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I've been using Ibotta for years on grocery purchases I make every week. Although it takes a little bit of time to load coupons, the app remembers my purchases and suggests offers that I might use, saving me time and money. Ibotta is a great choice for anyone looking to save money on regular purchases.
Ibotta is a free-to-download cash back app that offers cash back rewards when shopping in-store and online. The app features 2,000-plus retailers.
To get started, create an Ibotta account and download the app on your mobile device. Within the app, you'll see available offers, many of which are store-specific. When you see an offer you like, click the plus button to add it to your clipped offers list.
Each offer will have more details listed. Details include:
How much cash back you can earn with Ibotta depends on what offers you redeem. The rewards rates vary, with the lowest cash back amount being $0.05. But many offers are in the $0.50 to $1.00 range. And some offer rates are much higher -- $3 or more.
Learn more on Ibotta's site: Ibotta
Many of Ibotta's partner retailers allow users to earn without submitting receipts if they link their loyalty cards. The loyalty card link allows Ibotta to automatically pull the receipt information into the app for processing and makes it all a pretty painless experience.
One of the most frustrating things about Ibotta in the past was what might have been -- offers that you didn't realize you weren't earning. This has been fixed, and now the app will often alert you to purchases made within the last 24 hours that missed out on cash back and allow you to add the offer after the fact.
It's nice to earn cash back on specific offers through Ibotta, but it's even better when you can earn cash back on gift cards for something a lot less specific. Ibotta offers a range of gift cards with cash back attached through the app, which you can then use for purchases that might otherwise not be eligible for cash back from Ibotta. Ah, the circle of life.
Make sure you're getting the best account for you by comparing savings rates and promotions. Here are some of our favorite high-yield savings accounts to consider.
| Account | APY | Bonus | Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
Open Account for SoFi Checking and Savings
On SoFi's Secure Website. 
4.90/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
up to 3.80%
Rate info
Earn up to 3.80% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on one SoFi Savings account with a 0.70% APY Boost (added to the 3.10% APY as of 5/28/26) for up to 6 months. Open your first SoFi Checking and Savings account and receive eligible direct deposits OR qualifying deposits of $5,000 every 31 days by 12/31/26. Rates are variable, subject to change. Terms apply at sofi.com/banking#2. SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.
Min. to earn: $0
|
Earn $50 or $400 and +0.70% Boost on Savings APY with direct deposit. Terms apply.
Earn up to 3.80% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on one SoFi Savings account with a 0.70% APY Boost (added to the 3.10% APY as of 5/28/26) for up to 6 months. Open your first SoFi Checking and Savings account and receive eligible direct deposits OR qualifying deposits of $5,000 every 31 days by 12/31/26. Rates are variable, subject to change. Terms apply at sofi.com/banking#2. SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. |
Open Account for SoFi Checking and Savings
On SoFi's Secure Website. |
Open Account for NexBank High-Yield Savings Account from Raisin
On Raisin's Secure Website.
4.70/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
4.15%
Rate info
Earn a guaranteed 4.15% APY for 90 days. After that, your savings keep growing at a competitive standard rate — currently 3.97% APY (subject to change). No minimum account balance required. Deposit or withdraw at any time with no additional fees. See product terms for complete details.
Min. to earn: $1
|
Earn up to $1,200 when you sign up and fund your account using code SUMMER26.¹
|
Open Account for NexBank High-Yield Savings Account from Raisin
On Raisin's Secure Website. |
Open Account for Happen Bank LevelUp Savings
On Happen Bank's Secure Website.
4.70/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
4.00% APY with $250+ in monthly deposits
Rate info
*LevelUp Rate of 4.00% APY applied to full balance with $250+ in deposits in Evaluation Period. Otherwise, accounts earn Standard Rate of 3.00% APY. LevelUp Rate applies to first two statement cycles. Rates variable & subject to change at any time. See terms: https://www.happen.com/legal/deposits/levelup-savings-t-and-cs
Min. to earn:
|
N/A
|
Open Account for Happen Bank LevelUp Savings
On Happen Bank's Secure Website. |
¹New customers only. Earn a cash bonus (the "Base Bonus") when you deposit and maintain funds with partner banks on the Raisin platform. Customers will receive a Base Bonus of $50 for depositing between $10,000 and $24,999; $125 for depositing between $25,000 and $49,999; $250 for depositing between $50,000 and $99,999; $500 for depositing between $100,000 and $199,999; and $1,000 for depositing $200,000 or more.
