Apps Like Upside (2026)

Upside is a free app that pays cash back on gas, groceries and dining at participating locations near you. You claim an offer in the app, pay with a credit or debit card, then cash out to your bank account or a gift card. Users have earned more than $1 billion in cash back, and frequent users average $255 in their first year, per upside.com.

Upside works well, but it has limits. Offers depend on which locations near you participate, bank cashouts under $10 cost $1 and Upside removed PayPal cashouts from all accounts on August 14, 2026, per its support center.

Below, we compare five apps like Upside plus two cash advance apps, and we verified every detail on each company’s own site only.

Our picks

• Ibotta — best for grocery cash back at thousands of retailers
• GasBuddy — best for guaranteed savings on every fill-up
• Rakuten — best for dining and in-store cash back with a linked card
• Checkout 51 — best for weekly grocery offers plus gas deals
• Fetch — best for turning everyday receipts into gift cards

Plus two cash advance apps for when you need real cash rather than rewards:

• EarnIn — best for accessing wages you’ve already earned
• Brigit — best for a cash advance bundled with budgeting tools

How do apps like Upside compare?

Ibotta: best for grocery cash back at thousands of retailers

Earning potential: Not listed as a fixed rate. Cashouts from: $20. Signup bonus: Not listed on its website.

Ibotta is a free app that pays real cash back, not points, on groceries, restaurants and online shopping. You add offers to your list before you shop, then upload your receipt or link a store loyalty account so cash back lands automatically. Ibotta adds hundreds of new offers each week, per its own guide.

Once you hit $20, you can withdraw to your bank account, PayPal or a gift card. To withdraw to a bank, at least one of your earnings must come from a name-brand offer, and transfers can take up to five business days. You can also buy gift cards in the app and get instant cash back on your whole purchase at more than 50 stores and restaurants.

GasBuddy: best for guaranteed savings on every fill-up

Earning potential: At least 3¢/gal free; up to 33¢/gal with a Flash Deal plus in-store rewards. Cashouts from: No cashout — savings come off your fuel price. Signup bonus: Not listed on its website.

If gas is the main reason you use Upside, GasBuddy is the closest swap. Its Pay with GasBuddy+ card is free, with no credit check and no interest, monthly or annual fees. It works at any gas station that accepts Mastercard, and purchases come out of your linked bank account after discounts apply.

With Auto Pay turned on, the free plan guarantees at least 3¢/gal on every fill-up. Activate a 25¢/gal Flash Deal (formerly Deal Alerts) in the app and you can save up to 30¢/gal, or up to 33¢/gal when you add the 3¢/gal you earn for every $25 spent on non-fuel items inside the store. Paid plans take it further: Plus ($7.99/month or $89/year) and Premium ($9.99/month or $99/year) both save 20¢/gal on your first 50 gallons each month, then 5¢/gal after that. Premium adds roadside assistance from Allstate, up to two events a year.

Rakuten: best for dining and in-store cash back with a linked card

Earning potential: 5% cash back at participating restaurants. Cashouts from: $5.01 per quarterly payment. Signup bonus: Not listed as a fixed amount.

Rakuten pays cash back on online shopping, and it also works like Upside at restaurants and stores. Link an eligible Visa, Mastercard or American Express card and you earn 5% cash back at more than 22,000 participating restaurants, including tax, tip and drinks, per Rakuten’s own blog. Dining offers load onto your card automatically and never expire. You need to add in-store offers before you shop, and most expire after 75 days.

Rakuten pays out every three months (February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15) once you have at least $5.01 in confirmed cash back. You can choose a check, PayPal, Amex Membership Rewards points or Bilt points. If you don’t want to wait, you can redeem $5 or more in confirmed cash back for a gift card.

Checkout 51: best for weekly grocery offers plus gas deals

Earning potential: Not listed as a fixed rate. Cashouts from: $20. Signup bonus: Not listed on its website.

Checkout 51 posts new offers every Sunday in the US, and they run through Saturday at 11:59 p.m. You buy the exact product listed at an eligible store, upload your receipt while the offer is live and get cash back in your account. Offers come in limited quantities, so check your list before you shop.

Gas offers work a lot like Upside’s. You add an offer from a nearby station before you buy, fill up within four hours, pay with a credit or debit card and upload one photo of your full receipt within 20 hours. Cash back lands within 10 business days. Once your balance hits $20, cash out via PayPal, Venmo or a mailed check.

Fetch: best for turning everyday receipts into gift cards

Earning potential: Not listed as a fixed rate. Cashouts from: 3,000 points. Signup bonus: Not listed on its website.

Fetch gives you points for snapping grocery, shopping and restaurant receipts. You can snap up to 35 receipts in a rolling seven-day period, and you must snap paper receipts within 14 days of purchase. You can also connect your email and Amazon account to earn on eligible online orders.

Most rewards need at least 3,000 points. Your first redemption has to be a $10, $25 or $50 reward, and smaller $3 and $5 rewards unlock after that. Most rewards are electronic gift cards, and they can take up to 72 hours to process. Keep your account active, too — points expire if you go 90 days without submitting a receipt or redeeming a reward.

Cash advance apps: a different route to quick cash

If you need money before payday rather than rewards on what you buy, cash advance apps are a different type of product. Here’s how two popular options compare.

