The 10 Best Grocery Receipt Scanning Apps to Make Money in 2024

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We all need to eat, and who doesn’t want to be rewarded for that obligatory milk and bread run? Even if you’re the coupon-clipping master, it’s impossible to eliminate a grocery bill. With grocery receipt scanning apps, you can earn cash and rewards on necessary food purchases, making that mundane trip to Kroger/Ralphs or Aldi much more exciting.

The apps below are the favorites of the grocery receipt-scanning crowd. Complete your grocery run, upload your receipt with your phone, or submit your e-receipt if you buy groceries online and enjoy the cash flow return.

How Grocery Receipt Scanning Apps Work

The skeptics among us may think these apps are scams, which is understandable. However, any company offering people money for no additional work should be highly scrutinized.

The thing about receipt scanning apps, however, is that they are getting something from you: your shopping habits. The amalgamated information from millions of shopping receipts helps with market research. As ReceiptPal puts it:

The ReceiptPal team takes information from your receipts and combines it with information from other ReceiptPal members. The resulting combined, anonymized information is then used by companies to better understand consumer purchase behaviors so they can make better product and marketing decisions.

ReceiptPal FAQ

So, not only are you getting your basic sustenance needs met, but you’re also helping the brands you know and love.

As to how receipt scanning apps work, the concept is pretty simple. You’ll do your regular grocery shopping and earn rewards as you do. However, there is much differentiation between the various apps in how you must accumulate those rewards. For example, some will provide you with discounts at the time of purchase, in-store or online. Others will require you to shop online or limit rewards to specific products. Still, others will allow you to download photo scans of recent receipts, which can be redeemed for rewards.

10 Best Grocery Receipt Scanning Apps

Everyone tends to shop a little differently, and we all have different wants regarding rewards. Not every grocery receipt scanning app may match your lifestyle and preferences. Look at the consolidated chart below to help in the receipt scanning app that can benefit you and your grocery shopping style.

Grocery Receipt Scanning App	Best Feature
Rakuten	Best Overall App
Fetch	Easiest to Earn Points
Ibotta	Convenient Delivery
ReceiptPal	Best Rewards
Inbox Dollars	Earning Money
Checkout 51	Multiple Offers Available
Receipt Hog	Direct Payments
CoinOut	Flexible Cash-Out Terms
Swagbucks	Retail Savings Bonus
PayPal Honey	Online Shopping

1. Rakuten

Rakuten earned our top spot because it enables you to earn cash back at thousands of retailers nationwide, not just grocery stores. That includes most of the better-known retailers available. On the grocery front, you can get up to 2% cash back at Kroger, 1.5% at Safeway, 2% at Walmart, 1% at Target, and up to 8% at Sam’s Club. The catch is that you must shop online, which has become more popular in recent years with the advent of in-store delivery and pickup.

Cashback is available through other retailers, including baby and toddler stores, clothing, accessories, electronics, travel, health and beauty, restaurants, and more. As a rule, cashback is higher at retail outlets other than grocery stores. More than 20 million people use Rakuten, and the company claims the average user received over $90 in cash back in 2023. Payment is made either by check or through PayPal.

• Google Play Android users rating: 3.7/5 stars
• The App Store iOS users rating: 5.0/5 stars
• Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating: B (on a scale of A+ to F)

2. Fetch

This is one of the highest-rated grocery scanning apps, and Fetch’s reputation precedes it. For example, on the Apple app store, Fetch has a 4.8 rating from more than 5.1 million reviews, and users have scanned more than 623 million receipts for rewards. You can use the app to scan receipts and shop offers, earning points that can be redeemed for gift cards at your favorite retailers.

Fetch is free to download and use, and your receipts will earn points for online shopping. Every time a receipt is uploaded, you’re guaranteed to earn points. This gives Fetch an edge over other receipt-scanning apps that require you to purchase specific items. Those points can benefit you two-fold if you purchase products from the hundreds of household brands that partner with Fetch. Accumulated points can be redeemed at stores you’re likely already shopping at, like Wal-Mart, Target, and Amazon, to name a few.

• Google Play Android users rating: 4.6/5 stars
• The App Store iOS users rating: 4.8/5 stars
• Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating: A+

3. Ibotta

I blame Ibotta for my kombucha addiction in 2017. Whenever I went to Target, I knew Ibotta had a deal specifically for a kombucha brand I loved, so I had no qualms about purchasing a little probiotic pick-me-up and getting some money back.

