The Best UK Supermarket Grocery Cashback Apps!

Quick Links/Jump To: ▶︎ So, how do supermarket cashback apps work? ▶︎ What are the best supermarket cashback apps in the UK? ▶︎ Shopmium ▶︎ CheckoutSmart ▶︎ GreenJinn ▶︎ Benefits of Using Supermarket Cashback Apps ▶︎ Tips for Maximising Savings with Supermarket Cashback Apps

What's a supermarket cashback app? Why should you use one, and which ones are best? We have all the answers!

Grocery shopping is unavoidable, but did you know you can earn money back on some of the items you buy?

Supermarket cashback apps are a simple way to cut the cost of your food shop. They’re free to use and can help you save money on everyday essentials, without changing where you shop or the types of products you buy.

These apps are not the same as TopCashback, Quidco or gift card cashback apps like JamDoughnut. These types of cashback services earn you cashback on full purchases or when you purchase gift cards.

The apps I’m focusing on here offer cashback on specific products, not your whole shop.

You can use them in conjunction with other cashback tools. I’ll explain how to combine them later.

My post will guide you through what I consider the best supermarket cashback apps in the UK. I personally use every single one of them, so you can trust my recommendations.

I'll explain how they work, how much money you can get back, and what to do to maximise the benefits of each one.

How is a supermarket cashback app different?

Conventional cashback sites offer a percentage back on your entire purchase.

Supermarket cashback apps only pay out on specific products, but the cashback rate is usually much higher, often between 25% and 100% of the item’s cost!

How do supermarket cashback apps work?

Most apps follow the same basic steps:

1. Pick your offer: Browse the app and choose a product you want. Some offers are in-store only, while others are valid for both in-store and online orders. Always check the small print, as there can be things that are easy to miss, but can mean you won't get your cashback apid, and yes, it's happened to me several times!

2. Buy the item: Add it to your usual shop and make sure to keep the receipt. No receipt = no cashback, so do make sure you put it somewhere safe!

3. Submit your claim: Open the app and tap the product you're claiming for. Some apps ask you to scan the barcode using your phone. These go into the app's shopping cart, ready for you to claim.

4. Upload your receipt: You'll be asked to take a photo of your receipt within the app. If your receipt is long, you can upload multiple photos. The app will then upload the receipts to the server, and your claim will be checked to make sure it is valid.

5. Waiting for approval: Some apps approve cashback in minutes. Others take a day or two, so it's not instant cashback!

6. Get paid. Once approved, your cashback will be displayed in the app's wallet. Some apps pay out automatically to PayPal. Others let you cash out once you’ve reached a minimum amount. Minimum amounts can be as little as £1.50 or as much as £10, which means it can take you a little while to have enough to request a payout, especially if you don't use your cashback app very often. Once you've requested your payout, you typically receive it within a few days.

What are the best supermarket cashback apps in the UK?

There are three main ones to know:

• Shopmium

• CheckoutSmart

• GreenJinn
  

Each one lists different products, but sometimes, you’ll find the same item on two apps. And yes, that can mean you might be able to claim double cashback, but it's rarer these days.

Deals change weekly, so check regularly. Some apps post surprise one-day offers, often offering 100% cash back. These go fast, so it pays to be quick and to check your app regularly!

Here's more information on each of the apps:

Shopmium

Shopmium is one of the most popular cashback apps in the UK, offering discounts and free items on a wide range of products from major supermarkets, including Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Morrisons, and Ocado.

In my opinion, they often offer the best deals and rewards. Here are some key features of Shopmium:

• The Shopmium app is free to download and use.
  

• Offers change regularly, providing new opportunities to save
  

Earn cashback by uploading a picture of your receipt after purchasing the featured products. However, with this app, you'll need to scan the product's barcode using your phone and the app, so make sure you haven't already used the product and thrown away the packaging before claiming the cashback for it. 

Any cashback you earn will be added to your Shopmium wallet. Once you have £10 or more in your wallet, you can withdraw your cashback to your bank account or PayPal.

