8 Best Receipt Scanner Apps That Pay Real Money
These receipt scanner apps will put more money back in your pocket!
Save more when you shop with these receipt apps that pay real money!
Did you know that there are FREE mobile apps that give you cash back each time you shop? With these cash back and receipt scanner apps available, you can easily earn back money, free gift cards, and other rewards just by purchasing products that you’re planning to buy anyways! Using these apps is such an easy way to save a little extra money.
There are tons of these apps available to you. To get you started on your cash back journey, we’re sharing our very favorite apps. Our top 7 picks are highly-rated and completely FREE to use!
Grab your phone and get ready to start earning your money back!
Our picks for the best receipt apps that pay real money:
- The best receipt app overall: Fetch
- The best receipt app for groceries: Ibotta
- The best receipt app for shopping: Rakuten
- The easiest-to use receipt app for everyday purchases – ReceiptJar
- The best receipt app for gasoline: Upside
- The best receipt app for health-conscious consumers: Makeena
- The best receipt app for travelers: Dosh
- The best receipt app requiring minimal time & effort: Amazon Shopper Panel
The 8 best receipt scanner apps for 2023:
1. Fetch Rewards is our team’s favorite receipt scanner app.
Fetch Rewards makes it easy to save on your everyday purchases. You’ll earn points for every item you buy from the 500+ popular brands in the app. Just take a picture of your receipt each time you purchase groceries, food, beauty products, diapers, cleaning supplies, and other products. You’ll accumulate points and can redeem them for free rewards to hundreds of popular retailers.
The app also has offers worth extra points. Buy an item on that list and you’ll be much closer to getting that cash back reward. Plus, every day you scan a receipt, you’ll have an opportunity to win a daily bonus!
Interested in trying it out? Download the Fetch Rewards app for iOS and Android. You can also read our review of the Fetch app for more tips on how to use our favorite receipt scanner app!
Earn Fetch rewards with these simple steps:
- Scan your grocery receipt from ANY store.
- Every time you purchase a product from one of Fetch’s participating brands, you’ll earn points.
- As your points accumulate, you can redeem them for gift cards to popular retailers like Amazon, CVS, Target, Build-A-Bear, or even virtual MasterCard/Visa Rewards gift cards!
I really like Fetch! It’s ingrained in my shopping routine now. I love that there’s a daily bonus, and any special discounts/promos for specific items are applied just from the receipt scan – no clipping/saving prior to uploading the receipt! It’s also linked to my Gmail and store accounts for Amazon and Walmart, so when prompted, it will scan online order receipts. It’s seriously just so easy to use! I haven’t cashed anything out yet but I have ~23k points so I’m planning on continuing to rack up the points and redeem them for a gift card to use for Christmas gifts this year! – Emily, Hip2Save team
“The gift cards ALWAYS COME. The receipts ALWAYS SCAN. I’ve never had an issue– it’s wonderful! Plus, watching the little points add up (and the cute animation) is just so satisfying! There’s no “wait time,” so it’s just scan and save. So rewarding!”– Chelsey, Hip2Save team
2. Scan receipts for gift cards with Ibotta.
One of the best cash back apps for grocery shopping is the free Ibotta App. You earn back money by purchasing items at participating stores. Simply search for offers online or while shopping in-store by scanning the barcode of the products you’re buying.
After making a purchase, submit a rebate by tapping on “Redeem” for eligible items purchased. Then, scan the product barcode (if necessary for that store) and submit a picture of your receipt. In addition to getting cash back on your purchases, you can sometimes use the manufacturer’s coupons to lower your costs even further, although this feature isn’t as comprehensive as it used to be.
Read our Ibotta review to learn more about how and where you can use it. Ibotta works at so many major stores like Walmart and Meijer, but it no longer links with Target. If you love to shop at Target, you can still scan your paper receipts to the app to score cash back!
Here’s how to earn money with Ibotta:
- Find offers online before shopping or scan the barcode in-store to see if there are any offers.
- Buy the products you selected at any participating store (don’t forget your receipt!).
- Redeem your offers by taking a photo of your receipt. They’ll match the items you bought to the offers you selected and give you the cash.
- Your cash back will be deposited into your Ibotta account within 48 hours.
- Redeem for gift cards to popular stores like Amazon, Starbucks, Kohl’s, and other stores – OR request a cash option via PayPal or Venmo.
“Having a blast with this site. Easy to use and earnings add up quickly! Gift cards always arrive the same day as cash out. Recommend this highly.” – Lisa, Ibotta product reviewer
3. The Rakuten app lets you scan receipts & save at 3,500 + retail stores.
Rakuten has paid shoppers over 2 billion dollars in cash back! It’s easy to use. Shop online, add an extension to your browser, or download the app for iOS and Android. According to Rakuten, the average user gets about $63.50 in cash back.
