Supermarket Cashback Apps: Which Ones Are Worth Using?
Supermarket cashback apps pay you back a small amount on your grocery shopping in return for scanning your receipt. You buy your food as normal, take a photo of the receipt in the app, and claim money back on specific products you've bought, a particular cereal or a certain drink, rather than the shop as a whole.
That's what sets them apart from a normal cashback service like JamDoughnut, which pays you on your whole shop instead of individual items. The clever part is that the two work on different things, so you can run both at once, known as deal stacking (earning cashback from more than one source on the same purchase): claim the product cashback from the supermarket app, and the whole-shop cashback from a normal service, on the same trolley of food.
There are three main supermarket cashback apps worth knowing about: Shopmium, CheckoutSmart, and GreenJinn. You'll find our reviews of each below, covering how they work, how much you can realistically claim back, and whether each one deserves a place on your phone.
Before you start, it's worth reading our full guide to supermarket cashback apps, which covers years of real use, the honest earnings, and the mistakes worth avoiding before you dig into the individual reviews below.
The best supermarket cashback apps, reviewed
Supermarket cashback apps: your questions answered
What is a supermarket cashback app?
It's an app that pays you back on specific products you buy in your grocery shop, in return for scanning your receipt. You buy an item that's on offer in the app, upload proof of purchase, and the cashback lands in your app account. It's a way to shave money off food you were buying anyway.
Are supermarket cashback apps free to use?
Yes, all the main ones are free to download and use. They make their money from the brands funding the offers, not from you. Just download them from the official app stores and check the terms before linking any payment details.
How do supermarket cashback apps work, step by step?
You browse the offers in the app, buy the qualifying product on your normal shop, then upload a photo of your receipt to claim. The app checks it, approves the cashback, and adds it to your balance. Once you pass the app's minimum, you withdraw it to your bank or PayPal.
How is supermarket cashback different from normal cashback?
Supermarket cashback pays you on individual products, often at high rates, while normal cashback services pay a smaller percentage on your whole shop. So one gets you money back on a specific jar of coffee, the other on everything you spend. They work on different things, which is why you can use both at once.
Can you use a supermarket cashback app and a loyalty card at the same time?
Yes, and you should. Scanning your Clubcard or Nectar card earns your usual points, and the cashback app pays out separately on top. Nothing about one stops the other, so you collect both on the same purchase.
Do you have to buy the exact product in the offer?
Yes, and this trips up a lot of newcomers. The offer usually specifies an exact brand, size and variety, so a similar product or a different pack size often won't qualify. It's worth checking the precise details in the app before you pick the item off the shelf.
Which supermarkets do cashback apps work with?
Most cover the major chains like Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose, though the exact coverage varies by app and by offer. Some deals are tied to a particular supermarket, so the app will tell you where a given offer can be claimed. Always check the offer's terms before you shop.
Are supermarket cashback apps safe to use?
Yes, the established ones are safe, and they use your shopping data in much the same way a supermarket loyalty scheme does. They track what you buy to help brands understand their customers, which is the trade-off for the cashback. Download only from the official app stores and read the terms before linking any bank details.
Do supermarket cashback apps work with online grocery deliveries?
Often yes, though it varies by app, and the main ones will usually make clear when an offer can't be used with an online order. CheckoutSmart is the clearest about it, listing the supermarket and its website separately, so you'll see "Tesco" and "Tesco.com," or "Sainsbury's" and "Sainsburys.co.uk," as separate options that tell you exactly which offers work in store and which work online. With the others, check the offer's terms before you rely on it for a delivery.