6 Coupon Apps to Help You Make the Most Out of Your Shopping Experiences

What are coupon apps?

Want to save some money, but still want to get everything on your shopping list? Then you should try couponing. In the days before technology took over, people had to cut out and save coupons from newspapers, flyers or catalogs. But now, there are many apps which offer you a bargain. These apps, called coupon apps, search the internet for digital coupons, promo codes or discounts that can help you in saving money. There are some coupon apps that also issue alerts about coupon codes or deals found on the web for products you purchase regularly through them.
Using a coupon app makes it easier for a consumer to find, save and make use of coupon codes, discounts or even printable coupons which can be redeemed in-store. There are also many apps that offer cash back at the time of purchase or even when you upload proof of purchase on the site.

How do coupon apps work?

So, you have decided to use a coupon app to save money while shopping. The question that you may have now is how coupon apps work.
There is no single way all coupon apps work. It will depend on which app you will sign up-

• Some coupon apps will automatically apply the best coupon codes which suits you while you are shopping online.
• Some apps let you add offers to your loyalty card, if you are signed up for a store loyalty program, that you can redeem in-store.
• Some apps are focused on letting customers accumulate savings on purchases while there are some that let users earn cash back or gift cards while shopping.

• If you are looking for food coupons, you can type food coupons app while searching and you will get a list of apps which offer coupon codes for food.
• Once you go through the list and find the app that offers good deals on the brands you use, you can download the app.
• When you are shopping online for food and have added items to your cart, search through the app for applicable coupon codes or discounts.
• Apply the promo codes you find on the app. There are times when you will find multiple coupons which can be applied. Use them if you have a sizeable amount of products.
• Once you apply the discounts from coupon apps, you will get the final amount. Pay with your credit card or a third party payment mode and you are done.
  

Are coupon apps safe?

Coupon apps can help you save money, but there is always a doubt in many users' minds about the validity and reliability of these apps. And the question becomes relevant when we see that 97% of shoppers look for a deal or discount when they are shopping, and 40% feel the shopping experience is not worth it if they are not able to use a coupon.
So how to know if a coupon app is safe or not? Here are some tips which can help you identify if the app is a fraud or real-

• Need to pay money- Most of the digital coupon apps offer coupon codes and discounts for free. If the app you are using asks for money to redeem or use the coupon, then that app is not a valid one. It may be scammers who have copied legit coupons and are selling them on the app.
• Coupons with free gifts- If an app is offering a free gift along with a coupon code, then it may be a fake, as the link will probably take users to a website where they need to provide personal information to get their free gift.
• Lack of proper links- Most valid coupon apps will have links for the coupon code that take you back to the store website or app. If the link provided with the promo code is not working or taking you to the store website, then don't use the app. Make sure to trace your coupon to its original website to verify it.
• Expiry date- Most coupon codes and discounts offered are part of a special marketing strategy. Hence, the offer will have an expiration date. There may be some coupons which will not have an expiration date, like some deals on some restaurant coupons apps but these coupons are valid only till the stock or specials at the food establishment last. For example, an offer like 'get a large pumpkin spice latte' for the price of a medium. But this offer may last only till the store offers pumpkin spice latte. Therefore, if the coupons on the app don't have an expiration date, check before use. There is also a possibility that the offer may span a very short period of time, which again might be from a fake app.
• Coupon code quality- If the coupon code doesn't have the proper branding or grainy pictures, then there is a possibility that the codes are not valid. Most coupon codes, especially for printable coupons, will have detailed information and good quality images.
• Payment methods- Most coupon codes will link you back to the store website and you will be asked to pay either through credit cards with points redemption or through third party payment methods like Google pay or Apple pay. But if the coupon code doesn't take to you to the store payment page or if the payment method is unusual, drop the deal and cancel the transaction.

Best coupon apps of 2022

There are many coupon apps in the market, but the apps that give you the best deals for your shopping needs will be the best coupon app for you. There are many apps like Fullfork which have lists of discount codes or daily deals for your shopping needs. These sites approach a business to work with them on daily deals or coupon codes and offer you promo codes from the brands. If you shop from the brand via the coupon app, it will get a percentage of the proceeds. A third-party website like Fullfork Features a list of discounts and deals in your location and as per your preference. These apps also provide a map feature, which helps you choose establishments closest to you. Users can arrange deals as per filters like dine-in/take out. Most apps allow deals to be saved and also let users redeem deals in store.
If you are still not sure of the best coupon sites for you, we have listed the best coupon apps in the market. Pay them a visit and see which one works the best for you.

