Who does not love saving money? Coupon apps are one of the best ways to save money. From grocery apps like Ibotta to Shopkick rewards, smartphone coupon apps are great options to save money on the go.
Keep more dollars in your wallet by using these apps to shop for everything you would typically buy, from groceries and family fun days to clothes or dining out.
By offering coupons, promo codes, points, or cash back, coupon apps help consumers pay less for things they would buy anyway. Most apps are free, but not all coupon apps are created equal. Scammers create fake apps to look like trusted brands, and you can safely download them from the Google Play Store. Steer clear of coupon fraud and scams by avoiding too-good-to-be-true deals, following rules, and not copying or using expired coupons.
If you love saving money when you shop, check out these 5 best and worst coupon apps of 2022.
1. Ibotta

You have probably heard friends rave about this popular grocery app. Here’s how it works:
- To save money and avoid buying extra stuff while strolling the aisles, you can open your Ibotta app before you leave home to check for any coupons for things you plan to buy.
- Ibotta lets you mark the coupons right in the app.
- Next, head to the grocery store to buy the items you usually buy. Remember to hang on to your receipt since you will need it to claim your savings.
- Back at home (or in your car if you can’t wait), open the Ibotta app. Select the option to redeem your previously selected coupons.
- You will need to scan the barcode on each item and the barcode listed on your receipt. The credit shows up as soon as a few minutes or up to one business day.
All you need to do is wait until your credit reaches $20, then you can cash out your rewards via gift cards, PayPal, or as a direct deposit to your bank.
It is one of the fastest, legitimate, and most popular ways to get real cash back for your everyday purchases.
What to Avoid
Apps that offer fantastic super savings and high-value offers need to be avoided. If you see an app, email, or website that provides a $500 gift card, coupon, or promo code, the chances are that it is almost always a fake.
2. Groupon
While it is not grabbing the news these days, Groupon is the original everyday deal app and is still a popular player in the online coupon space.
Typically, most Groupon coupons act as a discount on a specific service or experience. For instance, you can get $10 off for $20 at a restaurant in your area. Or you can get a spa experience for two at a discounted rate.
Groupon can save you a lot of money at places that you already use. It is also a great discount tool to check out deals at a new place. Groupons can be used for a wide range of services and activities, such as eating out, skydiving, wine tasting, going to the zoo, going to a theme park, getting a spa day, going go-karting, or getting home repairs done.
Keep in mind that Groupon promos are time-sensitive. This means that you will need to use them during a specific timeframe. However, if you have already paid and the promotion expires, you still have the option to redeem it to get your cash value back.
What to Avoid
Watch out if you see an app that’s the only app that offers that great deal. For instance, if all other websites only offer a 10% off code, a 75% off deal is probably a scam.
3. Coupon Sherpa
You might not have heard of Sherpa Coupon, but it is a solid, older coupon app that offers many printable coupons.
Scan through the list for coupons for mall retailers, local department stores, big box stores, specialty stores, or restaurants.
The good news is that you do not have to print and clip coupons to take advantage of Coupon Sherpa.
These days, the site has a mobile app that can give you savings on the go.
What to Avoid
Check if the digital or printable coupons on an app lack legal information or expiration dates. Legitimate online coupons or printed offers will have coupon rules and requirements listed on the voucher. Digital coupons must always match the manufacturer’s guidelines.
4. Shopkick
Although Shopkick isn’t exactly a traditional coupon app, this app is a great way to earn points at stores you shop at online or visit in person.
Shopkick has joined with many popular chain stores to enable this rewards system. Just turn on your location services, walk into a store, and open the app to collect your rewards.
Once you earn enough rewards, called “kicks,” you can redeem the points for a gift card to your favorite listed retailer—Target, Walmart, Kroger, Best Buy, Yankee Candle, and TJMaxx.
You can save the most money if you take a few minutes to look for specific items on the list, find them in the store, and scan the barcodes.
Another way to get even bigger savings is to shop on big sale days of the year, such as Black Friday, where you can often earn up to 200 kicks in one day.
You can even earn kicks for visiting store sites online, watching short in-app video clips, or scanning a receipt for a purchase made in person. Check the app to see which points qualify for purchases that you make regularly. It’s a great way to collect passive points while going about your everyday shopping.
What to Avoid
Do not ever pay for a coupon. A legitimate app won’t ask for money. So, anything that requires you to pay before giving you the offer is a big red flag.
5. Coupons.com
This is a versatile app that you can use on both Apple and Android smartphones.
If you are always on the hunt for offers, then coupons.com is a giant company that offers a ton of deals for groceries and everyday purchases.
With the app, you can take advantage of these deals while on the go. Browse digital deals at places like Petco and Old Navy, or add the coupons to your Apple mobile wallet via the Passbook app.
Here are the top 3 ways that you can access your coupon savings:
- Print an email from your computer
- Print a deal from your mobile device (this only works if you’re using an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and some HP printers)
- Add the coupon to your store loyalty card and scan it when you check out
Use your phone to store coupons and scan to get the best rewards at checkout.
What to Avoid
Watch out for apps that employ scammers’ bait-and-switch strategies. For example, this scam pretends to offer you a coupon code online, free and clear. Then, once you agree to it, it makes you fill out a form with your personal information.
Image credit: [Getty Images Signature]