Ever found yourself mulling over the question, "Where can I get cash back at a store?" when deciding where to shop? While not all stores offer cashback, many do, and knowing where to look can save you money. Let's explore the various options available to help you make the most of your shopping trips.
Before diving into specific stores, let's understand what cashback is. In essence, cashback is a percentage of your purchase amount that retailers credit back into your account. It's a powerful tool for saving money, and many stores have integrated it into their loyalty programs or apps. So, where can you find these cashback opportunities?
Supermarkets and Grocery Stores
Grocery shopping tends to be a regular expense for most households, making cashback options in supermarkets and grocery stores especially lucrative. Many stores offer cashback through loyalty programs, such as:
Store-issued Credit Cards
Using store-issued credit cards for purchases often comes with cashback rewards. Walmart'sinhos, Target's REDCard, and Safeway's Safeway Club Card are a few examples. These cards typically offer 3-5% cashback on grocery purchases.
However, remember to pay off your balance in full each month to avoid interest charges, nullifying your cashback gains.
Loyalty Programs
Stores like Fred Meyer (Kroger family}, Stop & Shop, and Food Lion offer loyalty programs with cashback components. These programs usually require signing up for a free account and using a loyalty card or scanning an app code at checkout to earn cashback.
Your cashback earnings are typically applied automatically to future purchases or converted into gift cards for immediate use.
Big-Box Retailers and Department Stores
Big-box retailers and department stores also provide cashback opportunities, often through their loyalty programs and apps. Here are a couple of examples:
Kohl's Cash
Kohl's, the department store, offers Kohl's Cash, which is essentially store cashback. For every $50 spent, you receive $10 in Kohl's Cash to use at a later date. This promotion runs periodically and can be stacked with other discounts.
Additionally, the Kohl's Rewards program offers up to 30 points per $1 per transaction, which can be redeemed for $5 in rewards for every 100 points.
Walmart Rewards
Walmart's Savings Catcher is a feature within the Walmart app that compares your shopping receipts with local ads and gives you a credit on a Walmart eGift Card if it finds a lower price. You can use the credit on future Walmart purchases.
Furthermore, using the Walmart Pay feature in the app for checkout can also earn you cashback, rewards, and fuel discounts through their "Monetary Rewards" program.
Drugstores and Convenience Stores
Pharmacies and convenience stores often have cashback options as well, integrated into their loyalty or rewards programs. Two popular examples are:
CVS ExtraCare Rewards
CVS' ExtraCare program offers ExtraBucks Rewards that can be earned and redeemed on future purchases. You can also link your ExtraCare card to a CVS Pharmacy Rewards Credit Card to earn additional ExtraBucks on every transaction.
Similarly, Walgreens and Rite Aid offer cashback opportunities through their loyalty programs, Balance Rewards and myRite Rewards, respectively.
Convenience Store Apps and Rewards
Apps like Shell, 7-Eleven, and Wawa offer cashback or rewards for purchases made using their apps or loyalty cards. For instance, the Shell app gives you 25¢ off per gallon of gas for every $50 spent in-store and Fuel Rewards through the 7-Eleven app offer savings on fuel at local participating stations.
Wawa's Rewards program allows you to earn 2x points on hot foods and cold drinks, which can be redeemed for cashback.
With a bit of planning and awareness, you can turn your shopping trips into money-saving adventures. Maximize your cashback opportunities by combining store-specific strategies with general shopping tips, such as using weekly ads, browsing sales flyers, and comparing prices. By doing so, you'll not only get the best deals but also earn cashback for future purchases, further amplifying your savings.