Fullfork Fullfork Features

1. Dosh app

The Dosh app lets users earn cash back while shopping at partner merchants like Walmart and Pizza Hut. Dosh offers cash back options for more than 600,000 hotels and 100,000 non-hotel locations all over the world.
The app requires no paper coupons or scanning of receipt and automatically adds savings after you link payment cards to your account. Users can earn up to 40% back on hotel stays and also get rewards for referring friends. But you can only redeem points once you have collected $25 in your account. The app requires you to connect your debit or credit cards.
The app automatically applies savings to purchases you make. Dosh is available on iOS and Android platforms.
The app works for purchases on mobile app and also for in-store buying. The app uses bank-level security to keep your personal information secure.

2. Ibotta

Ibotta is one of the most popular mobile coupon apps on the market. It offers the best deals for groceries as it features 500+ exclusive offers for grocery pickup and delivery. The app also offers a welcome bonus when you download the app and has other bonus offers. The app also has a browser extension which can be downloaded on a desktop or laptop. You can also link your loyalty card accounts to the Ibotta account but the account should have a minimum balance of $20 in rewards before you can cash out. The app doesn't automatically add offers to your cart, you need to do it manually and sometimes you also need to upload proof of purchase. The app works for in-store and online purchases and is available on iOS and Android platforms. The coupon app has paid out more than $1 billion in cash rewards since it was started in 2012.

3. Honey app

Honey is a coupon app that says it helps users make an average of 18% of money savings on their purchases. The coupon app and browser extension automatically looks for the best coupons and discounts and apply them to your purchases. The app works with more than 30,000 merchants and has its own loyalty program known as Honey Gold, where you can get rewards for referring friends. But the rewards on the program can only be redeemed as gift cards for customers not based in the United States. Once you are done with the shopping, the app searches the web for the best coupon codes available and applies it to your cart. The rewards you earn through the loyalty program can be collected and applied to your purchases along with the promo codes. Most people use Honey as a browser extension though there is also the Honey Smart Shopping Assistant app on iOS and Android platform.

4. Capital One Shopping

Capital One Shopping is a browser extension and coupon app that can help you save money by searching for rewards and coupons online. The app automatically compares prices on the items you want to buy at more than 30,000 retailers and even compares shipping costs. The app also lets users earn rewards on purchases and is available on Android and iOS platforms, but gives only gift cards in lieu of rewards. The coupon app not only compares pricing and shipping, but also loyalty programs and membership rates to get you the best deal. If Capital One finds a better price on an item, they give the link so that so you can purchase the item elsewhere. The app is free to use and, as per data, has helped customers save more than $160 million in 2019.

5. Rakuten

The former Ebates is now known as Rakuten, a cash back and coupon app that helps you save up to 40% on certain purchases with more than 2,500 retailers. The app and browser extension are more well known for helping users earn cash back on shopping. The redemptions on the app starts at $5. The app automatically applies coupon codes to your cart and helps in saving money as you can earn cash back from retailers, which are credited every three months. The extension also shows rewards potential and offers cash back for referring friends. The app also has a co-branded credit card. This app is available for iOS or Android devices. You can link your credit card to your account and use the app to earn cash back. You get 3% extra cash back if you use the app's own credit card for the purchases on app and 1% back on other purchases. The app also allows users earn rewards along with the cash back on purchases.

6. Coupons.com

Coupons.com offers printable coupons, cash back offers, and coupon codes and the coupons can be printed even without downloading the app. You can use the coupons in-store to save money while purchasing groceries, household items, among others. There is no minimum amount required to redeem rewards, and the app allows you to link your loyalty card for automatic savings. Some purchases on the app require proof of purchase, like uploading a receipt and scanning them can be a problem. The user has to activate offers on app before buying. The mobile app lets you earn rewards on certain purchases. The printable coupons include coupons for food, medicines and more.