Are you a business owner looking for the best cash back apps to earn money on all your business or even personal expenses?
Using cash back apps is a great way to make some extra money for business expenses you make each day.
But the problem is…
Most stores only allow you to use ONE cashback app at a time.
So its important to choose the BEST cash back app when shopping online.
In this guide, I’ve reviewed and rated the top cashback apps for business owners and show you which ones also offer you the biggest sign up bonus when you join.
The Top 5 Cash Back Apps (Summary)
If you’re short on time, here is a list of the top 5 cashback apps in this article.
- Rakuten (Best overall)
- Dosh (Best for business cashback)
- Ibotta (Best for discounts and special offers)
- Swagbucks (Get cashback when using coupons)
- PayPal Honey Rewards (Best cashback when shopping with a PayPal account)
Tip: If you use our referral links above, you can get additional cashback when you sign up to some of these cashback apps. All these apps are free to use and pay YOU money when you use them.
What are the best cash back apps?
Keep reading to learn more about the best cash back apps in detail (such as the pros, cons, and who it’s best for).
1. Rakuten
Best overall
Rakuten (formerly eBates) is the best overall cash back app because it gives you money back on your online purchases in thousands of different stores (both online and offline).
You can use Rakuten for many online business services including Upwork, Fiverr and Canva.
Whenever I’m shopping online, I always check the Rakuten cash back app to see if the store is on there. In most cases, it is!
It also helps that using Rakuten is super easy.
They have both a web browser extension and a mobile app found in both the Google play and Apple app store.
To get started, simply create a free Rakuten account, find the store you want to shop at, and click through the Rakuten link to earn cash back on your purchase. Every 3 months, you’ll be paid in the form of either a check or cash sent to your PayPal account.
You also get a $30 bonus if you sign up using my referral link here as long as you spend $25 within your first three months.
Sign up bonus: $30
Click here to sign up with a $30 sign-up bonus
Available on Apple iPhone iOS App Store, Google Play store & Web Browser
2. Dosh
Dosh is a cash-back app that gives you money back for making certain purchases.
For example, you may get 5% cash back on groceries, or 10% cash back on tickets to a show.
Dosh is especially good when you need cashback for business purchases or when traveling to hotels.
Sign up bonus: $1
Available on Apple iPhone iOS App Store & Google Play store
3. Ibotta
Ibotta is a cash-back app that allows you to earn money back on a variety of purchases, including groceries, clothing, and even gas.
What I like about Ibotta is that it works with both in-store shopping and online shopping. Other cash back apps usually only work if you make a purchase online. You can do this by paying using your credit card and link your credit card to Ibotta. You can also in some cases get cashback when you take a photo of your receipt.
If you shop a lot at stores in person then Ibotta is worth checking out.
Sign up bonus: $15
Click here to sign up to Ibotta
Available on Apple iPhone iOS App Store & Google Play store
4. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a cash-back app that gives you money back for a variety of activities, including shopping, taking surveys, and watching videos.
However, Swagbucks doesn’t offer you cashback in the traditional way most other cashback apps do. Swagbacks gives you cash back when you complete various activities.
This makes Swagbucks a rare cash back app because you can actually use it (in some cases) along with other cash back apps.
Sign up bonus: $10
Click here to sign up to Swagbucks
Available on Apple iPhone iOS App Store & Google Play store
5. PayPal Honey Rewards
Searching for coupon codes and discounts can be frustrating. And PayPal Honey is looking to solve this problem.
PayPal Honey Rewards is a free Google Chrome extension that automatically searches the web for the best coupon codes and discounts when you’re shopping online.
If you use one of the honey coupon codes you save money and earn cash back at the same time.
The cashback can later be redeemed for gift cards or sent to your PayPal account.
PayPal Honey Rewards are one of the best cash back apps available right now. However, the only downside is that they currently don’t offer a welcome bonus when you join.
Click here to join PayPal Honey Rewards
Available on Google Chrome Web Browser
How to Maximize Your Savings With Cashback Apps
When it comes to saving money, using cash-back apps can be a great way to do it. However, not all cash back apps are the same. Here are some tips to choosing the best cash back apps when shopping.
Choose the right Cashback app
There are a variety of cash-back apps on the market, so do your research to find the one that best suits your needs.
Not all stores are on each app. So if you shop online on one store and it doesn’t give you any cash back rewards, then search for the store on a different cash back app.
Get a sign up bonus
Before you join ANY cashback app it’s important you look for a welcome bonus. Most of the times you get a welcome bonus when you join a cashback app using a referral link.
For example, if you sign up to Rakuten using my referral link here, you can get a welcome bonus as long as you make a purchase of $25 or more within your first three months.
Read the fine print
Another pitfall to avoid is forgetting about expiration dates on rewards. These can vary from a few days to a couple of years, depending on the program.
Make sure to keep track of expiration dates so you don’t miss out on redeeming your rewards. Finally, it’s important to shop around and compare different cash-back apps as some may pay you higher amounts of cashback.
Use a cash-back app to earn rewards on purchases you make anyway
Even though using Cashback apps is like getting free money, it’s important you only use these apps for purchases you would normally make anyway.
If you buy products that you normally would NOT purchase, then you don’t actually save money. So use cash-back apps responsibly.
Pay attention to bonus categories or special offers
Some cash back apps run special offers with increased cash back amounts on specific items or types of stores.
Plan your shopping accordingly and take advantage of these bonuses when possible.
How Cash-Back Apps Work
When you shop, it’s natural to want to save money. Cash back apps are a way for you to get free money on purchases you would normally make anyway and improve your personal finance.
Cashback apps work by giving you a percentage of your purchase back in the form of cash, which you can then use to transfer to your bank account or redeem in the form of gift cards.
To use a cash-back app, some apps require you to sign up and link your credit or debit card. Then, when you make a purchase, the app will automatically give you cash back.
Other apps, such as Rakuten, give you cashback as long as you purchase something using the Rakuten app or the Rakuten web browser extension.
The amount of cashback varies depending on the app and the purchase you make. Cash-back apps are a great way to save money on your everyday purchases.
They’re easy to use and can help you get a little bit of money back on things you were going to buy anyway.
Which app provides the highest cashback?
Shops often negotiate deals and special offers with cashback apps to give you higher cashback amounts. So to get the highest cashback, it’s important to check the cashback amount on each app before you make a purchase. This is because the cashback amounts can vary between each cashback app depending on when you check.
Ashley Davis (or ‘Ash’ for short) is the CEO & Founder of Skyline Social. For over 15 years, Ash has been helping business owners get high-quality leads, appointments, and clients each month. He has extensive experience working with B2B & B2C industries in finance, insurance, marketing, sales and beyond. Learn more about the author here.