Getting cash back with the Drop App
If a cash back app exists, I’ve more than likely downloaded and tried it. I am constantly experimenting with these apps in an effort to save money on everyday purchases. Through all of this trial and error, I have not yet found an app that is an easier way to earn gift cards than the Drop app. The Drop App is a relatively new cash back rewards app that automatically gives you credit for making purchases at certain retailers. While it certainly has some limitations when compared with other cash back apps, it should absolutely be one of the few apps that you use.
What is the Drop app?
The Drop app, sometimes referred to as “earn with drop” is an easy-to-use mobile app that rewards you for your common everyday purchases. By linking it to your credit or debit cards, Drop tracks your spending and gives you points when you shop at certain pre-determined retailers. You can later redeem those points for gift cards. No scanning receipts. No taking photos of product bar codes. Just shopping as you normally would and automatically earning rewards in the app.
How the Drop App Works
With Drop, you can automatically earn rewards from five different retailers of your choice. First you will need to download the app to your mobile device. You can earn an extra $5 by using this link to download Drop.
After downloading, you’ll be prompted to link your accounts. You can do this by signing directly into your bank and allowing it to pull in your credit and debit card information. The app uses bank level security, so you can rest assured that your information is safe.
Next, you will be prompted to select five retailers. This is one of the things that makes the Drop app different. Instead of getting cash back on all of your purchases, you will choose these stores, then get cash back on every purchase only at those stores. Choose wisely, because you will not be able to change this later. There are dozens of stores to choose from, including Starbucks, Target, Walmart, Chipotle, Dunkin Donuts and most large grocery and retail chains.
To earn points, you simply have to spend at the stores that you have chosen. The Drop app will do the rest. The amount of points you earn is dependent on what you purchase, but will typically give you about 1 point for every 10-15 cents that you spend. So if you make a $10 purchase, you’ll likely earn a little over 100 points.
You can also earn points by redeeming special offers. These are specials for retailers, usually online, where you make a purchase and get credited with points, even if they are not on your list of five. These usually come with a much higher rate of earning points.
Once you have earned over 5,000 points, you are able to redeem your points for gift cards through Drop. 5,000 points is equal to $5.00 for most gift cards. I’m not a math genius, but my calculations tell me that 10 points is equal to one cent. So you are basically getting around 1% cash back on most of your purchases.
Pros and Cons of the Drop App
Pros of Drop
- The app is free.
- You don’t have to submit receipts or take any action beyond making purchases on your linked credit or debit card.
- You can use it alongside other cash back apps like Ebates, Swagbucks, or Ibotta to stack your cash back.
- It works with a lot of different retailers, both for earning and redeeming cash back.
- The app has great security, so you don’t have to worry about your data being compromised.
Cons of Drop
- You can’t change your five retailers after you sign up.
- The cash back amount could be considered low, but for the level of effort, it’s not bad.
- The offers beyond your five retailers are somewhat limited, so it’s hard to take advantage of them very frequently.
Tricks and Hacks to Earn More with Drop
- Split up your purchases – While the beauty of Drop is that you will get rewarded for shopping as you normally would, modifying the way you shop slightly can pay off. Since you get rewarded through the Supercharge bonus after five trips to your retailers, it makes sense to try to make trips more frequent. For instance, if you normally shop at a grocery store once per week, splitting that into two trips will count as two purchases toward your Supercharge bonus.
- Check the offers – Before you buy anything online, look at the offers that they have in the Drop app. Since they are using their affiliate relationships to get paid, they will reward you with extra points if you head to a retailer through the app first.
- Refer your friends – By inviting friends to use the app, you get an extra $5 in points when they sign up.
- Choose your merchants wisely – Since you only get to choose five stores and you can’t change them later, make sure that you choose stores that you frequently shop at.
Bonus programs
Another attractive way to earn money with the Drop App is through their bonuses. You can earn bonuses through drop in two ways:
Drop Supercharge Bonus
Each time that you have completed five purchases at one of the retailers on your list, you will earn a drop Supercharge bonus. This allows you to play a game to earn more Drop points. The game is basically the Snake game that used to be on the old Nokia cell phones. For each dot that you eat with the snake, you earn points. It gets progressively harder until you have used all three of your lives, then the game ends. You keep whatever points you earned and they are added to your Drop point balance.
Referral Bonus
Referral programs are a great way to make money without having to spend anything. When you refer a friend to the Drop app, you will get $5 and your friend will get $5 for signing up. For instance, if you click on my referral link here and sign up, we will each get $5 worth of Drop points added to our account. Don’t sleep on this method of getting points, because something as simple as emailing your friends or posting to a social network could easily earn you gift cards.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Drop App
There are a few questions that I typically get asked when discussing the Drop app with a reader or a friend. Here you go:
Is the Drop app worth it?
It certainly won’t make you rich, but the low effort required makes it almost a no brainer to use Drop. You can essentially set it and forget it. You’ll be rewarded with $5-$10 every couple months if you do.
How much cash back to you get with Drop?
The points that you get through Drop usually come out to around 1% cash back for your purchases.
Can you change your five retailers you have chosen?
When you start using the app, you will choose your five stores. You will not ever be able to change these in the future. You should pick stores that you shop at frequently.
How do you sign up for Drop?
Since it is a mobile application, you must download it first to start earning cash back. You can find it in your app store, or follow this link from a browser to get an additional $5.