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Ibotta Review 2024: Is Ibotta Trustworthy?

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Ibotta Review

ibotta logo

Ibotta is a reputable rewards apps that offers users cash back on everyday purchases at any of the partner stores. The company has been around since 2011 and partners with over 1500 brands and retailers. To date, the company has paid out over $1 billion in cash to its over 35 million users. It is free to join and you can start earning rewards on purchases ranging from groceries to electronics.

Safe & Legit

Cashback Value

Number of Stores

Payout Process

Pros

  • 2 different ways to earn cash back – you can shop online using the Ibotta browser extension or shop in-store and upload your receipt via the app.
  • High cash back potential – earn up to $30 cash back on your purchases. On average, most Ibotta users can also earn up to $150 per year in cash back.
  • Generous referral bonus – Get a $5 referral bonus when you invite a friend to join the platform and they redeem their first offer on the app.
  • Wide range of partner stores – Ibotta partners with over 1500 brands where you can earn cash back, including groceries, clothing, alcohol and more.

Cons

  • High minimum cash out amount – you will need to have at least $20 in your account to request for bank or PayPal transfer, and $25 for a gift card.
  • Account maintenance fees – if you are inactive on the app for 6 consecutive months or more, the platform will charge you a $3.99 monthly fee.

Jump to: Full Review

Compare to Other Cashback Sites

Swagbucks

Swagbucks logo

18 ways to earn money – surveys, coupons, cashbacks + $5 sign up bonus

Up to 10% cashback from stores – Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, JCPenney

Most members can earn an extra $50 – $200 a month using Swagbucks

InboxDollars

InboxDollars logo

Shopping online on mobile apps with a cashback rate of 1.5% to 15%

Earn money for scanning your receipts or trying featured daily deals

Over $80 million in cash rewards paid to members + $5 sign up bonus

MyPoints

MyPoints logo

Earn a $10 Amazon Card with your first purchase (spend $20 to qualify)

MyPoints members get up to 40% back with every purchase at 2,000 stores

Extra ways to earn money – surveys, games, emails, watching videos

How Does Ibotta Work?


Founded in 2012, Ibotta is a savings app offering you cash-backs while shopping either online or in-store with Amazon, Target and more. Ibotta mainly targets grocery stores, but also offers special deals to shop with other retailers as well. 

Ibotta allows you to;

  • Choose from thousands of products at your favorite retailers and add them to Your list.
  • Start with Ibotta and shop in-store or online like you always do. 
  • Submit your receipt or link your grocery account to earn cash.
  • Withdraw your earnings directly to your bank, PayPal, or gift cards

How Much Cashback You Can Get with Ibotta Purchases?


The amount of cash-back you can earn for your Ibotta purchases varies from store to store and whether it’s an online or in-store purchase. You can review how much some of the most popular shops offer. 

  1. Walmart – earn $0.25 to $4 cash-back on each qualifying product when shopping in-store.
  2. Groupon – you can earn up to 10% cash-back.
  3. Bed, Bath & Beyond – earn 2% cash-back on a single product on your online purchases.
  4. Macy’s – you have an opportunity to earn 15% cash-back.
  5. Shoes.com – offers 5% cash-back on qualifying products.
  6. The Body Shop – earn 5% cash-back on your online purchase.
  7. Sephora – lets you earn 2% cash-back online.
  8. Udemy – join the largest online learning platform and get an 8% cash-back.
  9. Booking.com – allows you to earn a 4% cash-back when you book a stay at a qualifying hotel.
  10. PetSmart.com – offers you 10% cash-back online.

Ways to Get Rewards from Ibotta


# 1. Online

On your phone

  • First step: Download the Ibotta app on your iPhone or Android smartphone.
  • Step 2: Choose the online store you want to visit and shop as usual.
  • Step 3: Save – the app will calculate the amount of cashback and add it to your Ibotta wallet.

