The ReceiptPal app is one I have mentioned many times before. In fact, before I even started writing this ReceiptPal review, I thought I would search the site and see just how many times I mentioned it. It was 33+ times, and I’m sure I will continue to mention it many times more. It’s quite popular!
Seeing I have mentioned the ReceiptPal app so many times, I figured it was time to review it in depth like I have so many other apps out there. I will talk about how it works, how much you can make as well as if it’s worth the download. As in all my reviews, I try to remain honest and would never recommend something I personally wouldn’t use.
So, if you like the thought of scanning receipts, just about any receipt for that matter, then this app may be worth the download.
ReceiptPal App Review
What is ReceiptPal?
The ReceiptPal app allows you to turn your receipts into points every time you upload one. And, aside from uploading your receipts, you can also connect your Amazon account and email to earn even more points as well.
It’s very simple. Just snap a picture of your receipt and you get points for doing so. And, yes, it can be any receipt, as long as it’s been printed within the time frame posted on the app, usually no more than a few days.
Once you earn enough points, you can redeem them for a variety of gift cards, including some popular choices like Amazon and iTunes. Plus, aside from cashing out, ReceiptPal will enter you into weekly sweepstakes in which you can win cash prizes every time you upload a receipt. Again, very easy to understand.
The company was founded by The NPD Group, which is an American market research group founded in 1966. To date, they are said to be a top 10 market research company in the world, according to the AMA Gold Top 50 Report. Their sole purpose, according to the FAQ, is to provide “market information and advisory services to help companies make better business decisions. ”
So, what do they do with these receipts?
For every receipt upload, they combine it with information from other ReceiptPal members. Then, using this combined anonymized information, they can use the data to better understand consumer purchase behaviors, in which they share with corporations to help better product and marketing decisions.
There’s no doubt a reputable market research company is operating this app, but the true question is if it’s worth your time?
Signing Up for ReceiptPal
To get started, ReceiptPal will first ask for your email address as well as some personal information, such as your date of birth and your zip code. At this time, you can also connect the email you registered with if you want to earn rewards for your e-receipts. This is optional, but in doing so, you can earn a bonus of 500 points.
It’s not much and the entire process takes maybe two minutes at most.
After you confirm your email address, you can then start to use the app. As a note, I was able to get a 150 bonus just for confirming my email, so be sure to read your email carefully to see how many points you may be able to get.
It’s 100% free to join, and at this moment, it’s only available to United States residents.
NOTE: Like some of the receipt scanning apps I have talked about, ReceiptPal sometimes has a waiting list. In this case, you will have to wait for a confirmation email when more spots open up.
Is ReceiptPal Safe?
Yes! According to the site, and as I mentioned in the company description, they anonymize your information by combining it with other members. Every time you upload your receipt, it’s not saved on your phone nor should your receipt have any identifiable information, aside from maybe your name. In this case, you can always black out your name if you’re uncomfortable with it. All servers use an SSL-encrypted connection.
ReceiptPal Dashboard
Once you confirm your email address, you can access the app, which will look something like this…
In the top left-hand corner, you can view your points balance, while the center of the screen allows you to snap your receipts as well as show you how many points you can earn.
So, for example, that screenshot above shows me that I earn 100 points as long as my receipts were dated August 9th or later. While I’m writing this, it’s the 13th, so that goes to show you that they only want receipts four days old, nothing older. If you do upload an older receipt, it will get denied and you won’t get the credits. I would need to upload a total of four to earn my 100 points.
How Many Receipts Can I Add?
This can change at any time, but when I use it, I’m able to add five cards of four receipts each, so about 20 receipts a week. Again, as long as your receipts are from the dates provided, the app will give you the appropriate points after confirming. Every Sunday, your cards will reset, and you can upload another 20 again.
And, if I were to fill up all five cards, then ReceiptPal would reward me 500 points in total and then offer me two times the sweeps entries.
That card will appear at the end of your cards and will show you how many people entered as well as when the sweeps closes. Keep in mind that you do not have to fill up all of your cards to be entered into the sweeps as you can earn entries in other ways, such as signing up with your email or just adding a receipt. Yes, every time you add a receipt, you earn an entry.
The company draws three winners every week. These prizes can vary, but most sweepstakes tend to offer $250~ as a cash prize.
Submitting Receipts
It is known that ReceiptPal is very strict when it comes to uploading a receipt, so don’t expect you can upload anything.
As mentioned, your receipt must be dated within the time frame mentioned and it must be an approved receipt. For example, the app will not accept cell phone, doctor visitors, car payment or mortgage receipts, for example. Basically, it has to come from a retailer/restaurant that prints from a cash register. It also must show the date of purchase and the store name. Only English receipts in U.S. dollars will be accepted.
