Ibotta Review 2024: How I Earned $17,636 Cash Back Rewards

I started using the Ibotta app nearly 2.5 years ago, and since then I’ve earned a total of $17,636 in Ibotta cash back rewards. During this time I’ve also discovered dozens of Ibotta hacks, including one that earned me a $100 cash bonus reward! 

It’s insane to think that rewards from a free grocery savings app can actually pay for your entire family vacation, but I’m here to say it’s possible. When you learn everything Ibotta has to offer then you can leverage it for all it’s worth.

Many of these Ibotta tips and tricks you won’t be able to find anywhere else. I’ve been diligently using Ibotta on a weekly basis to uncover these money saving hacks for you. 

So you can feel comfortable knowing you landed on the best possible resource for how to use Ibotta to earn cash back rewards! 

Feel free to share this Ibotta review with your friends and family to spread the love and share the savings! 

(Hey! Before you dive into this post, **PIN THIS IMAGE** so you can come back to it later!)

What is the Ibotta App?

Ibotta is a shopping rebate rewards app and browser extension that is widely known for its grocery couponing deals. Ibotta savers get rewarded in real cash for redeeming offers from Ibotta partnered retailers and brands.

The free smartphone app can be downloaded on both iOS and Android devices. Savers who prefer to shop on desktop can download the free Ibotta extension to Chrome or Firefox and activate rewards on supported sites.

Ibotta Promo Code

New Ibotta app savers, who have not previously registered an account, can download the app and enter Ibotta referral code: KSHAGVC to earn a $5 Ibotta sign up bonus. Additionally, you’ll have a chance to earn upwards of $20 in receipt rewards cash when you use the Ibotta promo code and follow email instructions.

Ibotta Review

This Ibotta app review will serve as your complete guide to earning cash back rewards on your in-store and online shopping. You’ll learn how to use Ibotta to earn rewards on groceries, wine and beer, clothing, at restaurants and more. 

You’ll also see how I score 15 – 20% cashback rewards on gift card purchases such as AMC Movie Theatres and Airbnb gift cards. There’s also the annual Ibotta app free Thanksgiving dinner promotion and Ibotta Game Day promotion that you can read about separately.

There’s so much to learn about Ibotta that I had to break it up into different sections and blog posts for you! If you’d like, feel free to save this pin on Pinterest and come back to this post as many times as needed! 

Now, let’s dive into the Ibotta review!

How Does Ibotta Work?

Ibotta works as a receipt scanning app that turns your shopping receipts into bonafide cash back rewards. With over 2,000 brands and retailers currently partnered with Ibotta, chances are you’ll find cash back rewards on nearly every purchase you make.

How to Use Ibotta App

In a nutshell, this is how to use the shopping rewards app.

• Download the free Ibotta app

• Link your store loyalty accounts to Ibotta for paperless redemption of rebate rewards.

• Add offers to your Ibotta shopping list by pressing the (+) sign next to the item.

• Shop eligible offers in-store or online

• Submit your receipt to earn cash back rewards on eligible purchases. 

• Cash out your Ibotta earnings to PayPal, bank card, or gift card once you reach the $20 minimum threshold to cash out.

If you don’t have a store loyalty account, then you can simply snap a photo of your receipt. Ibotta will find and match eligible offers found on your receipt. 

How to Use Ibotta Browser Extension 

Use the Ibotta browser extension to shop rebate rewards on desktop.

• From your computer, add the free Ibotta browser extension to Chrome or FireFox and log in to your Ibotta account.

• When you visit a supported site the Ibotta money saver extension will pop up. Click ‘Activate’ in the extension window to activate your cash back.

• To shop grocery pickup and delivery through the extension, sign in to your grocery or delivery account. If you don’t have an account, create one first. Then, add offers to your list.

• Find cash back offers in the extension window, then shop and pay as you normally do.

• Ibotta will send you an email when the ‘pending period’ is complete. Cash back earnings will be added to your Ibotta account on eligible purchases.

These other apps also reward you for online shopping.

Rakuten $30 Sign Up Bonus: Rakuten is a rebate rewards and deals website that offers cashback on your online purchases. I’ve been using the Rakuten browser extension similar to Ibotta for 2 years and have earned over $1254.73 in rewards and bonuses to date.

SwagButton Extension $10 Bonus: Swagbucks is another well known app that rewards you for online shopping. Their chrome extension will find you the best deals around the web and reward you a predetermined cashback rate. To-date, I’ve earned over $1,158.00 in rewards and bonuses.