On your computer

  • First step 1: Add Ibotta Chrome Extension to your browser by clicking the ‘Add To Chrome’ button.
  • Step 2: Log in with your Ibotta account or create a new one.
  • Step 3: Activate the extension to earn cash-back on your purchases. When you visit a supported online store, the extension will pop up notifying you of offers on the website.

# 2. In-store

Option 1: Loyalty linking. Link your loyalty accounts to your favorite retailers in the Ibotta app. When you use your linked loyalty accounts at checkout, your purchases will be linked to qualifying offers in your purchase.

Option 2: Receipt submission. In your app, choose a retailer and add offers for products you plan to buy. After completing your purchase, simply upload a photo of your receipt in your Ibotta app to get qualifying cash backs.

Option 3: Pay with Ibotta. Using ‘Pay with Ibotta’, you will get an additional 10% cash-back on your entire purchase instantly. To claim this benefit, simply connect your debit or credit card in your Ibotta app. Use ‘Pay with Ibotta’ at checkout to earn an extra reward on your purchase. Additionally, upload your recipe in your app to get even more cash-back on individual offers.

Bonus Tip: Activate nearby offer alerts. When you enable nearby offer alerts, you will get notifications from the Ibotta app to never miss an opportunity of earning cash-backs. To activate notifications, simply navigate to Account > Settings > Preferences and turn on Nearby Offer Alerts. 

What Are Other Ways to Earn with Ibotta?


Refer friends

Refer friends to earn more with Ibotta. You will get $5 for each friend that joins Ibotta with your referral code. They need to redeem their first offer in order for you to claim your bonus. There’s no limit on how many friends you can refer to Ibotta as long as they are unique individuals.

Earn bonuses

Earn bonuses to maximize your Ibotta earnings. Simply tap Earn More in your Ibotta app to view available bonus opportunities for you. There are two types of redemptions for bonuses, specific and non-specific.

Specific redemption

This is an offer or set of offers that you need to redeem to apply for a Bonus. For example, brand A offers a Bonus in the app allowing you to earn $2 for redeeming two other offers associated with the Bonus. Offer 1 is to purchase a specific product by brand A. Offer 2 is to purchase another specific product by brand A.

Non-specific redemption

This is an offer or set of offers that you need to redeem within a certain period of time to apply for a bonus. For example, ‘Midweek Money Maker Bonus’ will earn you $2 when you redeem 10 offers within the next 3 days.

Bonus streaks

Bonus streaks reward you for buying the same brand over multiple shopping trips. You can find Bonus Streaks under the Earn More section in your app. The streaks get updated occasionally, so make sure you check the section every week not to miss the opportunities.

Ibotta Reviews: is Ibotta Legit?


Ibotta is a legit platform that actually rewards you for shopping online and taking other tasks. Having a rating of 3.8 on Sitejabber, 4.3 on Trustpilot, and 4.5 on the app store, the platform has largely been reviewed positively. According to most users, the app is easy to use and allows you to get cashback.

Other users also praised its customer service, saying that it’s robust and responsive. Unfortunately, a few users were not happy with the fact that credits could be delayed for more than a month, so you couldn’t be sure if you even received them. Some users also reported Ibotta having weak customer service. That said, the majority of customers had no issues with the company.

Who is Ibotta Best for?


Ibotta is designed for anyone who likes to earn cashback rewards on their in-store and online purchases. The app is also meant for Shoppers who don’t want to pay a membership fee to earn those discounts like you would when shopping at places like Costco.

Ibotta Partner Stores


Ibotta partner stores include; 

  • WholeCostco
  • Target
  • Food Lion
  • Shipt
  • Walmart.com
  • Amazon
  • 1800Flowers.com
  • eBay Groupon
  • Overstock

While using Ibotta, make sure you capture the entire receipt in the photo, including store name, date, every item, the total, and the payment details.

Ibotta Features: What Does Ibotta Offer?


