8 Best Cashback Apps in 2025: Which Should You Trust?

If you’re looking for ways to diversify your income in 2025, consider adding some passive income opportunities, such as cashback apps. While you have to shop to earn cashback with these apps, chances are you shop often anyway, so why not make money doing what you’re already doing?

Here are the top 8 cashback apps in 2025 and how they can help you earn a passive income.

What are Cashback Apps?

Cashback apps pay you to shop. It sounds crazy, right? But it’s true, you can make money when you shop if you use the right cashback apps.

Each app offers something different. Some reward you in points and others directly in cash. Some sites even offer other ways to make a little side money in addition to shopping.

How do Cashback Apps Work?

Each cashback app works differently. Before you choose the app that’s right for you, see how they work. What type of shopping must you do to get rewarded? Some apps pay you for in-store shopping while others strictly operate online.

Also, pay attention to the cash-out threshold. Some apps let you cash out at any time while others make you wait until you have at least $25 accrued.

Either way, you’ll earn either points or cash that you can redeem via PayPal, Venmo, or direct deposit. Some apps also let you convert your points or money into gift cards to your favorite stores.

The Top 8 Cashback Apps

Before you choose the right cash back app for you, learn about the top 8 cashback apps that offer the highest payouts, have the largest variety, and are the easiest to use.

1. Ibotta

Ibotta is one of the most well-known cashback apps. It started as an app that paid you to grocery shop. To use it, you would activate the offers you wanted, buy the items in-store, and upload your receipt when you were done.

This is still a great way to earn money using Ibotta, but you can also make money by linking your store loyalty cards to your Ibotta app. Every time you shop at these stores, Ibotta will track your purchases and reward you for any eligible purchases. Now you can also shop online using Ibotta. To get credit for your purchases, you must shop at your favorite retailers through the Ibotta app.

Also, with the Ibotta referral program, you get the chance to earn $30 free cash on top of your spending cashbacks. Get your Ibotta referral code from this Ibotta referral article and follow the steps to redeem your bonuses successfully.

Ibotta Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
You can cash out when you accumulate $20 You can upload receipts or shop online through the Ibotta app You can earn referral bonuses by referring friends and family to Ibotta	The offers are only available at specific stores (you can buy the right product but at the wrong store) Uploading receipts is an extra step that many people forget

2. Rakuten

Rakuten is a cashback app that rewards you for shopping online, similar to Ibotta, but with more offers. Rakuten mostly operates online, and you must shop through your Rakuten app to get credit for your purchases, although some stores offer in-store deals too. Rakuten works at all your favorite stores including Kohl’s, Target, Ulta, Lululemon, Lowe’s, Nike, and Macy just to name a few.

Grab the opportunity to also earn a $30 sign-up bonus and $30 for every referral to Rakuten. Read more information in our Rakuten referral article. 

Rakuten Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

User-friendly – Rakuten makes it easy to earn cash back. If you can log into their website or app, you can earn money back. If you don’t want the hassle of logging in every time, download the browser extension for an even easier option. Earn cash back – Who doesn’t love to earn money back for shopping? It’s like coupons but better. You can watch your cash accumulate and get a check or cash in your PayPal account. It’s free – You don’t have to pay a dime to use Rakuten and you don’t have to link your credit card for future fees. It’s always free. Earn money through referrals – Just by using a Rakuten referral code, you can make money when your friends sign up under your name. It’s $5, but there’s no limit to how many people you can refer.

Slow payments – Rakuten only pays out quarterly. They total up your cash accumulation for first quarter and mail out checks by the 15th of the following month. Some products excluded – Always read the fine print on a Rakuten offer as many offers exclude certain product types and purchases. You can’t cancel orders – Once you place an order through Rakuten, you can’t change or cancel it. You can return the item (and forfeit your cash back), but you must go through the hassle of returning it.

3. Dosh

Dosh is another popular cashback app; however, it works differently. You don’t have to activate any offers or clip coupons. You download the Dosh app, link your debit or credit card to it, and automatically earn cash back every time you shop at eligible stores.

Dosh pays you cash back for store purchases, eating at restaurants, or even booking a hotel stay, but it must be through the Dosh app. Dosh works at all your favorite retailers (Target, Walmart, Home Depot, eBay, and even Door Dash. You can cash out when you make $25, and they offer several ways to receive your funds. Check out this Dosh referral article for more information.

