The average American leaves $624 in unclaimed cashback rewards every single year. These 7 apps fix that in about 10 minutes of setup.
You are already buying groceries, gas, and household stuff. The only difference between you and someone earning $500 a month in cashback is the apps on their phone. No lifestyle changes. No budgeting spreadsheets. Just smarter spending on the things you already buy.
The 7 Best Cashback Apps Ranked by Real Earning Power
1. Rakuten: Your Online Shopping Best Friend
Rakuten partners with 3,500+ stores to give you cashback on purchases you make online. You install the browser extension, shop as normal, and Rakuten deposits your earnings every quarter. The current welcome bonus alone is worth $30 when you spend $30.
Example: A new user buys a $200 laptop stand from Staples (8% back), orders $80 in pet supplies from Chewy (6% back), and grabs $60 worth of clothing from Nike (5% back). That is $25.80 back in a single afternoon of shopping.
| Avg. Earnings: $15-$40/month | Setup Time: 3 minutes | Action: Install the free Rakuten browser extension today and earn your $30 welcome bonus on your first qualifying purchase. |
2. Ibotta: Turn Your Grocery Receipt Into Cash
Ibotta pays you cash for buying specific grocery items at stores like Walmart, Kroger, Aldi, and Target. Browse available offers before you shop, buy the items, scan your receipt, and get paid. It is that simple.
Example: This week Ibotta is offering $1.50 back on a specific brand of yogurt, $2 back on any cereal, and $0.75 back on eggs. Buy all three in one trip and you just earned $4.25 in under 60 seconds of app use. Do that 4 times a month and you are at $17.
| Avg. Earnings: $20-$50/month | Setup Time: 5 minutes | Action: Download Ibotta, claim your new user $5 welcome bonus, and unlock offers before your next grocery run. |
3. Fetch Rewards: Scan Everything, Earn Points
Fetch Rewards is the most beginner-friendly app on this list. Scan any grocery, restaurant, or gas station receipt and earn points you can redeem for gift cards. You do not have to pre-select offers. Just scan after you shop.
A family spending $600/month on groceries can realistically earn 3,000-6,000 Fetch points monthly. That converts to $3-$6 in gift cards, which does not sound huge on its own, but stacked with the other apps on this list, it adds up fast.
| Avg. Earnings: $5-$15/month | Setup Time: 2 minutes | Action: Download Fetch and scan your last 3 receipts right now to start your points balance immediately. |
4. Upside: Get Paid Just for Pumping Gas
Upside (formerly GetUpside) gives you cashback every time you fill up your tank at participating gas stations. The average user earns 25 cents per gallon back. With gas prices where they are, that adds up to real money fast.
If you fill up a 15-gallon tank once a week at 25 cents back per gallon, that is $3.75 per trip and $15 per month just for using an app while doing something you were going to do anyway.
| Avg. Earnings: $10-$25/month | Setup Time: 3 minutes | Action: Download Upside and check the map for the closest participating station before your next fill-up. |
5. Capital One Shopping: Auto-Apply Coupons at Checkout
Capital One Shopping is a browser extension that automatically finds and applies coupon codes at checkout. You do not even have to look for codes. It also alerts you when prices drop on items you have already bought.
Users save an average of $19 per order when Capital One Shopping finds an applicable code. If you place 4 online orders a month, that is $76 saved with zero extra effort. You do not need a Capital One account to use it.
| Avg. Savings: $20-$80/month | Setup Time: 2 minutes | Action: Add Capital One Shopping to your browser right now. It activates automatically on your next purchase. |
6. Dosh: Set It and Forget It Cashback
Dosh connects to your debit or credit card and automatically gives you cashback when you spend at partner restaurants, hotels, and stores. No scanning receipts. No remembering to activate offers. It just runs in the background.
Dosh works at over 100,000 locations, including major hotel chains where you can earn up to 10% back. Families who travel a couple of times a year can easily earn $40-$80 in hotel cashback alone.
| Avg. Earnings: $10-$30/month | Setup Time: 4 minutes | Action: Link your most-used card to Dosh and let it earn for you automatically starting today. |
7. Honey: The Price-Drop Alert Machine
Honey (owned by PayPal) scans for coupon codes at over 30,000 stores and shows you price history charts so you know when an item is actually at its lowest price. Its Honey Gold program also pays you points redeemable for PayPal cash or gift cards.
Honey users save an average of $126 per year just from coupon codes applied at checkout. Combined with the Honey Gold rewards, savvy shoppers are pulling in $15-$30 per month from this single extension.
| Avg. Savings: $15-$30/month | Setup Time: 2 minutes | Action: Install Honey and run a quick search on Amazon for any item in your cart to see instant price comparisons. |
Level Up: Stack These Apps for Maximum Wins
Here is the secret the top savers on NewMoneyFast use: these apps are not competing. They stack.
When you buy groceries, activate Ibotta offers first, pay with a cashback credit card, scan your receipt in Fetch, AND have Capital One Shopping check for digital coupons. That single grocery trip can earn cashback from three directions at once.
| The 30-Day Cashback ChallengeWeek 1: Install Rakuten + Honey (browser). Install Ibotta + Fetch (phone).Week 2: Add Upside for gas. Start scanning every receipt in Fetch.Week 3: Link your card to Dosh. Make one online purchase through Rakuten.Week 4: Check your earnings across all 7 apps and share your total in the comments. |
Which app are you trying first? Drop it in the comments below. Over 12,000 NewMoneyFast readers have taken this challenge and most report hitting $80+ in their first month. Beat the average.
Quick Wins Summary
| Total Potential Savings | $95 – $270+ per month (stacking all 7 apps) |
| Total Setup Time | Under 20 minutes total for all 7 apps |
| Difficulty Level | Beginner-friendly. Zero tech skills required. |
| Best For | Families, students, anyone who buys groceries or shops online |
| Time to First Payout | Ibotta, Upside, and Fetch pay out within days. Rakuten pays quarterly. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these apps actually legitimate?
Yes. Every app on this list has millions of users and is backed by major brands and retailers. Rakuten is owned by the same company behind Rakuten.com. Honey was acquired by PayPal for $4 billion. These are real companies paying real money.
Is my payment info safe when I link my card to Dosh?
Dosh uses bank-level encryption and never stores your full card number. It uses the same security protocols as major financial apps like Venmo and PayPal. Your card information is tokenized, meaning even Dosh cannot see it after linking.
How quickly will I see results?
Most people earn their first cashback within 24 hours of setup by scanning receipts in Ibotta and Fetch. Significant earnings (think $50+) typically show up after 2-3 weeks once you have the app stacking system running smoothly.
Do I have to change what I buy?
Mostly no. Ibotta does require buying specific items to unlock its highest offers, but Fetch, Rakuten, Dosh, and the browser extensions work on whatever you buy anyway. The strategy is about earning on your existing spending, not redirecting it.
Can I really earn $500 a month from cashback apps?
$500 is achievable but represents the upper range for households that shop heavily, travel, and make frequent online purchases. The more realistic average for a typical family using all 7 apps consistently is $95 to $200 per month. Still a very solid return for zero extra spending.
| Ready to Start Earning?Compare all 7 cashback apps side by side and find the best ones for your spending habits at NewMoneyFast.com. Most users earn their first cashback reward within 24 hours.Join 50,000+ savers using these exact strategies. Start your 30-Day Cashback Challenge today.We may earn a commission when you sign up through our links, at no extra cost to you. This helps keep New Money Fast free and ad-light. |
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