Saving & Spending Budgeting & Expenses

Fetch Rewards Review [2024]: Earn Cash by Scanning Receipts

If you love earning rewards but hate tracking purchases and requirements, the Fetch Rewards app may be just what you need.

Updated Sept. 5, 2024
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Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards

OUR VIEW

I’m all about rewards apps, but sometimes I forget to activate offers or look at what’s available. Fetch Rewards offers a simple solution to this problem by paying users at least 25 points for any receipt. I love the flexibility of the app, and the fact that I can upload old receipts (up to 14 days) and still get rewards. Now you won’t get rich with this app, but if you like earning a little something for your shopping sprees, Fetch is a good catch.

Pros

No need to track purchases
Can upload old receipts
Offers bonus points on certain items

Cons

Inactive accounts lose all their points and the inactivity period is only 90 days
Partners with limited brands for bonus points
How we evaluate products

What is Fetch Rewards?

Fetch Rewards is an app for Android and iOS that gives reward points for scanning retail, restaurant, grocery, or e-receipts. You can cash reward points in for gift cards or to enter sweepstakes.

Fetch offers points for almost any receipt, but you can also earn bonus points if you purchase products or from retailers they have listed. You can also earn points by redeeming a GoodRX coupon in Fetch when filling a prescription.

It’s important to know that you must keep your Fetch Rewards account active or you’ll lose your points. Fetch considers an active account one with an uploaded receipt, filling a prescription using GoodRX coupons within Fetch, or redeeming rewards at least once every 90 days.

How does Fetch Rewards work?

I love that Fetch Rewards is so easy to use. You do your shopping, upload a receipt to the app, and watch your points grow. If you shop online you can link your email or Amazon account for automatic crediting. Your points continue accumulating until you’re ready to trade them in to earn free gift cards.

You can use receipts from most stores including:

  • Grocery stores
  • Club stores
  • Home improvement and hardware stores
  • Pet stores
  • Liquor stores
  • Convenience stores
  • Gas stations

You earn 25 base points for each successful receipt uploaded from these stores, plus you can get extra points if a partner product is on that receipt.

Getting started with Fetch Rewards

It’s easy to start using Fetch Rewards:

  • Download and install the app
  • Create an account using your email, Facebook, or Google account
  • Enter a referral code (if you have one)

That’s it! If you have a referral code, be sure to enter it when signing up or before uploading your first receipt. Most codes allow you to earn a sign-up bonus while the referrer earns a bonus too.

It’s easy to upload receipts; just click on the camera icon and follow the instructions. Immediately after scanning the receipt, you’ll see the points you’ve earned.

For my first scan, I didn’t have any products that qualified for points, but was given 750 points for uploading a recent Food Lion receipt. I also got an offer for 500 bonus points for scanning another receipt.


Tip
If you have e-receipts to upload into Fetch, then make sure to hit the blue "e" button after hitting the scan button to have your linked accounts scanned.

Earning points for qualified purchases

Sometimes I try to earn bonus points by purchasing the items paying more than 25 points per receipt. Point values for qualifying purchases range from 250 to 3,000. However, pay close attention to the requirements, such as if you must purchase the item from a specific retailer or if there are any other specifics.

To find out how much you will be rewarded for buying a specific product, go to the Discover tab on the bottom of the screen. This provides you with options to browse products by recently added, category, amount of points awarded, and offer expiration. Tap on a product you want to buy, and you’ll see the offer details, how many points you’ll earn, and have the option to add that product to your shopping list.


Do you need to do this? No. You can simply shop and scan receipts, then take whatever points you’re awarded for scanning and buying qualifying products. Honestly, this is what I do most of the time so I don’t have to worry about looking for offers. However, if you’re looking to maximize your rewards from this app, searching through the special offers to find products you would buy anyway and adding them to a shopping list while you shop is a smart option.

How to earn with Fetch Rewards

The best way to earn rewards with Fetch Rewards is to shop. You get points for submitting receipts, buying participating brands, and purchasing specific products that offer bonuses. Unlike other similar apps, you don’t get points for visiting specific stores or scanning barcodes.

You can either shop as you normally would and see what points your purchases earn, or shop strategically to maximize how much you get back for your weekly shopping.

Making these purchases are very easy, no matter which strategy you choose. That's because there are 28 different categories of items that Fetch rewards for, which covers most products you’d buy everyday.

Here is a look at just some of the product categories and brands you’ll find.

Baby

This category is a little sparse, but if you’re a Huggies fan, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to earn. GoodNites, Beech-Nut, Once Upon a Farm, Pull-Ups, and Huggies are all participating brands.

Personal Care

This is one of the more-populated categories, with over 30 brands. They include Dove, Dollar Shave Club, TRESemme, Vaseline, Nubian Heritage, and Q-Tips.

Grocery

Popular brands in the grocery category include Goya, Annie’s Homegrown Grocery, Betty Crocker, Progresso, and Member’s Mark.

There are also many more food categories with more brands, like Frozen, Snacks, Dairy & Refrigerated, and Wine. So if you put all the food and beverage categories together you have many dozens of brands to choose from.

Health & Wellness

Health and wellness products are an important part of anyone’s life, and Fetch offers plenty of ways to earn rewards in this category including brands like Advil, Centrum, Flonase, and Nexium.

How to redeem Fetch Rewards

Your points accumulate with every scan and you can view them at the top of the app’s screen. When you’re ready to cash in on your points, tap on the Rewards icon at the bottom of the screen and search through the e-gift card options by keyword, category, or point value.

