If you’re looking for ways to save money, you may have come across Upside.
In this Upside review, I’ll share my real earnings after using the app since 2021, explain how I triple-stack it with other cash-back apps, and break down whether it’s worth your time for gas, groceries and restaurants.
Upside started as a gas-only app, then slowly rolled out grocery and restaurant options in a handful of regions. Now it's a different story. I'm finding offers at a wide variety of local and national restaurant chains, typically around 6% back on up to $10. Fresh Market near me is consistently over 10% back on groceries, and I use it all the time.
Gas has gotten solid too, averaging well over 10 cents per gallon back on my recent fill-ups. I first tested the app in 2021 but only started using it regularly in late 2025. My lifetime earnings are $116.14, mostly from the last few months.
New users get an extra 25¢ per gallon on their first fill-up with code THEWAYSTOWEALTH.
- You can triple-stack Upside with product-level apps like Ibotta, receipt scanners like Fetch, and credit card rewards on the same transaction.
- Low cash-out minimums. Bank transfers start at $1.01, and gift cards (including Amazon) have no fee.
- The app keeps expanding. Gas, groceries and restaurants are established, and car wash offers have recently been added.
- If the gas pump doesn't print a receipt and you didn't check in, you get nothing. This happened to us during our 2021 test.
- An Upside offer doesn't always mean the cheapest option. A station with 10 cents per gallon back may still cost more than one down the road with no offer.
- Cash back can take up to 10 days to process and post to your account.
10 Things to Know About Upside Before You Download
Here’s what you need to know before you start.
- You have to claim each offer before you buy. Skip this step and you won’t earn anything, no matter how much you spend.
- Time limits vary by category. You have four hours after claiming a gas, restaurant or convenience store offer to use it, then 24 hours to upload a receipt. For grocery offers, you have 24 hours to both make the purchase and submit the receipt.
- Some locations let you check in instead of uploading a receipt. Look for the blue lightning icon next to the business name. If you check in, you have 20 minutes to make your purchase and must pay with a linked debit card, credit card or digital wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay). Prepaid cards and EBT don’t work.
- Offers are personalized. The same gas station may show you 10 cents per gallon and the person next to you 18 cents. Rates are based on the business’s current margins and your history with that location. I’ve noticed that when I go a stretch without using the app, the offers tend to be higher when I come back, almost like a win-back incentive.
- Different locations of the same chain can have different rates or no offer at all. Claiming an offer at one location does not activate it at others.
- You can’t double-dip with other gas apps. Upside will deny receipts that were also processed by another receipt-level cash-back program like GasBuddy or Checkout 51. You can, however, stack Upside with product-level apps like Ibotta, general receipt scanners like Fetch, and credit card rewards on the same transaction
- Gas offers apply to purchases of up to 50 gallons. In my last five fill-ups, cash back ranged from 6 to 14 cents per gallon, averaging about 11 cents. On groceries and dining, I’ve seen rates between 6% and 21% depending on the merchant and whether a bonus is running.
- Delivery orders don’t qualify. You need to make the purchase in person at the physical location.
- Cash back can take up to 10 days to process. Some transactions clear in 24 to 48 hours, but don’t count on it.
- Your balance expires after six months of inactivity. As long as you earn at least one cash-back reward every six months, your balance is safe.
How the Upside App Works
Here’s a quick overview of how to use Upside.
Step 1: Sign up.
Download the free app for iOS or Android, then sign up.
Step 2: Activate an offer.
If you forget to activate the offer before making your purchase, you will not receive a cash-back reward. To activate, click “Claim” (as shown in the image below).
Step 3: Link a payment card.
If you want to skip the receipt upload process (which we recommend), Upside needs to be able to link your purchases with your check-in.
To do so, you need to add at least one credit or debit card by inputting the first six and last four numbers of the card in the “My Wallet” section of the app. (Note that “My Wallet” may not appear until after you claim a check-in offer.)
Step 4: Check in when you arrive at the merchant, if possible.
Not all merchants can accommodate a check-in. Check the app for a blue lightning icon next to the business’s name to know whether check-in is available. If it is, press “Check In” when you arrive.