Ibotta Cash Back Tips 

These next Ibotta cash back tips are meant to help you get familiar with how to use the app and to prepare you for your shopping trips. The ultimate goal is to get you up and ready to start using Ibotta once you download it!

In-Store Grocery Shopping

One aspect of using the Ibotta app that is not my favorite part is the preparation needed prior to heading out to the grocery store. Unlike Fetch Rewards, you won’t be able to simply scan a receipt and instantly earn rewards. With Ibotta, you have to find and add offers to your Ibotta shopping list prior to submitting your receipt. 

Before you head to the store, open your Ibotta app, and on your home screen, scroll down to Shop by category > Grocery. Select the grocery store you plan to shop and start adding offers (+) to your shopping list.

Once you’ve finished grocery shopping and have checked out, you can redeem eligible Ibotta offers by uploading your receipt to the app. Look for the ‘Upload receipt’ or ‘Submit receipt instead’ tab.

Ibotta will match the offers you added to your list and credit your account within 24 hours or less. If by chance you forget to add an offer before submitting your receipt, Ibotta customer care will help you redeem it. Simply submit a request via the in-app help center as soon as you notice the missing offer.

Scan In-Store Product

One great feature I like about Ibotta is that it has a product barcode scanner. You can make sure the product matches the offer by scanning the item at the store. That way, you know you’ll be credited with the cash back rewards for the purchase.

Link Loyalty Cards to Ibotta App

If you have a loyalty account or card with your favorite grocery store, then make redeeming purchases easier by linking it to Ibotta. Once your loyalty account is linked, Ibotta will be able to receive an electronic submission of your receipt when scanned at checkout. You’ll also receive your cash back much faster this way.

There are three simple steps to earning with your loyalty card on Ibotta:

Step 1: Select Link Account at the top of the screen after selecting your grocery store.

Step 2: Build a shopping list by adding offers to your list to maximize your savings.

Step 3: Use your rewards account at checkout and earn cash back instantly.

For in-store purchases, make sure you scan your loyalty card or enter your phone number connected to your loyalty account at checkout in order to receive automatic cash back.

Online Grocery Shopping

Online grocery shopping makes getting all your groceries and essentials so much easier to do. You can access this by going to your app home screen and the Shop by category > Grocery pickup and delivery.

Then select your preferred online grocery shopping retailer, such as Walmart Pick & Delivery and Kroger Online.

Add offers to your Ibotta grocery list as usual, then complete your grocery purchase. After you receive or pick up your purchase, Ibotta will credit your account within 24 hours.

Don’t forget, you can also use your Ibotta Chrome or Firefox browser extension to also shop groceries online!

Retailer and Restaurant Online Shopping

Do you order food online or do much of your regular shopping online? 

When you shop online with your Ibotta app, you have the opportunity of earning more cash back at places such as: Macy’s, Amazon, Shein, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Groupon, Disney+, Staples, PetSmart, QVC, Ticketmaster, Hotels.com, and many more places. 

These cash back rewards vary from week-to-week and can add up quickly. In order to do online shopping with Ibotta, simply go to your home screen and then Shop by category > Online Shopping.

Select the retailer or restaurant you wish to shop and earn the advertised cash back reward on your purchases. Ibotta will take you to the retailer’s online shop and record your order.

For qualifying retailers, you will receive cash back for your Online shopping purchase 7 days after your transaction date. However, some retailers have different pending periods which can be found on the offer page Details, be sure to review the How to get cash back section.

How Much Cash Back Do You Get with Ibotta?

Recently, an Ibotta spokesperson told CNBC Select that the average Ibotta user earns between $10 – $20 per month, while more active users earn $100 – $300 per month. And with over $860 Million in cash rewards paid to date, there seems to be no limit for how much you can make with Ibotta.

So keep redeeming rewards to earn more with this money saving app! 

How to Withdraw Ibotta Earnings

You can withdraw your Ibotta earnings to PayPal, bank card, or gift card once you reach the Ibotta withdrawal minimum of $20 in your account. 

How Do I Withdraw My Earnings to a Gift Card?

I would recommend not withdrawing to an Ibotta gift card. For some reason, Ibotta doesn’t give you cash back rewards on the transfer when you do it this way. 

Instead, it’s better to use the ‘Gift cards’ option on the homepage of the app to buy a retailer gift card with your earnings. This way, you’ll earn cash back on the gift card purchase and make the most with your Ibotta earnings!