Product search

If you’re in-store or have a shortlist, you can use the search bar in the mobile app to look for an offer on the products you’re there to buy. Its browser extension also includes a search tab, so you can look to see if there’s an offer on the product you want.

Non-Grocery rebates

Ibotta supports various online retailers in non-grocery categories like clothing, sporting goods, hardware, entertainment, and travel. 

Integration capabilities

Ibotta platform also allows you to earn cashback by integrating its features with online shopping platforms like Amazon, eBay, Groupon, and iTunes.

Teamwork feature

With Ibotta’s Teamwork feature, you can earn even more. By signing up through social media platforms like Facebook, you will be able to reach your friends so you can join them automatically. The larger your network, the more opportunities you’ll have to earn enhanced levels of bonuses each month.

Bonuses program

Ibotta also has a bonuses program that allows you to earn extra money. Besides your normal savings, you can save even more if you choose to participate in bonus offerings.

Is Ibotta Free?


While Ibotta is free to use, it might withdraw from your Ibotta account balance if your account is inactive or deactivated.

Ibotta Payout Terms and Options?


Once your Ibotta earnings reach $20 you have an option to either withdraw your funds to your PayPal, bank account, or gift cards.

Ibotta offers gift cards from 20 brands, including:

What Are the Ibotta Pros & Cons?


Ibotta Pros

  • Makes savings fun and interactive
  • Offers solid cash back
  • Partners with various grocery stores to give you several options
  • Offers bonuses

Ibotta Cons

  • Customer service may take long to respond
  • May not have offers for the products you normally buy

While some shopping offers credit your account instantly, it can take up to 90 days for some offers to credit. So, make sure you check the offer details for clarification.

How Good is Ibotta Support?


Ibotta’s customer support features individual teams that can help with specific questions, such as an online shopping team dedicated to answering questions about online shopping. It also has an extensive list of help articles that addresses most of your queries.

Ibotta Review Verdict: is Ibotta Worth it?


What’s best about the app is that Ibotta is mainly focused on rewarding you for grocery shopping. This means Ibotta partners with far more grocery stores than any other couponing app. The company’s focus on grocery stores allows you to earn up to 15% cash-backs on your everyday shopping routine.

However, if you want to earn cash-backs while shopping for apparel or cosmetics, you can do it within the same app as well.

Overall, joining Ibotta is totally worth it as there’s no membership fee to pay and you get rewards for doing your regular shopping.

How to Sign Up With Ibotta?


To get started with Ibotta;

  • Go to the website  and register by entering your details, including email and password
  • Download Ibotta app
  • Wait for 7 days and get a signup bonus
  • Select the offers you want to redeem and start using the site

Ibotta Sign Up Bonus


Ibotta offers you two welcome bonuses that you can redeem as soon as you join the app. In total, you have an opportunity to earn up to $20 with Ibotta sign-up bonuses.

Welcome Bonus #1: Redeem your very first offer using the Ibotta app within 7 days of registering to get your $5 Welcome Bonus.

Welcome Bonus #2: Redeem your first 9 in-store or online shopping offers to get a $15 Welcome Bonus.

Sites Like Ibotta


CompanyIbottaSwagbucksBeFrugalTopCashBack
Logo ibotta logo swagbucks logo befrugal logo topcashback logo
Saving potential$1 to $10$50 to $1000Up to 40%Up to 40%
Number of shopsOver 5000Not IndicatedOver 5000Over 4500
Best forCashbacks, referrals and bonusesSurveys, online shopping and referralsCashback, deals and couponsCashbacks

Ibotta vs Swagbucks


Swagbucks Summary

  • 18 ways to earn money and e-gift cards
  • $5 sign up bonus
  • Up to 10% cashback when shopping online
  • $1 minimum e-gift card withdrawal

Swagbucks is a free shopping reward website that allows you to earn cash and gift cards for shopping online, watching videos, and more. With Swagbucks’ rewards system, you earn SB points compared to Ibotta, which rewards in cash.

