Ibotta App Review 2022: Is The Ibotta Cash Back App Worth It?
By Zack Hewke 
With prices going up at the pump and in the grocery store, now more than ever, it’s incredibly important to use every opportunity to save possible. Fortunately for us, there are apps like Ibotta that help us save money on our grocery bills each and every week. For those who aren’t familiar, Ibotta is an incredibly popular cash back app that allows users to earn rewards by purchasing their favorite brands at the store and scanning their receipts. Want to learn more? We’ve prepared a comprehensive review with everything you need to know about Ibotta.
At A Glance
| Price | Free |
| Supported Platforms | Browser and App (Supports Apple and Android Devices) |
| Age Limit | 18+ years old |
| Ads | Yes, non-intrusive paid placements |
| Point Conversion | N/A – Ibotta users earn cashback |
| Cashout threshold | $20.00 |
| Cashout options | PayPal ACH (Bank) Transfer Gift Cards |
| Average earnings | $10-$20/month |
| Star Rating | Apple App Store – 4.8 Google Play Store – 4.5 Better Business Bureau – 3.81 TrustPilot – 4.3 SiteJabber – 3.8 / 5 |
| # of Ratings | Apple App Store – 1,400,000+ Google Play Store – 593,000+ Better Business Bureau – 575+ TrustPilot – 1,200+ SiteJabber – 925+ |
| # of Downloads | Google Play Store – 10,000,000+ |
*This rating is an average of the available reviews from BBB, Google Play store, the App Store, TrustPilot and SiteJabber.
What Is Ibotta?
The Ibotta app is one of the most popular cashback apps out there. It allows users to add cashback offers for their favorite items, upload pictures of their receipts, and receive cashback instantly. Once you reach the withdrawal threshold of $20 in your Ibotta account, you can then cash out through PayPal, ACH Transfer, or gift cards to your favorite stores and restaurants.
How Does Ibotta Cash Back Work?
Sign Up
Before you can start earning cash back, you’ll have to sign up for an account. Luckily, this is quick and easy. All you have to do is create an account, and enter some personal information. As of the time this article is being written, new users can receive 100% cash back on their first purchase when they use Ibotta.
Link Your Accounts or Loyalty Cards (If Applicable)
Linking your accounts and loyalty cards is fairly easy through Ibotta, and certain retailers (such as Walmart) will allow you to receive cash back without having to upload a picture of your receipt.
Add An Offer To Ibotta
BEFORE you go shopping, get into your Ibotta App and select your retailer of choice and browse their available offers. You might want to make a shopping list and then just cross-check to see if any of their offers match what you plan to buy.
Once you find one you like, click on the offer, and read the terms. The terms will specify how many times items you can get cash back on, as well as the sizes/flavors that are eligible for cashback.
After you’ve made sure the offer is right for you, click on the plus icon to add the offer to your Ibotta account.
Purchase The Item And Upload Your Receipt
After you’ve added all of the offers that you like, head to the store and go shopping, just as you would normally. Make sure that you purchase items that are eligible for cash back through Ibotta, and pay for them as you normally would. Once you’re done, take a picture of your receipt (we suggest you snap that pic right away when you have the receipt in hand, or once you’re loaded up into the car so you don’t forget), then select the offers you used, and wait for the cashback to roll into your account.
Cash Out Your Cashback
Once you’ve reached the withdrawal threshold of $20, you’ll be able to cash out your Ibotta cashback. This can be done by linking your PayPal or bank account or redeeming for gift cards.
Is Ibotta Legit?
When using apps that rely on your personal information, it’s important to know whether or not they are legitimate companies or not. Fortunately for us though, it does seem like Ibotta is a legitimate company. They have millions of members, who are very outspoken, and generally like the service that Ibotta provides.
Additionally, the company recently completed a round of funding with a valuation of $1 billion dollars. Receiving outside investment as a private company can be incredibly difficult. This means Ibotta has been vetted by hundreds of investors that are looking to invest their (or their client’s) hard-earned money. So, we think it’s safe to say that Ibotta is a legitimate company!