How to earn rewards with Rakuten:
- Download the app or sign up on the website and link your credit card.
- In Rakuten, choose the store you want to visit.
- Shop online or in person and Rakuten will update your balance when notified that you made a purchase.
- Use your linked credit card while booking hotels and travel.
- Use the Rakuten browser extension to be alerted to savings while shopping.
- Check Rakuten’s website or app for daily deals.
- Refer your friends to get a bonus.
- Cash out using the website or app and you’ll receive payment via check or PayPal.
“My favorite cash back app is RAKUTEN (used to be Ebates). It’s easy to use and they often have double cash back days or special days where you can get significant cashback on your purchases.” – Hip2Save reader, Sunny
These cash back apps are also great for retail shopping…
- Shopkick – Shopkick is a free location-based shopping app for iOS or Android. The app gives you reward points called “kicks” that can be redeemed for amazing retail gift cards. Simply walk into stores, scan items, and buy everyday products to earn points.
- Swagbucks – Earn cash back when you shop at any of Swagbucks’ affiliated online retailers. You can also earn rewards by playing games, taking surveys, searching the web, and watching videos. Download the app for iOS or Android.
- Mobee – Complete easy “secret shopper” missions at popular stores and retailers. You may have to answer a survey or take a picture. You’ll earn points for your hard work and can redeem them for gift cards or rewards. Download the app for iOS or Android.
4. Scan receipts for money with Receipt Jar.
Receipt Jar gives you cash back for shopping at some of your favorite stores and restaurants, and it may be one of the most straightforward cash back apps out there. Just download the app for iOS or Android today and upload a receipt to start earning points!
When you earn enough points, you’ll receive your choice of a gift card or a cash payment. Plus, every receipt you upload earns you a chance to play the Shake Jar and an opportunity to win 2,000 extra points! You can only accumulate 120 points a week, but that should be enough to cover the receipts of an average shopper.
How to earn rewards with Receipt Jar:
- Take a picture of your receipt from ANY store.
- Upload the picture to your app within 14 days of your purchase.
- Once you accumulate enough points, use the app to cash them out for a gift card.
- Use the app to cash out and receive a gift card or get paid cash using Pay Pal.
Earn more money back by scanning your receipts to multiple apps. These other receipt scanner apps are worth downloading…
- Receipt Pal – Earn gift cards to your favorite retailers! All you have to do is submit your paper or e-receipts. Every receipt earns you a chance to win cash prizes in weekly sweepstakes. Three winners are announced every week. As long as you keep submitting receipts, you’ll be entered automatically! Download the app now for iOS or Android.
- Coin Out – Earn cash back at any retailer by snapping a photo of your receipt! Receipts need to be uploaded within two weeks of the original purchase and include the date, retail name, items purchased, and bill amount. Users who regularly upload receipts may also get a weekly surprise bonus! Download the app now for iOS or Android.
- Receipt Hog – This receipt app is one of the easiest to use. Scan paper or e-receipts to earn coins. Once you reach a certain amount, you can get cash back via PayPal, Amazon, or Visa gift card. Most receipts also earn you raffle tickets for a monthly drawing or a turn at the Hog Slots to score extra coins. Download the app now for iOS or Android.
“I like Receipt Jar and Receipt Hog. They are super easy to use. I don’t have to buy a certain item to get points. I just scan my receipt (or link an account) and that’s it! They both have little games you can play to get extra points too.” – Hip2Save team, Kara
5. Want to save on fuel? Upside is the best cash back app to use when buying gasoline.
Upside is a free app that offers you the opportunity to get cash back on gasoline. You can use it at over 50,000 locations and the app estimates it can save frequent users about $340 a year. In addition to gas, you’ll also score cash back on groceries and restaurants. Get it on iOS or Android.
Here’s how to earn rewards with Upside:
- Use the app to find local deals near you and select the option to claim the offer.
- Upload your receipt to the app and it will notify you of your cash-back balance.
- Cash out using the app and receive payment via a gift card, a check, or a PayPal deposit.
Check out the full review of this popular gas app and score a promo code to save even more!
“Just started using the Upside app about 1 month ago, 1st time got $9 back and the 2nd time got $5 back. It isn’t a huge amount of money but might as well get a little something back after filling up your gas tank.” – Hip2Save reader
For more cash back on fuel, try this other app…
- Checkout 51 – Browse local offers and scan the corresponding receipt once purchased. It’s easy-peasy and works at over 5,000 gas stations! Download it for iOS or Android.