How Long Does Ibotta Take to Transfer to PayPal?

It will take 1 – 3 business days to withdraw your Ibotta earnings to Paypal once you initiate the transfer. Though I’ve found that when I initiate a Paypal transfer the money arrives instantly to my PayPal account, normally within minutes.

How Do You Cash Out Ibotta Earnings to a Bank Account?

You can choose to link your bank account to Ibotta and transfer your earnings there. Ibotta uses Plaid to encrypt your bank information and to securely send your money to your account. It will take 1 – 3 business days to withdraw your Ibotta earnings to your bank once you initiate a transfer.

Read how I earned a $100 Chime banking bonus when I linked Chime with my Ibotta account and transferred my earnings!

Ibotta Pros and Cons

So far, this Ibotta review has shared detailed information on how to use the app to earn rewards and cash out your Ibotta money. Here, I want to take a moment to do a quick glance of the Ibotta Pros and Ibotta Cons.

Ibotta Pros

• The app is free to download and use.

• Receive up to $20 sign up bonus when you use code KSHAGVC

• High cash back rewards on brand name offers

• Weekly bonus offers to earn more cash back

• Real cash rewards payout to PayPal or bank card

Ibotta Cons

• You shop more because of the multitude of deals being offered

• The good product freebie offers disappear fast

• Fees are applied after 6 months of account inactivity

• Receipt scans aren’t perfect and sometimes offers are missed. You have to double check that you’ve been given credit on all eligible offers

• ‘Ibotta account flagged for review’ alerts have happened to me a lot. It’s always cleared within 2 – 3 days. Though during the review period, my cash out abilities are frozen.

Yes, you read that right. Ibotta will charge you an account maintenance fee after 6 months of account inactivity. An amount of $3.99 will be deducted from your account on a monthly basis until the account balance reaches zero. Ibotta wants to make sure you are staying active and using the rebate app.

If you find yourself inactive on Ibotta and 6 months is approaching, then just quickly redeem one rebate on Ibotta to avoid the maintenance fee!

Ibotta Alternatives

Thanks to digital couponing apps like Ibotta there’s no longer the need to clip coupons from the Sunday paper. Nor do you have to wrestle with the weekly circulars to find coupons for brands you use and love.

These apps, similar to Ibotta, also offer rewards for your receipts and can be downloaded for free.

Ibotta vs Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards is a cash back shopping app that will reward you in points on any receipt. This includes receipts from gas stations, grocery stores, clothing stores, restaurants and more. Fetch also offers digital coupon deals on popular grocery brands such as Hellmann’s, Huggies, General Mills, Glad and more.

Fetch Points can be cashed out to gift cards. Read more about Ibotta vs Fetch Rewards differences.

Ibotta vs Rakuten (ebates)

Rakuten is a rebate deals website that rewards you in cash back for shopping online at over 3,000 retailers and stores. They also have a $30 sign up bonus for new Rakuten members.

Read more on Ibotta vs Rakuten differences.

Ibotta vs Receipt Hog

Receipt Hog is a receipt scanning app that will reward you in coins for any receipt you upload. Though you will earn more by uploading grocery receipts to the app. You’ll also get rewarded for taking online surveys. Receipt Hog coins can be cashed out to PayPal, Amazon gift card or VISA prepaid cards.

Read more about Ibotta vs Receipt Hog differences.

Ibotta vs Shopkick

Shopkick is a mix of a digital couponing app and gig app. You’ll be rewarded in ‘kicks’ for redeeming brand partnered offers, watching short video clips, walking into stores, scanning on-shelf products and more.

Shopkick ‘kicks’ can be redeemed for gift cards. Read more about Shopkick.

Ibotta Cheat Sheet to Make Extra Money

This Ibotta review would not be complete without my Ibotta cheat sheet! I’ve used these methods on various occasions to make extra money and I know they’ll help you earn more too!

1. Earn Cash Back with Gift Cards

Ibotta has a great feature where they give you cash back for buying gift cards at your favorite retailer or restaurant through them. This is perfect if you want to buy a birthday gift card for someone or just put more money in your pocket. From your home screen, simply go to Shop by Category > Gift cards. Select the gift card you wish to purchase and with your linked bank card, you can make a purchase.

At the time of this writing, I can purchase a $100 gift card to DSW and earn 15% cash back with Ibotta. That would be $15 in free money!