Don’t just take our word for it though. In the next section, we’ll take a look at some reviews that were left by real Ibotta customers. This way, we can get an idea of how actual customers feel about the product.
Real User Reviews For Ibotta
If you go through the reviews that people leave for Ibotta, you’ll find that they are largely positive. We’ve combed through some of their most recent reviews on the platform, and shared what we’ve found below.
There are quite a few people (including the one below), that love how easy it is to use the app. The fact that you can link loyalty accounts makes redeeming offers much easier since you don’t have to remember to snap a picture of the receipt.
However, much like any other app out there, Ibotta does have its share of issues.
The gentleman below is having his first issue with the app after about 8 months of using it (which is a pretty good track record). It is important to mention though, that the Ibotta team does seem to be on top of things when it comes to responding to reviews, which is always something we love to see in a company.
Lastly, there are some folks that seem to have more issues than others with Ibotta. The individual below seems to have had their account deactivated for no reason, which is concerning. However, judging by the response by Ibotta, the situation may have been resolved.
Ibotta Pros And Cons
- Fine-tuned, easy-to-use interface
- Lucrative signup bonus of 100% cashback on your first purchase (terms apply)
- Top retailers such as Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Best Buy offer deals through Ibotta
- Their browser extension makes it quick and easy to earn cashback online
- You can use other cashback apps, like Fetch Rewards and Checkout 51 to stack in-store cashback
- Ibotta can be difficult to derive value from if you’re only going shopping once or twice per month since deals cycle often.
- You can lose your rewards through maintenance fees if you don’t use your account enough.
- Their minimum withdrawal amount is $20, which can be difficult to attain in a short amount of time
- Unlike in-store, you cannot stack online cashback rewards with other sites, such as Rakuten.
Bottom Line: Is The Ibotta Cash Back App Worth It?
Overall, I think that Ibotta is a great app, and there is no wondering why millions of people have downloaded it and loved it. Ibotta provides users with an easy-to-use interface and countless deals at everyone’s favorite retailers. Although they haven’t created a perfect experience, the good far outweighs the bad in our opinion. And at the end of the day, using Ibotta can save you a good bit of cash. If you shop for groceries or practically anything, there’s a good chance that there is a deal for you waiting on Ibotta.
FAQs
We know that we just threw a lot at you, and you probably still have some questions. That’s why we’ve put together a list of some of the most frequently asked questions below:
How does Ibotta pay you? Does Ibotta have Amazon gift cards?
Ibotta pays out cash back through PayPal, ACH transfer, or gift cards. One of their most popular ways to cash out is actually through Amazon gift cards since they’re so easy to use. It is important to note though, that not all banks support Ibotta, so you might have to rely on one of the other two cash-out methods.
How does Ibotta make money?
Ibotta works in a very similar way to companies like Rakuten. They generate revenue through the use of their advertising services and affiliate marketing. This means that if you are getting $1.00 back for purchasing a specific item, they might be getting paid $1.25 to promote the sale. In addition, the banners you find at the top of their website/app are paid typically paid placements by companies
Does Ibotta cash expire?
The answer to this one is kind of tricky because Ibotta cash does expire… sort of. If your account goes six months without redeeming any offers, Ibotta begins to charge a monthly maintenance fee of $3.99. Your account is charged this fee until your Ibotta balance reaches $0 (Ibotta will never charge this fee to your personal bank account). If you would like to avoid paying this monthly maintenance fee, make at least one redemption every couple of months.
Can you use Ibotta with EBT?
Yes, you can use Ibotta with EBT. Cashback can then be used to purchase items that aren’t covered by EBT.
Can you use Ibotta with other cashback apps at the same time?
Fortunately for us, you can use Ibotta and other cashback apps, such as Fetch Rewards and Checkout 51 at the same time! Just upload your receipts to each individual app to stack your reward earnings.
Looking for a more fun way to make money on your phone? Look for gaming apps that earn you cash.
There are tons of other apps that pay cash too that you’re going to want to check out.
