Wondering what the right move is when you’re looking at using Ibotta vs Fetch Rewards?
We hear you, and we’re here to help!
In this article, we will discuss:
- How does Ibotta work?
- How does Fetch Rewards work?
- Ibotta vs Fetch Rewards benefits compared
- Differences between Ibotta and Fetch Rewards
- Is Ibotta or Fetch better?
Yes, both of these money-saving apps are awesome for helping you save money.
Let’s see how to maximize that to its full potential, shall we?
How Does Ibotta Work?
Ibotta works by paying you an Ibotta rebate for rebuying your grocery items that they offer online.
Such as?
Ibotta offers specific products from stores like Publix, Target, Walmart and so much more.
These product rebates range between $0.25-$3 per item in Ibotta dollars to use on Ibotta’s made-to-order rebate store or when cashing out via PayPal or Venmo.
You can also cash out to a bank account if you prefer that.
The best part?
Ibotta features both in-store and online offers.
I really love the Ibotta online offers because I can do it on the go, while I’m at work, waiting in line and so much more.
I also love that they offer cash back rebates for store brand items too.
Take a peek at our review of Ibotta as well for a deeper dive into this great app.
How Does Fetch Rewards Work?
Fetch Rewards allows users to earn points and save money for shopping at any of their national brand partners listed on their website (such as Walgreens, Staples, Petco, Whole Foods, etc.) as well as any in-store retailer that accepts Fetch Rewards.
How does it work?
Fetch works by going through your normal shopping trip routine as you normally would but instead of paying full price you use a manufacturer coupon to save money then you take a picture of your receipt using their app just like Ibotta does (they even have the same “earn cash rebates” message on their home page.)
Once Fetch sees your valid receipt photo, they will transfer the savings over to your account.
And…this is big!
You can then redeem these rewards into a Fetch Rewards account for use at any of their 4,000+ participating retailers!
Fetch Rewards can be redeemed for free gift cards and products found on their website or Ibotta, but they also have a program called Fetch Deals (also online and mobile-friendly) which allows users to get them delivered straight to your door!
You can also cash out via PayPal.
I’ve cashed out several times from Fetch Deals and I’m always amazed at how fast the company gets my money in my bank account!
I mean I shouldn’t be surprised because I know how fast Paypal is, but this just blows me away every time!
I love that I don’t have to wait weeks for an envelope in the mail before getting my check.
Ibotta vs Fetch Rewards Benefits Compared
When comparing Ibotta vs Fetch Rewards, I find I get more Ibotta offers for the things I buy, but Fetch Rewards isn’t as selective when it comes to receipts that you can scan.
I’ve found that Fetch Deals are more limited than Ibotta Offers, although they do have some of the same brands you might use day-to-day (think grocery stores).
My favorite thing about this program?
I get access to awesome coupons/deals on stuff I’d usually buy anyway!
Both apps have a wealth of benefits, although there are a few that really stick out:
- Redemption options
- Minimum cash out balance
- Accessibility
- Rewards expiration
- Optimal usage
Redemption Options
Options for redeeming your rewards with Ibotta include:
- Paypal (1 Ibotta Credit = $0.10)
- Ibotta Voucher for Ibotta Credit ($1 Ibotta Cash Out is worth $0.10 Ibotta Credit)
- Donate to Charity (selected charities include St Jude, American Cancer Society, March of Dimes and Autism Awareness).
You can also use your Ibottas as a form of payment at Groupon! [1]
…As long as you have at least $5 in your account.
If not you must add money through the Visa Gift Card option if available or to the amount that will reach $5 with an eGiftCard.
Here’s a cool idea…
You could even send yourself a gift card in order to make a purchase elsewhere with the funds.
Options for redeeming your rewards with Fetch Rewards include Ibotta, Groupon, IHOP points, Dell eGift cards, and other rewards including Amazon.
You can cash out with gift cards for these retailers along with many others.
Personally, it’s a pretty big deal that Amazon is on there.
