Very few things get me more excited than getting paid for something that I have to do anyway.
And That’s why Shopmium has me excited about my future grocery store purchases.
For most families, groceries are one of the largest parts of your budget. Sure, you could spend hours clipping out coupons, or you can join the 21st century and start using the top grocery coupon apps like Shopmium.
These apps are a great way to trim up your budget and put a couple of extra dollars back in your pocket for something that you’re going to do anyways. Why not make some money off of your shopping?
If you’ve had any experience with other cash back apps like iBotta or Checkout 51, you’ll notice a lot of similarities between these apps. There are a few distinct differences that you should be aware.
What is Shopmium?
The new trend in the grocery shopping world is cash back rebate apps, and Shopmium has quickly become one of the most popular.
Their goal is to help shoppers save money on their grocery store trips without the hassle of clipping and organizing coupons.
As a company, Shopmium began as a simple start-up several years ago and has grown to over 2 million users. They were recently merged with Quotient Technology Inc., which is a US based digital promotion and market research company.
Getting Started with Shopmium
Getting started with Shopmium is incredibly easy. All you have to do is download the app from the app store on your smartphone. It’s available on both iPhones and Androids phones.
After that, all you have to do is create a free profile, which is simply entering an email address and other basic information. Getting started with the cash back reward app is only going to take a few minutes, and you can start getting paid for your groceries.
After that, the app will show you any of the participating stores near you and the products that you can take advantage of, and after that, you need to see which of those items line up with your own grocery list. After that, it’s time to go shopping.
Make sure that you bring your phone with you when you go into the store to ensure that you’re buying the exact item on the rebate coupon on the app, otherwise, you could buy the wrong brand or wrong item.
After that, hold on to your receipt, because you’re going to need it to redeem your offer from Shopmium.
After you buy the groceries that correspond with the offers, you’ll have to scan the items that you want to redeem and then take a picture of your receipt to upload on the app.
After you’ve gone through the redemption steps, after the purchase is approved through the Shopmium officials, your money will be awarded to you within 24 hours.
The offers for Shopmium include just about any products that you can imagine. Anything from a bottle of Heinz mustard to a pack of AA batteries. All of the coupons change periodically and give you plenty of options to choose from.
The Advantages of Shopmium
First things first, the best advantage is the app is completely free to use and download. You won’t have to pay a dime to get any savings on your groceries. This is an excellent way to put in the minimum effort but get an excellent return on your work.
One of the perks to Shopmium is the different options they give you for getting your cash back through the program. Some rewards programs only give you one option for receiving your money, but Shopmium gives you several.
You can choose between having the money transferred into your PayPal account, moved into a personal bank account, or have the money gifted to one of the charities that Shopmium partners with. Most programs only allow participants to get their money through a PayPal account, which isn’t convenient for every shopper.
One of the significant differences with Shopmium that makes it stand out from its competitors is the cashing out process for your rewards money.
With the other apps and websites on the market, you have to accumulate a certain amount of money before you can redeem your money and have it transferred, but it’s very different with Shopmium.
With Shopmium, every time that the offer is redeemed, the money is automatically transferred into your account within a day after approval. You don’t have to do anything once you link your bank account or PayPal account, just sit back and watch your cash back roll in.
Unlike most traditional coupons or other cash back apps, you aren’t required to shop at specific stores to redeem the offers. This means that you can shop at your favorite store, or whichever one is cheapest as long as they have the particular item and use an itemized receipt.
The Disadvantages of Shopmium
Just like with any other program, there are a few downsides to Shopmium as well. There are only a few minor complaints that some users have with the program and the app that goes along with it.
One of the most common problems is the app crashing or closing out without any warning, which is not a major hiccup, but came become frustrating the more that it happens.
Another pitfall to be aware of is the offers that the app provides. While having dozens to choose from, a lot of them are more obscure products that you probably wouldn’t buy otherwise.
While there is nothing wrong with trying a new item or brand (obviously, that’s why they are offering the rebate), but this can tempt you to spend more money than you need to. Remember your goal; to save money.
If you’re looking to maximize your Shopmium benefits by stacking your purchase with manufacturer coupons, you’re in for a nasty surprise.
The rules of Shopmium don’t allow you to stack their offers with any other rebates, which means that you won’t be able to use additional coupons. There are a lot of programs that allow you to use additional offers and discounts, but Shopmium isn’t one of them.
Shopmium – What you need to know
Couponing is a great way to trim up your budget and cut some corners to put more money in your pockets at the end of the month, but anyone that has ever tried couponing knows that it can be time-consuming and exhausting, but saving money doesn’t have to be.
Shopmium is an excellent way to get the full advantage of coupons without all of the trouble of cutting out the coupons and sorting through them in the checkout line.
There are a few things that you should know if you’re just now starting the cash back rewards program. A lot of shoppers fall into the trap over buying more groceries because of the offers on the app, which means they spend more than they need to because of the coupons.
That defeats the purposing of using the cash back app in the first place. Before you go to the store, take stock of the groceries that you actually need, not the offers on the app that look enticing. Don’t get sucked into buying dozens of things that you don’t need and will go to waste sitting in the back of your pantry.
Summary
One of the best things about Shopmium is that it’s free. If you try the cash back program and realize it doesn’t work for you, you haven’t lost anything other than fifteen minutes of your time.
If you decide that you like it, it can easily save you $10 or more on your grocery store trips without spending an hour sifting through coupon papers.
If you’re looking for a way to make some easy money and quit your part-time job, this isn’t it, but it is a great way to get paid for something that you have to do anyways.
You can get started in a matter of minutes and start getting money back on those hamburger buns and bottles of ranch dressing.
Me says
I received an email today from Shopmium that they will cease on June 4. Don’t bother downloading it.
They will begin with a Coupons.com app instead. This is the parent company who purchased them about a year or so ago.
pj says
still working in the UK – Jan 2019… i find it great and always pays out within a couple of days via pay pal.
It has lots of freebies on it for products that i wouldnt otherwise have tried!
Currently the referral offer is a free jar of nutella (perfect for pancake day around the corner) if you use my code:
KMHAECYN
happy shopping