This post contains affiliate links.
Money isn’t free. Or is it?
There are so many apps out there that will give you money back just for using them, no strings attached. You do not have to put a deposit down first to then get money back. You do not have to pay for any of their services. There are no hidden fees. You don’t have to give up your social security number or any other private piece of information — they really are free! How do I know this? Because I use all of them.
A few of them give you cash back from retailers while shopping. This means that while you are doing holiday shopping, birthday shopping, booking a vacation, etc., you may be spending a lot, but you can also get a lot back.
I also want it known that none of the above have contacted us to share this post. We just want you to maximize the most of your online shopping… and walking!
7 Easy Ways To Make More Money
TopCashback
TopCashback is a money saving website that helps you save money on everyday online purchases. TopCashback partners with over 4,000 retailers and gives 100% of the cash back commission to it’s members.TopCashback’s mission is to help people save money in their everyday lives. They have been helping their members do exactly that since 2005.
Since then they have taken their company global to help people from all over the world save money. What started as a company run from home has turned into a company with offices in the UK, US, and China serving over 15 million members.
Having over 4,500 retailers on their site, TopCashback truly does help their members save on their everyday life purchases, and then some.
On TopCashback.com you’ll find retailers like Walmart, Sephora, Bed Bath & Beyond, Michaels, Best Buy, Home Depot, and even travel companies like Priceline and Hotels.com. Whatever you are shopping for, odds are TopCashback can help you get cash back on your purchase. There may be other cash back companies out there, but TopCashback offers 100% of commission back to their members. This helps them consistently feature higher rates than the competitors. Their cashback offers are unmatched!
Click here to get a $10 bonus when you earn your first $10 cash back!
Rakuten
This is formerly Ebates and the one that I have been using the longest. Since I signed up in 2015, I have gotten over $800 back, an average of about $200 back a year. Considering I did most of my shopping in person in the past and not online, this is not too shabby. Since then, Rakuten has introduced a shopping in store incentive where you can link offers to your credit card. This means that as long as the offer is linked to the credit card you are using to pay in store, the cash back will be given to you automatically.
Rakuten sends you checks four times a year for the amount of cash back you received while shopping during that specific quarter. It is important to note that if you are shopping online, in order to get the cash back incentive, you need to activate Rakuten before shopping. You can do this by going through the Rakuten website or by installing the app into your browser if you use Google Chrome. If you choose to install the app into your bookmarks bar, it makes it super easy to remember to use as if you are shopping online at a store that has cash back by popping up and flashing in red, to remind you to activate it. If you are shopping in store, remember to have offers linked to your credit card you are using. You can also download the Rakuten app to your phone and have it set to notify you if you are near a store that has an offer.
Another perk? If you are shopping online, it will check to see if there are any promo codes you can use. To sign up for Rakuten, click here.
Honey
Honey is similar to Rakuten in the sense that you activate it while shopping. However, you cannot use Honey and Rakuten at the same time. Honey checks all promo codes available to the store that others have used to see if they will work for you as well.
In addition to checking promo codes to make sure that you have the lowest possible price, if Honey is activated at a store that participates, you can “unlock gold” while shopping. This gold can accumulate and you can use it to buy gift cards. To sign up for Honey, click here.
Dosh
All you need to do is download the Dosh app, add your credit cards that you use, and start shopping as you normally would. That’s it! No linking offers, no adding them to your card – nothing. As long as your credit card is added in the app, you automatically get whatever cash back offer they have going on at a participating store.
The only thing you need to get for is that sometimes Dosh will have the physical store as one of their participants but not the online store. They recently added Uber as one of their participating stores – so be sure that whatever credit card you have linked in your Uber account is also in Dosh! To sign up for Dosh, click here.
Groupon+
Do you already use and love Groupon? Have you heard of Groupon+? If not, you need to, especially if you enjoy eating out. Groupon+ partners with restaurants to give you cash back while dining out. In order to take advantage of this offer, you need to make sure that your credit card is linked in Groupon+ and that you have linked the offer to the restaurant. There is no limit to the amount of offers you can claim, so add as many as you’d like, this way if you happen to end up at a nearby restaurant that participates, you are all set. To sign up for Groupon+ and to see the participating restaurants near you, click here.
Extra tip: Groupon+ is also on Rakuten which means you get extra cash back when making a purchase!
Swagbucks
Do you enjoy taking surveys? Swagbucks will reward you for taking surveys. You can accumulate “swagbucks” that you can then cash out for gift cards to some of your favorite stores like Amazon, Macy’s, Target and more. Survey’s aren’t the only way in which you can earn swagbucks though — every day they release a swag code on social media that you can redeem for a couple of swagbucks. There are also videos you can watch and games you can play.
Like Rakuten and Honey, there is a shopping component as well. You can shop at a participating online retailer by visiting that store’s website through the Swagbucks website. This will give you the chance to rack up “swagbucks” rather than getting the cash back. It is worth it to see which offers you the biggest cash back. To sign up for Swagbucks, click here.
Sweatcoin
This one is not a cash back while you shop option. Do you walk a lot? This app will literally pay you for walking. It converts the amount of steps you take each day into “sweatcoins” that you can accumulate and then use to purchase goods, services, and experiences.
These things can include an audible subscription, donating your money to charity, etc. If you were to choose to cash out for an experience, there are some strings attached, as they will ask you to film the experience. But hey, if you are getting a free dinner at the Eiffel Tower, it’s worth the filming.
Offers you can cash out for do vary day by day so always be on the lookout. For instance, when I log in while writing this, for less that 5 sweatcoins, I could cash out for a $10 tea gift card from Sips by Tea. As of right now, the app only counts steps that are taken outside. Be sure to have your phone on you anytime you are walking outside so be sure to rack up the $$! To sign up for Sweatcoin, click here.
These six apps are just some easy ways to make some money with things you’re already doing! You might as well make a little something extra on things that you can!
Related: The Ultimate Guide To Making More Money
About the Author
Michelle graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelors of Arts '13 and a Master of Arts '14. She's currently working in corporate America with a side of freelance writing. She wants you to learn from her experiences and mistakes so your 20s can be your best decade. When she's not working, she's likely planning her escape to a tropical island.