Note that you will need to share your location data to use this feature; however, you can select “While Using” in your phone’s settings to limit the app’s access.
Step 5: Make your purchase.
Make your purchase within four hours of claiming your offer (24 hours for grocery stores).
The app will show pertinent details for each offer, such as whether the discount applies to a certain grade of gas or if there’s a cash-back limit for the transaction.
Step 6: Pay with a linked card.
When you check in, pay using a linked card (see Step 3). If Upside can’t match your purchase with your card, you will not get a cash-back reward.
Step 7: Upload a receipt.
If you didn’t or couldn’t check in, don’t forget to get (and then upload) a receipt within 24 hours.
Step 8: Get paid.
Once your purchase is confirmed, the cash-back for your transaction shows in your account balance.
Step 9: Cash out.
Your cash-back will accumulate until you withdraw the money or exchange it for a digital gift card.
What We Like and Don’t Like About Upside
Here’s an overview of the pros and cons of Upside based on our experience.
Upside Pros:
- Receipt transactions processed within 24 hours in our testing. Check-in transactions took up to 48 hours. When our first receipt was denied (the gas pump ran out of printer paper), Upside sent a clear email explaining why. They don’t leave you guessing.
- The coverage has improved dramatically since 2021. Back then, there were no participating restaurants within six miles and no grocery stores within 14 miles of our test location. In 2026, I’m seeing grocery and restaurant offers regularly in my area.
- You can triple-stack Upside with other apps. I regularly combine Upside’s receipt-level cash back with Ibotta for product-level offers and a 3% grocery credit card (see Bilt Review) on the same transaction. Three layers of rewards on one trip.
- I’ve started using Upside like a restaurant discovery tool. On weekends, I scroll the app before deciding where to eat. If a nearby spot is offering 10% or 15% back, that tips the decision. Pair it with a dining credit card and you’re looking at 9% to 18% back on a meal.
- Location-based notifications alert you to nearby offers, which is useful if you’re not in the habit of checking the app before every purchase. You can turn off background tracking in your phone settings.
Upside Cons:
- Our very first transaction failed because the gas pump didn’t print a receipt. We submitted a credit card screenshot, but Upside denied it because it didn’t show the number of gallons.
- An Upside offer doesn’t always mean cheaper gas. During our test, a station across the street offered 4 cents per gallon back, but their base price was higher. The “discount” just brought them to the same price as the station without an offer.
- High cash-back rates often come with caps. A restaurant might show 39% back but cap it at $10. Fresh Market might offer 21% back but cap your earnings at $15. The headline rate looks great until you check the fine print.
- Offers by gas grade aren’t always visible in the app. You may need to check the Upside website to see whether other grades have discounts at a given station.
- Cash back can take up to 10 days to post. Most of mine have cleared faster, but some restaurant transactions have taken the full window.
Our Original 2021 Test Earnings
We tested Upside for 22 days and earned $17.26 on just three gas station visits.
Our earnings were small, mostly because we only needed to fill up twice during that period and there were no participating restaurants or grocery stores near our test location.
Updated 2025/2026 Earnings Data
Once I saw Fresh Market was on Upside, I got a renewed interest in the app. I also started seeing better gas offers in my area around the same time.
Between December 2025 and January 2026, I earned $60.24 in two months.
Here are some of my recent transactions without any referral bonuses applied, so you can see what standard rates look like:
- Fresh Market (Dec. 28): 21% cash back, earned $12.14 on a grocery run.
- Shell (Jan. 1): 14 cents per gallon cash back, earned $2.12.
- BP (Dec. 11): 13 cents per gallon cash back, earned $1.96.
Some of the other transactions in my history have a small tag icon, which means a referral bonus was applied. Those rates are higher than what you’d normally get.
The Fresh Market trips on Jan. 24 ($17.52) and Dec. 23 ($21.44) both include referral bonuses, so the actual grocery cash-back percentage on those trips was lower than those totals suggest.
Getting Paid
The cash-out process is simple. You tap your balance, pick how you want to get paid, and confirm. Most requests process within 24 to 48 hours. I usually cash out with Amazon gift cards since there’s no fee, and mine have arrived within 24 hours.