EarnIn: best for accessing wages you’ve already earned

EarnIn lets you access wages you’ve already worked for before payday, up to $150 a day, with a max of $1,000 per pay period. New users average an $85 daily max at signup, and your limit can range from $0 to $150. Standard transfers are free and take one to three business days. Lightning Speed gets you your money in minutes starting at $3.99. There’s no interest, no credit check and no mandatory fees — tips are optional. You need a regular pay schedule and must earn at least $320 per pay period.

Brigit: best for a cash advance bundled with budgeting tools

Brigit’s Instant Cash advances range from $25 to $500 ($25–$250 in Maine), and the average advance is $73, per Brigit’s own site. There’s no interest, no late fees and no credit check, and you can extend your repayment date for free.

The Plus plan ($8.99/month) includes Instant Cash with free standard delivery and optional paid Express Delivery, which usually arrives within 20 minutes. The Premium plan ($15.99/month) adds Credit Builder and free Express Delivery.

How to choose the best app like Upside

• Start with what you buy most. GasBuddy fits heavy drivers, Ibotta and Checkout 51 fit grocery shoppers and Rakuten fits people who eat out often.
• Check the cashout minimum. Upside lets you cash out to your bank from $1.01, while Ibotta and Checkout 51 make you wait until you hit $20.
• Decide how you want to get paid. Some apps pay cash to your bank or PayPal, while Fetch pays in rewards like gift cards and GasBuddy takes savings off your fuel price.
• Check the extra steps. You claim Upside, Checkout 51 and Rakuten in-store offers before you pay, while Fetch and Rakuten dining don’t need you to claim anything.
• Stack where you can. Upside says you can use it on top of credit, debit and loyalty rewards, but Checkout 51 adjusts its gas cash back if you use another discount at the pump.
• Read recent app store reviews. Ratings and complaint patterns shift over time, so check current feedback before you commit.

Alternatives to consider

• Cash advance apps. If a rewards app is too slow, cash advance apps like EarnIn and Brigit give you access to cash before payday without a traditional loan.
• Small personal loans. If you need more than a cash advance covers, a small personal loan spreads repayment over months instead of your next paycheck.
• Receipt-scanning apps. If you’d rather earn after you shop without claiming offers first, receipt-scanning and cashback apps reward you for the receipts you already have.
• Cashback debit cards. A cashback debit card earns rewards on everyday purchases with no app to open at checkout.
• Get-paid-to (GPT) apps for gaming. If shopping rewards aren’t for you, GPT apps that reward you for playing mobile games are a more hands-on way to earn.
• GPT apps for surveys. Survey-focused platforms skip shopping entirely and pay you for sharing your opinion in surveys instead.

Compare other apps to earn money online:

4 of 4 results

Updated regularly

Earning Potential	Cash-outs From	Signup Bonus
Freecash	up to $1,225 per offer	$5–$20 (first withdrawal, varies by region)	$10 bonus	Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading
Scrambly	Averages $17+ in rewards per user per day	From $1, depending on your redemption method	500 Scramble Coins (about $0.50)	Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading
KashKick	$20 to $40 per month for average user	$10	$1 after creating free account	View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
InboxDollars	$50 to $100 a month for an active user	$15 to start, per InboxDollars' Help Center (its Terms of Use lists $30 instead — see the discrepancy below)	$5 after you create a free account	View details Compare product selection Compare	loading

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Showing 4 of 4 results

Bottom line

Upside isn’t the only way to earn on gas, groceries and dining. GasBuddy is the strongest pick for gas, Ibotta and Checkout 51 cover groceries, Rakuten covers dining and Fetch rewards you for everyday receipts. If you need quick cash rather than rewards, EarnIn and Brigit offer a different route to money ahead of payday.

Frequently asked questions

• What's the best app like Upside for gas?

  GasBuddy is the closest match. Its free Pay with GasBuddy+ card saves at least 3¢/gal at gas stations that accept Mastercard when you enroll in Auto Pay, and up to 33¢/gal when you stack a Flash Deal with in-store rewards. Checkout 51 also offers gas cash back at participating stations near you.

• Can I use Upside and another cashback app on the same purchase?

  Sometimes. Upside says you can stack it on top of credit, debit and loyalty rewards. Checkout 51, however, adjusts its gas cash back if you use another discount at the pump and asks you to submit your receipt to Checkout 51 first. Check each app's rules before you stack.

• Does Upside still pay out to PayPal?

  No. Upside dropped PayPal for most accounts in late 2025 and removed it from all remaining accounts on August 14, 2026, per its support center. You can still cash out to your bank account or a gift card.

• What's the difference between apps like Upside and cash advance apps?

  Apps like Upside reward you with cash back, discounts or gift cards on what you buy, there's no borrowing involved. Cash advance apps like EarnIn and Brigit give you early access to wages or a small advance ahead of payday, which you repay from your next paycheck.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Richard Laycock as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Megan B. Shepherd

Editor, Loans & Insurance

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Megan B. Shepherd is a personal finance expert and editor for loans and insurance at Finder. Her personal finance expertise has been featured on Forbes, Nasdaq, MediaFeed, Fox News, Time, Reviews.com, and carinsurance.com, adding invaluable information related to personal loans, financial strategies and smart borrowing tactics. Megan graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a BS in Business Administration with an entrepreneurial focus. She's worked as a certified financial adviser and has earned certificates of completion from A.D. Banker & Company. See full bio

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