6. Makeena rewards health-conscious consumers with cash back.
Makeena rewards you for buying healthy and eco-friendly products from the places where you like to shop. You can earn cash back and rewards just for buying items that are good for you and the planet — like organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, plant-based, eco-friendly, BPA-free, cruelty-free items.
The app works at ANY retail store! After every time you buy, you can earn points for extra cash back, samples, T-shirts, and more! If you like a brand, share it with your friends to earn extra rewards.
Download Makeena now on iOS or Android.
How to earn rewards with Makeena:
- Browse offers, brands, and products before shopping.
- Save them to your shopping list.
- Scan barcodes of purchased products to begin redeeming.
- Take a photo of your receipt, and then submit it through the app.
- Cash out through PayPal or Venmo after you accumulate $20 in your account!
“I have been using Makeena for a few years now and I love this app! They make it super easy to get points for items you’ve bought from the brands that are on their app and they are always adding new companies! I have also tried many new foods due to the incentive of getting points which can then be turned into cash. This is the only app I’ve found that has an incentive to buy from organic brands. I am honestly eating better foods due in part to Makeena!” – Makeena product reviewer
7. Score cash back on your travel and lodging with Dosh.
Dosh is one of the best cash back apps for travelers. If you love to explore, consider using Dosh to recoup some of your travel costs by getting points for hospitality expenses. You’ll get cash back when you dine out, shop, or stay at one of over 600,000 hotels! Accumulate $15, and Dosh will pay you via PayPal or Venmo. You can also donate your earnings!
This app is especially good if you pay using a major credit card instead of cash. If you link your card, you can get cash back automatically when you purchase something from a participating retailer. The only caveat is that if you pay using another business’s app or rewards program, you won’t receive cash back. You must pay directly with your linked card, so keep that in mind!
Dosh is available on iOS or Android.
How to earn rewards with Dosh:
- Download the app and link your credit card.
- Make purchases or book hotels with your linked card.
- Refer friends and family using a referral code to get extra cash back.
- Use the app to cash out once you accumulate $15 in your Dosh Wallet.
“Convenient cash back app. By linking your credit and debit cards to Dosh, you automatically receive cash back when you use those cards at participating locations without having to first logon to their website or activate the app.” – Dosh product reviewer
8. Amazon Shopper Panel is the cash back app for busy people!
If you don’t have much time to spend scanning receipts, then the Amazon Shopper Panel app was created especially for you!
It is by far the simplest cash-back app we’ve tried, and it definitely provides the biggest return on your time investment. It’s the app for people like me, who can’t remember to pre-load offers before I head out to the store. 😅
Just scan 10 of your physical receipts per month, and you”ll earn one dollar in Amazon Credits for each receipt scanned! I usually save my receipts until I have 10 of them, and then spend three to four minutes scanning them. It’s truly the easiest $10 you’ll ever earn.
You can make additional money by taking short surveys every month too, and I do mean short. They’re all about a minute or less!
The only drawback to this app is that it’s invitation-only, but it’s really easy to request an invitation to join the Panel. Some users are accepted right away, and others are waitlisted, which can be disappointing. But it’s totally worth the wait once you’ve been accepted into the program! I’ve earned over $300 in a little over two years, and I only spend a few minutes using the app every month.
Read our review of the Amazon Shopper Panel app and request your invitation so you can start earning ASAP!
What’s YOUR favorite shopping app? Please share!
Want to know more easy ways to make money? Check out these ideas!
I tried to sign up for Fetch on my phone. It asks for a referral code. Is there an advantage to using one?
Yes! Here’s mine! We will both get 100 points. DT7FD
I also have codes for ReceiptJar CATHCH43T and ReceiptHog SKUG7154
I used your receiptJar code! hope this gets you some $$! if you dont have Dosh app (my fav cashback app- I’ve gotten back over $400 from using them!) feel free to return the love with using my referral, EMILYS446. Thanks!
Great question! ❤️ Here are their details on referral codes. – “If you are an existing user of Fetch, you can earn additional points through the referral program by sharing your referral code with people who have not yet used Fetch. Once they enter your referral code and snap their first receipt, both you and the person you referred will receive referral points!” Hoping that is helpful! 🥰
Thank you for explaining. I saw so many different ideas online it got confusing. You may want to include Hip2Save’s referral code above? Thank you again.
