Couponing

Top 5 Coupon Apps To Save You Big Money

How to Use Your Phone to Score Deals on Anything

top-5-coupon-apps-to-save-you-big-money
By PETE THOMPSON | Updated February 28, 2024

Extreme couponing is a fantastic way to save money on everyday purchases. It takes a long time and a lot of energy to clip physical coupons from newspapers, flyers, and catalogs the old-fashioned way.

Let's face it: most people don't have the time or energy to coupon on a regular basis, no matter how frugal they consider themselves to be. We consider ourselves to be above-average bargain hunters, and the number of times we've used a physical coupon in the store in the last five years can be counted on both hands.

Old-fashioned couponing is going the way of the classified ads in the newspaper. Coupon apps are multiplying faster than you can say "deal!"

Digital coupon codes and physical coupons redeemable for merchandise at brick-and-mortar stores are easy to find, save, and use with coupon apps. Others, similar to cash back credit cards, provide cash back at the point of sale (without the credit check and potential credit score damage). Some people can even save money on their purchases after they've been made, thanks to convenient receipt-uploading features that offer retroactive discounts or cash back.

But which of these many apps should you make use of? Here's a look at some of our favorites - and of lots of others - to help you kick-start a digital couponing habit that should save - and maybe even make you - tons of cash.

Ibotta

It's easy to see why Ibotta is still one of the most popular mobile coupon apps on the market.

To begin with, Ibotta is extremely user-friendly. It has a large number of participating stores – about 275 in total. Its geolocation feature makes finding stores and products in your area a breeze.

The Ibotta in-store process is as follows. To load offers on products at participating retailers near you, open the app and complete simple tasks. To maximize your return on spending, load your store loyalty cards. After that, go shopping!

If you've loaded your loyalty cards, you'll get any cash back you're eligible for within 48 hours. If you haven't, simply take a photo of your receipt and Ibotta will match your purchases on cash back-eligible items. You'll still get your money in 48 hours.

Do you want to avoid going to the store? When you use the links or codes provided in the Ibotta app, you can also earn cash back on online purchases.

Ibotta, unlike some other coupon apps, pays in cash. Once your rewards balance reaches $20, you can cash out via PayPal or load your earnings onto a gift card to use at your favorite stores.

  • Platforms: iOS and Android
  • Cost: Free
  • Pros: To claim rewards automatically, load your loyalty card. Receipts can be scanned for cash back. Using the Ibotta app, you can shop at hundreds of online retailers.

Rakuten

Rakuten, formerly known as Ebates, is a digital coupon and cash back app that promises up to 40% off select purchases at over 2,500 retailers – though you won't save 40% on every purchase made at Rakuten stores.

Rakuten's user-friendly app offers a variety of ways to save: Rakuten provides up-to-date coupon codes from a variety of retailers. For immediate savings, redeem at the digital point of sale.

You can also search the app for offers from thousands of affiliates, then click the link to check out without leaving the app or closing the browser window. Provisional cash back is credited to your account after the purchase is completed, pending retailer verification.

When you use the Rakuten app to make purchases at select retailers, you'll get double cash back. Many of these deals are only available for a limited time, so check the app frequently and act quickly if you see a store you want to visit soon.

Once the retailer verifies the purchase, Rakuten credits cash back to user accounts. This may take some time; However, you'll always get one payout per quarter.

  • Pros: Earn double cash back at select retailers, receipts can be scanned for cash back
  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: iOS and Android

Honey

Honey, which is now owned by PayPal, is a must-have app for anyone who shops online a lot. The app's developers say users can score an average savings of 18% on customer purchases, equating to about $126 per year. That's a lot of money for people who use Honey on a regular basis (or at least once a week).

Honey makes it incredibly easy to save with its database of thousands of vendors, including national restaurant chains and travel booking platforms. The app finds digital coupons, promo codes, and other instant savings opportunities for you and presents them to you on a dollar-lined platter, virtually eliminating the need to scour the Internet or newspapers for new coupons.

Honey can also locate discounts without the use of a coupon or a promotional code. Simply add items you're interested in to the app's Droplist, and you'll be notified when the price drops.

You can also earn points for purchases - make sure you install the browser extension as well as the app to collect them all - that can then be converted into gift cards when certain thresholds are reached.

  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: iOS and Android, extensions for most popular browsers
  • Pros: Thousands of retailers offer instant discounts. Honey's Droplist offers discounts without the use of coupons. Honey's browser extension can help you save money on desktop purchases right away. Points can be redeemed for gift cards.

Coupon Sherpa

Coupon Sherpa brags about being "the best coupon app ever made." We wouldn't go quite that far, but there's reason to be excited about Coupon Sherpa, not least because it's one of the few coupon apps that offers whole-order discounts on supermarket purchases. It's surprising, in retrospect, that more coupon apps don't follow suit.

There are plenty of product-specific coupons in Coupon Sherpa's coupon database. Begin by browsing the app's thousands of active offers and clipping and saving those you're likely to use via the "favorite" tool. Enable location services to help the app serve coupons for retailers in your general vicinity for more relevant searching.

Simply present clipped coupons (or coupons found on the spot in-store) at checkout when you're ready to save. If the retailer has physical locations, most coupons are valid both online and in-store.

  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: iOS and Android
  • Pros: Thousands of product-specific coupons are available. Using the "favorite" tool, you can easily clip and save coupons. For more relevant offers, turn on location services.

Checkout51

Checkout51 takes a unique approach to couponing. You might prefer Checkout51's approach if you don't like clipping and saving coupons, even in a streamlined digital setting. There's also no need for a loyalty card, making Checkout51 ideal for purchases at stores you don't frequent.

Browse coupon offers in the app to start saving at the point of sale, then visit participating retailers. Take a photo of your receipt, upload it to the app, and wait for the money to come in – usually within 48 hours. Major grocery stores (Publix, Kroger, Safeway), top drugstores (Walgreens, CVS), and superstores like Target and Walmart are among the participating brick-and-mortar retailers.

If you have a long commute, use Checkout51 to automatically earn $0.25 per gallon in gas rewards. You must add gas offers within four hours of making your purchase and then upload your receipt within 24 hours, requiring some planning. However, Checkout51 is still a great way to save money on gas without driving hundreds of miles to save a few cents per gallon.

  • Cost: Free
  • Platforms: iOS and Android
  • Pros: No loyalty cards are required. Gas savings of up to $0.25 per gallon are possible. You'll get your money back on cashback offers in 48 hours.
top-5-coupon-apps-to-save-you-big-money

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