Your cash-out options are:
- Gift cards: No fee. Choose from Amazon, Walmart, Starbucks and over 30 other retailers. Most gift cards are delivered within 48 hours, though in my experience they’ve come through much faster.
- PayPal: A $1 fee applies if you’re cashing out less than $15. Transfers take up to 5 business days.
- Bank transfer: A $1 fee applies if you’re cashing out less than $10. Transfers take 5 to 7 business days.
The minimum cash-out for bank transfers is $1.01. Per Upside’s Terms of Service, a request for funds to your bank account or PayPal may take up to 10 business days.
One thing to keep in mind: you need to verify each withdrawal by clicking a confirmation link sent to your email on a mobile device.
If you miss the link or wait more than 24 hours, you’ll need to request the withdrawal again.
Upside App FAQ
Upside app reviews are mostly positive on the app stores. As of February 2026, Upside has a 4.8/5 rating from over 638,000 reviews on iOS and a 4.5/5 from over 431,000 reviews on Google Play.
Upside regularly offers promo codes that will give you an additional discount on your gas purchase, ranging from a few cents per gallon to as much as an additional 50 cents per gallon. Here is a page that keeps a relatively up-to-date list of Upside promo codes.
Cash-back rewards expire if your account is inactive for six consecutive months. According to Upside’s Terms of Service, your account is considered inactive during any period where no cash-back rewards are earned or redeemed. It’s also worth noting that if your account is terminated for any reason, including violating their terms, you forfeit your entire balance. The simplest way to keep your rewards safe is to make at least one Upside purchase every few months.
Upside utilizes transaction histories to create personalized offers that fall within margin parameters of participating merchants. Consumers make their typical purchases but adjust where they purchase based on the current incentives.
Winning businesses enjoy greater sales and Upside receives a small fee from the merchant for each transaction. For specifics about what information Upside collects, how they use it, and with whom they share it, refer to Upside’s privacy policy.
The Upside app used to be called GetUpside. The name and branding were simplified in 2022.
Upside App Review: My Verdict
I first tested Upside in 2021 and used it on and off for a few years before picking it back up regularly in late 2025.
My lifetime earnings are $116.14, and most of that came in the last few months once I started using it consistently.
The app is much more useful now than when we first tested it.
In 2021, it was a gas app with limited coverage. In 2026, the grocery and restaurant options are best in class.
Fresh Market near me is consistently over 10% back, gas offers are averaging well over 10 cents per gallon, and I’m finding restaurant deals at both local spots and national chains.
Where it really gets interesting is stacking.
I regularly combine Upside with Ibotta for product-level cash back and a rewards credit card on the same grocery trip.
Three layers of cash back for about 30 seconds of extra effort.
The people who will get the most out of Upside are those who already shop at participating merchants and are willing to spend a few seconds per transaction claiming an offer.
If you already use apps like Ibotta or Fetch, Upside fits right into that workflow.
If you don’t have many participating merchants near you, or if you buy most of your gas at a warehouse club like Costco, the earnings will be smaller.
New users can download Upside here and use code THEWAYSTOWEALTH for an extra 25 cents per gallon on their first fill-up.
Related Articles:
- Legit Money Making Apps For Android/iOS
- Best Cash Back Apps & Sites
- Best Cash Back Apps For Groceries
I have a claim that is still shows “processing” from December 13th from a grocery store. I usually only use the app for gas, but they had a promotion named Tic Tac Toe that if you made purchases from a qualifying gas station, restaurant and grocery store by a certain date, the 17th I think, that you could earn an extra $20. I made a concerted effort to visit each of the three by the cut off date and submitted my receipts in order to cash in on the extra $20. I feel like my grocery store submission is still “processing” in order for them to avoid paying out the extra $20. Not happy with that. I also have a nephew that submitted a payout request for a Lowe’s card and never received it. He said he sent them an email regarding the matter and got no response. He has since deleted the app and I know others who have done the same.
Hi Kevin! It’s been a few weeks since you left this comment, and we just wanted to follow up and see if your promotional credit ever hit your account. If not, did you reach out to the app’s customer service team (and if so, what was their response)?
