Quick Links: ▶︎ What's a receipt scanning app? ▶︎ What's the receipt scanning process? ► How do you get paid? ▶︎ Is the income taxable? ► What sort of receipts can be used? Which apps should I Use? ▶︎ Amazon Shopper Panel ▶︎ Shoppix ▶︎ Storewards ▶︎ Snap My Eats ▸ ZipZero
There are apps that will pay you to view your till receipts?
In a world where smartphones have become an indispensable part of our daily lives, there's a way to transform your routine purchases into a lucrative side hustle – receipt scanning apps.
Imagine getting paid for the groceries you buy, the meals you enjoy, and even the occasional shopping spree. It's not a fantasy; it's the reality of tapping into the growing trend of cashing in on your receipts.
In the United Kingdom, a myriad of receipt scanning apps has emerged, offering a reasonably hassle-free and innovative approach to putting a little extra money back into your pocket.
Whether you're a seasoned budgeter or just looking for a fun way to supplement your income, these apps provide a unique and unusual opportunity to maximise the value of every pound you've spent!
But how does it work, and what are the tangible benefits? In this blog post, we'll delve into the world of receipt scanning apps, exploring how they can turn your everyday receipts into a trickle of extra cash in your pocket. You won't get rich, but every penny helps these days!
So, what's a receipt-scanning app, and what happens to that receipt data?
Receipt scanning apps are a smartphone or mobile app made by companies that will financially compensate you to upload your paper receipts or digital receipts to their systems. They will analyse your receipts, figure out what you buy and sell that information to retailers and market research companies.
These information buyers use your information to see what you buy, where you buy it from, and what you pay for it. Now, this is useful information for many reasons.
Let's say you are a supermarket and a person buys from you; it's super useful for the supermarket to be able to see where else that customer is shopping, when they shop, what they are buying elsewhere, (your competitors), and it means they can see how much they are spending elsewhere, are they buying products you don't sell, but could start stocking to buy from you instead, are they going elsewhere because a product is X amount cheaper, so could you then reduce your price to keep that customer in your store, or could you offer promotions in that category to boost sales; all that information is invaluable!
They don't know who you are, and they don't get your name and address, but they can see from the receipts where you shop and what you buy, and that tells them a great deal!
Now, that might have just turned you off; after all, do you want your buying habits being analysed by companies? Well, here's the thing: your data is already being used to track your buying. As an example, do you use a supermarket or store loyalty card? If yes, you are already being tracked; the supermarkets look at your purchasing history to make recommendations to you for special offers and discounts for products you buy frequently and to recommend products to you that they think you might like (or they might like you to buy!).
Another example is that your internet browser tracks what you look at and what you buy online, and then sells that data to marketing and affiliate companies, and then you get offers for items you are interested in via online adverts and social media ads, so the technique is nothing new!
I look at it this way: if someone wants to give me money to show them my grocery receipt so they can see if I like to buy wholemeal bread or sourdough or if my favourite chocolate bar is a Double Decker, or if only purchase the finest branded mineral water, well that's fine by me! Frankly, sharing my spending habits with companies doesn't cause me to lose sleep at night; worrying about money is far more likely to have me tossing and turning in bed!
So, what is the process of using a receipt app?
The overall principle is the same with all receipt scanning apps: you take a picture of your receipt, upload it via the app on your mobile device, and once the app has reviewed the pictures of your receipts and extracted all the necessary information, you will be rewarded with either points or cash. Once you reach a payment minimum for withdrawing your money or converting the points to cash/vouchers, you can cash out.
The minimum withdrawal amount is generally between £5 and £10, depending on the app, and how long it will take for you to be in a position to cash out will vary from app to app.
Some you can earn £5 in a few days, others in a few weeks, and some in a few months; it really varies, depending on the number of receipts you receive and if you remember to always scan your receipts!
As I stated earlier, you won't get rich from receipt scanning apps, but the extra few pounds do add up, and many people will save their balance until Christmas, then cash out and have a decent amount to put towards the Christmas costs, and saving money for Christmas is a great thing!
The nice part of the apps is that you can use the same receipt on each app, meaning each receipt you upload is earning you cash on each app simultaneously, so you are monetising that receipt several times over, which is super handy!
Certain apps now offer the added convenience of accepting emailed copies of online transactions. This means that receipts and order confirmations from platforms like Amazon, food delivery services, or online supermarket purchases can be forwarded directly to a designated email address linked to your account. By doing so, these receipts and email confirmations become part of your account record, contributing to your progress in reaching the threshold for your next withdrawal.