You’re so welcome! Thank YOU!💞 Feel free to click through our link above. 🤗❤️
Use my referral code:XDWJGT and I’ll use yours
Here’s another referral code! Come save money on Fetch with me! Sign up w/ code 9ACBUB
I’ll add 1 more! 🤭 Code 16E57 gets you a 100 points to start! Happy Friday!
I really like Dosh. Had it a while and here’s my sign up code for anyone who is interested: KAYR18 . Also it wasn’t listed but the Drop app is great for earning cash back. My code is: 0cdjn . I’ve earned most of my cash passively but could earn much more if I put more effort into it. Each day I play an in app game that takes less than a couple minutes and earns points. Surveys are quick and simple. Not long drawn out ones that are a waste of time. Earn through shopping and purchases as well. 🙂 If you need a link send a message hip2trade @ gmail
Also I was curious what happened to the site listed here months ago (last fall) where you upload your receipts? It just disappeared. I think it was called Earn Sparks.
Hey there! Unfortunately, Earn Sparks doesn’t seem to be around anymore. We’ll keep an eye out for any other useful cash back apps.
I also like Retail-Me-Not. It’s a long turnaround time, but sometimes their rebates are higher than Rakuten’s.
On Upside you can also get $ from certain grocery and restaurants too, besides gas. Referral code SJ5F7
Try couponcabin as well. great cashback offers as well as monthly bonus options. I have honestly saved / earned nearly 1K over the last year or so.
Thanks for the recommendation, Scott! We will have to check this one out. Glad that you have saved so much money using this! 🙌 ❤️
I use topcashback and tada (I think it used to be shopathome) as well as Rakuten. I just compare to see which offers the most $
If anyone wants to sign up for Ibotta, here is my referral code NLCIGRI; if anyone wants to sign up for Fetch here is my referral code VF9XG. Cash and extra points, respectively
As of June 15, 2023 Dosh will no longer be offering Bank Transfers (ACH) as a transfer option. However, any transfers made up until then will process as normal.
Thanks for the heads up! Good to know! ❤️
My fav apps are: Dosh (referral EMILYS446) – lifetime earnings $423.08 from them! Also ibotta (referral rxflq) – lifetime earnings $2,986.89! Would love if you could use my referral codes, if you do you get money back too!!
Does anyone know if you can use the same receipts (say restaurants?) in multiple apps (say Fetch plus another one)? If you can use the same receipt in multiple ones that would be really great.
You can use the same receipts across all the apps
Thank you!
I don’t mind sharing my receipts with companies if I choose. However, I just read where one or more of these are not just connecting with/scanning your email, but scanning your emails looking for receipts from certain stores. I am a little uncomfortable with them scanning my emails or my entry to stores? Call me old fashioned, but I hate to be tracked that much by anyone.
bdvjobq Is my Ibotta referral code!
Love the app and love this this website!
THANK YOU for anyone who uses my Ibotta code I could truly use the help for my kiddos back to school supplies! 🙂
Question about Upside. Do I have to link a credit to debit card? Thank you.
Great question, Cathy! It looks like you’ll need to “Pay with a debit or credit card that’s linked to your Upside Wallet or use Upside Pay.” according to this support article on their site. ❤️
When shopping online, I compare Rakuten with Mr Rebates and frequently Mr Rebates offers a better rebate –
Thanks for commenting on what sites/apps you’ve found the best cash back options on, Pat! 🤗
I use cashbackmonitor.com before purchasing anything on line – I usually use Rakuten and have the earnings transferred to my Amex points. Otherwise I collect airline or hotel points.
Just a word of caution – my work phone does not allow me to scan any receipts or participate in any program that requires one to use their phone to scan or use QR codes , as opposed to using a scanner and sending a PDF file. According to the cybersecurity seminars we are required to attend every 90 days, depending on the vendor, they are able to obtain much more information from your phone other than just the receipt. They are not giving you cash back from the goodness of their heart – they want to data mine all the information from your phone. It is always a good idea to clear out your cache and cookies at least one a week. Be careful with your personal information!
Thanks so much for sharing what site you use, Ruth! Glad you’ve been able to transfer earned rewards for travel or apply toward your Amex points! 💕 So smart to clear out any data-related information on your phone periodically, too.
Love both Fetch and Ibotta and use them regularly. My referral codes if anyone is interested in signing up. Ibotta sign up and get a $5.00 bonus with first receipt scan ZOY3EA. Fetch get 100 points D3GFM. Thanks.
I think the amazon shopper panel app description needs an update. They no longer offer $1/receipt. It’s much harder to get to the $10/month now that most receipts are worth .15. (And no more fuel or restaurant receipts accepted)
It was great while it lasted!
Thanks so much, Nikki! We’ll take a look at getting this updated! 🤗