By
Annie Flanzraich
Working in the gig economy can be an opportunity to earn additional rewards and cash for walking, driving, and shopping. With these apps and websites, anyone can monetize their normal behavior and habits.
BeFrugal offers cash back for online purchases at more than 5,000 stores, and coupons and deals for more than 50,000 stores. BeFrugal works by paying customers to shop at participating stores and giving them cash back on the commission BeFrugal receives. According to their website, they give 100 percent of commissions that they earn for driving traffic to a store’s website back to the consumer. To get the deals, get the “BeFrugal” button on Firefox or Chrome, or download the app.
BerryCart gives awards to users for shopping and buying healthy foods, learning about the product and then taking a photo of the receipt. To get started, download the app, and browse exclusive BerryCart offers on organic, gluten-free or non-GMO foods. To unlock the cash back, users need to learn a bit about the product via a fun fact, quiz or testimonial. After purchasing a qualified product, BerryCart will send shoppers a rebate if they submit a photo of the receipt.
Belly is the digital equivalent of a “Buy 10, Get 1 Free” punch card. Businesses sign up to offer rewards through the program. Then, customers can use and scan the app to activate rewards at restaurants, coffee shops, and more. Belly bills itself as a universal loyalty program, so it can be used at many different shops and restaurants. To see where it’s accepted, check out a list of locations here.
Get the best deals and earn cash back when buying popular brands with Checkout 51. This cash back rewards app has hundreds of local offers available every week on household standards. Checkout 51 runs in the background of a customer’s phone to deliver in-store offers at the right time. (Don’t worry, it uses minimal power). The final step is to scan and send the receipts to Checkout 51 to receive cash back.
Dosh is a free cash back app that finds money for users when they are shopping, dining out, and pumping gas. It works by securely connecting credit and debit cards with the Dosh app. Once activated, Dosh will search available offers that match transactions completed on the connected cards. If it finds one, Dosh will automatically redeem the offer, convert it into cash, and deposit it directly into a user’s Dosh Wallet.
Drop works in a similar way and by searching for offers based on credit or debit card use. However, Drop awards points to redeem for gift cards, rather than cash.
Ebates offers cash back rewards, shopping deals, promo codes and coupons, all in one place. Its mobile app can find up to 40 percent rewards at nearly 2,000 stores and other partners, like Lyft and DoorDash. The Ebates website offers discounts for top retailers such as eBay, Walmart, Amazon, Macy’s, Sephora and more.
Freebird offers rewards, cash-back, and points for taking an Uber or Lyft. Its Ride Anywhere feature awards points for every Uber or Lyft ride and those points convert to cash. The app also awards cash back for visiting a participating location via a ride requested through Freebird. Then, Freebird will also award cash back for any valid purchase made at that location with a linked credit or debit card.
Honey is a free browser extension that automatically finds and applies coupons at checkout. Honey works by scanning for coupons and promo codes on most websites with a checkout feature. It automatically detects, tests and applies the code with the most significant savings. As a bonus, Honey also offers exclusive deals from its partners.
Save money without the hassle of traditional coupons, or promo codes and earn cash back with Ibotta. This app and website works either in-store or online and gives rewards or cash back for shopping, travel, dining, and other purchases. Some of its partners include leading brands and retailers such as Best Buy, Lowes, Safeway, eBay and more.
Makeena offers users cash and rewards for buying healthy and eco-friendly grocery products. To claim a reward, download the app, shop, scan the barcode of the product that has an offer and then submit a receipt with a photo. Makeena distributes cash via PayPal once a user has at least $20 in rewards.
Miles is a universal rewards app that awards points, or “miles” automatically for all modes of transportation. It’s basically a frequent-flyer program for ground transportation, whether by car (as a driver, passenger or rideshare), plane, train, subway, bus, boat, bicycle or by walking. Users can redeem miles for rewards, discounts, deals, and savings from brands such as Canon, Cole Haan, Vudu, HelloFresh, Atom Tickets, Thrive Market, Silvercar, YourMechanic, Travelcar, NatureBox, Rhone and many more.
Pei is a free app that offers up to 20 percent cash rewards on any debit or credit card with the ability to cash out in bitcoin or cash. With more than 60,000 locations nationwide, users can receive cash rewards anytime they visit a Pei merchant. Simply link a debit or credit card to earn rewards on, spend as normal, and watch the cash rewards add up.
Shopkick offers users points, or “kicks,” for walking into stores, scanning barcodes of specific products, viewing products online, or watching videos. Users can also earn kicks by shopping with a linked card, submitting purchase receipts, visiting online stores, or shopping online. Kicks can be redeemed for gift cards to stores such as Target, Starbucks, Sephora, Amazon and more.
Earn money and rewards on purchases and save money on gas with Trunow. First, the app locates the least expensive gas prices available. Then, users can earn 1 percent or 2 percent cash back by using a gas station partnered with Trunow. Beyond gas, Trunow also offers cash back and reward points for other gas station purchases such as snacks or drinks.
