Ibotta Review: How Ibotta works |
This is how Ibotta works for me. Everyone has their own technique but it boils down to 4 steps.
The claim: Earning real cash with Ibotta is easy! Let Ibotta reviews see about that! |
Ibotta Reviews: How Ibotta works
First, before shopping, unlock the rebates related to items you want to buy at your preferred retailer on the mobile shopping app. There are over 300 participating nationwide chain retailers so chances are where you already shop is among them. Usually learning a quick fact or watching a very short advertisement is all it takes to unlock the rebate.
Second, take a picture of the item bar code. This ensures your unlocked rebate matches the item you purchased as some rebates do have exclusions.
Third, submit your receipt to Ibotta by taking a quick picture and tapping a button! Ibotta will verify the receipt within 24 hours and the rebate is added to your account within 48 hours. If you shop at an Ibotta preferred partner then you don't have to submit the receipt.
Finally, now that you've earned your cash (and when you reach the payout minimum of $20) all you have to do is get the cash! Linking or creating your PayPal or Venmo account is all it takes to transfer the money to you. Otherwise, you're free to withdraw your earned money in the form of gift cards from iTunes, Amazon, Walmart, Starbucks, Best Buy and more. The minimum payout for gift cards ranges from $20 to $25 depending upon the retailer. Cash or gift cards. It's all up to you!
Those are the four steps, in a nutshell. If you'd like specifics about my experiences at each step then keep reading...
Step one: unlocking the rebate. The variations are plentiful at this stage. If you're used to grocery shopping with a list you'll have no problem. I don't typically shop with lists though. I just know what I'm going after and that's it - I go get it. So, if I'm going after milk, soda, lettuce and tomatoes I'll check the app to see if those items are available at my preferred store beforehand. I just type in the name of what I'm going after and see what pops up vs scrolling through the hundreds of items - most of which I'll never get. Sure I could do it in the store but it spares me fumbling around with my phone when I'm just trying to get in and out! Most often the rebates are available however there have been instances when I expect those staples to be there and for whatever reason they are not.
Step two: matching the unlocked rebate with the purchased item. Be particularly careful that the rebate you're unlocking is associated to the store you're going to be shopping at. Once, I was especially excited to benefit from a 1.25 rebate on a food item only to discover that I purchased it at the wrong store! It turned out that it an exclusive for a particular store but most items do seem to be available for rebate at more than one retailer. My oversight cost me that time.
Step three: I've never had an issue with taking a picture of my receipt within the Ibotta app so it can be verified. Even with long receipts the app does all the work in merging the images for submission. Even easier was a QR code that you could scan at the bottom of a receipt and the process was done!
If you're fortunate enough to shop at one of the Ibotta preferred partner stores then you can link your loyalty card to the Ibotta account and skip the receipt upload step altogether. None of the stores I frequent are preferred partners (yet) but new partners come on board all the time as word about Ibotta spreads.
Step four: This is the best part! Watching your account grow as you accumulate those cash rebates!
I use Paypal to cash out my earnings and can verify that the process is seamless. However, if you prefer gift cards there are many to choose from. As of December 2015 the minimum payout for Paypal or Venmo transfers is $20 and is variable depending on which gift card you choose. Apparently, Ibotta has raised the minimum payout level a couple times so if this changes again I will try and keep this updated.
Second, take a picture of the item bar code. This ensures your unlocked rebate matches the item you purchased as some rebates do have exclusions.
Third, submit your receipt to Ibotta by taking a quick picture and tapping a button! Ibotta will verify the receipt within 24 hours and the rebate is added to your account within 48 hours. If you shop at an Ibotta preferred partner then you don't have to submit the receipt.
Finally, now that you've earned your cash (and when you reach the payout minimum of $20) all you have to do is get the cash! Linking or creating your PayPal or Venmo account is all it takes to transfer the money to you. Otherwise, you're free to withdraw your earned money in the form of gift cards from iTunes, Amazon, Walmart, Starbucks, Best Buy and more. The minimum payout for gift cards ranges from $20 to $25 depending upon the retailer. Cash or gift cards. It's all up to you!
Those are the four steps, in a nutshell. If you'd like specifics about my experiences at each step then keep reading...
Step one: unlocking the rebate. The variations are plentiful at this stage. If you're used to grocery shopping with a list you'll have no problem. I don't typically shop with lists though. I just know what I'm going after and that's it - I go get it. So, if I'm going after milk, soda, lettuce and tomatoes I'll check the app to see if those items are available at my preferred store beforehand. I just type in the name of what I'm going after and see what pops up vs scrolling through the hundreds of items - most of which I'll never get. Sure I could do it in the store but it spares me fumbling around with my phone when I'm just trying to get in and out! Most often the rebates are available however there have been instances when I expect those staples to be there and for whatever reason they are not.
Step two: matching the unlocked rebate with the purchased item. Be particularly careful that the rebate you're unlocking is associated to the store you're going to be shopping at. Once, I was especially excited to benefit from a 1.25 rebate on a food item only to discover that I purchased it at the wrong store! It turned out that it an exclusive for a particular store but most items do seem to be available for rebate at more than one retailer. My oversight cost me that time.
Step three: I've never had an issue with taking a picture of my receipt within the Ibotta app so it can be verified. Even with long receipts the app does all the work in merging the images for submission. Even easier was a QR code that you could scan at the bottom of a receipt and the process was done!
If you're fortunate enough to shop at one of the Ibotta preferred partner stores then you can link your loyalty card to the Ibotta account and skip the receipt upload step altogether. None of the stores I frequent are preferred partners (yet) but new partners come on board all the time as word about Ibotta spreads.
Step four: This is the best part! Watching your account grow as you accumulate those cash rebates!
I use Paypal to cash out my earnings and can verify that the process is seamless. However, if you prefer gift cards there are many to choose from. As of December 2015 the minimum payout for Paypal or Venmo transfers is $20 and is variable depending on which gift card you choose. Apparently, Ibotta has raised the minimum payout level a couple times so if this changes again I will try and keep this updated.