As for bonuses, Swagbucks offers 300 points by the first day of the following month after you sign up and 10% of your lifetime earnings compared to Ibotta, which offers up to $20 in sign-up bonuses.

Ibotta vs BeFrugal


BeFrugal Summary

  • Guaranteed to have the highest cashback
  • More than 5000 stores to get cashback
  • Over 5 different ways to get rewards
  • 6 different ways to cash out your earnings

BeFrugal is a legit cashback site that allows you to make consistent income. While you can earn up to 40% in cashback with BeFrugal, Ibotta only allows you to earn between $1 to $10.

like Ibotta, BeFrugal offers you discount codes, special sales and cash backs when shopping with different retailers. However, Ibotta is more robust and reputable among shoppers.

Ibotta vs TopCashBack


TopCashback Summary

  • Get 100% of all the cash back you earn
  • No minimum threshold to cash out
  • Earn cash back at over 4400 partner stores
  • Earn up to 25% cash back and discounts

TopCashBack is an online money back site and coupon site that allows you to earn cashback on your purchases. Compared to Ibotta, which allows you to earn between $1 to $10, you can earn up to 40% in cashback with TopCashBack.

While TopCashBack is one of the oldest and most popular alternatives to Ibotta, in recent years, Ibotta won over TopCashBack in terms of awareness among shopping-savvy people.

Ibotta vs Rakuten


Rakuten Summary

  • High cashback potential of up to 40%
  • Earn cashback at over 2500 online stores
  • 6 different ways to earn cashback
  • Get $10 for free just for signing up

Ibotta is mainly targeted at rewarding you while shopping in grocery stores, but also partners with other popular retailers as well. On the other hand, Rakuten features a greater variety of shopping categories to choose from.

When it comes to choosing Ibotta vs Rakuten, I suggest you check out cash-back opportunities each one offers in your desired store.

One of the main advantages of Ibotta is that it allows you to withdraw earnings once your balance reaches $20. Rakuten makes payouts quarterly, only according to its predetermined schedule.

Ibotta vs Honey


Honey Summary

  • Automatically applies discounts
  • More than 30,000 partner stores
  • Use app or browser extension for shopping
  • Extensive Help section to guide new users

Even though Ibotta and Honey offer the same services, Ibotta is more popular among shopping-savvy people. One of the main reasons might be the variety of grocery stores Ibotta partners with, compared to Honey, which mainly features apparel shops.

Ibotta vs RebateKey


RebateKey Summary

  • User-friendly interface
  • RebateKey offers highly discounted deals and 100% rebates
  • A great variety of products you can choose from
  • RebateKey features popular stores and brands you’re probably already buying from (e.g. Amazon)

RebateKey is a website that offers you rebates, cash-backs, coupons, and deals on various products sold on Amazon.

Other Sites Like Ibotta


Ibotta FAQ


What is Ibotta?

Ibotta currently features a total of 1,500 brands of grocery stores, drugstore chains and warehouse clubs including Walmart, Aldi, Petco, Walgreens, Domino’s Pizza, Sephora and others.

You can find your local stores in the app and set them as favorites so they pop up first when you open your app.

Today, Ibotta has paid out over $1 billion in cash rewards to more than 35 million users since its founding.

Is Ibotta legit?

Ibotta is a legit platform that rewards in cashback, hence not a scam.

Is Ibotta only for groceries?

While Ibotta is generally associated with groceries, you can earn cashback on non-grocery purchases. 

Where can I use Ibotta?

Ibotta works with hundreds of local and national retailers in-store and online.

Does Ibotta take a long time to give you money?

No, Ibotta credits your account within 24 hours

How can I get help if I have an issue with my account

You can always reach Ibotta customer service by visiting help.ibotta.com and clicking submit a request to fill out a support ticket. 

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Kate Starr

Dollarbreak

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