facebook.
- Welcome Bonuses: Ibotta does offer a welcome bonus for new sign-ups if you redeem X number of offers within the first few days. Make sure to check what your welcome bonus entails and start redeeming offers right away to earn this free cash!
Link Loyalty Cards: It’s even simpler to redeem in-store offers by directly linking your store loyalty cards with the Ibotta account. Then you won’t need to upload the receipts from shopping at those stores; Ibotta instantly verifies purchases for qualifying offers after you scan your loyalty card at checkout.
3. Redeem In-Store Offers for Free Money
Step 1: Browse Offers
Browse Ibotta’s in-app list of available cashback offers. In the App, offers are available in categories such as groceries, alcohol, household goods, health and beauty, and many more.
Step 2: Browse Your Offers Before You Shop
Before you shop, “add” or “activate” the offers that you plan on redeeming. Sometimes before an offer is added, you will be required to watch a short video or answer a few quick survey questions so that deal becomes live.
Step 3: Redeem by Uploading Receipts
Once you’ve made the purchases, utilize the Ibotta app to upload a photo of your receipt. Its image recognition software will read your receipt, and after some minutes or hours, you must see your cashback reflected in your account.
4. Online Offers on Ibotta
Ibotta has partnered with quite a number of online retailers for cashback on purchases made through it. To make online purchases and get cashback via Ibotta:
- Step 1: Go to the “Online Shopping” section in the App
- Step 2: Pick your retailer and go forward with your purchase via Ibotta’s portal. Make sure cookies are enabled, and complete the transaction without exiting the site.
- Step 3: Cashback Confirmation. Online purchases may take some days to appear in your Ibotta account.
5. How to Maximize Your Earnings with Ibotta Bonuses
- Welcome Bonuses: As it would be, Ibotta does give a one-time bonus when users start using it. That’s a pretty cool way to make some free money right from the beginning.
- Monthly Bonuses: Ibotta even has a monthly bonus if you redeem a certain number of offers or hit certain cashback milestones.
- Level-Up Bonuses: Sometimes, specific offers will let you make more money if you redeem a variety of offers of a similar type within a set period.
- Team Bonuses: In Ibotta, you will be teaming up with your friends or family. Given that you can redeem many offers together every month, as a team you get additional bonuses.
- Pro Tip: Stack the bonuses by planning purchases and doing the actual shopping with friends/family to meet goals faster.
6. Increase Your Money with Referral Bonuses
Ibotta is another app which gives referral credit to you and the invitee for cash. How this works:
- Share Your Referral Code: Find your referral code under the “Account” tab-“Invite Friends”. You can share that one with friends and family or over social media.
- Referral Bonus: For every friend that joins using your referral link and completes the first week’s redemption, you will earn a referral bonus. Typically, it would fall in the range of $5 to $20.
- Monthly Challenges: During specific months, Ibotta increases referral bonuses to incentivize their users to invite friends.
- Advanced Tip: If you are part of social groups, use this as an opportunity to post your referral code on those sites to increase sign-ups!
7. Stack Ibotta Along with Other Cashback and Rewards Apps
Ibotta can be combined with other cashback or rewards apps in order to get the maximum savings on any purchase. This is how it is done below:
- Use Ibotta with Coupons: Most stores allow the use of coupons along with Ibotta offers. Check for printable or digital coupons from your favorite brands or stores.
- Stack with other cashback apps: On top of Ibotta, use Rakuten or Fetch Rewards. Upload the same receipt, for example, in Fetch Rewards and get points there, too.
- Stack with store rewards: If you have any loyalty programs with a retailer, apply those loyalty discounts, points, or in-store rewards to make every purchase more valuable.
8. Take Advantage of Ibotta’s Seasonal and Limited-Time Offers
Ibotta always runs different promotions around holidays and seasonal events. Watch for a promotion they’ve been running offering increased cashback on select categories or even where they give bonuses.
- Seasonal Bonuses: You may notice that during different holidays, or even back to school time, there are offerings for bonus cash when you redeem offers in certain categories.
- Free Product Offers: Ibotta periodically has free product offers in where the cash back is the same value as the product itself. These are often available for a limited time, so you will want to check your app often for these.
9. How to Maximize Your Ibotta Earnings
Here’s a few advanced ways to keep the bucks coming in:
- Shop with a List: Before you go to shop, create a list of offers and plan your purchases.
- Check Ibotta prior to every shopping trip, as the various offers available are in constant flux. Sometimes, there might be newer and more relevant offers just waiting to be found.
- Prioritize high-value offers: Some offers will reward more than others. Be looking for those-especially when you’re trying to hit a monthly or team bonus.
- Link Payment Methods: In the online offers section, link your payment methods for quicker and easier ways to get your cashback.
- Earn Consistently with Favorite Brands: Always pay closer attention to Ibotta’s current offers on those items for brands you use more often because they are most likely to recur.
10. Withdraw and Enjoy Your Cashback
The minimum balance required in order to withdraw funds is $20. You can withdraw your earnings through a number of options described below:
- Bank Transfer: You can get your cash directly withdrawn into your bank via PayPal or Venmo.
- Gift Cards: You can use your money earned to buy gift cards for stores like Amazon, Walmart, and Target.
Ibotta doesn’t take a cut of your withdrawal; you actually keep every cent that you bring in.
If you use Ibotta right, you will earn free money upon making day-to-day purchases without even having to drastically change your shopping habits.
You can also pick and choose offers to suit your daily needs, stack those offers with other cashback programs whenever possible, and use referral and seasonal bonuses to increase your earnings over time.
You start taking small steps: browsed through the available offers, then turned a few on, and ramp up steadily as you integrate the app into your regular shopping routine.
Ibotta App Download Links
Link Payment Methods
Other Cashback and Rewards Apps (For Stacking)
Happy Saving!
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