Categories include entertainment, gifts, home goods, electronics, and even charities. Keep in mind that you’ll need a minimum of 3,000 points for most rewards and most rewards can take up to three business days to receive.

When your reward is ready, you’ll find it in the My Rewards tab. From there, you can tap on the reward and find instructions on how to use the credit.

Here is a closer look at some of the Fetch Rewards gift card categories.

Charity

You can choose to donate points to any of 29 charities, which will then receive a donation from Fetch Rewards for the amount you designate. These organizations include the American Cancer Society, Charity Choice, City Year, Clean Water Fund, Code.org, Foundation for Angelman, Girls Who Code, Habitat for Humanity, Huntsman Cancer Foundation, National Park Foundation, Special Olympics, and The Nature Conservancy.

Mastercard/Visa

Though Fetch Rewards doesn’t allow you to trade points for actual cash, you can do so for Visa gift cards, which are as good as cash. You can get them for $5, $10, $25, and $50 denominations.

Travel

This is an exciting category for those who like to fly, cruise, and stay in hotels. Some popular brands for travel gift cards include: Uber, Southwest Airlines, Delta, Princess Cruise Lines, Hotels.com, Celebrity Cruises, Global Hotel Card, and Airbnb.

Fetch Rewards eligibility requirements

Anyone who loves earning rewards for everyday purchases can use Fetch, as long as you are at least 13 years old. All you need to sign up is an email address, Facebook, or Google account, and a smartphone to be part of the Fetch Rewards community.

FAQ

Is the Fetch Rewards app legit?

Yes, Fetch Rewards is a legitimate app that pays you in real gift cards. It is not a scam. The company has been in business since 2013, has raised more than $51 million in capital, and has offices in Wisconsin, Chicago, and New York City.

Is the Fetch Rewards app free?

Yes, the Fetch Rewards app is free to download and use. The only money you have to spend is on the items you buy for the receipts you submit.

Can you use Fetch Rewards and Ibotta?

It is a great idea to use both Fetch Rewards and Ibotta to double your shopping rewards. They are two separate apps, but some of the products that will earn you rewards are the same. With Ibotta, you have to designate what products you want to buy at specific stores. You can compare this information with qualifying purchases through Fetch Rewards and then submit receipts to both apps. Doing this will multiply the points you earn for a single purchase.

By comparing the Fetch Rewards vs. Ibotta apps directly, you can see each has certain strengths and can work well together.

How many points do you need to earn Fetch Rewards gift cards?

Most gift card rewards that you can earn through Fetch Rewards require a minimum of 3,000 points.

Do Fetch Rewards points expire?

Points will only expire if your account has been inactive for a 90-day period. Fetch Rewards considers an account inactive if you have no activity either earning or redeeming rewards within that time frame.

Alternatives to Fetch Rewards

If you think Fetch Rewards isn’t the right fit for your lifestyle, there are lots of other money-saving and cash back apps out there to consider as well as budgeting apps to help you stay on track.

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Ibotta is a shopping app that allows you to choose money-back offers for purchasing specific products at grocery stores. Scroll through the offers at stores you often shop and choose ones that you like. Then buy the products and scan your receipt to earn cash back for the purchase. The money accumulates in your account until you decide to withdraw it.

Unlike Fetch Rewards, Ibotta rewards you in dollars, which you can withdraw as a bank deposit, PayPal reward, or gift cards. You can also earn cash back by shopping online through the Ibotta portal to earn as much as 30% back on your purchases.

The Shopkick app lets you earn points for visiting stores, scanning products, watching videos, and making purchases both in-store and online. You can trade in your points for gift cards from Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, eBay, TJ Maxx, and more.

Shopkick is a bit more like Fetch because you get rewards for uploading receipts, but it offers many more ways to earn points to help you get rewards faster.

Drop turns shopping in-store and online using your credit or debit cards into opportunities to earn cash. Every Wednesday, Drop has new offers. You can click “activate all” and be able to take advantage of all the new deals. You can also earn points when completing in-app shopping offers that you get by shopping through the app.

Drop makes it easy to earn points without thinking, much like Fetch, but you get rewards for specific purchases, rather than a general reward for uploading any receipt. The best part is, though, you don’t have to upload anything. Once you link your debit or credit card to the app, you’re good!

Bottom line

Fetch is a great way to earn rewards when you don’t like tracking purchases or activating offers. Knowing you can get 25 points for every receipt is a great way to stay on top of earning rewards. While you won’t earn a ton using Fetch, it’s a fun way to earn a few gift cards for fun spending without adding more stress to your life.

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Author Details

Robin Kavanagh

Robin is a freelance writer who lives on the South Carolina beach. She has spent the last 20 years writing about all kinds of topics for publications such as The New York Times, Yes! Magazine, Next Tribe, Parenting, and various trade magazines. On FinanceBuzz.com, you’ll find her mostly writing about smart ways to use credit cards, navigating personal loans, how to save when traveling, and ways to improve your financial health.

Author Details

Samantha Hawrylack

Samantha Hawrylack is a writer with more than five years of experience. Her work has been published in Newsweek, MarketWatch, USA Today, Rocket Mortgage, BiggerPockets, Crediful, and many more. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Master of Business Administration from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and she was previously a brokerage investment professional with Series 7 and 63 licenses at Vanguard.