Get cash back by simply scanning store receipts--here's how

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - Just threw your store receipt in the trash, didn't you? Dig in there and get it back.

Then scan the barcode with one of the smart phone apps Kyle James, founder and savings guru of RatherBeShopping.com, recommends to score cash rebates.

"With very little time or effort, you can scan that receipt with your smart phone, and you get a lot of free money back," James said. "You can take it out immediately with PayPal, or you can get a gift card. It's really a no-brainer."

Starting with my favorite:

* IBOTTA: Ibotta can be used with virtually any retailer's receipt on any brand product. You can use it as your shopping list, checking off items you would shop for anyway to register their rebates. "And this includes generic stuff, like milk, eggs, even produce," James said.

One of Andy Wise's secret shoppers, Shawn Anderson, put Ibotta to work at Target. She built a shopping list of items listed as carrying rebates at Target, including bread and milk with no brand restrictions.

Her bill at check-out was a little more than $25. We pulled her cart aside, then used Ibotta to scan each product's barcode, then scan her receipt's barcode. Ibotta instantly rewarded her more than $12 in rebates and credits--although $10 of that was a bonus for being a first time user of the product.

"I saved about half of what I spent!" Anderson exclaimed. "So I've got more money to shop!"

* WALMART SAVINGS CATCHER APP: Walmart offers its own free receipt-scanning app exclusively for its store receipts. As long as you scan the receipt within seven days of purchase, James said you can save and accumulate rebates that you can apply to future Walmart purchases.

"I'm up to about $68, and I can use that money to go back into Walmart, do back-to-school shopping or Christmas shopping, whatever it might be," he said. "After you scan your receipt, Walmart will check the pricing of the items you bought, compare them with the prices at local competitors, and if they find a lower price they'll refund you the difference."

* YAARLO. James said with the Yaarlo app, you can scan any store's receipt and get a flat cash-back percentage on your total order. "The more you use it, the higher that number gets," he explained. "With Yaarlo, you can also get cash back on gift cards. A lot of people buy gift cards with Yaarlo and get money back on that. Go in the store, use that gift card, then scan that receipt back in the app and get money back on the purchase with the gift card! So that's kind of double-dipping their savings."

James has written a blog about these apps and other reasons why you should save your receipts. Link to it here.

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