Review – Page 3 – The Common Cents Club

Ibotta Referral Code SBHIWHB and Ibotta Review by Mallory Herrera, a mama who loves using the Ibotta app to save money on groceries. Take it away, Mallory! This post may contain affiliate links. Read the disclosure for more info. If you are anything like me, you’re always looking for easy ways to save money. Having a good budget in place is great, but who couldn’t use a little extra cash? Especially if you’re saving money on things you’re already planning to buy--like groceries! To help me save money on my grocery budget, I love using the Ibotta app. What is Ibotta? Ibotta is a free app you can download on your phone that will pay you money for items you buy. The app is completely free to use, which is a huge bonus when you’re trying to save some extra money. Next, you might wonder is Ibotta is legit or a scam. Is Ibotta Legit or Scam? Ibotta is completely legit. I've used it for years to earn money back fast. And if you don’t believe me, Ibotta is repeatedly listed on the most highly-regarded personal finance sites as a top coupon app: #1 on the Huffington Post's List of 7 Best Coupon Apps #2 on Well Kept Wallet's List of Best Coupon Apps#3 on Dave Ramsey's List of Best Coupon Apps Plus, check out the Ibotta reviews and ratings in the Google Play store: These ratings, I believe, speak for themselves. Out of over 363,000 reviews, the majority are 5 stars. Here is what a few people have to say about using Ibotta. So now that we've calmed any worries about Ibotta being legit or not, let's dive into how the app works and how you can use it to start saving money. How Does Ibotta Work? How Do You Use Ibotta? Don’t worry, it’s free and super easy to use. Just follow these steps: Step 1. Setup Your Ibotta Account Download the Ibotta appEnter in the Ibotta referral code: SBHIWHB to get a $10 Bonus. Register your account. How To Add A Friend Referral Code on Ibotta If you're not sure where to enter a referral code on Ibotta, see the image below. You can copy the code SBHIWHB then paste it in the Referral Code space on your app to get your welcome bonus. Your $10 bonus will appear in your account after you redeem your first offer. Here's how to redeem an offer. Step 2. Save Store Favorites & Find Offers You Want to Buy Add your favorite stores to your profile. This simple Ibotta trick will make your shopping trips easier. Browse "Find Offers" on the app by store or category. Select the offers that interest you and they’ll be added to your "My Offers" list. *Occasionally, opportunities to complete an extra task like watching a short video will appear. Step 3. Go Shopping Buy items from your “My Offers” list at any Ibotta retailer. Some offers are retailer specific, so be sure to keep an eye on that. Step 4. Redeem Offers To Get Cash Back Cash back rewards can be collected in a couple of ways. You can link your store’s loyalty card or upload your receipt manually. I personally like to upload my receipt to make sure that I don’t miss anything. Loyalty Cards Specific retailers, known as preferred partners, require that users connect their loyalty card and add offers prior to shopping. Your credits will automatically be submitted once you scan your loyalty card at checkout. Uploading Receipts Once you’ve finished your shopping trip, tap the “Redeem” button on the navigation bar.Select the store where your receipt is from.Take a picture of the receipt. If the receipt is long, you can take multiple photos. Occasionally, you will be asked to verify the item that you purchased by taking a picture of the barcode. It's as easy as that! Your account will rack up with money with each offer you redeem. Once you’ve reached $20 in your account, you can cash out using PayPal or Venmo or a gift card. Where Does Ibotta Work? Ibotta works at most major retailers, and even some smaller ones that I wouldn’t have expected. According to the Ibotta website, the app can be used at over 300 retailers. While Ibotta is well-known as the best grocery coupon and rebate app, it can be used to save money on a lot more than groceries! They have offers for places like: AmazonFred MeyerDollar GeneralTargetWalmartCostcoWhole FoodsShopRitePrice ChopperSam’s ClubWegman’sKmartAldiMarket 32Trader Joe’sand even military commissaries These are just a few places where Ibotta works. It would probably be easier to ask where it doesn’t work, to be honest. Is Ibotta Worth It? Ibotta stands out