Dosh Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

It’s easy to earn cashback – You don’t have to take the time to activate offers or upload receipts. As long as you use your linked credit or debit card, you’ll get credit for your purchase. You can earn money by referring friends and family – Dosh pays you to refer friends and family when they set up their accounts and link their credit cards. It’s another way to have your earnings add up in Dosh. You can earn a high percentage of your earnings – Dosh partners pay a decent percentage back when you shop through Dosh. You can earn up to 10% on retail and restaurant purchases and up to 40% on hotel stays.

You have to link your credit card – Not everyone is willing to link their credit card to an app, even if it will pay them cashback. You can’t pay with cash – You don’t get credit for your purchases if you pay with cash or even if you use a different credit card. If you have a specific credit card you use for certain purchases, you won’t get credit for them unless it’s linked to Dosh.

4. Fetch

Fetch works differently than most cash-back apps. With Fetch, you don’t have to activate offers or shop at certain stores. Instead, you upload your receipts any time you shop or eat out, and Fetch will reward you. Some stores pay much more than others, with the minimum payout usually 5 points for an uploaded receipt.

You can convert your points to gift cards or cash, but you must have 3,000 points to cash out, which equals $3. Here’s our Fetch Rewards referral guide for reference.

Fetch Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
You can shop almost anywhere and earn at least a few points per receipt Fetch offers bonus offers at certain stores or for buying certain products The payout minimum is low, so you can cash out at any time	It takes a while to earn much more than $5 - $10 There’s no rhyme or reason to how much you earn

5. Honey

Honey is a cashback app and browser – you can use it one way or both. Honey is like the personal shopping assistant you never knew you needed. When you shop and activate Honey, it will scour thousands of coupon codes and promos to make sure you get the best deal.

Not only that, but if you provide your email address and become a Honey Gold member, you can earn cash back on purchases at certain stores. You don’t have to shop through the app either, which makes it even easier.

Honey Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
You can save money with coupons and earn Honey Rewards, converting them to gift cards or cash You can save your favorite items on a ‘wish list’ and be notified when the price drops You can use Honey on your phone or computer	You don’t earn Honey Gold rewards on every purchase, only some so it can take a while to have enough for a reward You must have 1,000 Honey Gold points before you can cash out, which equals $10

6. RebatesMe

RebatesMe is a cashback app that pays you for shopping through the app at your favorite stores. To date, RebatesMe works with 4,000+ stores so it’s easy to earn cash back on your purchases. RebatesMe allows you to cash out when you have just $10.

If you haven’t signed up for RebatesMe yet, you may use our exclusive RebatesMe referral code to get a $30 RebatesMe referral bonus. Here’s our RebatesMe referral article to help you with that.

RebatesMe Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
You can earn a bonus just for signing up and earning $10 cashback in one year You can earn more money if you refer friends and family to RebatesMe Works with thousands of stores	You must activate the offers before you shop, or you won’t earn cashback If you have something in your cart before shopping through RebatesMe, you won’t earn cashback

7. Shopkick

Most of the apps above help you earn cashback when you make a purchase. Shopkick is different, though. You don’t have to buy anything to earn points. All you have to do is walk into the stores on the app and scan specific products and you’ll earn points.

You can increase your earnings by buying the products you’re asked to scan. If you do buy them, you upload your receipt and earn cashback. Shopkick is a mobile app only and works on iOS and Android phones.

Shopkick Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
You can earn money without spending any money in the stores you visit You can increase your earnings by making purchases at select stores It takes only 250 ‘kicks’ to earn $1, and each store pays a decent number of kicks	You can only shop via the mobile app, which not everyone is comfortable doing You’ll earn less money back if you request your payout via PayPal

8. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is an app of all trades. Swagbucks pays you to shop through their app, but you can also earn money watching videos, playing games, and taking surveys. It’s a great app to diversify your passive income since there are many ways to earn money.

Unlike other apps in our list, you only earn money with Swagbucks by shopping online and you must shop through the portal. The good news is Swagbucks pays well and partners with thousands of stores. Read more about the Swagbucks referral program here.

Swagbucks Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Offers many ways to make money, not just shopping You can turn your points into gift cards to Amazon, Walmart, Dunkin’ Donuts, or PayPal among others You can get a referral bonus for referring friends and family	Most people make their money from Swagbucks by shopping only It’s hard to determine how many points you’ll earn for anything except shopping

Final Thoughts

Have some fun exploring the different cashback apps available today. You can even mix and match, depending on how much time you have and how much work you want to put into it. Don’t forget with any cashback app to share the good news with your friends and family. The more people that sign up under you, the more money you’ll make without doing anything except sharing an exciting tool that helps you make money.

If you want to earn extra money, join other Crypto referral programs like Binance referral and Crypto.com referral.