For your reference, these are the receipts they won’t accept:
- a receipt missing any information such as the store date or total price
- business purchases
- receipts with no value
- lottery tickets
- purchases from PayPal-like sites
- duplicate receipts
- bad quality uploads
- screenshots
- money order purchases
- bank deposits
Generally, as long as it’s dated, comes from a cash register in a sense and it includes the store name and total price, it should get approved. Typically, it can take up to 24 hours to approve your submission, but in some cases, it could take more than 72 hours.
Aside from submitting the paper receipt, you can earn points as well for every Amazon purchase you make as long as your account is connected.
ReceiptPal Rewards
Of course, you won’t want to enter your receipts for nothing. Your points do mean something.
To start cashing out on your rewards, the point value depends on which level you’re on.
So, for instance, if you were a level one, a $5 Amazon gift card would cost you 2,200 points, but if you were a level three, a $50 Amazon gift card would cost you 17,250 points. Doing the math, the level one $5 Amazon card would be a value of $0.0022 per point, whereas the level three would have a value of $0.0028. So, obviously, it would make sense to rise in the ranks.
The Levels
To start cashing out, everything will be locked at first and the app will ask you to complete certain tasks so that you can “unlock” your reward.
- To unlock level one, you will need to connect your email for 30 days.
- To unlock level two, you will need to connect your email for 30 days and take a five-minute survey.
- To unlock level three, you will need to connect your email for 30 days and connect your Amazon.
Basically, ReceiptPal is strong-arming you into connecting your email or else you can’t cash out. Some may be unhappy with this, I know I would be. Let me be clear here. You need to connect your email to receive rewards.
What Kind of Gift Cards Does ReceiptPal Offer?
At the time of this review (8/2020), ReceiptPal offered an Amazon gift card option or an “e-Gift Card option,” up to $100 in value, which according to the FAQ, included the following:
- Best Buy
- Fandango
- Grubhub
- Home Depot
- iTunes
- Lowe’s
- Starbucks
- Target
- Uber Eats
- Visa
- Walmart
Each retailer and payout option does have its denomination limit, so in some cases, you may not be able to request a $5 gift card for Grubhub, for example. Rather, you would have to wait until you have $25 in points.
At this moment, there is no PayPal cash option.
How Long Does It Take to Earn a Reward?
Well, let’s say that you upload 20 receipts a week (five sets four), the maximum they allow for you to do, at least for now. That would be 500 points a week.
If you wanted that $5 Amazon gift card and you did reach level one, then it would take about five weeks to earn $5. This number can go down slightly as you rise in the ranks and even connect your email. Also, in the beginning, you can earn bonus points for confirming your email and connecting your account. This could shave off a week initially.
In the end, plan on earning about $1 a week in value every time you upload 20 receipts. Is it worth it? That’s up to you to decide.
NOTE: Make sure you snap a picture at least every 90 days to avoid losing your points.
The Pros and Cons
Everything I review always has a bad side, even the best apps out there. So, in this section, I wanted to break down the pros and cons I found through various third-party research.
The Pros
- very easy to use
- easy to understand points system
- cash sweepstakes
- 100% free to join
- can upload just about any retailer receipt
- NPD Group has an A+ BBB rating
- lots of reward choices
The Cons
- can take some time to earn $5
- you have to connect your email to start earning rewards (biggest complaint)
- there is a weekly limit
- points will expire after 90 days of inactivity
- no PayPal
- doesn’t always offer a referral program
Alternatives to Receipt Hog
I did talk about the many alternatives to Receipt Hog in my scan receipts for money apps guide, but I figured I would list some of my favorites here as well.
Ibotta — This is the biggest name in the industry, but the biggest difference with this app is that they focus more on grocery shopping. In using this app, you will have to purchase the items on your Ibotta list in order to get cash back. The rewards are bigger, but you’re restricted to what you can upload.
Receipt Hog — This is probably one of Receipt Hog’s biggest competition. It’s very similar, but the biggest difference here is that they offer cash back rather than gift cards. Take a glance at my Receipt Hog review to see how it works in depth.
Fetch Rewards — As long as it’s a grocery receipt, Fetch Rewards will earn you points, just like Receipt Hog. The best thing about Fetch Rewards is that you only need a $3 minimum to cash out.
Final Thoughts
4/10I guess if you can upload 20 receipts in a week, then you have to ask yourself if that time is worth $1 to you? I probably would skip out on it, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ignore it. In a way, it’s kind of like the lotto, seeing you can win big cash prizes and a great way to earn money for receipts you were probably going to throw away. If you like a game of chance, it’s almost as if you’re paid to play the lotto.Remember, ReceiptPal isn’t the only game in town as there are 15+ alternatives. Consider downloading them all and then uploading to each one to maximize your earnings. There’s nothing wrong with it and can earn well more than $1 a week. Using this strategy, it may make sense.
As always, I leave it up to you.
Have you used the app?
What have you earned?
What did you like? Dislike?
Sound off below!
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