The Best Ways To Scan Receipts For Money
It's easy to think of receipts as just being annoying pieces of paper you get after shopping. And for years, I was the kind of person who would just crumple up my shopping receipts and chuck them in the bin.
But, did you know it's possible to get paid for your receipts? That's right: by using various reward apps, you can actually scan receipts for money to earn some free cash and gift cards.
11 Best Apps To Scan Receipts For Money
Table of Contents
1. Fetch
Fetch is a popular grocery rewards app in the United States. It pays you to shop and then upload a picture of your receipt, just like most of these apps do.
However, what makes Fetch unique is that it pays you as long as any product from any partner brand appears on your receipt. In contrast, most receipt scanning apps require buying specific products.
Points you earn from receipts are redeemable for free gift cards to companies like Amazon, Best Buy, Starbucks, Target, and Walmart. And I like using Fetch since you only need $3 to cash out, which is possible in a week or two of scanning receipts.
You can also earn bonus points by completing sponsored offers. And Fetch has various contests and referral bonuses going on all the time to help you earn more.
2. Shopkick
Shopkick is another popular rewards app that I've used in the past when I lived in the United States. And it's one of the more versatile apps on this list since it has so many ways to earn.
For starters, Shopkick has a lot of mystery-shopping gigs that pay you to take photos of products, scan receipts, and even walk into stores.
You can also earn by shopping with a linked card, watching videos, and by purchasing certain products. You then cash out for PayPal money or gift cards once you earn $2 worth of kicks, the platform's point system.
My post on the best Shopkick hacks has a few tips for how to earn as much as possible with this app. You can also read my post on the best apps like Shopkick for even more ideas.
Try out Shopkick today! – Sign up with the code ‘TOW' and get a $5 bonus when you earn your first kicks!
3. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is another platform you can use to make money scanning receipts. In fact, its new Magic receipts tool pays you to upload receipts with purchases like groceries, cleaning products, and everyday essentials.
Swagbucks also offers plenty of other ways to make money, including:
- Answering online surveys
- Shopping online
- Playing games for money
- Surfing the web
- Downloading apps
I've used Swagbucks since I was in school to earn rewards. In this time, I've cashed out dozens of times, and I like that many gift card rewards only take $1 to redeem.
Its receipt offers don't always pay as much as Fetch or Upside in my experience. But I like how versatile Swagbucks is and how easy it is to cash out with.
4. Upside
Do you cringe every time you refill your car and see the price of gas? If the answer is yes, then Upside is the app for you.
This receipt scanning app pays you to shop at thousands of participating gas stations in the United States. You just have to pre-select gas offers, refuel, and then scan your receipt with your phone to earn.
Upside can save you up to $0.25 per gallon, which can really add up on large tanks. And it lets you redeem earnings for gift cards and PayPal money once you earn $10.
Upside also has offers from convenience stores and gas station stores, which can be handy if you regularly buy snacks. But it's by far my favorite way to save money on gas.
5. InboxDollars
InboxDollars is another U.S. rewards website that's similar to Swagbucks.
It's free to sign up for and is open to anyone who's 18 or older. As a member, you can make money with tasks like cash surveys, playing games, watching videos, shopping online, and more.
InboxDollars also has a new receipts rewards section that pays you to upload photos of your receipts. It doesn't pay as much as Swagbucks or the other apps on this list, but if you're scanning receipts, you might as well use a few platforms to maximize earnings.
Plus, new members get a $5 sign up bonus to sweeten the deal. You can cash out to PayPal or with dozens of gift cards after you earn $15 for your first cash out and $10 on future cash outs.
6. P&G Good Everyday
If you live in the United States, the P&G Good Everyday program is a must-join program.
This loyalty program lets you earn free gift cards for buying products from 60+ popular Procter & Gamble brands. You also get exclusive deals and coupons and can even donate to a charity of your choice with each act of good you complete.
P&G owns massive brands like Crest, Dove, Gillette, and Tide. So this program is an excellent way to save more on everyday essentials and cleaning and beauty products.
7. Receipt Hog
Receipt Hog is another popular way to make money scanning receipts. And what makes this app unique is the fact that almost any receipt you upload is worth something.