This article is biased! I used the app with no problems, no printed receipt required. Your article is way too negative!
Thanks for the feedback. Some offers allow you to check-in and bypass the receipt requirement, but for others, a paper receipt is required.
This app must be some kind of a joke. I checked for deals around us in Southern Alabama. All that’s available is a few gas stations & they all have the same offer, a single penny discount per gallon. That’s an insult.
This app works spotty at best. Out of the 15 + times I’ve purchased gas and Claimed the offer thru the Upside app, I’ve yet to get cashback on any of them. I’ve contacted their customer support and just got scripted a sorry it didn’t work for you reply and asked me to upload a receipt for only one of them. It has worked somewhat for dining, but be ready for a hassle.
This app works most of the time for gas purchases because it doesn’t require a receipt to process the cashback. It simply verifies the purchase on the credit card you add to your account. However, do not use this app for restaurant cashback. They may offer 30-40% cashback on weekends, holidays, or other occasions, but then they will ask for a receipt. If there’s any issue with the receipt, you won’t receive the increased cashback. Instead, you’ll only get the everyday cashback, which will be applied only after you complain to customer service about not receiving your cashback. It’s not worth the headache. Stick to the non-receipt cashback offers only, which are for gas purchases.
I’ve been using the app for almost two years without any issues. I have a fleet card that my employer pays for the gas. I had no problems until our fleet cards were replaced with new ones. Now, most transactions expire without payment. Occasionally, one will go through.
I’ve contacted Upside through their ticket process(no way to speak to anyone) but have yet to hear back. I’m ready to find a different rewards program for my team. Too bad, I received over a thousand dollars in 2 years.
Seems we have the same experience, except mine is from an individual perspective. I just checked my account and the approximately $120 has disappeared. Looking through my activity it seems several transactions have been deleted and others a flagged as expired or issues found. Guess I will reactivate my Kangaroo discount card. A few cents off at purchase is better than the promise of larger discounts that mysteriously vanish.
I’m sorry to hear. Have you tried following up?
Where can the gift card be used if that is my choice for pay out? Also how long can you wait to get your pay out?
There are over 30 different retailers, plus PayPal and bank transfer, where you can cash out. Worth mentioning are Amazon, Apple, Walmart, and Starbucks.
My gift card was delivered within a few minutes.
Tried the app at Texas Roadhouse evening of November 3, 2023. Manager knew nothing about the Upside App and didn’t want to try it. I think she thought I was trying to scam her out of a free dinner for my wife and myself. Chain restaurants need to tell their Managers about Upside if they want to get new business from Upside App users. Texas Roadhouse supposedly requires us to pay using the app. The Manager wasn’t confident her Texas Roadhouse was going to get paid.
Sorry to hear Robert. Were you trying to use Upside Pay, where you have to purchase a gift card, then present the gift card to the restaurant? Or were you simply going for cash back?
Can you check into your app account using your computer?
Unfortunately, it’s only available via mobile app. There’s no desktop version.
I have used it for almost a year for gas purchases and have accumulated $120. My problem is I can’t link my bank account to transfer the balance. They say they are aware of the problem and the engineers are working on, but it has been 3 weeks.
That’s frustrating. Have you tried to transfer to PayPal, then to your bank account?
I can’t figure out what all the negative remarks are about. If the program fails you in any way, you simply pay for your gas, food, or whatever at the price you would normally pay if you weren’t in the program. It’s not like you’re paying more than anyone else for the same thing. If you follow the instructions on how to redeem your savings, it works every time. For instance, the report mentioned that at some gas stations, when you get gas, the receipt printer won’t dispense a receipt. This is true, it does happen, but all you have to do is walk into the store and request a receipt, as long as you haven’t moved your car from the gas pump, so no one can clear your transaction before you get that receipt.