I can’t be alone because this app is popular for receipt scanners, and Ibotta has paid out approximately $860 million in cash back to its loyal users so far. Ibotta has integrated cashback exclusive offers for in-store, online, and grocery delivery orders, making it extremely convenient to use during pandemic times. Just upload your receipt to the app or add the Ibotta extension to your browser to earn cashback on your groceries.

The company advertises up to 30% cash back at top online retailers, like Home Depot, Best Buy, hotels.com, eBay, Priceline, and Walmart. You can shop using your computer or mobile device.

• Google Play Android users rating: 4.5/5 stars
• The App Store iOS users rating: 4.8/5 stars
• BBB Rating: B

4. ReceiptPal

After a big grocery haul, scan your receipt into ReceiptPal to unlock certain rewards. Users gain access to prizes at specific levels, like a video game. For example, at level 1 you might qualify for a $5 Amazon gift card and at level 2 you might unlock a $10 or $25 gift card to Amazon, depending on the number of accumulated points.

Rewards can be redeemed for gift cards to Amazon or other popular retailers. There are three reward levels –  $5, $10, and $25. Each reward level can be redeemed at different retailers (or at Amazon). For example, $5 rewards can fetch gift cards to Apple, Burger King, CVS, Domino’s Pizza, Starbucks, and more. $10 denominations add Lowe’s and Sony PlayStation, while $25 add Bass Pro Shop, Buffalo Wild Wings, Old Navy, TJ Maxx, and Xbox.

Don’t sleep on your rewards, either. ReceiptPal prefers users to upload receipts within the week that shopping is completed, and points are reset if there’s no activity for 90 days.

• Google Play Android users rating: 4.0/5 stars
• The App Store iOS users rating: 4.5/5 stars
• BBB Rating: A+ (under NPD Group)

5. InboxDollars

InboxDollars offers grocery cash rewards, but what we like about this—in addition to grocery rewards—is that the app gives you opportunities to earn money from other sources. For example, you can earn between $0.50 and $5 for taking paid online surveys. You can also earn rewards for playing games and—get this—reading emails.

Grocery cash rewards are available through popular grocery chains, like Kroger, Walmart, Target, Albertsons, Costco, ALDIs, BJs, Giant, and many more. The rewards are product-specific; for example, it offers up to $16 back on Arm & Hammer laundry detergent. That’s a big discount on a major and very necessary grocery store purchase. Other discounts currently offered include $0.50 back on any brand of bread or eggs at any store, up to $4.00 on Weber Seasonings, and up to $5.50 on Colgate Toothpaste.

Though the Better Business Bureau gives InboxDollar an F, that rating is based on only eight complaints filed in the past three years. Meanwhile, the app enjoys high ratings from mobile app users.

• Google Play Android users rating: 4.2/5 stars
• The App Store iOS users rating: 4.5/5 stars
• BBB Rating: F (but only eight complaints in 3 years)

6. Checkout 51

This one received a low rating from the Better Business Bureau on thin complaints but scores well on mobile users. Checkout 51 is another way to increase your rewards after waiting in the grocery checkout line. The app releases its weekly brand deals every Thursday at midnight in your time zone. You’ll be rewarded if you buy from those brands and upload your receipt while the offer is live. When your account reaches $20, Checkout 51 mails you a check, and you just get paid for eating.

As a little extra perk, some offers can be claimed multiple times. This means you could earn extra points for stocking up on toilet paper if the offer applies to the brand. Checkout 51 rewards can also be earned on gasoline purchases at more than 5,000 participating stations.

• Google Play Android users rating: 4.1/5 stars
• The App Store iOS users rating: 4.0/5 stars
• BBB Rating: D+ (but only 15 complaints in 3 years)

7. Receipt Hog

Hog, those grocery store receipts! Before you crumple that paper up and lose it in your purse or throw it in the trash, snap a pic of it and submit it to Receipt Hog. Grocery receipts, specifically, will earn you points called coins in the app. Once you’ve stacked enough coins, you can cash out with PayPal payouts or Amazon gift cards.

Receipt Hog will only accept receipts within 14 days of purchase. The app may also take seven days to review and approve receipts for rewards. New users must complete a survey and verify their device and email before cashing out their coins.

Receipt Hog also has a referral program enabling you to earn even more rewards. When you refer a friend who joins the club, you’ll earn a bonus each time that friend submits a receipt.

