ReceiptPal App Review – Earn Money from Your Shopping

Are you looking to earn something extra online while shopping? Have time to take pictures of your receipt?

Today we’re taking a look at ReceiptPal, and how it stacks up with other cashback shopping apps out there.

How Does ReceiptPal Work?

The ReceiptPal app rewards you for shopping. It sounds crazy and great, right? Too good to be true, you might think. So, is it legitimate? Read on, and we’ll discuss legitimacy later. First, let’s talk about how it works.

The concept of ReceiptPal is that you submit paper receipts of your purchases to earn points. You can even use receipts you get from online purchases. You exchange these points for gift cards and other rewards. It all works through an easy-to-use mobile app.

The process is straightforward. Whenever you get a paper receipt, you use the app to take a snapshot. For online receipts, you need to connect your email address to your ReceiptPal account. It automatically recognizes any receipts that arrive in your inbox. You can also link your Amazon account.

After submission, you wait for verification. Take note that receipts are only valid up to the third day of the following week after purchase. To be safe, submit them during the same week of purchase.

To qualify, it must be something that you or a family member purchased. The store name, total amount, date, purchase date, and phone number must clearly show on the receipt.

ReceiptPal accepts purchases from stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Only transactions in U.S. dollars count.

Bills are not counted, as they are not technically purchases. Also, be wary of using duplicate or handwritten receipts. The ReceiptPal app is surprisingly sophisticated, and there’s a high chance of getting busted for cheating.

Once you enter your receipts, the corresponding points go on your ReceiptPal account. You’re free to spend these points on gift cards. You can also qualify for sweepstakes and a rewards program.

Is ReceiptPal Legit?

Now, to address the elephant in the room: Is it legitimate?

I mean, how can you get paid for something that you spent money on? Don’t you lose money over that?

Fortunately, there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation, and it has something to do with ReceiptPal’s business model.

Unlike other similar apps like Ibotta, ReceiptPal isn’t exactly a cashback app. It’s more of a market research tool for companies. When you submit receipts, it gives ReceiptPal an idea of what products or services you buy.

When they collect information from a large enough group of people, they get valuable market data. It’s convenient for companies because they don’t have to do the research themselves, which can involve a lot more time, money, and employee hours.

They use this research to aid in product development and marketing. ReceiptPal sells insights to companies. The money the company earns pays for the prizes that ReceiptPal users win.

How do I get paid?

Unlike other cashback apps, ReceiptPal doesn’t pay out in cash directly. You instead get “paid” in points.

When you’re a new user in the app, you get a signing bonus of 150 points. After that, you’ll start to get 100 points for every four receipts that you submit through the app. Once you earn enough points, you qualify to exchange them for rewards.

Unfortunately, there’s a limit to the number of receipts you can upload in a week: 20. Consequently, this also caps the number of points you receive in a week (500, if you do the math). So, earning points for the more significant rewards can get very slow.

The good news is that the system rewards you for stockpiling points, as they sort of compound in value. Your points are generally worth more individually, the more of them you have. Three hundred fifty points can net you a $1 Amazon gift card, but 17,000 points can get you a $100 gift card.

Some people lament that you don’t earn cash from this app. There are still, of course, ways to get around this that can make it worth your while (you can try selling your Amazon gift card rewards, for example).

Company History

ReceiptPal is the brainchild of the NPD Group, one of the oldest and largest research companies in the United States—the company was founded in 1966.

They are in the business of gathering marketing data and consumer behavior to help other companies make better products and services. They created the ReceiptPal app to give consumers bonuses on purchases while providing companies valuable data.

Alternatives

ReceiptPal is hardly the only rebate or couponing app available. Some other options available include:

• SavingStar – A direct competitor with Ibotta, SavingStar allows you to load coupons and get a coupon discount at the register.
• Shopkick – A great app that pays you for shopping and for just visiting a store.
• GetUpside – Best app for getting cash back when you fill up on gasoline.

Pros

• It’s hassle-free – You take a snapshot of your receipt, and that’s it. Online receipts are even easier. Just link your accounts, and the earnings are automatic.
• It puts more mileage on your shopping – By getting something back in return for your spending, you at least maximize your money’s worth.

Cons

• Weekly limits – It takes quite a while to get any real value from ReceiptPal, which can turn off some people. ReceiptPal is not a serious money-making app.
• No cash payouts – Some people might not be motivated with gift cards and rewards, and might still want cold, hard cash.

ReceiptPal App Review Final Thoughts

Overall, ReceiptPal is an excellent way to get a little something extra on the side. It might not make you a lot of money, but it’s easy enough to use that feels like getting a little free money on the side. Plus, you finally get to use all those receipts.