Some people say you don’t need a receipt for buying gas and others say you do, which is confusing, but it doesn’t work either way like that. The way it works is, at SOME gas stations you need no receipt and at others, you do. For example, I use Circle K gas most of the time because it’s near where I live. I can go to any Circle K gas station and not worry about getting a receipt because they validate my purchase by the transaction on the card I use. However, Spinx always seems to have better prices on gas than Circle K, and when I get gas from them, you need to upload a receipt. So, it’s not true that buying gas from any of the gas chains does not require a receipt, and it’s also not true that every gas chain needs a receipt. This is why people get upset because the information they are receiving is inaccurate. The app instructs you to make sure you get a receipt, even at stations where you don’t need it, I guess they say it that way to reduce confusion. But if you can’t get the receipt from the pump, simply walk into the store without moving your car away from the pump and ask for one inside, and you will get the receipt that you need. The program works flawlessly if you follow the instructions properly, and you get savings on your gas.
How many times have you come to a corner where there’s a gas station on each of the four corners, and you decide which one to get your gas from based on which one is selling their gas at a cheaper price? I’m pretty sure we all do that unless you are loyal to a particular company. And this program kind of works that way; you gravitate towards where the gas is cheaper. We’re not talking a 1 or 2 cents difference, although some people have said that’s all the savings they were given. In my city, it’s more like 9 to 12 cents cheaper per gallon, which to me, is a pretty good saving.
The attitude I sense from everyone is that there are these “hoops” you must jump through to get your savings. However, it’s not that they make it difficult for you to receive your savings on purpose; rather, they do it to prevent dishonest people from abusing the system. Unfortunately, there are individuals who try to exploit programs like this, attempting to cheat the system. Without these measures, none of us would be getting the savings we do, because the company would go bankrupt due to constant theft by those trying to get rich quickly.
I read a response about someone waiting on the $20.00 they’re entitled to, and I don’t blame them for being upset. We’re talking about a $20.00 bill, so that’s a legitimate complaint. I hope they get their money. But others are like, “Well, they didn’t parachute down from the sky to deliver my 12 cents per gallon savings, so the app sucks.” And about the people making the report… they only got gas three times during their review of the app. How much money were they expecting to save from just three fill-ups? And why would anyone only use the program that briefly and then stop? Even if I subscribed just because I was reporting on the program, I wouldn’t cancel my enrollment afterward simply because my reporting ended. The savings continue even after the report is completed. Who would give that up?
What grocery stores do you use upside in? I found no deals from grocery stores where I live in Florida.
Grocery stores are typically few and far between. There’s only one in all of Chicagoland, where I live. A few in Northen Illinois. Its strengths are gas and restaurants.
When I first got the App, it said to upload a copy of the receipt. Then, for some reason, it did not. It is hit or miss whether I get credit for the purchase. In my last six purchases, I only got credit for 4. The rest said expired. Need proof of purchase. It needs to be clarified. I always used a linked credit card. Also, usually, the same gas stations in my area.
I have been very pleased with the cash back I earn at our local grocery chain stores in Missouri.
Over the holidays, I received between 7-9% cash back every time. It really adds up. I have cashed out twice and received Texas Roadhouse gift cards. I had no trouble spending the gift cards. I originally started using the app at gas stations, but the cash back there is very minimal.
We used to be very satisfied with Upside until they updated their site/map. We, along with some of our friends, have decided Upside is not worth the trouble to use their on-line map/fuel discounts. The map constantly shifts back to the users location before you can locate where you are checking prices. The map locations on a cell phone are nearly impossible to read even when enlarged to the max. This forces you to have to click on the stations in the vicinity of where you are looking. The old map application was a joy to use. This one is pathetic. Despite being a lover of the service, we just can’t stand the aggravation of using the app upgrade map.
I’m pretty disappointed in the Upside app now. It started out doing well, and it was worth using. Now every gas station I see only offers 1 cent cash back. In the past, it’s been 10 cents to 15 cents cash back per gallon. I can save more now by stopping at the closest station versus having to drive a little out of the way to find an Upside station that’s going to pay me 1 cent cash back.
Sorry to hear. If you don’t mind answering, what area of the country are you in?
Based on what I’ve been seeing, seems like offers vary widely by state. Trying to see if there are any patterns.
Here in New Hampshire, Upside worked pretty well at the beginning. Yes, there were no grocery stores in the area, but there were a few restaurants (ever increasing) and a number of gas stations. It seemed at first that the rebates at the gas stations were high, i.e., 25 or 30 cents per gallon. Then that went down to 12 to 14, and nowadays it sits around 3 to 4 cents. Yes, I’ve noticed the stations advertising this way are the ones that charge a higher price, so your rebate brings the price down to match the others.
