Ibotta vs Shopkick – Which Is the Best Rewards App?

Ibotta vs Shopkick – can’t choose between the two? There are so many reasons to invest your time and energy into a cashback rewards app. For one, who doesn’t love to earn money back on their purchases? It’s silly not to utilize a rewards app in 2021. However, we know it can be challenging to determine which cash back rewards app to choose. After all, there are so many apps on the market that it’s overwhelming. So how do you know which is right for you?

We’re going to break down Ibotta vs Shopkick to help guide you through selecting the right cash back rewards app.

Shopkick Review

What exactly is Shopkick? Well, for starters, it’s a rewards app (obviously), founded in 2009 in Silicon Valley. Shopkick is slightly different from other cash rewards apps in that you’re not required to buy anything in order to earn points or “kicks”. But, you can make purchases for extra rewards if you wish to. There are a few ways to earn kicks through the app without spending money. For one, you can walk into a store, but it has to be a select partner store. You can also scan barcodes for choose items with the in-app barcode scanner. You can also watch online video ads, look through product listings for “surprises”, and refer friends to Shopkick.

How do you get kicks simply for walking into a store? For this feature to work, you’ll need to turn on the Bluetooth on your smartphone and allow Shopkick to track your location. Then, the app homepage will show you participating nearby stores that you can walk into to earn kicks! If you want to earn rewards through your purchases, you can purchase select items and upload pictures of your receipt through the app. You can also shop at choose partner stores with a linked credit card, or you can shop online at partner stores through the app.

Typically, you’ll earn more kicks when you spend money. You’ll likely make a dollar or less each time you visit a store unless you end up purchasing something. We wouldn’t recommend walking into a store to earn kicks unless you were already planning on visiting. Once you’ve earned a certain amount of kicks, you can cash them in for a gift card to a large number of participating stores. For example, 250 points typically amount to $1 of rewards, but this varies depending on the retailer offering the gift card.

Shopkick Benefits

Ibotta Review

 Now, what exactly is Ibotta? Ibotta is not only an app but also offers a browser extension, so you can earn rewards from your phone and laptop, desktop, or wherever you use a browser. The company was founded in 2012 and began as a simple receipt scanning rewards app to upload your receipt and earn rewards. The app has now evolved to include various features and rewards, including in-app purchases and app-to-app purchases. However, they still offer the option to scan receipts.

Ibotta works with over 1,500 well-known retailers, including popular brands like Amazon, Walmart, Sephora, Target, Starbucks, and more. Ibotta is convenient because you’re likely able to earn rewards on your daily purchases already since Ibotta partners with so many popular stores. You won’t have to change your spending habits much to reap the benefits of Ibotta.

Another huge feature of Ibotta is the ability to link your loyalty account to receive rewards from Ibotta andIbotta and the business’ loyalty program. This feature is incredibly convenient because your purchases will automatically sync to your Ibotta account! So you can skip the hassle of having to go through the app or upload photos of your receipt. Learn more information about Ibotta in this Ibotta Review.

Ibotta Benefits

Ibotta vs Shopkick: Popularity

We made a quick comparison on the app store to see how Ibotta and Shopkick measured up against one another. Ibotta, which has been around for 17 years, has a 4.8-star rating based on 1.3 million reviews and is ranked #37 in the app store’s top charts in the shopping category. Meanwhile, Shopkick, which has been around for over 12 years, is rated 4.6 stars based on 67,000 reviews and is ranked #96 in the app store’s top charts in the shopping category

Ibotta is ranked significantly higher than Shopkick in the app store but keep in mind that Ibotta has about five years on Shopkick. So if seniority and customer loyalty are essential to you, Ibotta might be the choice for you when it comes to app popularity.

Ibotta vs Shopkick Cash Out Options

Ibotta and Shopkick differ slightly when it comes to their cashout options. You’ll want to consider the cashout options available to you. Do you want your rewards in gift cards? Or do you want direct cash? With Shopkick’s rewards system, you’ll have to choose a gift card and a goal to work towards. Don’t worry, you can always change your mind about which gift card you’d like to work towards. Shopkick works with a large number of stores so you’ll have a variety of options to choose from.

Each retailer sets their gift card denominations that you can work towards and the amount of kicks required to reach each denomination varies slightly. However, as we mentioned before, typically, 250 kicks amount to $1. With Ibotta’s rewards system, you can redeem your rewards for a gift card or for cash, however, you’ll need to accrue a minimum of $20 worth before you’re able to cash out. You can either redeem your Ibotta rewards through a PayPal account deposit, a direct bank deposit, or gift cards to major retailers.

If you don’t mind getting your rewards through gift cards, then Shopkick’s cash out options aren’t too shabby. However, if you want to skip the gift card cash out altogether, then Ibotta’s cash-out options might look a little more favorable to you.

Ibotta Referral vs Shopkick Referral

Ibotta and Shopkick both offer the opportunity to earn additional rewards through referral programs, however, these programs differ slightly. With Shopkick’s referral program, you and the friend you’ve referred each earn 250 kicks. The catch is that your referee must download the app and either enter a partner store or scan a product barcode within one week of signing up.

With Ibotta’s program, you earn $10 each time a friend signs up through your referral code and redeems an offer. An offer can include any brand purchase, any receipt, and any item offered. Ibotta’s referral program allows you to earn more money for each friend you refer. Keep in mind that 250 kicks on Shopkick is only worth about $1. Also, Shopkick’s referral program maxes out at $100. Ibotta’s referral program does not have a max. Read the complete information about the Ibotta referral program in this Ibotta Referral article. 

Realistically, you’ll be able to make a lot more money with much less effort through Ibotta’s referral program compared to Shopkick’s.

Ibotta vs Shopkick – Which Is the Best Rewards App?

When it comes down to the better rewards app, we have to say that Ibotta takes the cake. But, of course, it depends on your personal preference and how you’d like to utilize your rewards app. While Shopkick offers more opportunities to earn rewards without spending money, the rewards are pretty minimal and require a lot more work on the user’s part. You’ll eventually have to spend money to earn any substantial rewards, which somewhat defeats the purpose. With Ibotta, you have more earning potential, and Ibotta partners with so many retailers that you don’t have to change your spending habits to earn rewards. You’re likely already making purchases with their partner stores.

Shopkick still isn’t a bad option for earning rewards. But with Ibotta’s positive reputation, millions of positive reviews, app features, superior cash out options, and more good referral program, Shopkick falls significantly behind. There’s a good reason why Ibotta has enjoyed its success over the past 17 years and why it has earned the trust of millions of users. The app has genuinely all you can ask for from a rewards app.

Register for Ibotta today and receive 100% cashback on all back-to-school supplies.