How cool is that?!!
You can also use your balance towards sweepstakes entries and charitable donations.
Minimum Cash Out Balance
How much money do you need to cash out?
This is a pretty straightforward comparison, although keep in mind that your optimal cash-out amount should really be based on what you’re trying to do with the money.
As of writing this article, the cash-out minimum for Ibotta is $20 and for Fetch Rewards, it’s $3, which equals 3,000 points.
Just looking to get some extra gas money?
and want to cash out to your PayPal account, that $20 minimum for PayPal is looking pretty good for Ibotta.
However, if you’re aiming to save up some points over time, that’s great to do with Fetch Rewards.
For example, you could save up for a Delta Airlines gift card for an upcoming flight or an Amazon gift card to get something you need/want that’s more of a big purchase.
Accessibility
This category is pretty similar again because their accessibility is close to each other.
Both apps offer iOS and Android mobile apps, which is primarily how they’re typically used by consumers.
There’s more, though.
Ibotta, however, also offers a pretty handy browser extension that helps you find deals when you’re browsing products online.
They get a leg up here for the added option, which can really come in handy when you’re online shopping.
Rewards Expiration
Your rewards through Ibotta don’t truly expire, however, if you don’t have any activity for a period of 6 months, they become subject to account maintenance fees, which will lower your available balance until activity resumes.
And for Fetch Rewards?
Your points expire due to inactivity as well, but with a smaller window of 90 days. [2]
If you’re using these apps infrequently, Ibotta may be a better bet for you.
If you’re using them often, it doesn’t really make much of a difference.
Optimal Usage
This is where Ibotta really shines over every other cash back app I’ve tried and I will say I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to earn money back through Ibotta when I signed up.
As I mentioned above you typically earn 1% cashback or more per purchase, which can really add up fast especially if you make multiple purchases throughout the month with different merchants.
Here’s an important note…
The majority of offers and deals tend to be pretty good ones 🙂
For instance, I recently stocked up on some grass-fed ground beef with a discount of $3 off per package!
Offers like those are what make Ibotta truly great for in-store offers as well as online shopping.
Fetch Rewards does allow you to scan receipts from anywhere, though, not just with their participating brands, so you don’t need to be as selective about your choices when you go that route.
Differences Between Ibotta and Fetch Rewards
While both work great as a grocery rebate app to help you save money, Fetch Rewards and Ibotta are different in many ways as well.
There are a few notable differences:
- Receipt scanning process
- Minimum cash-out or redemption amount
- Overall earning potential
Receipt Scanning Process
To scan a receipt with Ibotta, I simply take a picture of the receipt and I’m done! I can do this from my phone or I can scan it myself, using the Ibotta website.
I’m not required to have any specific size coupons or codes, either.
I just need something on there that I’ve purchased with a store’s partner.
If I don’t have anything on my receipts from one of their partners, I don’t earn cash back for those purchases.
Also…
You can link your loyalty cards to avoid scanning receipts altogether, or connect Ibotta with a cash-back shopping site, like Ebates.
I personally love the ability to link my loyalty accounts and save time on even having to scan receipts at all pretty much (but I still get to earn points for less effort). [3]
And for Fetch Rewards?
You use your device to scan a QR code on the receipt.
Still pretty simple!
You cannot link your accounts through the app, although scanning the receipts is pretty quick & painless, so it’s not really a bother.
Both of these apps are great if you want to earn a few extra bucks here and there by scanning your receipts and it certainly beats just throwing all those receipts away!
Minimum Cash-Out Amount
As we mentioned above, the cash-out amounts for Fetch Rewards and Ibotta are both pretty low, but it’s much higher for Ibotta.
Their minimum is $20 while the minimum with the Fetch Rewards app is only $3.
That being said, those free gift cards are built for saving up your bonus points to be able to earn rewards on something big, like a flight or a large Amazon purchase.
