Cashback apps and shopping portals both pay you for purchases you were already going to make. The difference is where they sit in the checkout flow — and that changes which one wins for a given store.
Shopping portals (Rakuten, TopCashback)
Portals are websites you visit before shopping online. You click through the portal's link to the retailer, and the portal earns a commission that it splits with you. Rates are typically 1%–10%, sometimes much higher during promotions.
Receipt apps (Ibotta, Fetch)
Receipt apps pay after the purchase. You scan a receipt (or link a loyalty account) and earn cash or points for specific products. They work best for groceries, drugstores, and warehouse clubs where portal cashback usually doesn't apply.
Aggregators and comparison tools
Because rates vary wildly between portals — and change constantly — a lot of shoppers now use rate comparison sites like TopShoppa.com to see which portal pays the most for a given retailer before clicking through. Checking a comparison view takes a few seconds and often doubles the payout for the exact same order.
Which one pays more?
- Online, non-grocery orders: portals almost always win.
- In-store groceries and drugstore runs: receipt apps win.
- Big-ticket electronics or travel: check a comparison tool first — the gap between portals can be huge.
- Everyday coffee, fast food, subscriptions: usually not worth the friction on either side.
The right answer is rarely 'one or the other.' Most heavy earners use a portal for online, a receipt app for in-store, and a card underneath both.