Thanks to the rise in smartphones and geolocation technology, cash-saving mobile apps are becoming more and more popular. Big brands have made it easy to grab the latest deals via a simple-to-use mobile app – especially when they provide amazing offers while you are out shopping on the high street.
For example, you can get discounts, cashback and personalized offers when you’re shopping near your favorite stores. Or get coupon alerts in certain aisles at the supermarket. Some retailers will even reward you just for browsing! All you have to do is download the mobile apps of your choice and opt-in for location services to unlock this endless money-saving potential.
Want to make savings right now? Here are some tried and tested tips from top money-saving bloggers to help save you cash while shopping with your smartphone.
1. Pay your phone bill off with cashback
Otherwise known as Britain’s Coupon Kid, Jordan Cox is hailed as one of the UK’s best money-saving bloggers. His phone is full to the brim with coupon and discount apps. In fact, he pays his phone bill off every month by using Airtime Rewards.
Here’s what he said about it:
”With this cashback app you can earn money without even lifting a finger. Once it’s all set up you don’t need to think about it. Sign up to the app and link your Visa and Mastercards. If you shop on those cards at any of its 150 retailers, you’ll receive cashback automatically on what you spend.
If you’re an average spender, you’re likely to earn as much as £5 per month, plus, if you have a big purchase coming up, you could earn £10+ in one go. My phone bill is a SIM-only contract at £8 per month. I pay my phone bill off every month with the cashback I earn.”
Jordan Cox, Money to the Masses
2. Earn rewards without buying anything
The popular Shopkick app is totally free to use and lets you earn gift cards for major retailers without spending any money, although making purchases increases your earnings.
You can earn points or ‘kicks’ by walking into participating stores and by scanning items with no obligation to buy. However, if you do buy anything, you can earn even more points by scanning your receipt afterwards.
You can easily earn lots of kicks in a quick visit to Walmart, like in this video from US-based YouTuber Logan Allec. Keep watching to find out more about how Shopkick works, the pros and cons of the app and how to download it.
3. Specify how far from your location you want to look
Personal finance blogger Rob Lewis has plenty of good things to say about the Vouchercloud mobile app which gives you on-the-go access to fantastic deals across a variety of categories. In his review of the app he recommends making the most of its location-based abilities.
He said:
”Vouchercloud is one of the more impressive and slickest mobile apps I’ve downloaded for my iPhone so far. On start up, the app looks for local offers, and categorises the deals so you can narrow down the choice to just restaurants, casual dining (such as pizza shops), bars & pubs, leisure & entertainment, or one of several other categories, should you wish.
You can also browse the deals in alphabetical order, or see where all the deals are located on a map. In the app settings, you can also specify a radius for how far away from your location you want it to look. Plus, you can search for specific vouchers too – so pretty much all bases covered when it comes to finding the voucher you’re after.”
Rob Lewis, Money Watch
4. Earn cash whilst you spend
According to Save the Student’s Katie Paterson, cashback apps are the perfect way to save money and get an instant cash boost straight to your pocket. One of her favorites is CheckoutSmart which is free to use and available on iPhone and Android.
She said:
‘’If ever there’s a smart way to save money on your shopping it’s by claiming cashback on what you buy. CheckoutSmart works by providing shoppers with a daily list of items they’re offering cashback on.
All you have to then do is chase up those items, pay for them at checkout, take a photo of your receipt with your phone and then submit on the app (although do try to be sensible here and only buy what you actually need – being lead astray by offers doesn’t really count as money saving!).
What we like most about CheckoutSmart: That you can earn cash back for future shopping trips whilst you spend your money.’’
Katie Paterson, Save the Student
5. Enable location services on your mobile app
To make the most of these or any other cash-saving mobile apps all you need to do is download the application and agree to share your location and receive push notifications.
When you first open the application, you’ll see a message asking you if you agree to this. By opting in, your location can be used to find the best deals for you as the app can notify you to nearby offers and better predict what you like, therefore filtering out anything that’s not relevant.
It really is that simple – by enabling location services you can unlock endless money-saving potential and get on-the-go offers as you shop!
Are you an app developer or a business with a mobile app? PlotProjects can help to maximise your app’s value for users who are on-the-go. To find out more about our geofencing SDK contact PlotProjects today. With many years of experience and expertise, our solution is hailed as the best in the industry for both big and small businesses alike.