With the price of everything going up, I’m always looking for ways to save money or earn money without taking much effort. You’re probably familiar with Ratuken, and I also use Upside, but one of my favorites and the most versatile is Fetch app.
Fetch is a free app that turns receipts and online purchases into rewards you can redeem pretty easily. It’s low effort, and when I check for bonuses, I can really maximize the points I earn. This just might become your new best shopping buddy.
What Is the Fetch App?
Fetch is a free app available for iOS and Android devices that rewards you for scanning receipts from your purchases. It used to only be grocery store purchases, but you can now scan just about any receipt you have whether it’s your fast food meal or home improvement stuff you bought at the hardware store.
Use the code BAAQD when you sign up to get bonus points after you snap your first receipt! This gets you to your first reward even faster.
(I also get bonus points, to be clear.)
It’s easy to snap a picture with the Fetch app, and it automatically calculates your points. It also partners with some online retailers, though you have to connect those accounts for it to work.
Fetch isn’t tied to a single retailer or brand. It’s completely agnostic to where you shop. Whether you’re a loyal Kroger shopper or prefer the variety of Costco, you can scan your receipt to earn points.
What Can You Redeem Points For?
The best part? Those points you accumulate from scanning receipts can be redeemed for all sorts of things. I tend to redeem my points for gift cards for businesses I regularly shop at or places I use as a treat, like Amazon and Starbucks and Chipotle.
The gift cards range from $3 rewards all the way up to $50. Each retailer sets the gift card values they offer and the amount of points for each gift card.
That means that a $25 gift card may require 24,500 points or 28,000 points. Some retailers offer just $25 and $50 gift cards, while others offer $3, $5, and $10 gift cards.
You can also redeem Visa gift cards. Note that if you choose the physical gift card, there is a $3 fee that gets deducted from the card balance, so think about getting a virtual gift card and shopping online.
For much smaller point values, you can enter sweepstakes for as little as 100 points. This is not my favorite way to use points, as I want to know I’m getting something for it.
How to Scan Receipts
Scanning receipts with Fetch is a breeze, and it takes just seconds. The big piece is getting into the habit of scanning so you don’t miss out. I have a place in my purse where I put all my receipts and a routine to empty it and scan them once a week.
You can download the app from either the Apple App Store or the Google Play store, depending on your device. You can also go directly to the Fetch app link to find the app instead of searching for it.
Once you download it, open the Fetch app. Create an account and remember to use the code BAAQD to get the bonus points. If you don’t add that when you sign up, you cannot go back and add it later, so get those bonus points!
Once logged in, click on the orange camera icon on the bottom of the screen. Hold your receipt flat on a well-lit surface and make sure there are no wrinkles or folds obscuring important information.
You must be able to see the store name, the date of the transaction, the total amount paid, and the items you purchased. If any of those are missing, you can manually add them after you submit your scan, but this then gets verified by Fetch.
Line up the receipt squarely within the frame and tap the capture button. If you get green checkmarks for store, date, and total, then you are all set. Slide the camera icon into the circle that appears in the center.
If you have something missing or unreadable, you can click the X on the top left of the screen and take a new photo. You can also submit and then manually update information if the app can’t read it from your receipt.
Fetch will process your receipt and award you points based on your purchases. Repeat this with every receipt you have, and watch the points add up.
Making the Most of Bonus Offers
Fetch often partners with retailers or brands to offer bonus points that change regularly. These can be for specific brands, product categories, or even trying out new stores you might not have visited before.
You can easily check these bonus offers from the home screen where you can toggle amongst offers, brands, and clubs. Offers are the specific products that have a bonus at the time, while brands compiles all the offers currently available under that brand so there is some overlap.
Clubs is focused on the General Mills Good Rewards club at the moment. If you join the club and then purchase featured General Mills products, you can earn bonus points.
