How I’m earning extra rewards by taking photos of receipts

I have an extreme obsession with earning as many bonus rewards as I can. Some might even say it’s a little unhealthy.

Whether it’s completing surveys or earning credit card welcome bonuses, I’m always on the prowl to earn more. To feed this obsession, I discovered a unique way to rack up bonus rewards without spending any extra money.

All I do is snap photos of receipts.

So, before you throw the next receipt away, remember it could be earning you extra rewards. Here’s what you need to know.

Related: How I transitioned from cash-back rewards to my points and miles card strategy

How do I earn rewards by scanning receipts?

Apps like CoinOut and Fetch allow you to scan receipts with your phone and earn points for each scan. You can earn points every time you scan a receipt with either app.

Once you have accumulated enough points, you can redeem them for gift cards or cash back. These apps allow you to double-dip on rewards by earning them with your credit card for the purchase and also by scanning the receipts.

There is no spending requirement, so even if the purchase was only $1, it would count. Generally, it takes less than 15 seconds to scan a receipt with each app. And while this requires a little bit of effort, I find it to be well worth it considering the rewards.

With each app, you have 14 days from the purchase date on the receipt to scan it. I always try to scan the receipts right after I get them so I won’t forget.

Additionally, these apps also offer rewards for linking external accounts to scan for e-receipts.

Both apps function similarly, but their interfaces are quite different. I prefer Fetch’s interface, but CoinOut has better redemption options (which I’ll discuss later).

It’s important to note that you should redeem your points for rewards as soon as you can. If one of these apps shuts down, you will likely not be able to recover your points.

Related: How to earn bonus cash back or Amex points on your online shopping purchases with Rakuten

What is Fetch?

Fetch is a rewards app that allows you to earn more points in various ways. You’ll earn at least 25 points with every receipt scan. Fetch has a limit of 35 receipt scans within a rolling seven-day window.

Additionally, Fetch, like a growing number of financial technology companies, has introduced a credit card, the Fetch Card, which earns 10 points per dollar spent on groceries. However, I wouldn’t recommend this card and would instead suggest opting for one that earns transferable rewards.

The information for the Fetch Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: Earn Membership Rewards points with Rakuten’s first-ever credit card

How to maximize earning rewards with Fetch

With Fetch, there are numerous ways to maximize earning rewards.

Linking accounts for automatic points

With Fetch, you can maximize earning points by linking external accounts like Target, Walmart, Amazon and your email.

Fetch will parse your accounts, search for e-receipts and scan them so you earn more points. I earned over 1,000 bonus points in the past few months just from having my Amazon account linked. Fetch also has fun games you can play to earn bonus points.

Boosted brands

Fetch often runs promos on select brands known as “boosted brands.” With these brands, you’ll earn more points if you buy certain items. For example, I can earn 600 points by scanning a Safeway receipt and earn 2,000 points if I buy Talenti gelato. These bonus points are in addition to the base 25 points I receive for each receipt scan.

You’ll be surprised at the brands that are often boosted. To check which brands are boosted, just open the app and scroll down on the homepage to the “Trending offers” section.

Fetch vs. other portals

You can also earn bonus Fetch points when you make online purchases through Fetch. You just have to activate the offers on Fetch’s portal in the app. This functions the same way Rakuten does, where you have to activate the offers.

However, you’ll only be able to earn rewards with one program if you’re shopping at the same merchant since they are both cash-back portals. I would recommend sticking with Rakuten to earn cash back or American Express Membership Rewards points on online purchases, as it offers more flexibility and you can still earn Fetch points with the e-receipt scan.

There’s also Fetch dining. You’ll earn bonus Fetch points when you link your credit card and use it to pay at participating restaurants.

But if that same card is also enrolled in another dining rewards program (like Rakuten Dining or AAdvantage Dining), you won’t earn those extra rewards. This is because all these programs use Rewards Network as their processor, and only one program can give you credit for a purchase. You’ll have to choose one program or the other, and again, I’d stick with Rakuten.

Related: Quick Points: Use a shopping portal aggregator to maximize your online purchases

Redeeming points with Fetch

Redemptions with Fetch start at 5,000 points for a $5 gift card and go up to 60,000 points for a $50 gift card. Some gift cards cost fewer points than others. I’ve noticed that less popular retailers tend to cost less than retailers like Amazon and Target, which require 55,000 points for a $50 gift card.

It took me about three months to earn enough points for a $25 Amazon gift card with Fetch. I always redeem my points for Amazon or Target gift cards since I shop with those merchants so frequently.

Related: How to redeem cash-back rewards from your credit card

What is CoinOut?

With CoinOut, you’ll earn at least 10 points per receipt scanned. You can earn more points per scan based on your level.

You’ll earn the following points per scan based on your level:

• Bronze: 10 points
• Silver: 20 points
• Gold: 30 points
• Platinum: 40 points
• Diamond: 50 points

CoinOut has a weekly limit of 25 receipt scans or 125 per month.

How to maximize earning rewards with CoinOut

Besides scanning a receipt, there are other ways to maximize your rewards with CoinOut. You can earn 30 points every day just by opening the app and leaving it open for one minute. You can also earn an additional 200 points for each account you connect, such as your email, Walmart, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Amazon, Chewy, Uber Eats and DoorDash.

CoinOut has daily and weekly challenges that will also earn you bonus points. For example, if you scan five or more receipts in a week, you’ll earn a weekly bonus.

Plus, you can earn more points by completing missions in the app. These include scanning receipts from certain stores or products and completing surveys.

There is also a spin-the-wheel game, called “Coin Frenzy,” where you can earn bonus points. I often play this game if I’m bored on a flight and need to pass the time.

Redeeming points with CoinOut

CoinOut points are typically worth around 1 cent each. You can redeem your points for Amazon gift cards or gift cards from various retailers, PayPal or Venmo.

Redemptions start at 3,000 points for a $3 reward and go up to 47,000 points for a $50 reward. I always choose the Venmo cash-out option, as it offers me the most flexibility. It’s important to note that you’ll need to be at the top Diamond level to unlock a redemption of $10 or more.

Like Fetch, it took me about three months to acquire enough points with CoinOut to earn a $25 Venmo reward.

Which app should you use?

Both apps function similarly, and you can scan the same receipt on both apps. Since scanning receipts is such a simple task, you should really use both apps; I certainly do.

However, if I had to give one the edge, I would use CoinOut just because it offers the closest thing to true cash-back redemptions with the Venmo and PayPal options. I also appreciate that CoinOut has levels where you can earn more points per scan, depending on your level, unlike Fetch.

While it seems like it may take a while to earn enough points to redeem, the points rack up much quicker than expected, especially if you shop at stores where these apps are offering bonus points.

I’ve been using both for about a year now and have earned about $200 in rewards. While not much, it’s better than nothing for such a simple task.

Bottom line

Whenever there’s an opportunity to earn bonus rewards, you should take it. The next time someone asks if you want a receipt, say yes, because that piece of paper can turn into bonus rewards.

Related: How to maximize cash back with your credit card