The Shopmium club places you on different levels based on the number of cashback requests you make. You start on the silver level, and then if you make five cashback requests, you'll move up to the Gold level. Once you move to Gold, you'll be the first to know about new offers, receive your cashback faster, and get a birthday freebie, which is typically a decent-sized bar of chocolate, or sometimes even a box of chocolates. 

You can participate in the Shopmium Referral program, which rewards you with £3 of cashback credit for each friend you refer. The £3 is added to your Shopmium wallet, and this £3 will count towards your £10 minimum withdrawal amount. Your friends will also get a free welcome gift, which, as I write this, is a free bag of Cadbury's Buttons. 

Full retailers listed on the app include: Tesco, Tesco.com, Sainsbury's, Sainsburys.com, Asda, Asda.com, Morrisons, Morrisons.com, Deliveroo, Just Eat, Aldi, Amazon UK, B&M Bargains, Booths, Boots, Boots.com, BP, Budgens, Co-op.

Other retailers do pop up from time to time as well, but on the whole, it's the big supermarkets you'll find offers in.

▶︎ If you'd like to sign up, please feel free to use our referral link and code, G2AG3. You can download the app on Google Play or the Apple Store. You'll receive free chocolate for signing up using our referral link 👀. For more information, a detailed blog post about Shopmium is available here.

CheckoutSmart

CheckoutSmart operates similarly to Shopmium. It is free to download and use, offering cashback on specific grocery items at select retailers. This great app allows you to select products from a list of deals rather than scanning the product's barcode. 

You'll find offers from major supermarkets like Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, and Morrisons, as well as online purchases from selected online retailers.

I find the offers easier to browse through than its main rival Shopmium, as the offers available and the cashback amounts are very easy to see on the app; the Shopmium system makes you click on each product to see the cashback rate, which I find to be slower and a bit annoying, but I suspect it's done that way to make sure as many people click on that product as possible, which is good for brand recognition!

Theres a minimum payout of £5.00 for this app, and payouts of less than £19.99 will incur a withdrawal fee of 5% of your total.

CheckoutSmart doesn't have a referral service.

CheckoutSmart doesn't have a club scheme, similar to Shopmium; however, select users might be invited to the CheckoutSmart RRP scheme, which offers more opportunities for exclusive offers (often free food) in exchange for a product review.

Partner retailers listed on the app that may have offers often include: Tesco, Tesco.com, Sainsbury's, Sainsburys.com, Asda, Asda.com, Morrisons, Morrisons.com, Deliveroo, Just Eat, Aldi, Amazon UK, B&M Bargains, Booths, Boots, Boots.com, BP, Budgens, Co-op, Costco, Costco.com, Farnfoods, Heron Foods, Holland & Barrett, Holland & Barrett.com, Iceland, Iceland.com, Jollyes, Lidl, Lloyds Pharmacy, Londis, Marks & Spencer, Moto, Nisa-Todays, Ocado, One Stop, Pets at Home, Premier, Savers, Shell, Spar, Superdrug, Superdrug.com, The Food Warehouse, Today's / Day Today, Waitrose, Waitrose Cellar, Waitrose.com, Wetherspoons, WH Smith, WH Smith Travel, Whsmith.co.uk, Whole Foods, Wilko, The Range. ▶︎ You can download the CheckoutSmart app here for Android or Apple phones. For a more detailed blog post about CheckoutSmart, please visit this link.

GreenJinn

GreenJinn is a cashback app focused on promoting sustainable and eco-friendly products. While it may have fewer offers than other apps, it provides an opportunity to save money while supporting environmentally conscious brands. Here are some key features of GreenJinn:

- Offers at major supermarkets like Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, and Waitrose

- Emphasis on sustainable and eco-friendly products means you'll find fewer 'junk' food products listed.

Earn cashback by adding the products you want to claim to the app basket and then checking out, as you would when buying something online. Upload the photo of your receipt as part of the process to request your cashback and claim it.