Customers may earn an additional bonus by setting up a recurring deposit within 14 days of their initial deposit (the “Recurring Deposit Bonus”). To qualify, the recurring deposit must be established within 14 days of the initial deposit date and it must execute at least two (2) times within 90-days of the initial deposit. Recurring Deposit Bonus eligibility is determined by your Base Bonus tier:
Customers are eligible to earn the Recurring Deposit Bonus associated with their Base Bonus tier or any lower Recurring Deposit Bonus tier. For example, a customer with an initial deposit of $200,000 (qualifying for the highest Base Bonus tier) whose aggregate recurring deposits total $500, is eligible for the lower tier and will receive the $50 Recurring Deposit Bonus. However, setting up a recurring deposit greater than your Base Bonus tier's required threshold will not qualify you for a higher Recurring Deposit Bonus.
The Recurring Deposit Bonus is paid in addition to the Base Bonus. To qualify for the Base Bonus and Recurring Deposit Bonus, your first deposit must be initiated between June 1, 2026, and August 31, 2026, by 11:59 PM ET, and the promo code SUMMER26 must be entered at the time of sign-up. Only funds deposited within 14 days of the initial deposit date and maintained with partner banks on the Raisin platform for 90 days will be eligible for the Base Bonus. Bonus cash will be credited directly to your Cash Account within 30 days of meeting all qualifying terms. This offer is available to new customers only and may not be combined with any other bonus offers. Raisin may modify or end this offer at any time and may withhold or revoke bonuses in cases of fraud, abuse, or violation of these terms or Raisin’s Terms of Service.
Although a lot of people use Ibotta in retailers in real time, it's not the only way to earn, especially now that Ibotta has partnered with Instacart. If you don't have a linked loyalty card, or your retailer doesn't offer that option, and you don't have a receipt printed at the point of sale, you may not be able to redeem your rewards.
Ibotta is a coupon app for planners. Although it now tries to remind you that you've missed a discount, it's not fool-proof, and it can be cumbersome to check every item in your cart.
You also must be diligent with receipts to ensure you've gotten all the rewards you're entitled to, as they don't always come through (customer service will rectify these issues, however).
Online purchases often run afoul of the problem mentioned above regarding receipt types. Generally speaking, loyalty cards won't do for these purchases, so you must either make them from your phone or from your computer with the app enabled.
I use the browser app and I can't always tell when it's actually working due to other coupon extensions that may try to force priority.
Ibotta is free to download and free to use. You may, however, incur a $3.99 per month penalty for inactive accounts, which will reduce your balance to zero, but not charge you beyond that.
This penalty only applies to accounts that have not redeemed an offer or received cash back for 180 days. Otherwise, there's no charge for this personal finance app.
Overall, Ibotta users are pretty happy with their experience using the app. They really like saving money on things they'd buy anyway (who doesn't), and the simplicity that linking loyalty cards provides.
However, some have complained about changes to the interface that have made it more difficult to use, though these seem to be specific to specific iterations of the app.
The Ibotta platform is fairly intuitive and simple to use, especially when you have linked your loyalty cards. You simply select the offers you want at the retailers you'll frequent, make your purchases, and either let your loyalty card do the hard work or submit a whole receipt yourself.
Ibotta app home screen. Image source: Ibotta, captured by author.
Ibotta app "For You" tab. Image source: Ibotta, captured by author.
Ibotta app "Any Item" tab. Image source: Ibotta, captured by author.
Ibotta is a very safe platform and takes the security and privacy of its users seriously. If you don't feel comfortable linking your cards with the platform, you can always submit coupons manually, and select digital gift cards instead of withdrawing your earnings to your bank or PayPal account.
If you want an app for gas purchases: Checkout 51 offers some grocery rebates, but allows you to also earn cash back on gasoline purchases. If you're just looking for a wide range of retailer offers, though, Ibotta is your best bet.
If you want to earn points instead of cash: Fetch gives you earnings in the form of reward points that you can use for gift cards or to enter monthly cash sweepstakes. However, if you prefer cash, Ibotta is still the way to go.
Ultimately, you know your needs far more than I do, but in general, Ibotta is a good fit for people who:
Ibotta is free to download and use. However, accounts with no activity within the last 180 days are charged maintenance fees. If you have a rewards balance in your inactive account, Ibotta will deduct $3.99 from your earnings for every 30 days that your account remains inactive. You can avoid these fees by performing an account activity at least once every 180 days.
Yes, Ibotta users can earn rewards by shopping in-store and online with participating retailers.
You must have a minimum of $20 in earnings to request a cash out. If you choose to redeem your rewards for gift cards, be aware that some gift cards may have a minimum cash out requirement of $25.
Motley Fool Stock Disclosures
Discover Financial Services is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Kristi Waterworth has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, Fetch, Intuit, Mastercard, PayPal, Target, U.S. Bancorp, Visa, and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends Discover Financial Services and recommends the following options: long January 2025 $370 calls on Mastercard, short December 2024 $70 calls on PayPal, and short January 2025 $380 calls on Mastercard. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