• Google Play Android users rating: 4.5/5 stars
• The App Store iOS users rating: 4.7/5 stars
• BBB Rating: A+ (under The NPD Group)

8. CoinOut

This is another receipt scanning app with a poor BBB rating—based on a few complaints—but it is very popular among mobile app users. CoinOut makes earning from your grocery purchases a no-brainer. Instead of putting users through months and months of receipt collecting to earn rewards, CoinOut makes it possible to cash out whenever you want with no minimum requirements. The app also pays rewards for any retailer for any product you purchase.

Ensure your receipt’s date is within two weeks of uploading and that the merchant’s name and total price are completely visible. The more you use the app, the more you’ll receive offers and bonuses tailored to your spending habits. Rewards can be redeemed through PayPal, Zelle, or Amazon gift cards.

• Google Play Android users rating: 4.4/5 stars
• The App Store iOS users rating: 4.6/5 stars
• BBB Rating: F (on 18 complaints in 3 years)

9. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is another app that allows you to earn cash back on purchases and earn money through other activities. These include watching videos, taking surveys, and even playing games.

Swagbucks helps users find coupon codes, deals, and cashback offers at popular retailers. They recommend using the app with a good cashback credit card. You can earn cashback rewards at popular grocery chains like Sam’s Club, Walmart, Safeway, Albertsons, Acme, and Kroger. You can be paid through PayPal Cash or gift cards from Amazon, Walmart, and other retailers as you accumulate rewards.

• Google Play Android users rating: 4.2/5 stars
• The App Store iOS users rating: 4.4/5 stars
• BBB Rating: B (through Prodege, LLC)

10. PayPal Honey

Honey has become so ubiquitous with online deals that it may be easy to forget that this cashback-giving app can also apply to groceries. That is, as long as you’re filling your virtual grocery shopping cart on a web browser. This is the app I use personally to earn points for my grocery orders that I schedule for pick-up from Kroger. Grocery bills add up, so it’s fairly easy for me to get to the $10 Amazon reward card occasionally.

One of the big advantages of this app is that you don’t need to do any homework or work after the fact. Once you reach the checkout page of the participating merchant, the extension will pop up, scan through known coupon codes, and automatically add any to your order. That will provide the largest savings. You only need to hit “Apply Coupons,” and the app will take it from there.

Honey dispenses Honey gold to its 17 million worldwide users when the browser add-on is used, even if there are no savings coupons. Once you’ve reached 1,000 honey gold, you’ve earned a $10 gift card from one of their many partner companies; no extra spending on your part is necessary.

• Google Play Android users rating: 4.0/5 stars
• The App Store iOS users rating: 4.4/5 stars
• BBB Rating: B+ (PayPal)

How We Chose the Best Grocery Receipt Scanning Apps

In deciding which apps to include in our list of the 10 best grocery receipt scanning apps to make money, we used the following criteria:

Features and Functionality

• Receipt Scanning Accuracy: Assess the app’s ability to accurately scan and recognize text from grocery receipts.
• Cashback and Rewards: Evaluate the types and amounts of cashback, rewards, or discounts offered.
• Supported Retailers: Check the range of grocery stores and retailers the app supports.
• Ease of Use: Consider the user interface and experience, including navigation and scanning.
• Offer Availability: Look for the frequency and variety of available offers and how often they are updated.

User Experience

• User Reviews and Ratings: Analyze user feedback on app stores (Google Play, Apple App Store) and other review platforms.
• Customer Support: Check the availability and quality of customer support provided by the app.
• Privacy and Security: Assess the app’s privacy policies, data security measures, and permissions required.

Technical Performance

• Speed and Reliability: Measure the app’s speed and reliability in processing scans and transactions.
• Compatibility: Ensure the app is compatible with various devices and operating systems (iOS, Android).

Financial Benefits

• Payout Options: Review the methods available for cash-out rewards (e.g., PayPal, bank transfer, gift cards).
• Minimum Payout Threshold: Identify the minimum amount required to cash out rewards.
• Fees & Charges: Look for any hidden fees or charges associated with using the app.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Final Thought on the Best Grocery Receipt Scanning Apps

There are many receipt-scanning apps to sift through to find the one (or few!) that works for your lifestyle and will benefit you by putting money back into your pocket. Review the reviews and verify the company’s efficacy before downloading and giving any app-sensitive information, like your bank account information.

Once you’ve found the right grocery store receipt-scanning app, why not earn a little moolah with your milk? Or put some ca-ching back in your bank account with those potato chips? Or save some bills with that bacon? I could go on, but you get the idea. Grocery receipt scanning apps are an excellent way to save a few bucks while completing a task consistently you have to do anyway.