How do you get paid?
Typically, withdrawals are disbursed in the form of a gift card sent directly to you. The specific process varies among different apps; some allow you to select your preferred gift card, while others automatically send a gift card from a specific retailer, with Amazon being a commonly chosen option.
Occasionally, certain apps also provide the alternative of receiving payment via PayPal. Opting for this method enables you to receive actual cash instead of a somewhat more restrictive gift card.
Do you pay tax on receipt scanning apps?
This is a good question! Cashback on everyday purchases isn't taxable, and as this is a form of cashback, it should be the same as cashback on your purchase. If you earn more than £1,000 a year in side hustles, then you need to inform the HMRC and may be subject to tax, but receipt scanning app revenue shouldn't count towards this, but for legally binding information, do speak to a qualified accountant!
What sorts of receipts can you use?
Each app may have different rules on what sort of receipt they will accept. Some will take only fast food/restaurant or supermarket receipts, and some will take pretty much any receipt!
As a generalisation, the apps aren't interested in receipts such as ones obtained from car parking, lottery tickets, or prescription costs, as they are unlikely to be able to sell that information to anyone; it's the coffee shop, restaurant, supermarket, and clothing shop-type receipts that are interested in, as that's a goldmine of information for advertisers etc.
Most apps will only accept a photo of a receipt from the last 7 days, so you need to keep on top of getting those receipts scanned regularly; otherwise, the app won't accept them.
It's monotonous scanning the receipts; I won't pretend otherwise, so it's better to scan them regularly and not let them build up; otherwise, you have to spend ages scanning them all in at once, made even more annoying if you are using several of the apps at once, as you have to scan each receipt into each app, so it takes even longer!
We have a little pot at home that all the receipts go into when someone's been shopping. That's a good way to do it; otherwise, you have receipts floating about everywhere, or they stay stuck in a pocket or wallet, and you forget to scan them.
Scanning the receipts is one of those little jobs that are perfect for doing when relaxing on the sofa while sitting watching the telly, as it's easy to do, doesn't take long, and means you are earning money while sitting watching Eastenders!
Most of these apps want your personal receipts, not business receipts, so you may not get credited for these, but I know some small businesses that regularly earn money sending a receipt photo to the apps, as these apps cant determine if they've bought a ream of paper in WH Smiths for personal or business use, so it's worth a try, but if you submit every expense it may ring alarm bells!
Some of the apps store the picture of the receipts within the app, in a digital format, which you can see, and that can be handy if you lose a receipt and need to return something to a shop, as you have easy access to the receipt and show this when returning the goods; it saved me a couple of times from not getting refunds!
Here are my recommendations for what I think are the best apps that you should have on your phone, as well as their key features.
Amazon Shopper Panel
This scheme is the newest receipt app service to launch in the UK, although it's been in the USA for some time, and it's also the best! Frankly, all the other receipt apps look pretty rubbish compared to this Amazon version, as it's so easy and quick to earn money! Thats is not to say the apps aren't still good, its just none of the other apps are AS good as this one!
You only need to upload 10 physical receipts per month to earn a £5 Amazon voucher. Hence, it's super-fast, and I would be shocked if anyone didn't accumulate 10 receipts per month to upload. However, receipts from Amazon.co.uk and other Amazon stores, including Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh, are not eligible.
You can also email receipts from online retailers, which are added to your account, making it even easier to earn rewards.
You can top up your balance by answering questions and short surveys in the apps surveys section, where you can be paid for answering some quick and easy questions. You'll normally be paid between 25p and 50p per survey, but the surveys are quite rare, but are an added bonus when you do get them!
From February 2023, selected users were also offered the opportunity to earn an extra £2 per month for allowing Amazon to monitor where you've come across Amazon adverts online. I have this, and it's £2 for nothing as I don't see any sign of Amazon 'watching me', and it doesn't affect my battery life, or browsing speed etc.
You need to have an Amazon account to take part, as the scheme pays you once your account reaches the minimum redemption amount of £5, and this is paid via a £5 Amazon gift card, direct to your Amazon account. The payments tend to be sent to you within the first few days of a new month, so as an example, your payment for February's receipt scans is sent to you in the first few days of March.