To maximize your points, check out the offers before you go shopping. Maybe you’ll choose to buy a different brand of mayonnaise or orange juice because the bonus offers make it worthwhile.
You can also stock up on the products offering bonus points to enjoy them later but benefit from higher points. The products and categories rotate regularly, and you can easily see how long before they expire to allow you to plan more easily.
How to Connect Online Shopping
Fetch isn’t just for physical receipts. You can connect your accounts from Amazon, Casey’s, Instacart, and Walmart. You can also connect your email account for any online purchases that is one of their partners, but there are so many I cannot list them.
The email receipts they will auto detect when you do a scan from the app range from 7-Eleven to Five Below to O’Reilly Auto to Uber Eats and so many more. You can only connect one account, however, so make sure all your online purchases go to that email account.
Tap on the profile icon or “Account” tab (location may vary depending on your device). Look for a section labeled “eReceipts” or “Connected Stores.”
Select the online retailer you want to connect (e.g., Amazon, Walmart). The app will redirect you to the retailer’s secure login page where you will need to log in and authorize Fetch to access your purchase history.
Follow the same prompts for each retailer you want to connect and your email address. Once you have everything connected, Fetch will scan your e-receipts each time you press the blue ereceipts button.
You Can Also Earn Points Through Gaming
The Fetch app recently introduced a gaming partnership, as well. Through this, you can earn points for every minute you play specific apps up to a maximum set for each app.
To do this, you need to select the Play option and then follow the prompts to opt in and to allow tracking of how long you use the gaming apps. There are currently five apps Fetch has partnered with, some of which you may already play and enjoy.
You do have to download the app to your phone as a standalone app, as these are not games within the Fetch app. But if you want to play Candy Crush, Monopoly Go, Travel Town, Coin Master, or Bingo Blitz, you’re in luck.
This is a quick way to earn a lot of points, as Travel Town currently offers 264 points per minute of game play for a total over over 17,000 points. You do have to download the apps from the link in the app and be a new user, which is the big caveat here.
How Do You Redeem Rewards?
Redeeming rewards is simple and easy. Once you have accumulated enough points, simple click on the rewards tab on the app and find the reward you want to redeem. You can search by the points you have available, by category, or search for a specific merchant.
If you have enough points to redeem a reward, the circle around the reward value will be orange. If you don’t have enough points yet, the circle remains grey.
To redeem a reward, tap on the reward value of the merchant and then click the “get my reward” button at the bottom of the screen. Follow the prompts, and you will soon have the electronic (in most cases) reward in your email.
There is processing time, and the Fetch app is great about communicating what to expect, as some rewards take longer to verify than others. You can also click into My Rewards within the rewards section to view what you have redeemed and check on the status of it.
Can You Double Dip with Other Apps?
The short answer is that yes, yes, you absolutely can double dip with other apps like Ratuken and Belly and such where you scan receipts for rewards. You can also use your store loyalty programs and then scan the receipts with the Fetch app.
How Long Do You Have to Scan Receipts?
Fetch gives you 14 days from the purchase date to scan your receipt and earn points. If you forget to scan right away, you have time. However, it’s best to get into the habit of scanning your receipts as soon as possible to avoid missing out on any points.
Every once in awhile, you may accidentally scan an older receipt where they will make a one time exception, but in general, any receipts older than 14 days will get rejected. Make this a habit because it’s absolutely worth the small amount of time it takes to scan.
For the ereceipts, you have up to 30 days to run the Fetch app scan. I simply have the habit of running the scan each time I finish scanning my in-person receipts, and that works well.
So have you downloaded the Fetch app yet?
Fetch is a fantastic app that turns your receipts into an easy source of rewards you can actually use. With its ease of use, bonus offers, and variety of redeemable options, Fetch is a great way to feel like you’re stretching your shopping dollar a little further.
Download the app today and see for yourself how those receipts can transform into rewards. Just don’t forget to add the referral code BAAQD to get those bonus points after you scan your first receipt.
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