Fetch Review
Fetch scans your receipts and gives you cash back on purchases. Find out if it's a good way to save money on grocery shopping.
Overall Score | 3.5 | ||
Earning Potential | 2.5 | ||
Ease of Use | 4.0 | ||
Trustworthy | 4.0 | ||
Pros and Cons
- Free to use
- Scan entire receipt
- Redeem gift cards quickly
- Can't redeem gift cards older than 14 days
- Can only redeem gift cards, no direct deposit
- Points expire after 90 days of inactivity
Bottom Line
Lets you try new brands and rewards gift cards for your purchases
If you're like most people, you throw away your receipts.
But with Fetch, you scan your receipts to save money on what you just bought. It works with grocery stores, convenience stores, liquor stores, and more.
But does it really work? And is the app even safe to use?
Take a look at Fetch's pros, cons, and common complaints below. Plus, find out if the app's earning potential is worth your time.
What is Fetch?
Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Fetch Rewards is a free shopping receipt app that gives you points for scanning your receipt. You can redeem points in exchange for gift cards, visa cards, charity donations, and sweepstakes entries. Generally, 1,000 points = $1.
In 2023, Fetch Rewards scanned 2.6 billion receipts and awarded 242 billion points.[1]
What sets Fetch Rewards apart from other cash back apps is that Fetch doesn't make you "clip" digital coupons before shopping. You simply get cash back for scanning receipts.
You'll be less tempted to buy stuff you don't actually need just for the cash back. And you don't need to plan ahead.
Each eligible scan gets you at least 25 points. You can earn more points if you purchase partner products from participating brands.[2][3]
You can scan receipts from purchases at grocery stores, convenience stores, markets, club stores, liquor stores, and other select retailers. Note: You have up to 14 days to scan receipts. You can scan up to 35 receipts within an eight-day period. Receipts older than 14 days are not eligible to earn points.[4]
You can upload all receipts from grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, convenience stores, big-box retailers like Costco, Sam's, BJ's, and stores like Aldi's, Walmart, and Target. Fetch Rewards also works with hundreds of brands like Doritos, Starbucks, L'Oreal, Clorox, and Larabar.
Before we continue...
Looking for more cash back rewards? We found the best cash back apps for getting money back on everyday purchases.
Our take: Capital One Shopping is our top cash back app. First, it automatically helps you find coupons and deals when you shop online. Plus, their cash back shopping portal can give you as much as over 12% back. In comparison, Fetch only makes you pennies per receipt.
How Does Fetch Pay?
You can earn rewards by snapping paper or digital receipts, shopping special offers, and referring friends. Once your account has $3, you can browse Fetch's selection of gift cards. And since 1,000 points = $1, you need at least 3,000 points to cash out.[5]
There are gift cards available from major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and more.
To see your rewards, go to the "Rewards" icon in the bottom menu. Here's how to redeem a reward:
- Go to the Rewards tab to browse hundreds of rewards.
- Select your reward and desired value, then hit "Get my reward".
- Wait 72 hours for processing.
- You'll receive a notification if your reward is ready.
- Follow vendor instructions to use your reward.
On average, you'll earn $0.25 - $2 cash back. Fetch Rewards can be worthwhile for frequent grocery shoppers. But if you shop online and in store, you should look into other cash back apps. For example, MyPoints lets you earn up to 40% back from stores like Target, Amazon, Home Depot, and Best Buy.
Is Fetch Legit?
Fetch is a legitimate company that provides points for eligible purchases on shopping receipts. Points may expire if your account is inactive for 90 days.[6]
Fetch's business model is affiliate marketing. Basically, they get a commission when you shop with certain brands and the points/cash back is a cut of these commissions.
Privacy concerns are common with cash back/shopping apps. To protect yourself on these platforms, take the following steps:
- Create an account with a burner email address rather than your main account
- DO NOT start an account using Facebook or Google
- Use a unique password
- Don't connect your main email or Amazon accounts
Fetch Rewards is not a scam. The company is a legitimate shopping app that rewards users with free gift cards for uploading shopping receipts.
What is the Catch with Fetch Rewards?
First of all, you won't get rich from Fetch. The points you earn end up being a few cents here and there. The time it takes you to monitor your account and scan receipts may not be worth the payout.
You'll earn $0.25 - $2 cash back.
Second of all, in processing your digital receipts, Fetch may retrieve personal information such as:
- Billing address
- Mailing address
- Name
- Payment method
Whether you want to share this information is up to your comfort level. Fetch is a market research company and yes, they do sell your information to companies. Big brands use this data to improve their product and services.
All of this information is anonymous so companies cannot trace the info back to you.
Fetch Rewards doesn't "steal" your information per se. They take certain personal details like billing address, name, email address, payment method, and mailing address to process your receipts. That is kept private BUT they sell the data from your scanned receipts to companies.
They're essentially a market research company. The data is kept anonymous and cannot be traced back to you. But corporations use this information to improve their services and products.
