January is here, and the credit card bills are starting to arrive. All those Christmas gifts purchased, gas money, and possibly airline tickets, are coming in and it can be daunting for several months.
Well, if you are willing to take a little time before, during, or after you shop in the new year, these apps will let you earn a rebate. Most have a gift card option of some sort, but if you’re like me, green is what you want so you can pay your bills and call it a day.
Okay, I love ibotta to earn cash back on groceries, restaurants, and retail shops.
This app is super simple to use. Find the store you are shopping at, scroll through the products that have rebates available, tag the items that interest you and when you shop, scan the barcode with your phone to make sure you have chosen the right product. After checkout, scan your receipt and all of the items you have chosen should be seen. If something didn’t tag, no worries, you can go back and select it. After you have $20 in rewards, you can have your money sent to your PayPal account.
I have earned $252.45 in rebates through ibotta. During the holidays, I used the app, combined with other discounts at retail and online stores.
ibotta offers you opportunities to earn individual and team bonuses. Your team consists of friends who also use ibotta. If you would like to be a part of my team use the referral code qcfxkog when you sign up, and I earn a referral bonus that will help me earn cash for the new year. Once you sign up, you can also earn referral bonuses by inviting friends to join your team.
Update: Ebates is now Rakuten
Ebates is handy during the holidays and when you purchase big-ticket items online. Although Ebates is known for online rebates, some brick-and-mortar stores allow rebates if you link your credit card. The rebate will automatically appear in your Ebates account after a few days.
The important thing to know about Ebates is that you must use the link they provide to the store to earn the rebate. They pay every three months and you have to have a cash-back balance of $5.00 or more. The money is sent to your PayPal account.
I’ve earned $70.61 in cash-backs with Ebates. Remember, the key is to check your Ebates app for potential rebates on big-ticket items, the savings can be substantial.
Sometimes, your purchase through their link will not appear in your account. In those cases, ask Ebates to track the purchase, they will follow up with the company and keep in touch via email about the progress. It can take awhile, but if they are able to get the rebate, it’s worth it.
Ebates also offers a “Refer a Friend” bonus. If you would like to help me earn a bonus, click on the Ebates that are hyperlinked in this post.
This app works a lot like ibotta, but the platform is different. The products are not broken down by stores, and when scrolling through, you will notice that some products can only be purchased at a specific store, to earn the rebate.
The savings can be substantial and unlike the other two apps I have discussed, Checkout 51 sends out a check with your rebate amount after you’ve earned $20.00 or more. I have earned $26.20 through Checkout 51. Checkout 51 also offers contests and bonuses on occasion to help you earn. Click the hyperlink to download the app for Checkout 51.
Hope these apps save you money. They have been helpful to me and require very little of my time.
What are some of your favorite money-saving apps? Share in the comments below.
Now, let’s save!
Isabel Natera 