Get Paid for Your Receipts: The Ultimate & Latest Guide to UK Receipt Scanning Apps
- The Penny Pincher Team
- 2 days ago
- 15 min read
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? ▶︎ Shoppix ▶︎ Snap My Eats ▶︎ Clear! ▶︎ K-Card
Discontinued apps: ▶︎ Storewards ▶︎ ZipZero ▶︎ Amazon Shopper Panel
Did you know that you can earn money from your shopping receipts? Find out how to get paid for receipts, what you can earn and which apps you should use!
Post Updated in November 2025, to include the K-Card receipt scanning app
How do you get paid for the information on your till receipts, and who wants to buy it?
In a world where smartphones have become an indispensable part of our daily lives, there's a way to turn your routine purchases into a lucrative side hustle: using receipt-scanning apps.Â
Have you considered using receipt scanning apps to earn money?
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 earning money from your receipts.
In the United Kingdom, a myriad of receipt-scanning apps have emerged, offering a reasonably hassle-free and innovative way to put a little extra money back into your pocket.Â
Thats said, many have come and gone, but there are still apps out there that will let you monetise your till/purchase receipts.
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 and explore how they can turn your everyday receipts into a steady stream of extra cash in your pocket. You won't get rich, but every penny helps these days!Â
So, what's a receipt-scanning app, and what happens to that receipt data?​ How do receipt scanning apps work?
Receipt scanning apps are smartphone or mobile apps made by companies that will financially compensate you for uploading your paper or digital receipts to their systems.
How do receipt scanning apps make money?
Receipt-scanning apps will analyse your receipts, determine what you buy, where you buy it, how much you spend, and how often you purchase those products, and sell that information to retailers and market research companies.
This is valuable information for many reasons for the buyers of your data:
If you're a supermarket, it's incredibly valuable to see not just what your customers are buying from you, but also where else they’re shopping, when they shop, and what they’re purchasing from your competitors.
That kind of insight can help you stay competitive, identify gaps in your range, and tailor your pricing and promotions more effectively.
Are they shopping elsewhere because a product is cheaper? If so, could you consider reducing your price to stay competitive or running targeted promotions to boost sales in that category? This kind of insight is invaluable.
They don't know who you are or have your name and address, but they can see where you shop and what you buy from the receipts, which tells them a great deal.Â
Now, that might have just turned you off; after all, do you want your buying habits being analysed by companies? Here's the thing: your data is already being used to track your purchasing behaviour. For example, do you use a supermarket or store loyalty card?
If so, you are already being tracked. Supermarkets analyse your purchasing history to recommend special offers and discounts on products you buy frequently, as well as suggest products they think you might like (or want you to buy).
Another example is that your internet browser tracks what you look at and what you buy online, sells that data to marketing and affiliate companies, and then you receive offers for items you are interested in via online advertisements 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 I only purchase the finest branded mineral water, well, that's fine by me!
Frankly, sharing my spending habits with companies doesn't keep me up at night; worrying about money is far more likely to keep me tossing and turning in bed!
So, what is the process of using a receipt app?
The overall principle is the same across all receipt-scanning apps: you take a picture of your receipt and upload it via the app on your mobile device.
Once the app has reviewed your receipts and extracted all necessary information, you will be rewarded with either points or cash. You can cash out once you reach the minimum payment amount to withdraw your money, or convert your points to cash/vouchers.
The minimum withdrawal amount typically ranges from £5 to £10, depending on the app, and the time it takes to cash out varies by app.
Some you can earn £5 in a few days, others in a few weeks, and others in a few months; it really varies, depending on how many receipts you receive and whether you remember to scan them continuously!Â
As I stated earlier, you won't get rich from receipt scanning apps, but the extra few pounds do add up. Many people will save their balance until Christmas, then cash out and have a decent amount to put towards the Christmas costs.
The nice part of the apps is that you can use the same receipt in each of them. This means that each receipt you upload earns you cash across all apps simultaneously, so you are monetising it 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 subsequent withdrawal.
How do you get paid?
Typically, withdrawals are disbursed through a gift card sent directly to you. The specific process varies across apps; some let you select your preferred gift card, while others automatically send a gift card from a specific retailer, with Amazon being a common choice.
Occasionally, certain apps also offer the option to receive your payment via PayPal. Opting for this method lets you receive actual cash rather than 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 revenue from a receipt scanning app shouldn't count towards this.
For legally binding information, do speak to a qualified accountant!