from other cashback apps for a few reasons. With Ibotta, you can: Can get cashback on alcohol (beer, liquor, and wine!)Can be used on fresh foods like produce rather than just pre-packaged, processed foods.Can get cashback on organic foods like organic milk and free-range eggs. Can get cashback on “any brand” items rather just the major companies (e.g., any milk, any beef roast, or any bread)Can be used on meal subscription boxes such as Blue Apron and Hello Fresh.Can be used on non-grocery purchases like Uber ridesCan be used on baby essentials like diapers, pull-ups, and formula Get The Most Out of Ibotta With Tips, Tricks, Hacks, and Hidden Bonuses Using the app is pretty easy, but here are some lesser-known tricks for getting the most out of your Ibotta app. Use App for Online Shopping In addition to cash back rewards earned from physical store shopping trips, you can also purchase items online through the Ibotta app to receive cash back. Ever order on Amazon? Simply open your Ibotta app first, tap on Amazon, then do your shopping. Money will automatically be added to your account in a few days. Tip: If you add items to your Amazon cart before going through the Ibotta app, those purchases won’t qualify for cash back. Items must be added to your Amazon cart after starting your shopping experience through the Ibotta app. I learned this the hard way. Now that you know how easy it is to save money using the Ibotta app. Let’s talk about how you can save even more. Coupon Stacking Just because you’re using the Ibotta app to save money, doesn’t mean that you should forget about using actual coupons. Using printed or digital coupons on your items and then getting cash back for that item through Ibotta is an amazing way to double up your savings. I’m not saying that you have to become an extreme couponer (though if you do, teach me your ways), but using high-value in store coupons combined with earning money back can save you a good chunk of change throughout the year. Use Checkout51 Did you know that you can upload your receipt to Ibotta and to Checkout51 as well? You do now! Get more savings and more money back by uploading your receipts to both the Ibotta app as well as Checkout51 app. Every little bit helps, right? Use a Credit Card to Earn Points If you have a good credit card that offers points or cash back for grocery purchases, then you can use it to increase your savings as well. If you earn 1-5% through your credit card plus you earn money back through Ibotta, you can double up on your savings. Remember to only use your credit card if you can pay it off the same month. If you can’t, then those interest rates you’ll be paying won’t be saving you any money in the long run. Ibotta Hidden Bonuses Under your account dashboard, there is an area called “Bonuses.” These are ways to make extra money off of your purchases by completing different challenges. Some of the Ibotta bonuses are product-specific, like I earned extra money by buying 5 dozen of a particular egg brand. (I didn’t have to buy them at the same time, just over a certain time period.) Some bonuses are more general, such as "make 5 qualified purchases during a 30 days." The bonuses are often high-value ($10-$15 each) and really add up. They are a great way to make more money with the Ibotta app. Earn More Bonuses With Ibotta Teamwork Speaking of bonuses, the Ibotta app also lets you earn exclusive bonuses as a team. You can join The Common Cents Club Team automatically by clicking this link. As a team, you'll be able to earn extra bonuses and offers, which means that you can make even more money fast. There are four different levels available each month. Each level will have a personal goal and a team goal. At the end of the month, you start over at Level 1 again. It’s a fun way to get involved with your friends and encourage saving money together. Ibotta FAQ Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about Ibotta so you have a full understanding of how the app works. Free Ibotta $10 Welcome Bonus – Why Does Ibotta Give You Money? Yes, Ibotta will give you $10 welcome bonus just by registering with the referral code SBHIWHB and using their app one time. You’re probably wondering why Ibotta is giving away money, right? It’s because they want you to use their product. Giving you a bit of money to get started not only entices you to reach that $20 payout threshold by actually using the app, but it also means