Sometimes the rebate accepts your credit card and the pay at the pump, and it just goes through; other times, it requires a receipt, which most pumps don’t seem to provide even though they are designed to. LOL
Our usage at restaurants was a little more restrictive. We went to Pizza Hut, which offered 30%. Yep, we got it without a receipt, just the credit card charge. We did this 3 times and were told, “You’ve hit your maximum.” We tried it at Dunkin’, thinking it would work the same way. Nope, you’ve got to pay with the Upside App. OK, I’m a bit older; how the heck do I do that? I went to the Chinese restaurant because I could get 16% back. Nope, I found out that all the “offers” that day had been used up. It was noon. So the next morning, I tried at 9 AM, and it said the same thing. Last evening, I went to the 99 Restaurant. I performed the CLAIM function in the app and waited to pay the bill. I did not notice any other instructions for my 6% back. After paying the bill, I clicked “I’ve Paid” to complete the transaction, and it gave me a gift card number that my waitress was supposed to enter … BEFORE SHE RANG ME UP. … Crap! I guess my problem with this app is the many different methods it uses to process the cash back. I think that will get me to stop using it more than anything else.
Thank you for your detailed comment about your experience with Upside in New Hampshire.
It’s great that you were able to take advantage of the Pizza Hut deal and get 30% back – that’s a fantastic offer!
Interesting on the gas, here in Illinois, I’m seeing offers in the 25 cents per gallon range, from the likes of BP, 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Shell.
So, it must really vary by state. Really appreciate the input.
Here’s then some info on how to pay within the app, if you ever fall in that situation again: https://support.upside.com/hc/en-us/articles/6633231175451-How-to-pay-with-the-app#:~:text=Tap%20Claim.,or%20add%20a%20new%20card.
I have been an Upside user for less than a year. Periodically, the app crashes and will not allow me to sign in with all indications that it does not recognize my email or password.The irony of that is I have cashed out before and received the E gift card card through my email as well as receiving email notifications of rewards posted to my account. My app is currently crashed (for approx 7 – 10 days) When I try to reset my password through email it tells me I will receive an email within a couple of minutes yet I haven’t received anything. I can’t use the app and I have a nice amount in the account yet can’t get to it. Frustrating at best.
Upside is total garbage I have proof.
Hey David,
Comments are open. Interested to learn about your experience.
My concern is the app states you will receive 10c off gas and when you get to the gas station the app shows you only get 2c off, then you look at app when you get home and it shows 10c a gallon discount. very deceiving.
Look at all the complaints regarding UPSTART:
https://www.bbb.org/us/dc/washington/profile/coupon-service/getupside-0241-236020944/complaints
Hey Bob,
Thanks for sharing. We certainly check out the BBB ratings, and other sources of reviews, such as the app stores to gauge reputation, but overall, we like to write about our own experience as people more often than not are going to BBB to complain.
I’ve been using Upside for about a year now, off and on, and have made nearly $500.
Originally the app had a lot of bugs but they seem to have corrected it over the past few updates. If you’re the type of person that would pick a quarter up off the ground, I would highly recommend this app. It literally takes no effort and applies to tasks you are already having to do.
That’s amazing Liam. Thank you for sharing.
Seems they like scamming people. I bought gas, expecting their offer of 12 cents back per gallon, but I only got back 12 cents TOTAL on 10 gallons of gas. I complained to them about it, and they just told me I did something wrong. Now, they’ve decided not to even process my latest gas purchase made on 8/16/24 because it’s just sitting there ‘processing’ for the last 8 days. I was due 15 cents per gallon on nearly 12 gallons, but they’ve decided not to process it because I complained.
I don’t understand why it’s taking 3 weeks so far with no cash back btw I’m still waiting
This is a joke
Deleting and do not recommend
I used Upside to acquire around $48 within a few month period. I then let it go dormant for a month or so and now that money has disappeared. I tried their attempts to retrieve it to no avail.