What sorts of receipts can you use?​
Each app may have different rules about the types of receipts it accepts. Some will only accept fast food/restaurant, or supermarket receipts, while others will accept almost 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; they are interested in coffee shop, restaurant, supermarket, and clothing shop-type receipts, as those are a goldmine of information for advertisers, etc.Â
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, which is made even more annoying if you are using several apps simultaneously, as you have to scan each receipt into each app, making the process even longer.
We have a little pot at home where all the receipts go when someone has been shopping. That's a good way to do it; otherwise, you have receipts floating around, 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 watching the telly, as it's easy to do, doesn't take long, and means you are earning money while 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!Â
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!Â
What are the best receipt-scanning apps for UK users?
Below, you'll find information on the receipt scanning apps I think you should use if you want to monetise your till receipts. These are the best receipt-scanning apps that pay you in gift cards or actual money.
They're all tried-and-tested, bona fide apps that will pay you and won't use your data unnecessarily! I only include apps that I've used and recommended. My suggestion is to register with all of them and scan all your receipts into each app to maximise the amount of money you can make from your till receipts.
Clear!
The Clear! receipt scanning app launched in 2024.
They share 33% of the revenue from selling data to clients with their users.
Clear! users earn:
10p for grocery receipts and 5p for others. You can provide paper or e-receipts.
60p for surveys, which usually only take a minute or two to complete.
Users can scan 22 receipts per week. This limit ensures that the receipts you send are only yours, not those from purchases made by you or your family.
Your receipt must be for a physical product bought in the UK within 7 days of submission.
You can advance to a higher level by completing a demographic survey and submitting at least one valid receipt each week for a consecutive number of weeks.
Again, the more regularly you submit receipts, the higher your level will be. The better the data you provide, the more clients will buy, and the more you can earn!
Once you reach the highest level, you also earn a 50p bonus every 7 weeks if you continue to provide receipts. You can cash out after earning £5 in vouchers from various retailers.
Users can also refer their friends and family and earn 75p per referral (once both are level 1. The Referee also gets 25p when they reach level 1. Users can have up to 5 successful referrals per month.
The app is available for both IOS and Android users. You can't just download the app and get scanning; you must apply for a registration code by answering a few questions. The registration code can be found here.
Be aware that Clear! isn't always taking on new users, as they have demographic targets, so some people will be put on a waitlist if they have too many of that demographic group. If you fit into a full group, you'll be 'screened out', but if you don't, they don't forget about you; you'll be added to the waiting list, and then when more spaces become available, they'll email you a link to get started.
Shoppix
Shoppix is one of the longest-running and best receipt-scanning apps, and it also offers a couple of unique features.
 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. Therefore, if you visit Tesco twice in one day, you will only receive points for uploading the first receipt, not the second.
​
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 as possible from the same week you made your purchase, as this will make it more likely you move up a shelf faster!Â
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 receive cash via PayPal, or a gift card from retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, or Love2Shop.Â
They also assign you a dedicated email address to forward your online shopping receipts to, and you earn points for those receipts as well, which is a good way to rack up some extra points.
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 in the actual email; they can't 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 inform you that the receipt is not recognised. They will then double-check the receipt and, if it is okay, accept it; if not, you won't receive any points.Â
You can also earn extra points by completing special surveys on the app, often asking more in-depth questions about a recent shopping trip and your thoughts on the brand.
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 were helpful/friendly, and similar questions.
You'll be awarded extra points for taking part in these surveys, which generally 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, it's sheer luck!Â
​
You can download the Shoppix app HERE
Snap My Eats
Snap My Eats is a receipt-scanning app that is based on scanning your food receipts.
The idea is that every time you buy something to eat, you keep the receipt and scan it in 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.). It will also ask whether you purchased the food in-store, through a drive-thru, or by another means, such as a food delivery service.
The receipts can be from any retailer where you purchased food, such as a supermarket, convenience store, restaurant, or even a packet of crisps from a petrol station. Basically, anywhere you have purchased something to eat is eligible.
The app will pay you £ 1 for each valid receipt you upload; you can send up to 25 receipts per month, earning you a maximum of £5.
Once you reach £10 (every 2 months if you scan the full 25 receipts each month), you can 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 is one of the apps I use the most.
You can download the app HERE.
K-Card: A New Way to Earn Cashback From Independent Shops
There is a new receipt-scanning app called K-Card that takes a slightly different approach to the others on the market.
Instead of rewarding supermarket shopping, K-Card focuses entirely on independent retailers. That includes corner shops, off-licences, food and wine stores, newsagents, and even vending machines!