Overall Earning Potential
Ibotta comes before Fetch Rewards in some ways. For example, if you are shopping at a store and have linked your loyalty accounts to the Ibotta app, you can earn rewards without scanning any receipts.
Is Ibotta or Fetch Better?
That’s a tough one.
The best cashback app for you really depends on your particular needs, and remember you can use a combination of the Ibotta app and the Fetch Rewards app too.
You don’t really need to choose between Fetch Rewards and Ibotta.
Both are great with these features:
- High earning potential
- Wide variety of options
- Free & user-friendly
- Referral programs & bonuses
High Earning Potential
Especially if you combine these cashback apps together, you can really maximize your ability to earn rewards including both cash and those free gift cards we talked about.
A good strategy to earn points (and earn cash)?
Scan your store receipt from every shopping trip into both apps!
It would still be a good idea to link your store loyalty cards to Ibotta to make this process as quick as possible (you wouldn’t have to scan those shopping receipts).
Fetch Rewards and Ibotta will both let you earn rewards at the same time.
You can cash in on those specific in-store purchases through your Ibotta account as well as rack up Fetch Rewards from uploading every receipt you have from various grocery stores, convenience stores, and even online purchases until you’ve got enough to redeem gift cards for whatever you want or need at the time.
Wide Variety of Options
Since both Fetch Rewards and Ibotta give you multiple options for redeeming your bonus points, you have a wide variety of options at your disposal.
Let’s take a look!
The redemption options Ibotta gives you include the option to earn cash such as depositing as PayPal cash or even doing bank deposits as well as gift cards for popular retailers.
A Fetch Rewards review shows that, unlike Ibotta, you cannot cash out with actual extra cash, but you can redeem your Fetch Rewards for gift cards as well as charitable donations and even sweepstakes entries.
Free & User-Friendly
One of the biggest factors here is that both Fetch Rewards and Ibotta are free.
Free is good 🙂
The only investment you’ll ever make is the minimal amount of time it takes to upload receipts and choose what to do when you earn cash back and want to use your Ibotta/Fetch Rewards balances.
Both Ibotta/Fetch Rewards apps are incredibly user-friendly as well, with scanning receipts and purchasing gift cards even at a low learning curve.
Earning rewards with these apps is literally as easy as it’s ever been.
Referral Programs & Bonuses
Trying to maximize the potential of the best cashback apps?
Referring friends is a good way to earn cash beyond just logging those everyday purchases.
You can earn points for every referral you make.
This cash back can combine with your cash back earned from scanning receipts and such, increasing your overall balance and helping you cash out or earn gift cards even faster.
Both programs most often offer welcome bonuses during that first sign-up process, so if you’d like to learn more about that be sure to check out our deep dive on their referral program for more about the Ibotta sign-up bonus.
Ibotta vs Fetch Rewards FAQs
Does Ibotta really give you money?
Yes, Ibotta really does allow you to earn rewards that you can turn into money through simply scanning your grocery receipts and shopping online. Your grocery store receipts and those from convenience stores and online purchases are no longer a waste! You could be earning cash for your everyday purchases by using both Ibotta and Fetch Rewards offers.
How do Ibotta and Fetch Rewards make money?
Ibotta and Fetch Rewards make money by charging their advertisers fees for running ads on their mobile apps and websites. Fetch Rewards will pay you Ibotta and Ibotta will pay you Fetch Rewards whenever Ibotta runs an ad on Ibotta’s app or website, which is why both Ibotta and Fetch Rewards work so well together.
Can I use both apps for the same receipt?
Absolutely! You can use as many cashback apps as you want (although this may take away time that could be spent earning more money through one of the apps). It doesn’t matter if it is a shopping app like Ibotta or a cashback app like the Fetch Rewards app; you’re welcome to use both for the same grocery receipt to double up on earning rewards for those shopping habits of yours.
What about Rakuten?
Rakuten is another great cash back app with loads of options! And you can definitely use it alongside other apps just like the 2 mentioned here. Take a peek at our Ibotta vs Rakuten comparison for more info.