The scheme is by invitation only for Amazon customers, and in theory, Amazon will send you an email asking you if you want to join up; however, I just downloaded the app, which was on the Apple app page, and signed up, and it registered me immediately, t, so I think at the moment anyone can join up, but the service is full, after all, nobody really wants to leave, so you will have to join a waiting list, which doesn't have a timescale for when you might be accepted, but I do know of people who have waited a year already, and still haven't been given access, but it's still worth going the list as when you do get onboarded, it will be have been worth the wait!
You can find out more on the Amazon Shopper Panel Website or read more about the service on our blog.
Shoppix
Shoppix is one of the longest-running and best receipt scanner apps, and it does have a couple of unique features as well. Like all the other apps, you take a photo of your receipt and rate the shopping trip (it takes 1 second to rate), and then once the receipt has been uploaded, checked and validated (only takes a minute or two), you are awarded Shoppix points, which are then added to your Shoppix account.
Receipts are typically awarded between 25 and 30 points each, and the newer the receipt, the more points you get. You can only be rewarded for one receipt per retailer per day, so if you go to Tesco twice in one day, you won't be awarded points for uploading two receipts, just the one.
The app has different 'shelves' and the more receipts you upload, the more shelves you can move up. When you move up a shelf, you'll be awarded extra bonus points. Generally, you move up a shelf by submitting a number of receipts in the same week, so it's worth scanning as many of your receipts within the same week you made your purchase, as this will make it more likely that you move up a shelf faster!
Once you reach 3200 points, you can then cash out £5.00 (or keep the points in there and cash out later and cash out a more significant amount, but these days, it's better to cash out ASAP, as you can't be sure if the apps will close down, and if they do you may lose all your points/money! ). You can choose to have the cash via PayPal cash, or you can choose a gift card from retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, or Love2Shop.
They also allocate you with a dedicated email address to forward your online shopping receipts to, and you are then given points for those receipts as well, which is a good way to rack up some extra points, after all, lots of us shop online frequently and so simply forwarding your email receipt is one of the easiest ways to grab points, and certainly, a method I use a lot, but you can only forward emails that have the information on what you bought on the actual email; they cant accept receipts that come to you as an attachment.
Not every online or physical retailer's receipts are accepted by Shoppix, but most of the more prominent name retailers are. If not, the app will tell you the receipt is not recognised, and they will then double-check the receipt, and if ok, they will accept it; if not, you won't receive any points.
You can also earn extra points by conducting special surveys on the app, often asking more in-depth questions about a recent /shopping trip and what you think about the brand, and you will be awarded additional points for doing these. It will ask you questions such as whether the store was well-laid out, whether you found everything you were looking for, whether the store was tidy, whether the staff was helpful/friendly, and other similar types of questions. You'll be awarded extra points for taking part in these surveys, which normally only take about a minute to do, and as an extra reward, you'll be given a scratch card, and these scratch cards may give you bonus points; equally, like all scratchcards, not everyone is a winner, and you may get nothing, its sheer luck!
You can download the Shoppix app HERE
Storewards
It is a very easy-to-use app that accepts receipts from a wide range of retailers, although it doesn't yet have the functionality to forward online receipts to the service.
The app is set up to reward you for your grocery receipts, and you find receipts from other retailers aren't accepted. You'll earn coins for each valid receipt you snap and is approved, and you usually receive 600 points per receipt you upload, with point redemptions starting at 22,000 points for a £2 PayPal cashout, 55,000 for a £5 PayPal cashout or 100,000 for a £10 PayPal cashout. You can also choose to cashout via an Amazon gift card, and 50,000 points will earn you a £5 Amazon gift card, or 95,000 points for a £10 gift card.
Receipt scanning apps aren't known for their speed in being able to cash out, with the Amazon Shopper Panel system being the exception, so it'll be a bit of a slow burn; however, they award you extra points for connecting their app to your Amazon and/or email account, (1,000 points per month, per connected account), where it will be able to read your purchase receipts, so that is the equivalent of 'almost' a £2 monthly bonus if you do this. They also offer a daily scan bonus of 25 points, so everyday you open the app, you'll get that reward bonus added to your account.
Like Shoppix, they have different levels, and the more receipts you scan, the higher the level you move to, with bonuses for each new level you reach.
Only scan YOUR receipts, not that of your family members; they want to see what YOU buy; they'll be able to determine if you scan other receipts as well and will remove you from being able to participate in the future.
It's well worth downloading as part of your receipt-scanning app collection, but it might take you a while to cashout for the first time.
