It goes without saying that Ibotta is one of the most popular rebate apps out there.
In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's one of the best reward apps for earning cash back on groceries and household essentials.
But like any side hustle or money-making app, there are always ways to optimize your routine so you make more money.
That's why this post is covering some of the best Ibotta cheats you can use to earn even more rewards.
I've been using Ibotta for years, on and off, to save more money on everyday shopping. So, you're definitely going to enjoy this list of the best Ibotta hacks.
The Best Ibotta Cheats & Hacks
Before we jump into the best cheats for Ibotta, I want to clarify what I mean by “cheat.”
When I talk about Ibotta cheats, I mean using tricks and in-app features to earn even more rewards. I don't mean using hacks to fraudulently get more cash from Ibotta or to game the system in a way the violates terms of service.
This is the same premise as Fetch Rewards hacks and Shopkick cheats, and it's just a way to earn rewards more quickly.
With that disclaimer out of the way, let's dive into the best hacks for Ibotta you can use to earn get more free money.
1. Link Your Loyalty Cards
One of the best Ibotta cheats is to link various loyalty cards to your Ibotta account.
A lot of people don't know this, but Ibotta actually lets you link your loyalty card to its app so you automatically earn cash back when you complete offers.
This is a huge upgrade for Ibotta because it basically lets you earn passive income when you shop at your favorite stores where you're a loyalty member.
Some popular Ibotta stores that let you link a loyalty card include:
- Food4Less
- Food Lion
- Hannaford
- Kroger
- Meijer
- Wegmans
To link a loyalty card to your Ibotta account, you tap on the “Link Account” button under a retailer's page. From there, you enter your loyalty card information.
This Ibotta cheat definitely saves time and helps you earn rewards faster, so it's a must-use trick if you have one or more loyalty cards.
2. Shop Online With Ibotta
Another awesome hack for Ibotta is to shop online through Ibotta.
It's easy to think of Ibotta as only being useful for in-store grocery shopping. But the fact is this app works online and also has partners in dozens of categories aside from groceries.
In fact, you can get paid to shop at hundreds of retailers through your smartphone and find 500+ exclusive online offers if you shop through your computer.
With over 2,000 online partners, Ibotta is an effective way to shop online and earn cash back.
You should still compare Ibotta versus Rakuten for rewards since Rakutenoften pays a higher cash-back rate and also has a nice $30 sign up bonus.
But if you see an online Ibotta offer you like, definitely take advantage of it!
3. Get The Ibotta Extension
Speaking of shopping online, another useful Ibotta trick is to download its browser extension so you never miss an online deal.
Yes: Ibotta has a money-saving browser extension that lets you enjoy 500+ exclusive rebate offers for grocery delivery and pickup plus cash back from hundreds of other partners.
Again, this is similar to shopping extensions like Capital One Shoppingand Rakuten, so it's nothing super revolutionary.
But all you have to do is download the extension, leave it active, and shop; Ibotta automatically tracks when your purchases qualify for cash back and then pay you.
So, if you're an avid online shopper, it's definitely worth testing out this extension.
That said, Capital One Shoppingis better for automatically applying available coupon codes at checkout. And, as mentioned, Rakuten can pay more.
But if you're an avid Ibotta fan, you should definitely test out its extension to see how much you earn.
Note: Capital One Shopping compensates us when you sign up with the provided links.
4. Use Other Apps Like Ibotta
While this Ibotta cheat might sound surprising, it's always a good idea to try multiple reward apps so you can test which ones pay the most in your market and potentially stack rewards.
And the great news is that there are plenty of apps like Ibotta where you can compare offers and potentially earn more.
Some of the best Ibotta alternatives include:
- Fetch Rewards: A leading grocery rewards app that lets you earn free gift cards.
- Pogo: A newer cash back app that pays you with small amounts of PayPal cash for every transaction.
- Drop: My favorite online shopping app that is great for any non-grocery online shopping.
- NPCMobile: Earn gift cards and other rewards for uploading your shopping receipts. Try the app for Android or iOS!
- Receipt Hog: Another popular receipt scanning app that lets you get free PayPal money and gift cards.
- Checkout 51: A popular Ibotta competitor that pays you for buying sponsored grocery products and gas.
Apps like Ibotta won't make you thousands of dollars overnight, but if you do most of your household's shopping, the rewards can still add up fairly quickly.
I stack several of these reward apps, and a single shopping trip can result in some nice, quick money without much effort as a result.
Extra Reading – The Best Reward Apps Like Fetch Rewards.
5. Use Ibotta Barcode Hacks
One sneaky Ibotta hack is to use its barcode feature before checking out to ensure you're buying the right product.
A lot of users don't know this, but Ibotta lets you scan product barcodes to verify if the product is eligible for a rebate.
So, if you're confused about buying the right size of pasta sauce or brand of laundry detergent, scan the product barcode with Ibotta!
Some Ibotta offers also require scanning barcodes to earn, so overall, it's good to learn how this feature works and to use it as much as possible.
Extra Reading – How To Make Money Scanning Barcodes.
6. Refer Your Friends To Ibotta
Another easy hack for Ibotta is to invite your friends to use the app.
Ibotta regularly pays $5 to $20 or even more in referral bonuses, so if your friends sign up with your referral link and make eligible purchases, you get paid too!
If you tap on “Account” and then “Invite Friends” you can find your unique referral code and then text it to your friends or share it on social media.
