Top Cashback Apps That Actually Pay You Back

Cashback apps are one of the easiest ways to save money on purchases you're already making. The best part is they require almost no effort once set up. But with dozens of options available, which ones actually deliver meaningful returns? Here's our honest assessment of the top cashback apps in 2026.

Rakuten — Best for Online Shopping

Rakuten, formerly Ebates, is the gold standard for online cashback. Install the browser extension, and it automatically activates cashback when you shop at over 3,500 stores including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Macy's, and virtually every major retailer. Cashback rates range from one to twelve percent, with special promotions pushing rates even higher during sales events.

Rakuten pays quarterly via check or PayPal. The minimum payout is just five dollars, which most users hit within their first few purchases. New members receive a signup bonus — typically ten to forty dollars after their first qualifying purchase. Over a year of normal online shopping, most users earn between fifty and three hundred dollars.

Ibotta — Best for Grocery Shopping

Ibotta specializes in grocery and everyday purchases. Before you shop, browse the app and add offers for products you plan to buy. After shopping, scan your receipt and Ibotta matches the offers to your purchases. You can also link your store loyalty cards for automatic cashback without receipt scanning.

The app has expanded well beyond groceries to include restaurants, clothing, electronics, and online shopping. Ibotta Pay lets you pay directly through the app at select retailers for instant cashback. Average users earn twenty to fifty dollars per month with regular use, and power users who combine offers with sales and coupons earn significantly more.

Fetch Rewards — Best for Simplicity

Fetch is the simplest cashback app. There's no clipping offers or activating deals. Just scan any receipt from any store and earn points. Every receipt earns something, and specific brand purchases earn bonus points. Points redeem for gift cards to popular retailers.

What makes Fetch unique is its simplicity and broad acceptance. Gas station receipts, restaurant receipts, even vending machine receipts earn points. The accumulation is slower than targeted apps like Ibotta, but the zero-effort approach means you'll actually use it consistently. Most users earn fifteen to thirty dollars in gift cards per month.

Dosh — Best for Set-and-Forget

Dosh is a truly passive cashback app. Link your credit or debit cards, and Dosh automatically applies cashback when you shop at partner merchants. There's no scanning, no activating, no remembering. You shop as normal and money appears in your Dosh wallet.

The cashback rates are typically one to ten percent at restaurants, hotels, and select retailers. Hotel bookings through Dosh offer particularly strong cashback, sometimes up to ten percent. Cash out to your bank, PayPal, or Venmo once you hit the fifteen dollar minimum.

Stacking Strategy for Maximum Savings

The real power comes from stacking multiple cashback apps on a single purchase. For example: use a cashback credit card for base rewards, activate Rakuten for online cashback, submit the receipt to Ibotta for product-specific rebates, and scan it on Fetch for bonus points. A single grocery trip can earn rewards from four different sources simultaneously. Over a year, this stacking strategy easily saves five hundred to a thousand dollars for an average household.