Pros and cons
Here's a breakdown of Fetch's main benefits and disadvantages:
Pros:
- Free to use
- Scan entire receipt instead of clipping coupons beforehand
- Huge network of brands
- Scanning receipts is quick and easy
- No long wait to get your gift card rewards
Cons:
- Must remember to upload receipt within 14 days
- Only eligible receipts can earn points[7]
- No direct deposit redemptions
- Can only upload 35 receipts in an 8-day period
- Points expire after 90 days of inactivity
Fetch has very limited customer support. If you need help, email support@fetch.com or try to troubleshoot the issue yourself with their help page.
Common Complaints
Beware of a few recurring issues that Fetch users struggle with:
- Not being awarded referral points
- Unresponsive customer service
- Problems uploading receipts into app
- Trouble syncing Amazon accounts into app
- Errors (like erasing points) after app updates
Fetch Rewards does not collect any bank information. When you sign up, the app will ask for some personal details like:
- Name
- Birth date
- Email address
- Home address
- Phone number
In terms of reputation, Fetch has a 4.6-rating on Trustpilot (as of May 14, 2024). Fetch Rewards is not BBB-accredited.
How it Compares
Dosh vs Fetch
With Dosh, you can earn cash back by connecting your debit card or credit card. The app automatically applies cash back to all your eligible transactions. This means you don't have to keep track of old receipts or search for coupons.
The platform doesn't sell your data, and it doesn't store your card or banking information. Once you earn $15 in rewards, you can transfer your money to your bank, PayPal, or Venmo.[8] Or, you can donate your cash back to charity.
Honey vs Fetch
Honey is a browser extension, not an app. But it's a lot more hands-off. After downloading Honey, they do all the discount hunting for you.
Honey work with over 30,000 merchants and users save an average of 17.92% off their purchase.
Rakuten vs Fetch
Rakuten has a popular app and browser extension. They offer more retailers than Fetch and their referral bonus is higher ($30 at Rakuten vs $2 at Fetch).
If you prefer online shopping and have a huge network of friends, go with Rakuten.
How to Maximize Earnings on Fetch
If you're down to give Fetch a try, here are a few best practices to get you more Fetch Rewards points:
- Purchase partner products - Fetch updates their list of featured brands and products that earn extra points.
- Complete special offers - On the app's Discover page, you can earn extra points by making a specific purchase or completing a task.
- Connect your shopping account - If you connect your Amazon account to Fetch, you can automatically earn points on eligible purchases. You just need to click the blue "e" at the bottom of the screen on the Discover or Activity page and the app will search for new receipts for you.
- Use the GoodRx Card - If you use GoodRx discount card in your Fetch Rewards app, you can save money on prescriptions and earn bonus points.
- Refer friends - You earn 2,000+ points when you refer a friend (worth $2+).[9]
Bottom Line
Fetch Rewards is best for families, coupon clippers, students, and folks who want to try new brands. The app lets you earn free gift cards without a lot of effort but if you prefer direct deposits, you should look elsewhere.
There are a ton of cash back apps available, so consider downloading more than one to maximize earnings.
References
- ^ Fetch. Fetch 2023 Wrapped: See How Americans Spent This Year, Retrieved 4/27/2024
- ^ Fetch Rewards. How do I earn points?, Retrieved 7/30/2022
- ^ Fetch Rewards. How many points will I receive for the receipts I snap?, Retrieved 7/30/2022
- ^ Fetch Rewards. Is There a Receipt Snapping Limit on Fetch?, Retrieved 5/14/2024
- ^ Fetch Rewards. How do I redeem a reward?, Retrieved 7/30/2022
- ^ Fetch Rewards. Do points expire?, Retrieved 7/30/2022
- ^ Fetch Rewards. Eligible Receipts, Retrieved 7/30/2022
- ^ Dosh. What are the requirements to withdraw funds?, Retrieved 4/27/2024
- ^ Fetch Rewards. Points Earned for Sharing Your Referral Code, Retrieved 7/30/2022
$10 Signup Bonus
Member must "Activate" the Bonus in the Swag Ups section of your account. Bonus value is earned in the form of points, called SB. Get a 1000 SB bonus, which is equivalent to $10 in value, when you spend at least $25 at a store featured in Swagbucks.com/Shop. You must receive a minimum of 25 SB for this purchase, which you must complete within 30 days of registration. MyGiftCardsPlus.com and travel purchases do not qualify.
Acorns Early Kids' Debit Card
- Real-time spend notifications.
- Block and unblock cards easily.
- Teach financial independence safely.
FamZoo Prepaid Card for Kids and Teens
- Order Online
- No Credit Check
- Try for Free
Amber Kong is a content specialist at CreditDonkey, a personal finance comparison and reviews website. Write to Amber Kong at amber.kong@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.
Note: This website is made possible through financial relationships with some of the products and services mentioned on this site. We may receive compensation if you shop through links in our content. You do not have to use our links, but you help support CreditDonkey if you do.
|
|
| ||||||
|
|
|