Everyone likes a deal while shopping. As stated in our article on ‘How to Boost Sales Through Coupon Marketing’, we all like to know we’re getting more bang for our buck. And there’s often a no better way to get that sense of value than by taking advantage of useful coupons! In addition to these up-front deals, however, a lot of shoppers today also take advantage of programs that give them cash and other rewards for shopping.
In this post, we'll examine a few apps that dole out just those sorts of rewards.
1. Earny
While most apps and coupons help you save money at the time of your purchase, Earny helps you after the purchase. The app lets you know when items that you’ve already purchased drop in price. Sometimes, you’re eligible for a refund of the difference you paid! You can also add items to your watchlist so that you’re alerted of price drops as they happen.
It’s a great way to keep an eye on your weekly items and things you regularly buy, which is actually in contrast with coupons. As Business Insider has explained, coupons often drive you to spend more than you otherwise would. Now, it's often on things you want, and you're still getting discounted prices! But an app like Earny is best used to identify opportunities to spend less overall on the things you're going to buy anyway.
2. Fetch
Here we have an app that works almost like a coupon in reverse. Where coupons trigger discounts on purchases, Fetch helps you attain points from purchases (at participating stores) that can help you to save more in the future.
Per an AskMoney review of Fetch, all you have to do is upload photos of your receipts and connect your Amazon account. Fetch then sifts through the receipts, your Amazon shopping history, and even e-receipts from companies such as DoorDash, and gives you points for your purchases. These points can then be redeemed for goodies such as gift cards, cash cards, and other things.
The only string attached is that the receipts must be uploaded within 14 days of purchase.
3. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is quite an interesting app. While there are coupons and discounts made available through it, the app also features a variety of small tasks and surveys that users can undertake in order to get rewards such as gift cards.
The app is typically viewed less as a coupon alternative and more as a means of accumulating what amounts to a trickle of side income. This can be particularly useful for people who work remotely or take part in the "gig" economy.
4. GetUpside
This is a cash-back app that works with stores, restaurants, and –– most importantly –– gas stations. With the rising cost of gas these days (and a CNN report hinting at more price hikes due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict), getting any type of discount or cash-back reward for gas is going to be more meaningful than ever. That said, it's a nice perk even when prices are contained within a more ordinary range as well.
GetUpside is available for both iOS and Android and is notably easy to use.
5. RetailMeNot
This is one of the original apps designed to help shoppers find discounts in stores in their area. It also helps shoppers find personalized discounts based on their shopping habits so that users don’t have to worry about irrelevant sales and products they don’t need.
While the app doesn’t have coupons for every store, it’s still worth a look. If one of your preferred stores happens to be a participant, you could be in for significant savings!
So there you have them! All of these apps hold the potential to help you generate savings in one way or another. And the best part of all is that you can use them while you use coupons for even more savings!