Snap My Eats
Snap My Eats is a receipt scanning app based around scanning your food receipts.
The idea is that every time you buy something to eat, you keep a hold of the receipt and scan it into the Snap My Eats app.
The app will ask you where you purchased the food from, how many people were involved in the purchase and where the food was consumed (e.g. at home, at work, in the car etc.), and if you purchased the food in the store, through a drive-thru, or by another means such as a food delivery service.
The receipts can be from any retailer you purchased food from, perhaps a supermarket, convenience store, restaurant, or even a packet of crisps from a petrol station, basically, anywhere you have purchased something to be eaten.
The app will pay you for each valid receipt you upload; the rate is £1 per 5 receipts, up to 25 receipts a month, which will earn you £5.
Once you get to £10 (Every 2 months if you scan the full 25 receipts every month), you can then cash out from the app. The service offers a range of withdrawal options from its reward centre, and you can choose what you would like; I always get a £10 Amazon voucher, which I try to save up for when I want to get something I really want, but it makes sense to keep your gift vouchers for Christmas or a special event if you can, as it really helps out!
It's a pretty easy way to earn £60 every year and one of the apps I tend to use the most.
You can download the app HERE.
ZipZero
I'm including this app in this post, in addition to the top apps, because I do like the idea of Zip Zero. I've given this app some stick over the last couple of years as it's been really hit-and-miss.
The app ran into financial issues during the first wave of the pandemic and spent around 18 months looking for additional financial backers. It looked pretty grim for the service; however, in late 2021, Zip Zero announced that they were launching an updated version of the app and re-launching their services... but with only a limited service.
So basically, the old premise was that you scanned a copy of any shopping receipt into the app, and you would be rewarded with 1% cashback on the receipt value, which in return could be redeemed as part payment towards one of your utility bills, once you hit £10 cashback. The 1% was reduced to 0.5% when things got tough, and then Zip Zero said they could not finance any withdrawals but to keep scanning, and once a new financial backer was found, they would then be in a position to make payments again.
Fast forward to 2024, and the app does seem to pretty stable. You can get 0.1% cashback on any receipt you scan onto their system, which isn't a lot, but it does add up.
You earn units (points), for your receipt scanning and can extra units for any online shopping you might make via the Zip Zero app, which is essentially the same as most cashback sites and what Zip Zero classes as 'Premium Offers'
ZIPZERO offers two types of Units:
1. Base Units (for sharing both in-store and online receipts):
– You will get 0.5% for sharing receipts and online confirmations connected to – shopping with Premium Partners (both online and in-store).
– You will get 0.1% (£0.01 in value as a minimum) for sharing receipts or online confirmations which have not come from shopping with Premium Partners.
2. Premium Units are earned by shopping with ZipZero retail partners – the value of this reward will vary depending on the particular offer selected within the app; at the time of writing this, you could earn 4% by buying online or in-store at Asda. You need to add the retailer to your offers, (done via the app), to be able to do this, and once you do this, you only have 3 days to make your purchase, so it's not the easiest system, but you do get used to it, and 4% cashback on submitting an in-store Asda receipt, is the best receipt scanning reward your going to get, and they have lots of other offers, that you do in the same way, offering rewards of between 1% and 12% (Bodyshop)
Cashing out is a little different with ZipZero. Instead of rewarding you with cash or gift cards, ZipZero will make a payment to your chosen utility bill provider. So once you have £5 of units, you can then send the money to put towards your gas, electric, TV, telephone, water or internet bill, or you can also use your balance to put towards your council tax bill if you prefer. It works in a similar way to Airtime Rewards (who pay your reward to your mobile phone provider to put against your phone bill), where you don't physically receive the cash; instead, your reward is sent to be put towards a bill that you'd have to pay anyway, so you are still receiving a reward, it just bypasses you actual wallet! I usually put my ZipZero money towards either my O2, water or council tax bill. You can set it up so you can send money to a different utility provider each time you make an app withdrawal.
You can grab the ZipZero app HERE.
To sum up, if you want to earn a few extra quid without having to do a great deal, then receipt scanning is, I think, the easiest way! The trick is to use multiple apps to make sure you are fully monetising your receipts and to get the family involved; have a place that all the family members know is the place to put any receipts they obtain, and make use of them all, (when allowed), as they all add up! You won't get rich from them, but over the year, you'll be surprised how much you'll have earned!
Image courtesy of Shutterstock, for which The Penny Pincher has paid a fee for use on this blog.