Ibotta Review: Is It Actually Worth It? (FREE $20 Sign Up Bonus)

We love Ibotta because it is super easy to use and allows for multiple ways to save money.

In 2019, Ibotta reported they had given users over $500 million in cash rebates and goodies!

If you are like me and do the majority of the shopping for your household, you are going to want to download Ibotta before your next shopping trip. 

It’s the perfect way to earn money on what you already need and want!

You can get coupons and cash rebates on store and name brand items, even organic produce and specialty snacks- whatever your heart desires, may as well try to save on your shopping.

Ibotta is offering a HUGE $10 cash-back bonus for new users, so take advantage!

You can get cash back rebates from the app through your PayPal account or snag a gift card to your favorite restaurant, so what do you have to lose?

We’ve used the app with our groceries and clothes shopping, and every few weeks we earn over $20 in cash rebates.

After reading this Ibotta app review, you’ll learn how to use Ibotta and I’m convinced you’ll want to sign up. 

Our In-Depth Ibotta Review

 If you’re reading this article, you probably have already heard of what Ibotta is, but if not, no worries. This Ibotta review will take you from not knowing how Ibotta works to understanding how to implement it in your daily life. 

What is Ibotta?

The FREE app that rewards you for shopping for brands you already purchase.

One way Ibotta separates itself from other money-saving apps and competitors is that they let you earn cash back in quick rebates on what you buy.

There is no point system for rewards where you are waiting for your points to add up so you can claim your reward.

If you’re a savvy shopper like I am, you go where the best deals are! Well, Ibotta can help by providing you with an updated list of the best deals around.

In our household, normally off-brand products are the savvy way to go.

However, Ibotta provides us with cash back on name-brand products that make them the same price as off-brand products.

Plus, we’re still earning cash rebates on any type of brand item. The app has a variety of organic brands, national brands, and store brands to pick from.

Done are the days of clipping out coupons! Those “coupons” are now available through the app with no cutting or storing of the coupon.

The Ibotta app is seriously gold when it comes to saving money. If you save $0.50 on that gallon of milk every week, that’s still $26 in rebates- and that’s on only one item per year! 

Imagine how much more you can get in rebates on those groceries you need every week.

They also have team rebates where you work together to earn cash back with a little extra on the side for incentives. For example, let’s say you’re on a team.

If your team earns $10 in a month, and you earned $5, Ibotta will give you a bonus of $2! The more your team works together to earn in rebates, the more you are going to earn through the bonus tiers.

Join the Savvy Spenders Team to start earning some serious cash back!

How Does Ibotta Work?

Signing up for Ibotta is super simple:

1. Open the Ibotta app
2. Click the plus sign on the products you plan on purchasing from the store
3. Buy the products at the participating store
4. Make sure you keep your printed store receipt and upload it to the app

Ibotta will take care of the rest! They will match what you have purchased to the receipt you have uploaded and boom! In less than 48 hours you will have the money in your account.

Seriously….it’s that simple!

When your account reaches $20, you will be able to withdraw your money. If you open an Ibotta account using our exclusive link, then you will already be halfway thanks to our $10 sign-up bonus.

Getting your money has never been more simple. If you use companies like PayPal or Venmo, you can just link your already existing accounts and have your rebates transferred over easy peasey.

This is my preferred method because you get cash back within 24 hours.

If you do not have either of those services, you can get your money transferred into gift cards.

You can get a gift card for some of my favorite places like Target, Whole Foods, Walmart, iTunes, and Sephora.

How to Earn With Ibotta

Uploading your store receipt is not the only way gotta will help you earn cash back and savings.

There are two more ways this Ibotta app review will clue you into:

• Loyalty Account Cards
• Mobile Shopping

I have a loyalty account cards at all the places I shop at, it just makes sense to double up on my savings wherever possible. By linking your loyalty card to one of the matching stores on Ibotta, you will earn even more.

You use the same process mentioned above.

However, at the end, when you go to finish your purchase, you’ll be prompted to add your card by scanning it or adding the phone number linked to the account.