that once you do reach it, you probably won’t stop. You’ll see how easy it is to save money with the Ibotta app, and you’ll keep using it. More Apps With Sign Up Bonuses Join Swagbucks for $10 Sign Up BonusJoin Ebates for $10 Sign Up BonusJoin Mr. Rebates for $5 Sign Up Bonus How Does Ibotta Make Money? Don’t worry, there’s no catch. The Ibotta app is completely FREE for you to use. You never have to pay for offers and you never get charged for cash-outs. Ibotta makes money from the retailers themselves. When you purchase something from Amazon but use the Ibotta app first, Amazon does not keep all of the profits. Ibotta gets a small slice of the money because they referred you to the Amazon store. As a way of saying, “thank you” for using their app, Ibotta gives you some of that money back too! So basically, you either: buy something for $20 and it all goes to Amazon, or you buy something for $20, but you and Ibotta each earn some of that money back Either way, you spend $20 on something. Apps like Ibotta are just an easy way to put some of your money back in your pocket. How Do You Get Paid with the Ibotta App? Now that we’ve talked about how you can make money with the Ibotta app, let’s talk about how you can actually get paid. Once you reach the $20 payout minimum, you can request to have your funds transferred to: your PayPal account your Venmo accountredeemed as a gift card There are lots of gift card options, like Amazon, AMC Theatres, American Eagle, Barnes & Noble, Kohls, Nike, Sam’s Club, Southwest Airlines, Sephora, Target, Home Depot, Whole Foods, Panera Bread, and many more. A few gift cards will have a $25 minimum, so keep an eye on there’s a specific gift card you’d like to earn. How Do You Link Ibotta to PayPal? It’s easy to link your PayPal account to your Ibotta account from inside the app. Just follow these steps: Go to your Account on the navigation bar located at the bottom of the screen. From there, you will see how much money you have in your Ibotta account. Tap “Withdraw Cash.” You will be able to choose to withdraw all of it or just a portion. Just type in the amount that you want.Tap on the “Link Account” next to PayPal.You’ll be asked to verify your Ibotta account, so just type in your password. From there you’ll be directed to log into your PayPal account.Once you’ve logged in, you’ll need to approve linking your PayPal to your Ibotta account with the prompt.Once you’ve completed that, go back to the “Withdraw Cash” page and get your money. Just click on “Withdraw Cash”, enter the amount that you want, and tap “Transfer Cash.” Easy-peasy.Your payment can take anywhere from 2-24 hours to arrive. Once the money is in your PayPal account, you can do with it as you please. How Do You Link Ibotta to Venmo? Similarly, you can link your Venmo account to your Ibotta app to get paid that way too. Here’s how: Go to your account at the bottom of the screen.Tap “Withdraw Cash”.Select the Venmo option and enter your name and email address exactly as you have it with Venmo. You might be prompted to enter your Ibotta password as well for verification.Transfer your cash in what ever increment you want. Just like with PayPal, the money can take anywhere from 2-24 hours to show up in your account, but once there you can easily transfer it to your bank account. Ibotta App Review Summary Here’s the recap of using the Ibotta app: Sign up for Ibotta.Get your $10 welcome bonus with the referral code: SBHIWHBFind offers and go shopping (or use a receipt up to 7 days old)Take a picture of your receipt. Earn easy money. Joining Ibotta is quick and using the app is easy. You can start racking up your savings to pay for a date night, new shoes, or even a day at the spa. About the Author I’m a mama that loves wine, coffee, and baby snuggles trying to make it through this crazy adventure called motherhood. I started Mama on Parade in order to help other new moms navigate their own motherhood adventure. Being a mom is hard and there is too much mom-shaming and mom-guilt out there. So if I can help just one woman make her journey easier, then I will call my blog a success. You can follow my motherhood adventure on Pinterest and Facebook! Related Articles: 10 Apps That Have Saved Me Over $1,500100+ Best Frugal Living TipsEbates Review + Free $10 Welcome BonusMr. Rebates vs Ebates - Which is Best?More Ibotta Hacks for Earning with Ibotta How much money have you saved with the Ibotta app?