Cash-back apps: Ibotta, Fetch and receipt scanning compared

Cash-back apps work after the fact. You pay full shelf price at the register, then the app pays you back once it can confirm what you bought. That makes them easy to use alongside coupons, but it also means the money shows up later and only under the app's own rules. Ibotta and Fetch are two of the best-known apps, and they work in quite different ways.

Ibotta: pick offers first, then prove the purchase

Ibotta is offer-based. You browse offers in the app, add the ones you want to your list, then buy those items. Ibotta's help pages say adding offers before you shop or submit a receipt is an important step, because the app pays only on offers it can match to your purchase.

You prove the purchase in one of two ways:

• Receipt upload. After shopping in store, you choose the retailer in the app and photograph your itemized receipt. Ibotta matches it to the offers on your list, and you may be asked to confirm offers or scan an item barcode.
• Linked loyalty account. For some retailers, you can link your store loyalty account. Ibotta's help pages say that once it's linked, you add offers before you shop, use your loyalty account at checkout, and cash back is added automatically.

Ibotta also offers online cash back through the app and a browser extension. Earnings can be withdrawn once your balance reaches the minimum set in Ibotta's terms, to a bank account, PayPal or gift cards.

Fetch: scan any receipt for points

Fetch is receipt-based. You snap almost any shopping receipt and earn points, with extra points for featured brands. You can also link email accounts so eligible e-receipts come in automatically. Points are redeemed for gift cards and other rewards once you reach the threshold Fetch sets.

Fetch's FAQ sets limits that matter: a cap on receipts per rolling period, a time window for submitting physical receipts after checkout, and a list of receipts that don't qualify, such as returns and bills. Point values and thresholds are set by Fetch and have changed over time.

Steps: adding apps to your routine

1. Shop your list first. Then check whether any app has an offer for those items. Buying something because of a rebate is the most common way apps cost money.
2. For Ibotta, add offers before you pay. Then keep the receipt, or use your linked loyalty account.
3. For Fetch, snap the receipt soon. Don't let it pass the submission window.
4. Keep the paper receipt until you're paid. Ibotta recommends this.
5. Check thresholds. Know how much you need before you can withdraw or redeem.

Store programs that look like rebate apps

Some retailers run their own cash-back offers inside their apps. Walmart's manufacturer offers pay Walmart Cash, and Dollar General has cash-back offers in its myDG program. These are store programs with store rules. Walmart's terms say that if you use a paper coupon in store for an item and also added a manufacturer offer for it to your account, the paper coupon is honored and you won't get Walmart Cash on that item in that purchase. Dollar General says cash-back offers, digital coupons and manufacturer coupons may not be combined on a single item.

Privacy is part of the price

Receipt and loyalty-linking apps see what you buy. Before you link a loyalty account or an email inbox, read each app's privacy policy so you know what it collects and how it's used.

Each app's rules, thresholds and eligible retailers change. Check the current help pages and terms, linked below, before you count on any payout.