I admit, I’m quite a shopaholic when it comes to buying tech products and clothes, with my wardrobe screaming “Welcome to Uniqlo!”.
But being a budget-oriented person, I’m also an avid deals-hunter and love saving money wherever I can.
Thus, with my latest purchase, parts for my new custom built gaming PC worth $2,000, I used my trusty credit cards for rewards plus managed to knock off an additional $100 (5 per cent) with cashback and rewards apps.
Looking to save while you shop (and dine) too? Here are the best apps so you can get cashback and even miles!
TL;DR: Best Cashback and Rewards Apps
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What Are Cashback and Rewards Apps?
Simply put, cashback and rewards apps let you save as you spend on their platform. With each purchase, you earn a small percentage in the form of cashback or points which can then be used to offset a future purchase or redeemed for rewards.
Over time or on big purchases, these savings can amount to quite a bit. You can even double dip on rewards by linking your credit cards on these apps!
How Can These Apps Give Us Free Money?
As they say, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch”. And that’s true for the companies behind these cashback and rewards apps too.
When you shop on these apps, the companies receive a commission from the brands and stores. of which some will be shared with you as rewards.
These companies could also gather data on your shopping habits to sell them to marketing firms who want to better target specific audiences.
ShopBack
First up, we have the biggest shopping, rewards, and payments platform in the Asia-Pacific region, ShopBack!
It has a whopping 15,000 online and physical partner stores for you to choose from.
The ShopBack app lets you earn cashback from online shopping websites, buying vouchers and gift cards, as well as payment through ShopBack Pay’s QR codes at physical stores!
Notable rewards (subject to changes):
| Brands/Stores | Rewards |
|---|---|
| Various ShopBack Pay Partner Outlets | Varying Cashback |
| Shopee | Up to 10% Cashback |
| Lazada | Up to 15% Cashback |
| Taobao | Up to 10% Cash Rewards |
| Fairprice Online | Up to 12% Cashback |
How Does ShopBack Work?
In order to use ShopBack, you will need to sign up for an account and link a payment method (VISA, Mastercard credit cards, GrabPay, or DBS PayLah!).
There are two main ways to earn cashback with ShopBack’s app: online or through ShopBack Pay at physical stores.
ShopBack Online
Earning cashback online is quite a seamless experience although there are a couple caveats to take note of. After linking your payment method, all you have to do is tap on your preferred brand on the ShopBack app and it will redirect you to the respective app or site where you can shop as per normal.
While not exactly a feature on the app, there’s also a freaking Chrome extension for ShopBack worth mentioning so you can easily apply cashback when doing your online shopping!
Once your purchase has been processed, you will see your cashback being tracked on the app. This also applies to purchasing vouchers or gift cards through ShopBack.
The caveats here is that the cashback is not immediate and you will have to wait weeks for it to be available. For cashback amounts below $10, you can only use them to offset a future purchase. Otherwise, you can withdraw the cashback straight into your bank account! Pretty sweet, huh?
Cashback earned does not expire unless your account is inactive for more than a year.
ShopBack Pay
Seen these ShopBack QR codes around? That’s how you can use ShopBack Pay to pay at physical stores!
ShopBack Pay’s Cashback is a little different from ShopBack online with “return cashback”. This means that when you make payment at some stores with ShopBack Pay, you’ll have to return to the same store (within the stated time period) if you want to use the cashback to offset your next purchase. Great for stores that you frequent!
Kris+
Not so much of a cashback person? We got you miles-chasers covered too with Kris+ by Singapore Airlines!
You can earn up to an insane 9 miles per dollar at over 1,500 partners, buy discounted cash vouchers and enjoy complimentary privileges such as dessert and discounts.
Notable rewards (subject to changes):
| Brands/Stores | Rewards |
|---|---|
| Tandoor (Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre) | Earn 9 miles per dollar |
| Puma | |
| Huggs Coffee | Earn 6 miles per dollar |
| Konyo | Complimentary Dessert |
| Altico Lounge | Complimentary Cocktails |
| Gong Cha | 10% Off Total Bill |
How Does Kris+ Work?
Kris+ works in tandem with the KrisFlyer membership. You can choose to link Google Pay or Apple Pay to Kris+, or top up your KrisPay Wallet with KrisFlyer miles, CapitaStar STAR$, Citi ThankYou Points, DBS Points or UOB UNI$.
By linking Google Pay or Apple Pay with an underlying credit card, you can double dip on both credit card rewards and up to 9 miles per dollar on Kris+!
If you have a 4 miles per dollar card like the Citi Rewards card, you could potentially earn up to 13 miles per dollar! So make sure you link the best miles card that awards you for online transactions.
While you can earn KrisPay miles online at a limited number of partners, the most common way to earn is by locating the Kris+ QR code at physical stores.
When you make payment with Kris+, you will instantly receive KrisPay miles which can be used to offset your next purchase at a rate of 15 KrisPay miles for $0.10, redeemed for rewards, or converted to KrisFlyer miles.
Do note that KrisPay miles is different from KrisFlyer miles! However, you can convert your KrisPay miles to KrisFlyer miles at a 1:1 ratio which will be transferred to your KrisFlyer account. This transfer must be done within seven days of earning the KrisPay miles.
Another thing that you should note is that KrisPay miles are only valid for six months. So be sure to spend them or convert them to KrisFlyer miles (which you should be doing if you’re a miles chaser!).
Fave
Fave, more commonly known for its FavePay feature, is another cashback and rewards app with over 10,000 partner stores.
Like ShopBack, it offers cashback when you make payment via FavePay’s QR codes at physical stores and allows you to buy discounted vouchers and deals.
However, it is still in its infancy when it comes to offering cashback on online shopping which ShopBack absolutely dominates now. But hey who knows, maybe the underdog will rise up in a few years!
Notable rewards (subject to changes):
| Brands/Stores | Rewards |
|---|---|
| Various FavePay Partner Outlets | Varying Cashback |
| NewU Aesthetics | 99% off 12 sessions Leg / Arm SHR Hair Removal + 1 session of Brightening Treatment |
| Hong Kong Egglet | 7% off |
| Lazada | 1% off + 10% eCashback |
| Elegance Beauty & Slimming | Bonus $5 when purchasing $5 eCard |
As you can probably tell, Fave is quite heavy on beauty and food promotions rather than cashback in general. So our options are pretty limited.
How Does Fave Work?
You’ll need to sign up for an account and link a payment method (VISA, Mastercard, AMEX credit cards, GrabPay, AliPay or DBS PayLah!).
FavePay
Most of the time when using Fave, you’ll be doing so through FavePay’s QR code, unless you are buying deals or eCards.
Once you make payment through the Fave app, you will receive either one of three cashback types: Fave Cashback (valid on all transactions), Fave eCashback (valid on Deals and eCards transactions only), or Partner Cashback (equivalent to ShopBack’s return cashback).
Fave Cashback and eCashback are valid for 30 days unless otherwise stated while Partner Cashback is valid for three months to be used with the same partner.
Sadly, cashback cannot be transferred to your bank account.
So…Which Apps Should You Use?
With the current options available, it’s quite clear cut. If you like cashback for both online and offline purchases, get on ShopBack! Miles? Kris+ it is!
Or if you like beauty and food, Fave could be a good option.
But hey, why not just have all of them like I do (though I really only use ShopBack). If a partner doesn’t have one, they could have another so you won’t miss out on savings.
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