2. Get Free Stuff

Many of the retailers partnered with Ibotta are spending their marketing dollars introducing you to new products. They do this by giving away free products through the Ibotta app. Every week you’ll notice a handful of ‘free after offer’ freebies in your app. Add them to your Ibotta grocery list and redeem them during your next shopping trip. 

3. Free Stuff Money Makers

What’s better than free stuff? – Free Stuff + Free Money. 

On many occasions, you’ll notice the Ibotta ‘free after offer’ is more than the price of the product at the store. Find and redeem these offers for free stuff and free money. Here, for example is a product I recently redeemed that cost me $1.48 during my Ibotta Walmart Haul, where Ibotta gave me $1.98 cash back for it. In the end, I got the product for free, plus made $0.50 on the offer.

4. Stack Cash Back Rewards

Ibotta is where I get the most cash back for all my in-store and online shopping. But that doesn’t mean you can’t stack your rewards by using other popular money saving apps as well. Use Fetch Rewards to stack your rewards even higher on the same products and earn more money.

5. Earn Extra Cash with Ibotta Bonuses

Ibotta offers weekly bonuses to allow you to earn even more. These bonuses vary from week to week, and are sometimes monthly bonus rewards for redeeming a certain number of offers, or other fun bonuses. Keep tabs on these to make sure your next Ibotta haul is a worthwhile one!

6. Invite Friends to Earn Referral Cash

Saving money is so much better when you do it with friends! That’s why Ibotta offers an awesome refer a friend program. Simply use your special referral code to invite friends to join Ibotta, and earn $10 for each person that joins.

7. P&G Good Everyday Rewards

P&G Good Everyday Rewards is a rewards program for people who want to make an impact. As a member, you’ll have an opportunity to take quizzes, answer surveys, and scan your receipts featuring P&G products for rewards points.

Collect points for each engagement and redeem them for rewards. As you earn, P&G will automatically make donations to the causes you care about. Best of all, you can double dip and earn rewards with P&G Good Everyday Rewards as well as redeem P&G product offers in your Ibotta app.

8. Field Agent Ibotta Hack

There’s a gig app I use called Field Agent. They pay you anywhere from $3 – $40 for completing small tasks in and around your town. 

One of my favorite gigs to complete are the Field Agent Mystery Shopper jobs. These are jobs where you get reimbursed to try out a new product, and get paid for your feedback on it!

On many occasions, I’ve found rebate offers in the Ibotta app for these tester products. 

For example, I recently completed a Mystery shop where I got to test out the Raid Flying Insect Light Trap.

Field Agent reimbursed me $21.24 for the purchase, plus paid me a $3 bounty to give my opinion on it. Ibotta also had a $5 rebate offer on the same item.

Ultimately, I got paid $8 in total between both apps, plus I got a free product!

9. Ibotta In Crowd Rewards (Discontinued)

Ibotta introduced it’s in crowd rewards program in January of 2021. This program is currently in-beta mode, and is an exclusive invite club for members who wish to save more with the cash back app. The more you save, the more rewards begin to open up for you.

WIth the Ibotta In-Crowd rewards program, you’ll be able to elevate your status and get more perks along the way. Some of these perks include:

• A $40 Bonus for redeeming 200 offers within a certain time period to reach ICON Status

• $5 for every $500 you earn

• Birthday Gift Bonus cash with Ibotta

• VIP Treatment Exclusive Offers

• Ibottaversary Bonus to commemorate your Ibottaversary with extra cash back

• Cyber Social chats where you can join Ibotta for discussions on new ideas and a chance to win prizes

• Earnings milestone bonus to celebrate your big milestone moments.

• Special giveaways just for ICON status members

Is Ibotta Worth It? Final Thoughts

Yes, Ibotta is worth it. 

In this Ibotta review, I detailed how I use the app to earn thousands of dollars in cash back rewards on my purchases. I also shared how I use Ibotta to earn free money and get the cheapest groceries in Boston by stacking my rewards with other popular shopping apps. Not to mention, Ibotta also helped me earn a $100 Chime banking bonus!

For these reasons, Ibotta is hands down one of my favorite smartphone apps when it comes to saving money on everyday purchases. With so many ways to earn, it’s an easy decision to download the Ibotta app and start saving today.

Suggested Video: Learn about this new gift card app on my YouTube channel next!

Ready to start making money with Ibotta? 

Join Ibotta here to nab your Cash Bonus Reward! Enter referral code: KSHAGVC