Did you know that there are free apps that will give you discounts on a range of groceries, and even freebies?
Supermarket cashback apps have become increasingly popular in the UK, offering savvy shoppers a way to save money on their grocery bills. So, no matter if you’re out doing your weekly food shop or heading home from work and passing a participating store, you can save some of your hard-earned money and grab some tasty treats!
These shouldn’t be confused with cashback sites such as JamDoughnut or Topcashback, as these work in different ways; supermarket cashback apps instead will offer you a discount on grocery products of up to 100% of what you pay for the products, via cashback.
If you make good use of these types of apps, it can really add up! Since I’ve started using these apps to help out with my grocery costs, I’ve claimed back £451 from Shopmium, £417 from Checkoutsmart and £253 from GreenJinn, so it genuinely can make a difference to your food budget!
Photo by Yura Fresh on Unsplash
Three of the most prominent apps in the UK are Shopmium, CheckoutSmart, and GreenJinn. This is how these apps work and what they offer to UK consumers.
These apps generally follow a similar process:
- Browse offers within the app
- Purchase eligible products at participating supermarkets
- Upload a photo of your receipt
- Receive cashback in your account
- Once you have enough cashback in your account, you can cash this out to your bank
A bonus tip is always to scan the retailer’s loyalty cards. You might earn extra points or cash rewards for the purchase, which improves the deal even further!
Shopmium
Shopmium is one of the most popular cashback apps in the UK, offering deals at major supermarkets like Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, and Morrisons, but you’ll also find other retailers on the app as well.
Key Features:
• Free to download and use • Regular updates with new offers • Requires scanning product barcodes in addition to receipt upload • £10 minimum payout threshold • Cashback paid via bank transfer or PayPal
There is also a Shopmium club, which puts you on different levels depending on how many cashback requests you make. You start on the silver level, and then if you make five cashback requests, you’ll move up to the Gold level. Once you move to Gold, you’ll find out first about new offers, get your cashback faster and get a birthday freebie, which is normally a decent-sized bar of chocolate, sometimes even a box of chocolates!
Shopmium is known for offering some of the best deals and rewards, including freebies and high-value cashback offers. You can also refer your friends to sign up to the app for a cashback bonus for you and a free welcome gift for your friend, which is currently free chocolate!
CheckoutSmart
CheckoutSmart is another leading cashback app, covering a wide range of UK supermarkets and retailers
Key Features:
• Offers at Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons, and more • Known for frequent freebie offers • £5 minimum payout for bank transfers or PayPal (5% fee for amounts under £20) • Option to receive e-vouchers with a lower £5 minimum
CheckoutSmart stands out for its wide selection of participating retailers and its focus on freebie offers. It also has, a RRP scheme, which selected users of the app might be invited to, which offers extra free (100% cashback) offers, but in return you’ll need to agree to write reviews of the products you’ve tried.
I find the offers easier to browse through than its main rival Shopmium, as the offers available and the cashback amounts are very easy to see on the app; the Shopmium system makes you click on each product to see the cashback rate, which I find to be slower and a bit annoying, but I suspect it’s done that way to make sure as many people click on that product as possible, which is good for brand recognition!
GreenJinn
GreenJinn is a cashback app focused on promoting sustainable and eco-friendly products. While it may have fewer offers than other apps, it provides an opportunity to save money while supporting environmentally conscious brands.
You’ll find offers from major UK supermarkets as well as ‘healthier’ stores such as Holland & Barrett, Boots and Wholefoods.
Key Features:
• Offers at Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose • Emphasis on healthier and eco-friendly products • £1.50 minimum payout threshold • Regular cashback offers on fresh produce as well as more convenience-style foods. This is often fruit or vegetables.
GreenJinn is an excellent choice for those looking to save money while supporting more sustainable brands.
Benefits of Using Supermarket Cashback Apps
- Save Money on Everyday Purchases: Cashback apps allow you to earn money back on items you would have purchased anyway, effectively reducing your grocery bill. Be aware, though, that unless the item you’re going to buy for cashback is essentially free (100% cashback), it’s going to cost you money in the long run, so try and choose products that you can use instead of something on your shopping list to maximise your savings!
- Discover New Products: By browsing the offers on these apps, you may discover new products or brands that you wouldn’t have otherwise considered, expanding your shopping options. I’ve found new products that I wouldn’t have likely not bought had it not been as part of a cashback offer, which has broadened my culinary horizons!
- Convenience: Instead of the old style of clipping coupons or searching for deals, these supermarket cashback apps provide a centralised platform for finding discounts and earning cashback. Watch out for discount codes published on the app’s social media pages for exclusive or unpublished offers that offer even more savings or opportunities to try new products.
- Referral Programs: Opportunities to take advantage of the Shopmium referral program, allowing you to earn additional credit or bonuses for inviting friends and family to join
Tips for Maximising Savings with Supermarket Cashback Apps
- Only Purchase Items You Need: While the discounts and freebies can be tempting, it’s important to avoid impulse purchases and only buy items you would have purchased anyway.
- Check for Double Discounts: Look for products listed on more than one cashback app (rare but does happen) simultaneously, so you can claim more than once, which means it’s free money! You’ll sometimes find offers on these apps. At the same time, you might find an offer for the same product on social media, from sampling services such as Hashting, meaning you might be able to double your savings!
- If possible, use a cashback app such as the gift card cashback apps to pay for your shop. This means you will earn cashback on the initial gift card purchase and then get cashback on the products as well from the supermarket cashback app, so you’ll potentially make a small profit (usually pretty small, but it all adds up!) Also, you could use a credit card or debit card that gives you cashback on your purchase to pay, such as the Chase 1% cashback account.
- Upload Receipts Promptly: To ensure you receive your cashback, upload your receipt and any required product information as soon as possible after making your purchase; it is very easy to forget to do it, and then you might lose out on the cashback entirely! Try to claim the cashback when you get home with the goods so you don’t forget! If you use receipt scanning apps to earn money on your receipts, you can also use these cashback receipts for these purchases to earn extra money!
- Nothing stops you from setting up accounts for other family members and yourself, and then maximise the promotions by purchasing multiples of the deals and claiming on each family member’s app! For example, my partner has all the same apps I do, and if I find a good deal, I’ll buy two and claim one through my app and the other one through my partner’s app.If you do this, you’ll need to make sure that you get separate receipts for each item, as each receipt can only be scanned once as it remembers the receipt number, and so if you put two items on one receipt, you’ll only be able to claim once; so get a separate receipt for the 2nd item and use that second receipt to claim.This works especially well for free items, as you can then get two instead of one, or even more if you have multiple people with the apps.
- Check the apps frequently so you don’t miss out on any limited-time promotions!
- Remember that all the information you scan onto the apps can be used by the app for its own purposes. Information about you and your buying preferences may be used internally by the app, it may be passed onto the brands or marketing departments of the brand or could be sold on to other service providers such as financial products or motor insurance/home insurance companies, as examples, so others may use your personal data. Still, it’s not any different to many other apps, including loyalty card apps, as they all use your data in one way or another!
- Make sure you have all three of these apps on your phone! It maximises the amount of cash you could earn from your groceries and gives you more choice on deals!
By incorporating supermarket cashback apps into your grocery shopping routine, you can earn money back on your purchases and stretch your budget further. Remember to use these apps responsibly and only purchase items you truly need to maximise your savings, but they are a great way to save money and try new products/brands.
About the author: Al Baker runs the Penny Pincher Blog and is a money-saving & side hustle expert and content creator.