The last way to earn is one of my favorites because we’re big fans of shopping online.

Ibotta partners with tons of retailers from grocery and convenience stores to movie theaters and pharmacies.

Not only that but they also partner with mobile apps including Amazon, Groupon, Hotels.com, and more to offer cash back on your entire order!

Simply find the app you want to use in the “Mobile Shopping” section and select “Shop.” Then, you’ll make a purchase like normal.

Ibotta will notify you of your pending rebate credit. This easy way to save on mobile purchases is a real game-changer!

Ibotta Pros and Cons for Moms

You’re probably wondering if Ibotta is the right fit for you, so I wanted to dedicate an entire section to you! As a new mom myself, Ibotta has been amazing, but I also want to discuss some of the negatives. 

Ibotta Pros

Here are some of the pros I’ve noticed:

• You get an immediate sign-up bonus because Ibotta is so confident you’ll enjoy the app
• Ibotta allows you to submit multiple coupons at once where a supermarket may not
• You can get rebates on the more expensive items, like organic food and other healthy treats
• It’s a very passive way for earning cash back
• You can even get rebates on alcohol (but don’t use it around the kids)
• There are hundreds of retailers on Ibotta 
• Ibotta is easy to integrate into your daily life

Ibotta Cons

Here are some of the cons I’ve noticed: 

• Ibotta doesn’t always read the receipts properly
• The product details aren’t as clear as they could be
• You don’t get your cash back on shopping if you don’t actually have the receipts

Here’s a quick Ibotta hack to fix #1: if you put an arrow next to an item that’s eligible to get the rebate, it helps the processing program pick up the item better, which means you get some money back.

Ibotta Referral Code

Sign up using this link and use the Ibotta referral code (VKOVMQV) to get your free $20 welcome bonus.

It’s seriously such a savvy deal. You literally just have to buy your usual groceries or do a bit of online shopping on Amazon. Then use the Ibotta app and immediately start watching my cashback start adding up. 

It’s that easy to claim your Ibotta referral code. Free cash in hand for savvy shopping! 

Ibotta FAQs

I’m sure you have questions and I’d be surprised if you didn’t. 

Hopefully, I can answer all of them, but if not, leave them in the comments below. 

How Much Time Does Ibotta Take?

Not long at all!

In fact, only a few minutes. 

How Does Ibotta Make Money?

For Ibotta to make money, they include advertisements and videos in between you uploading different items to get the rebates.

Each video is about 15 to 20 seconds, but the whole process for about 15 items shouldn’t take you more than 5 minutes.

They also get paid by the companies for referring you to use the app. 

But, more important than those two ways is realizing that none of those ways above impact your ability to earn money with Ibotta.

How Much Will I Save?

In a week, you can expect to save about $5 to $10. 

While that doesn’t seem like that much, remember that you can also combine it with your couponing efforts to maximize your savings. This is an easy way to save money every week. 

Not to mention, if you use consistently use Ibotta, it certainly adds up. If you earn back the savings above, you could get rebates for upwards of $260 to $520!

That’s a whole lot more than you had before with only a few minutes of extra work. 

Psst…

That’s not it!

If you pay for your grocery items with a cash-back credit card, you’re saving money on top of your savings. Talk about a win-win situation. 

You can also combine Ibotta with several of our other 100+ ways to save money to really maximize your savings. 

How do I use Ibotta?

I mentioned the process earlier, but it’s so simple that I’ll repeat it:

1. Sign up here for your FREE $10 sign up bonus
2. Open the Ibotta app
3. Click that plus sign for the products you plan on purchasing from the store
4. Buy the products at the participating store
5. Make sure you keep your printed store receipt and upload it to the app

When you save money, you can work more healthy foods into your grocery budget. 

Ibotta vs. Rakuten: Which is Better?

Both are great cash back apps!

In fact, we have a whole Rakuten review you can read to get the full scoop.

Basically, Ibotta is focused on grocery shopping while Rakuten is focused on retail outlets and clothing shopping.