That said, Receipt Hog receipts generally pay just a few pennies worth of coins. So, I like to add it in as a backup app but focus on using apps like Ibotta or Fetch. You can also add in ReceiptPal, an app that's very similar to Receipt Hog, to earn even more.
You can redeem your earnings for PayPal money or Amazon gift cards once you earn $10.
8. Amazon Shopper Panel
If you live in the United States, the Amazon Shopper Panel is one of the best apps that you can use.
This app pays you $10 per month if you upload at least 10 receipts to the app. And you get paid with Amazon gift cards right to your account balance.
Earning $1 per receipt you scan makes this one of the highest-paying apps in this space. The only downside is the Amazon Shopper Panel has a waitlist, so it takes a while to get on the app. Also note that almost any receipt works with this app except for receipts from Amazon and Whole Foods.
9. National Consumer Panel
National Consumer Panel, also known as the NCP app, pays you for buying products and then uploading information about them.
It's a popular way to scan barcodes for money, and its app actually has a built-in scanner where you scan products you buy and get paid for doing so. You can also upload receipts to earn.
It generally takes about 40 to 50 scans to earn $10, which isn't too bad. You can cash out with a variety of rewards, including free electronics, sweepstake entries for cash prizes, and various free gift cards.
10. Ibotta
Ibotta is a leading rewards app that's probably the closest alternative to Fetch.
This U.S. app pays you to shop for sponsored products from thousands of partners. Once you have your receipt, you just take a picture of it with your phone and submit it via Ibotta's app to earn.
I like using apps like Ibotta for big shopping trips since I find it usually has the highest-paying offers. The only downside is that you need to buy specific products, so being flexible is important.
Ibotta also lets you earn from online purchases with its shopping extension, which is pretty unique. And it also pays you referral bonuses if you invite your friends to join. For rewards, you can cash out to PayPal or with different gift cards when you earn $20.
11. Checkout 51
One final way to earn money by scanning receipts you can use is to use Checkout 51.
This app is available in Canada and the United States and is very similar to Ibotta. You preselect offers you plan on buying, go shopping, and then take a picture of your receipt with the app to get paid.
In my experience, Checkout 51 has a lot of high-paying offers for things like medicine and cleaning products. But I like that the app still pays you for buying basics like groceries.
Checkout 51 is also rolling out gas rewards, although I think Upside is better in this department. And the main downside of Checkout 51 is that you get paid via check once you earn $20, which can take a while.
Other Options To Make Money With Your Receipts
The apps I just covered are some of the most popular apps in this side hustle category. However, there are plenty of other apps and tricks you can use to get paid on your next shopping trip. And a lot of these apps are passive income apps, so they require less work:
- Pogo: A new U.S. app that pays you with passive income when you shop with a linked card.
- Rakuten: My favorite way to earn cash back at thousands of retailers when shopping online.
- Bridge Money: Another passive app like Pogo that saves the step of scanning a receipt.
- Dosh: Yet another passive earner that pays you as long as you shop with a linked bank card.
- Coupons.com: An easy way to find coupons to save on upcoming purchases.
- TopCashBack: A similar cashback website to Rakuten.
- CoinOut: This receipt scanning app pays you for any receipt and lets you cash out quickly.
- Drop: One of the most popular shopping rewards app in North America.
- Caddle: A Canadian app that's similar to Ibotta.
- Ampli: A passive app like Dosh that's available in Canada.
How Much Money Can You Make?
In my experience, making $5 to $20 a month with receipt scanning apps is realistic. You can earn even more if you shop often and put in effort to buy sponsored offers. If you don't shop too often, you won't make very much.
I also think it's important to stick to a shopping list and budget, even with these apps. And if you want to earn autopilot money and don't have time to scan receipts, stick with some of the passive options like Pogo and Bridge Money.
Final Thoughts
After testing out dozens of reward apps over the years, I'm still amazed at how easy it is to get paid for your data.
The bottom line is companies want to know where consumers spend their time and attention. And apps that pay you to scan receipts are a prime example of this.
So, if you want a fun phone side hustle and don't mind a bit of work, give a few of these apps a try! Even making $10 to $20 a month adds up, and it's free money at the end of the day.
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