The shopping tool I want to share with you today has earned me close to $3,000 in digital rebates. (Add this to the $5,000 I've saved with RebateKey, another program I recently wrote about, and Target Circle, which drives the savings on my Target shopping.) Money in the bank. The tool? An app called Ibotta.
Ibotta is a free cash back rewards and payments app. Hindi News You might have seen the TV ads pop up recently. It's an easy way to save on most grocery store trips, online shopping, gift cards and even booze in some states. Some shoppers have saved thousands more than I have – one person I spoke with scored more than $10,000 in savings. More on that later.
You can also earn cash back when booking travel through Expedia, Travelocity, and other popular sites and get 75 cents back with every Uber or Lyft ride when you launch the ride-hailing apps from Ibotta.
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On its own, it might not look like much. But the money adds up on products and services that you'd be purchasing anyway.
CEO and founder Bryan Leach told me Ibotta has given out more than $1 billion in the company’s lifetime. It first launched in 2012 primarily as a grocery app but has evolved over the years.
Earning cash back on groceries, other items
For grocery rebates, I focus most on the free or nearly-free items. Last month, I picked up a pack of Beyond Meat burgers that were free after a rebate, and this week, I've ordered many of the free school supply items.
Ibotta has also enticed me to try new products with little risk. The first time I tried Halo Top ice cream was when there was a rebate through Ibotta, and when Coca-Cola with Coffee came out earlier this year, there was a rebate to try a can for free.
But everyday items you buy might also have rebates. Need milk? There might be an offer for any brand. Getting blueberries? There could be an offer for those good at any store, though sometimes it's only available at specific stores.
There's even a category for beer, wine and spirit rebates, which can be used at liquor stores, though the rebates can't be redeemed in all states, so read the fine print.
Pro-shopper tip: I like to check Ibotta before I shop in-store or online and have an organized plan of attack. Sometimes I'll change the brand of a product I'll buy based on the rebate offer.