Who doesn’t love to save money, especially on your favorite brands? What if we said you can not only save on your groceries but also earn cash back while doing so? Go ahead and pinch yourself, but this is not a dream. The Checkout 51 app makes it all possible.
How does Checkout 51 work?
Checkout 51 is a free app that works on both Android and Apple devices. By partnering with various brands, Checkout 51 is able to provide discounts and rebates to you just for purchasing certain grocery items.
When you first log into the software, you will be prompted to enter your location to start receiving offers near you. Then, you provide a little information about yourself to personalize your app. This information includes how many people (adults and children) you are shopping for, your birthday, and so on. Once your location and information are set, you can begin redeeming those discounts. You start with the app by browsing your available offers, which you can then buy at any store. You’ll simply provide proof of purchase to receive cash back by snapping a photo of your receipt and uploading it to the app.
According to the Checkout 51 FAQ page, once your account reaches $20, you have the option to check out and the company will mail you a check. This is subject to terms, so make sure to read those here.
You are able to access your account through a desktop as well. Plus, another perk is that you get a $0.50 cash back bonus on your first offer just for signing up. However, they only last less than a week at a time. Offers go up midnight each Thursday and expire every Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.
Is it worth it? The Checkout 51 review:
There were quite a few pros and some cons with the app. Let’s start with the bad news:
Cons: I noticed immediately that the app can be glitchy. When I first tried using it, it took forever to process information; although, I do also realize that may just be my smartphone. In addition, the offers provided may not align with your grocery shopping routine. If you do not buy certain items regularly, you may actually end up spending money you would not have just to snag a deal. This is a common issue with coupons in general, so try not to do any impulse buying. For instance, if bananas and milk are often are your grocery list, this would be worth utilizing the app. However, if you have no need for Teddy Grahams or new cleaning products, you shouldn’t spend money where you won’t need to.
Pros: After you upload your receipt, you can check off the items you purchased and how many times you’re claiming each offer so that the app starts to know what to look for based on your shopping habits. Some offers can even be claimed multiple times, which is also a nice feature. You will just want to check it prior to in order to see its limits.
The app also does not prevent you from using these discounts in conjunction with other coupons or promotions. Each offer will have its own conditions, so you can review these before trying to combine with another discount.
Other things to keep in mind:
When testing out the app, I used a receipt with a fairly typical grocery list of mine from the other day and was, unfortunately, only able to check off two of the many offers. One was for bananas at $1.09 (for which I received $0.50 cash back), and the other a chance to win $500 (OK, so that is kind of nice, even if the chances of winning are slim). Conversely, it is satisfying to know in the future that beauty and hygiene supplies were listed as well as some medicinal items, which will surely come in handy. There were also a handful of baby products on the offers list as well.
At my current rate, unless I base my grocery and errand shopping off the offers (which I do not plan on doing), it will take me quite some time to reach that $20 threshold. On the other hand, when I do need certain items, I can keep this app in mind to see if anything I plan on already buying made the list.
Overall, my Checkout 51 review is positive, and I do think it is worth using as long as you are not going out of your way to spend extra just to get a rebate. This, of course, will then defeat the purpose of saving money.
Have you tried Checkout 51? What are your thoughts? Start a discussion below or in our forums section.
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