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Are you always looking for cheap gas in your neighborhood but end up going to the same place every time? You can find gas stations and other participating businesses near you that offer cash back with Upside (formerly GetUpside).
Editor’s note: GetUpside rebranded to Upside on April 26, 2022. This review was originally written when the app name was GetUpside. All references to GetUpside have been updated to Upside.
Upside partners with businesses to give you cash back on everyday purchases. Most of them are gas stations, but in some areas there are restaurant, grocery and convenience store offers as well.
The program started in 2016 and continues to expand its partnerships with more cash back options. Over the years I’ve used it, Upside has added and notified me of new offers in my area.
In this article, I’ll outline the six steps you need to use Upside:
Using the Upside app is the only way to participate in this cash back program. Once you download it, create an account using your email, Apple ID, Google login or Facebook login information.
The app will also ask to access your location so that it can identify relevant deals for you.
Once you enable location services in the app, Upside will show you the deals closest to you. You can view the offers on the map or in a list.
The available categories are gas, restaurants, groceries and convenience.
These categories show you where to find participating businesses and how much cash back you will get on your purchase.
There is also a gift icon on the right side of the map screen: This is the “Free Gas Referral” section. It gives you additional rewards every time someone you refer to the app buys gas.
It’s best to claim offers just before you make your purchase. That’s because Upside puts a timer, which typically lasts a few hours, on each offer.
Before you claim an offer, make sure to comparison shop. If the deal is for gas, use an app like GasBuddy, or take a look at local prices on Google Maps.
Comparison shopping for the lowest overall price is always a better deal. Don’t go somewhere just because it offers an incentive.
If you see an Upside deal that looks good to you, click the “Claim” button to activate the offer and start the timer.
To view offers that you have claimed, go to the “Claimed Offers” section of the menu in the upper left-hand corner.
This list also tells you how long you have to claim each offer. To successfully complete the deal, you need to make your purchase in the set time frame and use a credit card.
If you don’t think you’ll be able to complete the deal in the time you have left, click the “Unclaim” button in the upper right-hand corner on the offer page.
One of the best things about Upside is that you don’t need to enter your credit card or banking information to get cash back. Instead, you just upload the receipt from your claimed deal.
To upload your receipt and complete the deal, go to an offer you’ve claimed and click “Upload Receipt.”
Take a picture of the entire receipt and wait for Upside to scan it. After it’s finished, a checklist pops up to tell you if the app was able to read the information it needed from your receipt.
At some establishments, you can check in rather than scan your receipt. In order to use this method, you must have previously scanned receipts into the app.
Check-in enabled offers are indicated by a blue shield icon next to a deal.
To check in, claim an offer with the blue shield icon. Then make your purchase and check in on the app.
When you check in, Upside will compare the offer location to your current location. If you’ve left the offer location, you’ll have to upload the receipt instead. However, if you’re still there and your GPS is accurate, you can click “Check In” and Upside will verify your offer.
Upside verifies your purchase by comparing merchant records to the last four digits of credit cards that you have in your Upside wallet.
Upside says it never has access to your entire credit card number.
Upside says it can take up to 10 days to process the receipt and for the money to be available in your account. Each time I’ve used Upside, the cash back showed up in my account within a day. I was notified by email when my cash back had been credited.
You can take out your money by going to the menu in the app and clicking “Cash Out.”
Upside gives you the option to cash out via PayPal, your bank account or digital gift card. Some payment methods require a minimum dollar amount in order to withdraw any money from your account.
If you want to get your money via PayPal or bank account, there is a $1 service fee unless you meet the minimum withdrawal. The fee-free minimum is $15 for PayPal and $10 for a bank account. You can also eliminate this fee by referring a friend to Upside.
Digital gift cards are available only in round, pre-set dollar amounts.
The Upside app is a legitimate way to earn cash back at participating gas stations, restaurants, grocery and convenience stores. My area does not have grocery offers yet, but there are tons of gas and restaurant deals available and a few convenience store offers in the app, too. Here are a few tips and perks I enjoyed while using the Upside app:
Easy claim and upload process: Upside provides clear instructions to help you along the way.
No credit card or bank information necessary: I like that I did not need to link a credit card to participate and that I didn’t need to link a bank account to get the money out of my Upside account.
Comparison shopping: Remember that an offer on Upside might not always be the best deal for your wallet, so always comparison shop deals with other everyday prices.
Have you used Upside or another cash back program? Tell us about it in our Clark.com community!
This post was last modified on September 20, 2023 4:25 pm
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