But, just because Ibotta started out in the grocery industry doesn’t mean they’re limited to it. They’re constantly adding new partners such as Groupon and hotel companies.

We honestly recommend using both, and Rakuten has a signup bonus for a free Walmart gift card or bonus money on your Rakuten account.

Both can be integrated into your daily shopping life and both are money-making apps for the go.   

How do I get Paid?

Ibotta will pay you once you reach the $20 threshold. That should be within a month if you use it every week. 

But, if you sign up for Ibottawith our special deal, you’ll instantly get $10 toward that threshold. 

Once you get there, they will pay you by PayPal or Venmo (and you probably already have one or both of those). All you have to do is link up your account and the payment can be sent your way. 

I typically get mine in about 24 hours, which is a great turnaround for cash-back companies. 

If you do not have either of those services, you can get your money transferred into gift cards.

Some of my favorite places like Target, Walmart, iTunes, and Sephora have gift cards available.

What is Pay with Ibotta?

Pay with Ibotta is a new feature that allows you to earn cash back in real-time. Simply connect your debit or credit card and shop from one of the 50+ partners to earn rewards instantly.

Is Pay with Ibotta Safe?

Yes, it is safe!

We wouldn’t use it either if it wasn’t, and it has this Savvy Mom’s seal of approval!

Your financial information is secured using 256-bit bank-level encryption. Earn cash back instantly while safely making purchases and keeping your privacy every step of the way. 

Is Ibotta Only for Grocery Stores?

Nope! You can do a lot more than just grocery stores, which is awesome!

While that’s how they started, they do more than just supermarkets now. 

You can earn extra cash back on companies like Groupon, hotels, and even liquor brands. They’re constantly adding new partners, so make sure you sign up to find out about the latest additions. 

Is Ibotta Legit?

It’s common for people to ask “Is Ibotta safe to use” or “Will I really get paid” – and the answer is absolutely! If you read ours or any of the other Ibotta reviews online, you will see very quickly that this is not a scam.

I use it all the time to save money on groceries. I would never recommend anything unsafe. 

Aside from an occasional instance of being locked out of your Ibotta account, most people (including me) enjoy the app and consider it to be a legitimate way to make money online. 

Are There Dangers of Ibotta?

Nope, not really. 

You may be tempted by all the coupons and deals you see, so the only danger is controlling yourself. 

Just because you can get cash back on an item doesn’t mean that you have to purchase it. 

Stick to your grocery budget and if you don’t have one, we can show you how to budget. 

Is Ibotta User-Friendly?

Yes, I certainly think so. 

I’m not always the most technologically adept, but I think it’s super easy to use the platform. In fact, it’s one of the better-designed cash-back apps out there. 

Using Ibotta on the go is very simple and you won’t have to fret about searching your wallet for all your coupons. 

How do I Sign up for Ibotta?

Simply click this link, you’ll be directed to a page that should look like the following. 

 

Once you fill out this page, you’ll be good to go!

Make sure you download the Ibotta app on your mobile device to use in the supermarket or store. 

Do you Have an Ibotta Referral/Promo Code?

Yes, we do!

Glad you asked. You can sign up for Ibotta and earn $10 cash back immediately. 

It’s a great way to get started!

Refer Friends Too!

Not only can you do that, but you can actually make extra money doing so! 

For every 5 friends, you can get to sign up for your team, you’ll get $25. This is perfect for your whole family to partake in, or you can even start a team for your friends. 

You can also receive a teamwork bonus if you save enough. 

Our Final Thoughts on Ibotta

There are many cash-back apps out there but we have found Ibotta is the most versatile. Its user interface and simplicity make earning cash back easier than it’s ever been.

If you have not downloaded the Ibotta app yet, what you are waiting for!?

Use the Ibotta app is great for quick cash back on purchases you are making already. Connect with other Ibotta users and join their team to earn even more. There is nothing like saving money with your friends and family!

In just a day, you can have more money in your bank account just for shopping online like usual. 

Did I convince you? 

Sign up for Ibotta today and let me know how much you like it! I also want to hear how much money you’ve saved on groceries through using it.