Overall, this is an effective way to make quick money, and you also help your friends save!
7. Leverage The Welcome Bonuses
One of the best parts about Ibotta is that it pays up to $20 in sign up bonuses for joining the app. This is actually one of the best sign up bonus apps out there, and it's a great way to kickstart your earnings with this app.
Now, Ibotta changes up the welcome bonus offer all the time, but you can generally earn extra cash for:
- Completing your first purchase
- Completing your first online-purchase through the app
- Downloading the Ibotta extension and completing a purchase
The bottom line is that you should explore the Bonuses page and see what sign-up bonuses there are and complete them to maximize your earnings!
Extra Reading – The Best $10 Sign Up Bonuses.
8. Try Stacking Rewards
I mentioned trying out reward apps like Ibotta to compare cash-back rates. However, you can also try stacking Ibotta rewards with certain other apps and programs.
For example, you can use the Fluz and Slide app to earn additional cash back for completing purchases that qualify for an Ibotta rebate.
Similarly, you can use apps like Shopkick or Premise and earn rewards just for walking into stores or taking photos of store displays.
Finally, even using a cash-back credit card can sometimes work and let you stack rewards with Ibotta.
At the very least, you can try out some other apps like Ibotta or money-saving tricks to see if you can double-dip on rewards to earn even more.
9. Make A Shopping List
While this isn't a direct Ibotta cheat, creating a shopping list before you head to the store is crucial for making more money with Ibotta.
This is because finding Ibotta offers is basically like looking through coupon books and flyers for deals.
So, the more time you put into finding lucrative Ibotta offers and jotting them down, the better.
My advice is to get in the habit of building a weekly shopping list on a set day of the week. When you're making the list, have Ibotta ready and jot down some of the offers you want to buy that week.
Just make sure you're buying products you actually need and aren't buying products just for the sake of earning rebates with Ibotta.
10. Check Ibotta Right Before Shopping
Like the shopping list trick, another easy cheat for Ibotta is to check the app quickly right before shopping.
Sometimes, last minute Ibotta offers that just went live on the app are a goldmine. So, get in the habit of checking the app quickly before your weekend shopping trip!
11. Look For Ibotta Bonuses
Another useful Ibotta cheat is to regularly check the “Bonuses” tab and to complete the offers there to earn even more.
An Ibotta bonus is an additional cash-back reward you get for completing specific offers. You basically get the rebate amount plus an extra cash-back amount with these bonuses.
You can find a list of bonuses under the Bonuses tab, and these offers change regularly, so it's worth keeping an eye on this tab.
Just note that Ibotta bonuses have two types of redemptions:
- Specific Redemption: You have to complete a specific task to earn a bonus, like buying two specific products from a brand to earn a $3 bonus.
- Non-Specific Redemption: Requires completing a number of offers within a certain amount of time, like earning $2 for completing 10 offers within a week.
Again, don't go out of your way to complete Ibotta bonuses if it means you're buying products you don't actually care for.
But if you want to make extra cash with Ibotta, the bonus tab is one of the best tools you have.
12. Look For Deals On Essentials
One final cheat for Ibotta is more of a general savings tip, but it's important.
The idea is to spend most of your time looking for Ibotta rebates on essentials and non-perishable goods.
For example, if you can find Ibotta deals on things like toilet paper, canned food, bathroom products, or basic food ingredients you always use, definitely take advantage of them.
Ibotta is a useful tool to save more money, but it's best used for things you frequently buy and use, not random things you seldom buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Submit A Receipt On Ibotta Twice?
You can't submit a photo of the same receipt on Ibotta twice. Ibotta does this to prevent people from cheating the system by earning multiple rebates on a single purchase.
However, you can try uploading your shopping receipts to other apps likeFetch Rewards, CoinOut, and ReceiptPal to see if you can potentially double-dip.
Extra Reading – Fetch Rewards vs Ibotta – Which App Is Best?
How Do You Get The Most Money On Ibotta?
This list of Ibotta cheats is the best way to make more money with Ibotta. Personally, I think Ibotta bonuses and online shopping are two of the most lucrative features this app has to offer. But how much you earn with Ibotta all comes down to how often you shop and how much effort you put into using the app to find rebates.
Extra Reading – 10+ Best Survey For Gift Card Websites.
Are There Any Ibotta Receipt Cheats?
Some people try to make fake receipts for Ibotta to cheat the system, but this doesn't work. In fact, Ibotta will ban your account if it catches you making fake receipts or exploiting any glitches or hacks in the system.
It might be tempting to try and game the system to earn free rewards. But please trust me, this is a definite way to get banned.
People try this with fake Fetch Rewards receipts as well, and it never works, so don't waste your time with this Ibotta hack.
Final Thoughts
With this list of Ibotta cheat and hacks, you're ready to maximize your PayPal money and gift card rewards from this leading rebate app.
Just remember, Ibotta is just one of many apps you can use to earn rewards for the things you're already doing.
For example, there are apps that pay you to play games, other shopping apps, and even apps that pay you to workout.
I mean, you can even use passive income apps to earn rewards for sharing your information, so there are plenty of ways to make extra cash without much work!
If there's a cheat for Ibotta I missed, definitely let us know down in the comments as well!
Happy shopping!
Looking for even more ways to make extra money? Checkout:
- Drop Invite Code – Get 15,000 Free Drop Points!
- The Best Ways To Make $150 Fast.
