For many shoppers, there’s nothing more exciting than getting something on sale and nothing more frustrating than paying full price.
If you're wondering how to save money, you can usually find a good deal with free coupon apps.
We picked seven of our favorites. We selected different apps for different types of shopping trips and have spelled out some of the most helpful features of each.
1. Ibotta
Features: The Ibotta app allows you to check for cash back-rewards before you shop in-store or online. Before shopping at any of the more than 2,000 businesses partnered with Ibotta — like Banana Republic, Aldi or BestBuy.com — add cash-back offers and then upload your receipts or link to your loyalty card to receive cash back. Withdraw earnings to your bank, gift cards or your PayPal account. You can also earn cash back on gift card purchases.
Works well for: Grocery shopping, personal care items, household goods, pet food, dining and more.
Browser extension: Chrome
2. The Coupons App
Features: The Coupons App congregates deals, coupons and promo codes from over 100,000 retailers. Use it to create a list of your favorite retailers; browse store and restaurant deals; find Groupon daily deals based on your location; and receive product discounts on Amazon. The app can also help you scope out the cheapest gas prices near you.
Works well for: Shopping and dining, gas purchases
Browser extension: Chrome, Firefox, Mac App Store
Get more financial clarity with NerdWallet
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3. ShopSavvy
Features: Less about coupons and more about price comparisons, the ShopSavvy app is a bar code scanner. Enable your location to find deals near you and scan a product’s bar code to compare prices. The app summarizes product reviews to help you decide what to buy. You can also use ShopSavvy to track the prices of your favorite products, set up alerts for price drops or deals, and see local retailers that have an item in stock.
Works well for: Price comparisons, price tracking and sales alerts.
4. Target (with Target Circle)
Features: Target’s app asks users to input their favorite Target store location to browse local deals and see the weekly ad. The app also includes Target Circle, formerly called Cartwheel, a rewards program that lets shoppers earn 1% back on in-store and online purchases. You can redeem your Target Circle earnings on future purchases. Add offers to your list in the app, then enter your mobile number or scan the bar code at the register to have the coupons applied to your transaction. When shopping in-store you can also use the bar code scanner feature to see prices, product reviews and deals.
Works well for: Target shoppers
5. CouponCabin
Features: The CouponCabin app congregates a variety of offerings, including coupon codes for online shopping, coupons that can be downloaded for in-store shopping and freebie offers. Browse available deals at retailers such as Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Target, Petco and Hobby Lobby. You can also earn up to 20% cash back on online purchases from more than 6,000 stores. Plus, access some member-only coupons.
Works well for: Online and in-store shopping
6. PayPal Honey
Features: PayPal Honey is a coupon and cash-back app and browser extension that searches for the best coupon codes and automatically applies them to your online shopping cart. When you shop via the browser extension, you can search for discounts for more than 30,000 retailers, including Macy’s, Ulta, Sephora, Target and Amazon. You can also get rewarded for referring your friends. There is an additional rewards program called PayPal Rewards, which lets you earn points on your eligible purchases when using the app or browser extension. Rewards points can then be redeemed for cash back, a PayPal shopping credit or a gift card from select stores once you earn enough points. Rewards points can also be donated to causes through CharityChoice.
Works well for: Online shopping
Browser extension: Chrome
Get more financial clarity with NerdWallet
Monitor your credit, track your spending and see all of your finances together in a single place.
7. Dosh
Features: Dosh stands out for its ability to apply savings to purchases beyond your typical retailers. For example, users can book through the app with thousands of hotels and earn up to 40% cash back on select stays. You set up Dosh and then savings are applied to your linked debit or credit cards, when you shop at places like Sephora, Walmart and Instacart. Dosh can be used for in-app and in-store purchases, and you can redeem your cash back rewards once $15 accrues in your account.
Works well for: Travel, dining and general shopping
