My Upside app review shows how this shopping app can help you save cash on some of life’s necessities. Getting the most out of Upside will depend on a few factors. Some are out of your control, such as which offers are available in your area.
Step 6: Cash Out!
Since you can quickly earn rebates, this app is an easy way to get cash back and save on groceries. However, gas, restaurant, and convenience store offers are most common. This discount option is one of the app’s newer features for getting cash back and has the least availability. For example, there are three partner gas stations and several restaurants in my city of approximately 20,000 residents. If you usually go to these merchants, you can easily save a few dollars on a purchase. There are also participating gas stations along several interstate exits where we usually stop during long-distance road trips.
- Orders made through food delivery apps like DoorDash won’t qualify for cash back.
- You rack up points by shopping and playing games then get free gift cards in return.
- The Upside offer was reduced by three cents per gallon, but I still saved more than by scanning my gas station loyalty card alone.
- You might only be able to claim one offer per gas station per day.
- Once you enable location services in the app, Upside will show you the deals closest to you.
If you’re traveling, you can search nearby or several miles down the road so you know if there’s a participating gas station, restaurant, or grocery store on your route. However, the app shows you participating local gas stations where you can beat the pump price by as much as 25 cents per gallon. Make your purchase within four hours of claiming your offer (24 hours for grocery stores).
GasBuddy
That said, Upside is expanding every day and could eventually rival more established apps. You can anticipate earning anywhere from one to 15 cents back per gallon of gas. Most restaurant and grocery store rebates are for 10% to 15% back.How much you earn depends on your spending habits.
Unfortunately, we were unable to earn enough money during our trial period to cash-out. The “Potential Annual Earnings” section below shows how much the average American could earn using the app, based on data collected from the U.S. Upside has an in-app chatbot that can answer your questions or notify the support team to investigate a purchase. An online FAQ library is also available for basic questions. National chains also offer cash back, but the availability might not Cryptocurrency trading for beginners be as prevalent as you expect. Millions of Americans ignore these easy tips that could have you padding your wallet in no time.
- To successfully complete the deal, you need to make your purchase in the set time frame and use a credit card.
- Businesses partner with cash back apps as a way to get more traffic to their stores, so that’s how they make money.
- If you’ve left the offer location, you’ll have to upload the receipt instead.
- They may also be better for buying groceries or dining out.
Multiple Redemption Options
The app has very positive overall ratings from users on the iOS and Google Play stores and a good reputation within the personal finance industry. However, we should note that our opportunities to test the app were limited and we didn’t earn enough after three weeks to test the payment process. Below, we calculated potential earnings for gas purchases by using average annual use numbers from the U.S.
Actionable Tips to Maximize Your Upside Earnings
As a quick example, you can earn $2 cash back when you buy 20 gallons of gas with a ten-cent offer. Additionally, this card is accepted at approximately 95% of stores (according to GasBuddy). Keep in mind that the gas station discounts might be for different stations than the ones the Upside app partners with.
GasBuddy offers a GasBack rewards card to save up to 25 cents per gallon at participating stations. The GasBuddy Gas Card is free and doesn’t require a credit check. The Ibotta app excels at helping you get cash back and save on groceries as well as merchandise. You can activate digital coupons for participating brands as you shop the store aisles.
Upside Gas App FAQ
Upside will start watching for the purchase to verify your cash back amount. You have 20 minutes to pay for your purchase when you check in. If the app doesn’t track purchases digitally from that merchant, you must upload a copy of your receipt within 24 hours.
Restaurant Offers
However, checking in before paying is vital so the app can easily track your purchase. Then, you can claim an offer within the app right before paying. After claiming an offer, you have four hours to redeem it before it expires. This relatively short claim window also lets other customers claim offers. You can cash out through your bank, PayPal or by getting gift cards.
You must meet minimum thresholds first (typically around $10–$15). Reviews also are generally positive, however there are complaints about minimal offers in some areas, difficulty contacting customer service and cash back claims getting rejected. Your best bet is to make sure you follow Upside’s directions exactly. Offers can expire or not work if you go to the wrong location. Upside says it can take up to 10 days to process the receipt and for the money to be available in your account.
Per Upside’s Terms of Service, a request for funds to your bank account or PayPal may take up to 10 business days. Earn up to 3x more cash back on essential purchases like groceries, dining and gas. To enter the special bonus promo code in the app, tap on the menu (the three horizontal bars) at the top left-hand side of the screen. A GasBuddy premium membership costs $9.99 per month and lets you save up to 40 cents per gallon. Additionally, you can receive complimentary roadside assistance.