There is a minimum payout of £1.50 for this app, so it doesn't take long to be eligible for a withdrawal to your PayPal or bank account.- The full retailers listed on the app that may have offers available are Tesco, Tesco.com, Sainsbury's, Sainsburys.com, Asda, Asda.com, Morrisons, Morrisons.com, Amazon Fresh, Booths, Boots, Boots.com, Co-op, Holland & Barrett, Holland & Barrett.com, Marks & Spencer, Ocado, One Stop, Waitrose, Waitrose Cellar, Waitrose.com, WH Smith, and Whole Foods.

▶︎ You'll get an exclusive  £1 sign-up bonus for GreenJinn by using this link to download the app to your Android or Apple device and using the referral code: thepennypincher2024. 

For a more detailed blog post about CheckoutSmart, please visit our blog here.

Benefits of Using Supermarket Cashback Apps

• Save money on your food shop: Get cashback on branded items you're buying anyway. Focus on offers that replace something on your shopping list, as that switch will likely save you money! Needless to say, aim for 100% cashback deals when you can, as they are a great way to save money.
  

• Try new products without the risk: Cashback lets you try something different, without breaking the bank. I’ve discovered products that I’d have never bought at full price, or might not have even noticed unless it was on the cashback app, so it's a good way to find your next favourite product, or discover something a bit different you otherwise might have missed!
  

• Easier than using coupons: No codes or coupon clipping needed, as the offers are right there in the app and easy top find and claim the cashback on.

• Earn bonuses by referring others: Shopmium rewards you with credit when friends sign up. The more you share, the more you earn, and that's always nice right?!

Tips for Making the Most of Cashback Apps

• Stick to what you need: Don’t buy it just because it’s cheap. Only claim cashback on things you’ll actually use; otherwise, you may still waste not only money but also food. I'm guilty of throwing away things I got for a good price purely because, in the end, we didn't really fancy them!
  

• Double up when you can: Sometimes the same product is on more than one app at the same time. Buy once, claim twice. That’s free money! It's rarer these days, but it does still happen!
  

• Use cashback to pay for your shop too: Buy supermarket gift cards through a gift card cashback app, then use that gift card to pay for your groceries. That’s two layers of cashback!
  

• Don’t delay uploading your receipt: Upload as soon as you’re home. Receipts can get lost or binned. If you use receipt apps, you can upload to those too!

• Use multiple accounts in the household: Set up the apps on your partner’s phone. Buy two of the same product, in separate transactions and then claim one receipt on each account! It’s a great way to take advantage of the cashback deals.
  

• Always scan your loyalty card: Tesco Clubcard, Nectar, Lidl Plus, all count. You may earn points or discounts in addition to the cashback. Additionally, you may find that the product you're buying is on a loyalty app special deal or price, which means you can pay less and still claim the full cashback through the app. In the past, I've actually made a profit on the product, as I ended up getting more cashback come back to me than I actually paid for it!
  

• Check the apps daily: Some offers last only 24 hours, so you may miss a great deal if you don't check your apps daily!
  

• Know how your data might be used: These apps can track your spending habits. Brands may use this information for marketing purposes. This is the same as most loyalty schemes, such as your supermarket loyalty card, so it's nothing unusual, but I'm mentioning it anyway, as I usually get negative comments if I don't!
  

• Download all three apps: Ensure you have all three apps, Shopmium, CheckoutSmart, and GreenJinn, downloaded to your phone. The more apps you have, the more chances you have to grab discounted products. Stock with just one, and you run the risk of missing out on significant savings! Yes, it's a pain having to check all three apps, but the benefits are worth the few seconds it takes to check!
  

By incorporating supermarket cashback apps into your grocery shopping routine, you can earn money back on your purchases and stretch your budget further.

Remember to use these apps responsibly and only purchase items you truly need to maximise your savings. They are a great way to save money and try new products you might otherwise miss out on!