Top 8 Receipt Scanner Apps – Earn Free Money, Gifts Cards, & More!
These receipt scanner apps will put more money back in your pocket!
Did you know that there are FREE mobile apps that give you cash back each time you shop? You can earn money, free gift cards, and rewards just for buying what you already planned to buy!
To help you get started, we’re sharing our top 8 highly-rated and FREE apps!
- Fetch – best receipt app overall
- Ibotta – best for groceries
- Merryfield – best for cleaner products
- Rakuten – best for shopping
- ReceiptJar – easiest to use
- Upside – best for gasoline
- Makeena – best for global conscious consumers
- Amazon Shopper Panel – requires the least time and effort
1. Fetch Rewards is our team’s favorite receipt scanner app.
Fetch Rewards helps you earn points on everyday purchases from 500+ brands just by snapping a photo of your receipt. Redeem points for free rewards at hundreds of popular retailers.
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!
“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.
Ibotta is a free cashback app that helps you earn money on groceries by purchasing eligible items at participating stores. Just add offers, shop in-store or online, then submit a receipt and scan barcodes if needed to redeem cash back.
Plus, it works at major retailers like Walmart and Meijer, and while it no longer links with Target, you can still scan paper receipts to earn rewards. Read our Ibotta review to learn more about how and where you can use it.
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.
3. Merryfield helps you with those hard-to-earn brands like Siete, Once Upon a Farm, & more clean brands!
Love organic and clean products? Merryfield helps you earn points toward free gift cards when your receipt includes these better-for-you brands. You can even backdate your receipts up to 90 days when you join on iOS or Android.
Here’s how to earn points with Merryfield:
- Link your accounts for digital receipts or snap a photo of paper ones
- Get points for qualifying better-for-you brands
- Redeem points for gift cards (Target, Amazon, Sprouts, Walmart, and more!)
4. 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.
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.
5. 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.
6. 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!
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.
7. 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, and cruelty-free items.
The app works at ANY retail store! 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
8. Amazon Shopper Panel is the cash back app for busy people!
If you don’t have time to scan lots of receipts, the Amazon Shopper Panel app is one of the easiest cash-back options out there. Just scan 10 receipts per month to earn $10 in Amazon credits, plus extra money from quick, one-minute surveys.
The app is invitation-only, but requesting an invite is easy—and it’s well worth the wait for such a high return on minimal effort.
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 also like Retail-Me-Not. It’s a long turnaround time, but sometimes their rebates are higher than Rakuten’s.
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 $
Amazon shopper panel isn’t just 10 receipts anymore. Different receipts give back a different amount. For example: Walmart gives $.10 but Home Depot gives back $.70. I just try and collect Home Depot receipts to reach the $10 faster. I miss when it used to be just scanning 10 receipts.
Thanks for mentioning this, Rosalia! It looks like we do have that information here. We’ll get this info updated. Thank you! ❤️
I recently deleted Makeena’s app. I had their app for years, but had multiple issues with them recently with items listed as claimable suddenly disappearing when attempting to scan for reimbursement. My latest issue was submitting a cash out request in November. Two weeks after not hearing anything, I submitted another request and ended up emailing support. They did reply the first time saying it takes up to a month for the cash out. My balance at the time was around $23, not a huge amount, but enough able their threshold for cashing out. I just received the payment to Paypal January 26th. Many contacts to them had no reply. I am not the only one with issues. Just a warning to those who frustrate easily or don’t have the extra time. It’s a shame because I liked being able to get cash back for fresh produce with a wider range of items.
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with Makeena. Sorry you had to jump through so many hoops just to get your cash out! That definitely sounds frustrating, especially when customer support doesn’t respond. Hoping your next savings apps are much smoother and stress-free if you decide to give any others a try!
Thank you Trish. I do use a few others, but wanted to give my experience on Makeena as a full disclosure of what I went through. Almost 3 months was much longer than expected to re-scrutinize all of what I submitted, which is done each time as well. My full amount was deposited though because I wasn’t claiming things I didn’t purchase.
You’re welcome, Sue! SO glad you did finally receive the full amount you were owed. Thanks again for sharing all the details and for your honest feedback on this particular app.