This means if you already upload your independent shop receipts elsewhere, you can now upload those same receipts to K-Card as well. It becomes an extra way to earn a bit more from the receipts you already have.
It also gives small shops a chance to compete with the bigger chains. As running costs rise and footfall becomes harder to maintain, anything that helps pull shoppers back into local stores is useful. K-Card is trying to build that connection by making independent shopping more rewarding.
How K-Card Works
Shop at any independent UK corner shop or off-licence.
Ask for an itemised receipt.
Open K-Card and snap a photo.
Koins appear in your account within minutes.
You can cash out whenever you want.
It works just like any other receipt-scanning app, but with a strict focus on small retailers. You cannot upload supermarket receipts, chain convenience stores, or the big high street names.
How Much Can You Earn?
Early users typically earn £2 to £10 per month from scanning branded items. You also get a 200 Koins welcome bonus worth £2 when you join.
K-Card is a brand-new app, so they are still in their early growth stage. Because of that, anyone who joins now becomes a founding member. Founding members earn double Koins for life, which means every time you upload a qualifying receipt, you earn twice the normal rate.
It is their way of rewarding early users for supporting the app while it builds, and over time that permanent boost can make a noticeable difference to how much you earn each month.
You can boost your balance faster with daily challenges, quests, and a few surprise bonuses hidden in the app.
What Counts as an Eligible Shop?
Any independent UK store such as:
Corner shops
Off licences
Food and wine stores
Newsagents
Small local convenience stores
Vending machines
What does not count:
Tesco
Sainsbury’s
ASDA
Co op
Morrisons
Lidl
Aldi
SPAR
Premier
Costcutter
One Stop
All other chains
What Counts as an Eligible Purchase?
Anything with a clear brand name on the packaging.
Examples include:
Crisps
Soft Drinks
Chocolate
Cereal
Chewing Gum
Wine And Beer
Regular Branded Groceries
Toiletries
What does not count:
Loose Fruit
Unbranded Sandwiches
Vegetables
Fresh Bakery Items
Anything Without A Printed Product Name
If it has a brand, it usually earns Koins.
Do You Need an Itemised Receipt?
Yes. The app reads the product names to know which branded items to reward. If you forget to get an itemised receipt, the app gives you one free non-itemised upload, then requires full receipts after that.
If your local shop does not normally print itemised receipts, ask before paying. Most shops are willing to help.
Why K-Card Is Worth Adding
The main strength of K-Card is that it gives you another way to earn from receipts you already have. If you shop in corner shops or off-licences, you can now upload those receipts to K-Card alongside your other apps.
It is also built to support small retailers. Independent shops have been hit hard by rising costs, and anything that brings customers back through the door is helpful. K-Card puts a small reward into your pocket while encouraging a bit more support for the local high street.
It is free to use, it takes seconds to scan, and if you visit local shops regularly, it is a simple way to earn a little extra.
Discontinued UK receipt scanning apps
ZipZero - CLOSED
The Zip Zero app has now closed due to a lack of investor funding. A real shame as it was really trying to keep going, sadly, Covid was the nail in the coffin for this app; it battled on to try and stay active, but was forced to close, without notice, on the 21st November 2024.
Storewards - CLOSED
The Storewards app announced in early October 2024 that it would close its service on October 31st, 2024, so sadly, this is no longer an option for monetising your receipts.
Amazon Shopper Panel - CLOSED
This Amazon receipt-scanning app informed users on July 15th 2025, that it would be closing its UK operations at the end of July 2025.
This is what the Amazon Shopper Panel was all about.
Until November 1st 2024, You only needed to upload 10 physical receipts per month to earn a £5 Amazon voucher, however this was changed to you being paid 10p per receipt, up to a maximum of 50 receipts per month.
This mean't that you now needed to scan 50 receipts per month, rather than 10 receipts for the same amount of money, which was a big difference!
It was still worth doing, as after all, 10p per receipt is better than getting zero, however, it was a shame, as that made it much harder to earn the maximum £5 per month reward.
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'd usually be paid between 25p and 50p per survey.
You can also email receipts from online retailers, which are added to your account, making it even easier to earn rewards. Receipts from Amazon.co.uk and other Amazon stores, including Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh, were not eligible.
You needed to have an Amazon account to participate, as the scheme paid your account balance monthly via an Amazon gift card, which was sent directly to your Amazon account.
The payments tended to be sent to you within the first few days of a new month. For example, your payment for February's receipt scans is sent to you in the first few days of March.