Everyone likes free money, right? So what if I told you the next time you go shopping, you could earn cash back. All with the click of a button. We've got a look at an app you should be using, so you don't waste your money.
Kathleen Holguin knows the value of a dollar. This Las Vegas mom says raising 3 kids isn't cheap.
"So I do try to stick to a budget," says Kathleen.
But when it comes to saving a buck, she says she's found something even better than coupons. It's a free app called Ibotta.
"It's super easy," says Kathleen.
It works in more than 300 retail chains, restaurants, movie theaters, pharmacies and more. Even local spots, like Lee's Discount Liquor. And it gives you cash back on everything from groceries to clothes to makeup.
"I'll kind of surf through. It takes just a few minutes to see what's new," says Kathleen.
Here's how it works. Just go shopping and buy what you're looking for, and you can still use your coupons. Once you get home...
"You scan the product, and you scan the receipt," says Kathleen.
That's it! The cash back offer for that item, is put right into your Ibotta account. Or you can choose from a number of different gift cards. Contact 13 spoke with Ibotta's Founder and CEO, Bryan Leach, in Denver.
"You can open that app and it even begins to make recommendations that are personalized to you," says Bryan.
Kathleen says it worked for her. She recently went shopping at Big 5, and the app actually sent her a notification.
"I was like oh, I didn't know that, so I was like perfect. I got home, scans, $5 back into my account," says Kathleen.
You can even use the app for online purchases.
"Download a movie on iTunes and get cash back. You can book a hotel at Hotels.com and get cash back. You can buy anything you want on GroupOn or on Jet.com," says Bryan.
In all, Ibotta says Las Vegas users have earned more than a million dollars in cash rewards.
As for Kathleen, she's earned back more than $200 and says every little bit helps.
"In my opinion 5 bucks is 5 bucks. 20 bucks is 20 bucks. That's half a tank of gas," says Kathleen.
Ibotta says it's adding hundreds of new rebates and cash back offers every week. To get your money, you need to save up at least $20. Then you collect that cash back through a PayPal account. And there's never any transaction fees, so you get 100% of that money sent straight to you.
Looking at the numbers from Ibotta:
Shoppers in Las Vegas have earned $1,144,341 in cumulative cash rewards by redeeming rebate offers in the Ibotta app. 42,041 people in the Las Vegas area actively use Ibotta.
The 3 most popular rebate offers redeemed by Las Vegas area users are:
- 10% cash back at Jo-Ann Fabric Stores,
- $5 cash back on Budweiser Beers
- $5 cash back on Luv’s Diapers
