By now, you probably know what ibotta is, but if you don't you can read this post. OR, if you don't wanna', you can probably guess that it's an app that can save you money by offering rebates (not coupons, but rebates). And a lot of budget blogs try to get you to sign up for ibotta by enticing you to click on their very special link that offers you a $10 welcome bonus.
So here's the deal, you don't have to click on their affiliate link in order to get the $10 welcome bonus from ibotta. You don't have to click on mine or ANYONE'S affiliate link. You can get the $10 welcome bonus by just signing up on the ibotta.com website. Seriously. No strings. Well... some strings.
Would I rather you use *my* link? You bet! Because I could get a $5 referral bonus. Maybe. Depending.... (Hey, coffee's not free, and those Google ads in the side bar aren't cutting it.)
It's cute when budget blogs imply their link is the magical portal through which you'll receive your bonus (When CLEARLY, it's *my* link, right here: GET YOUR $10 WELCOME BONUS FOR SIGNING UP!).
Alright, yes, fine. You'll get the $10 bonus for signing up no matter what ibotta link you use... just as long as... (here come those "strings") ...you submit a receipt for a *brand name* rebate within the first week of signing up. In that respect, all portals leading to the ibotta website are "magical." Mine included. (Just sayin'.)
If you don't submit a receipt in the first week? Well, ibotta gives you a second chance (which I also blew). But, if you (like yours truly) don't have your act together enough to get your welcome bonus, well, then I don't get my referral fee. Simple as that. You don't get your bonus, I don't get my referral.
No pressure or anything, I get that things get cray-cray. But maybe hold off until there's something you know you'll be buying before signing up and downloading the app via my affiliate link. (What? It's a perfectly good link!)
You can check the ibotta.com website for the current rebate offers. (You won't be able to select any until you have the app, but at least you can check out the offers.)
Is the App Worth It?
Well, it is free money... which you will receive eventually. Especially if you're already buying the stuff. Think of it as a twist on the old-school rebates. You'll get your money in 4-6 weeks (or months).
As we've established many times on this blog, part of my budgeting / saving strategy, is to JUST NOT BUY SHIT. And when I do buy stuff, I tend to buy items that ibotta doesn't really have rebates for. SO, mostly, I'm taking advantage of ibotta's "any brand" rebates (which are generally 10¢-25¢ a pop).
Think of it as socking away those stray dimes and quarters that fell out of your grandpa's pockets when he fell asleep in his favorite chair. You dig out the coins from the cracks and crevices and keep 'em in your proverbial piggy bank. When you reach $20, you get to exchange your coins for paper money. Woo hoo!
Does the App Save You Tons of Money?
That depends on how much you spend and on what. If you buy a lot of name brand goods at a variety of mainstream stores and websites, then you could see your ibotta account rake in the rebates.
If you don't spend a lot, you're probably not going to have a huge monthly check from ibotta. (I've been using it for 7 months and will only this week have reached my first $20 payout —then again, I did it all wrong when I signed up & missed out on my welcome bonus.)
How Time Consuming Is It?
Again, it depends. I can spend 15-30 minutes scrolling through the rebate offers on the smartphone app—which I probably do once a week, just to see if they've added anything I might be interested in. Be warned, most offers require you to watch a 5-10 second video or view a product ad before allowing you to choose the rebate offer. It's no more annoying than having to wade through the weekly sales flyers to see if the item you want is on sale.
The time it takes to submit receipts will depend on your phone & the strength of your cell connection, but it's a less-than-five-minute proposition.
Are the Rebates Store-Specific?
Some are, some aren't. But if you buy something at a local or regional store, your receipt may not be eligible for the rebate. It's best to check first.
For instance, in North Carolina (and South Carolina) we have Earth Fare grocery stores (similar to a Whole Foods). Earth Fare isn't among the list of stores that offer rebates. Same goes for Sprouts in the Midwest. BUT, all the major stores are accounted for, including Sam's Club, CostCo, BJ's, Trader Joe's (yep, they're in there, I checked), Aldi, Walmart, Target, Meijer, and all the major regional grocery chains.
Can I Use the App on My Not-so-smart Phone?
You need a device that has a camera and let's you download and store the app in its memory. Most not-so-smart phones may not have this ability. That said, you're not limited to smartphones. You can also use iPads, tablets, iPods (that have cameras), etc.
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