Most people welcome the chance to save more money — especially on daily expenses like food, clothing and gas. Collecting and clipping coupons from various newspapers and coupon books can save you cash, but it’s a lot of work. Luckily, there are free apps offering digital coupons that are easy to use and do all the work for you, so you won’t miss another deal again.
If you already use digital coupons, you’re not in the majority, but you’re certainly not alone. According to a GOBankingRates survey, 24% of men and 38% of women use coupons. And 8% of those men and 12% of those women use some of our list’s best coupon apps to save.
Coupons.com is the best coupon app if you love to find deals. Sift through manufacturer coupons, retail and online store deals to find discounts. Some stores will accept a screen shot of their coupons or you can print them out.
Cost: $0 Best for: Old-school coupon clippers Available on:iOS and Android Cash rewards: Yes; Paypal or electronic cash reward to your bank account Pros: Many deals offer option to get instant savings at checkout instead of having to wait to receive cash back Cons: Printing paper coupons may be required
Flipp makes it easy to tap and swipe your way to find the best deals and save money. Enter your ZIP code and desired radius to find digital coupons for more than 300 retail stores, including both major retailers like Target and Walmart and smaller local stores. Filter deals by the percentage of savings, category and more. Then, save your deals by clipping them on a single “clippings” page to refer to when you’re shopping.
Cost: $0 Best for: Quick view of all your saved local deals on one page Available on:iOS and Android Cash rewards: No; instant savings at checkout Pros: See all saved deals on a single screen Cons: Tap-and-hold feature opens a pop-up box; not much info in pop-up
GetUpside is unique because it allows you to earn cash rewards beyond retail purchases. You’ll also save money at restaurants, convenience stores, gas stations — and on services such as car washes and oil changes. A gas price comparison tool will direct you to the cheapest gas in your area from the app’s list of more than 10,000 gas stations.
Cost: $0 Best for: Cash back on gasoline and car services Available on:iOS and Android Cash rewards: Yes — via check, digital rewards cards or PayPal Pros: Earn money back for gas, groceries and services from its partners Cons: Not nationwide yet; debit or credit card payments only — purchases not eligible if paid with cash
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4. Groupon
If you’re searching for that special something like a hot-air balloon ride, a dinner for two at a new restaurant or a day at the spa, Groupon is the best coupon app for finding great deals on experiences. You’ll save up to 70% off on attractions, dining, events and services in your area — or anywhere in the world, according to Groupon. Deals are only available for a limited time. Book and pay through the app to lock in the savings.
Cost: $0 Best for: Savings on experiences, spa and beauty services Available on:iOS and Android Cash rewards: No; savings discounted from the price when purchasing the deal Pros: Local deals up to 70% off Cons: Deals require purchase upfront; terms and conditions apply
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5. Honey Smart Shopping Assistant
Honey makes it simple to get the best deal at 37,000 online stores automatically. The Honey app will automatically find coupons and apply the promo code at checkout. Save items you’d like to watch, and the app will notify you when the price drops.
Cost: $0 Best for: Automatically get the best deal online Available on:iOS, Android or through web browser Cash rewards: No; savings applied as your discount at the checkout Pros: Can shop for items from different retailers all in one convenient cart Cons: Works best if you use both the app and the desktop web browser version
The Krazy Coupon Lady is the leading coupon aggregation site. KCL posts over 80 deals to its app per day from coupon sources like Coupons.com, Ibotta and more. Set up push alerts for categories, products and even favorite brands like Tide or Huggies. You can store your digital coupons and sync them across all your devices, so your whole family can use the coupons, which can really help you stick to your budget.
Cost: $0 Best for: Curated list of the best deals in the coupon world Available on:iOS and Android Cash rewards: No; instant savings at checkout Pros: You won’t miss a deal — frequent coupon offer updates Cons: Reviewers report app freezes up sometimes
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7. Rakuten Ebates
If you can buy it online, chances are you’ll earn cash rewards using the Rakuten Ebates app. Rakuten earns a place on our best coupon app list because you can earn between 1% and 40% back for your entire purchase, depending on the retailer.
Cost: $0 Best for: Earning a percentage back on your entire online purchase Available on:iOS and Android Cash rewards: Yes; rewards paid quarterly by check, starting at $5 Pros: Earn cash back on online purchases from 2,000 retailers or in-person at 30 participating stores Cons: To use the app, starting a shopping session is required
The app provides over 500,000 digital coupons for 50,000 stores. If you can’t find a coupon code on RetailMeNot, it probably doesn’t exist. The app uses geolocation to help you find the best deal when you’re out shopping.
Cost: $0 Best for: Finding coupon codes for nearly every retailer online and near you Available on:iOS and Android Cash rewards: No; instant discounts on purchase price Pros: Option to turn on location setting to automatically receive coupon alerts for local area while shopping Cons: According to some reviews, coupon codes fail
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9. Shopkick
Shopkick may be the most unique app in the best coupon roundup. Besides discounts on products, you can earn points just for walking into a store. Enable location services, and Shopkick will track and reward you with points called “kicks” for activities like visiting a grocery store, scanning barcodes on items or making purchases.
Cost: $0 Best for: Earning rewards for simply browsing Available on:iOS and Android Cash rewards: Yes; earned kick points can be exchanged for store gift cards from retailers Pros: No need to spend money to earn rewards Cons: Earning enough kicks to redeem for store loyalty card is time-consuming
SnipSnap works with your smartphone camera to scan paper coupons and barcodes and then stores them electronically until checkout. The app’s geolocation feature will even send a reminder when you’re near a retailer you have saved coupons from and let you know if the digital coupons are about to expire.
Cost: $0 Best for: Reminders when you’re near a retailer you have saved digital coupons from Available on:iOS and Android Cash rewards: No; discounts are applied at purchase Pros: Coupon sharing permitted Cons: Some users claim app crashes and coupons are lost
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11. Target App
For people who regularly shop at Target, its app allows shoppers to check out their weekly ads, Cartwheel offers and stock all in one place. Once you’re in the store, you can scan item barcodes for price comparison and reviews. Add your Target Red credit card to the Wallet section to make checkout faster by redeeming Cartwheel offers and paying with a single scan.
Cost: $0 Best for: Target shoppers who want extra savings Available on:iOS and Android Cash rewards: No, activate the offers and receive discount at checkout Pros: Pair this with the Target Red credit card for an extra 5% discount; choose debit, not credit, to get savings Cons: Must remember to activate deals before checking out
