How Cashback Apps Work in Canada
Cashback apps and cards return a percentage of your purchase amount back to you as cash. The mechanism varies by platform. Card-based cashback like KOHO and Neo Financial automatically credits your account when you make a purchase. Online cashback portals like Rakuten give you a rebate when you shop through their links. Receipt scanning apps like Checkout 51 and Caddle pay you for uploading photos of your grocery receipts.
The best strategy is stacking multiple types of cashback on the same purchase. For example, buying groceries with your KOHO card earns card cashback, then scanning the receipt with Checkout 51 earns receipt cashback. You get paid twice for the same purchase, and both are legitimate programs operating in full compliance with Canadian law.
The Best Cashback Apps and Cards Ranked
KOHO
Cashback card + savings account
Cashback at partner merchants
Best rates need paid plan
Partner list rotates
Use code 45ET55JSYA at signup
Claim $80 Free →Why KOHO Is the Best Cashback Option
KOHO tops our list because the cashback is completely automatic. There is no need to scan receipts, activate offers, check in at stores, or shop through specific links. You simply use your KOHO Mastercard for purchases and the cashback appears in your account. This friction-free approach means you actually earn cashback on every eligible transaction rather than forgetting to use the app half the time.
On the Everything plan ($15/mo), you earn up to 5% at partner merchants and 2% on everything else. Combined with 5% interest on your balance, KOHO is not just a cashback app -- it is a complete banking alternative that pays you to use it. Read our full KOHO review for the complete breakdown.
Neo Financial
Cashback card with 10,000+ partners
At select partner merchants
Non-partner cashback is low
Best rates need paid plan
Neo Financial: Largest Partner Network
Neo Financial has the largest cashback partner network in Canada with over 10,000 merchants. This means you are likely already shopping at places that offer elevated Neo cashback rates. Some partners offer 5%, 10%, or even 15% cashback, which is exceptional. Like KOHO, the cashback is automatic when you use your Neo card at partner merchants.
3. Rakuten (Best for Online Shopping)
How Rakuten Works
Rakuten (formerly Ebates) is Canada's most popular online cashback portal. You access retailer websites through the Rakuten app or browser extension and earn cashback on your purchases. Rakuten partners with over 750 Canadian retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Hudson's Bay, and many more.
Cashback rates typically range from 1% to 10% depending on the retailer and current promotions. Rakuten pays out quarterly via cheque or PayPal. The key advantage is that Rakuten cashback stacks on top of whatever card cashback you already earn, so using KOHO to pay while shopping through Rakuten doubles your rewards.
4. Checkout 51 (Best for Groceries)
Checkout 51 is a receipt scanning app focused on grocery cashback. Each week, new offers appear for specific products. When you buy those products at any store, you upload a photo of your receipt and the cashback is credited to your account. Once your balance reaches $20, you can cash out.
The per-item cashback ranges from $0.25 to $3.00, with occasional higher-value offers. Dedicated users report earning $5 to $15 per week, which adds up to $250 to $750 per year. Checkout 51 works at any Canadian grocery store including Loblaws, Metro, Sobeys, No Frills, Costco, and Walmart.
5. Caddle (Canadian-Made Cashback)
Caddle is a Canadian cashback app that offers rebates on grocery purchases, plus earnings from watching ads and completing surveys. The grocery cashback works similarly to Checkout 51: buy qualifying products and upload your receipt. Caddle also offers cashback at some restaurants and retail stores.
The unique angle with Caddle is the ability to earn additional money by engaging with brand content like short videos and surveys. While the per-activity earnings are small, they add up when combined with the grocery cashback. Caddle is available exclusively in Canada.
6. PC Optimum (Best Loyalty Program)
PC Optimum is Canada's largest loyalty program, used at Loblaw-owned stores including No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Loblaw. You earn points on every purchase, with bonus points on personalized offers. Points are redeemable for groceries and pharmacy purchases at a rate of approximately 0.15 cents per point.
While PC Optimum is not a traditional cashback app, the personalized offers can be extremely lucrative. It is common to see offers worth 20% or more back in points on specific products. For Canadians who already shop at Loblaw stores, PC Optimum is essentially free money waiting to be collected.
7. Drop (Best for Passive Earning)
Drop links to your bank or credit card and automatically earns points when you shop at partner merchants. There is no receipt scanning required. The app identifies qualifying purchases and credits points that can be redeemed for gift cards. Drop partners include Tim Hortons, Uber, Amazon, Starbucks, and many others.
How to Stack Cashback for Maximum Earnings
The real power of cashback comes from stacking multiple sources on the same transaction. Here is an example of how this works in practice:
- Open the Rakuten app and click through to an online retailer (earn 3% Rakuten cashback)
- Pay with your KOHO Everything card (earn 2% KOHO cashback)
- If applicable, upload the receipt to Checkout 51 or Caddle (earn product-specific cashback)
- Scan your PC Optimum card if shopping at a Loblaw store (earn loyalty points)
On a $100 purchase, this could yield $3 from Rakuten, $2 from KOHO, $1-3 from receipt apps, and additional loyalty points. That is $6 to $8 back on a single transaction, or 6-8% total return. Over a year of regular spending, this stacking strategy can generate $500 to $1,000 or more in cashback for a typical Canadian household.
Cashback Comparison Table
| App/Card | Cashback Type | Earning Rate | Payout Method | Effort Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOHO | Card-based | Up to 5% | Account balance | None (automatic) |
| Neo Financial | Card-based | Up to 15% | Account balance | None (automatic) |
| Rakuten | Online portal | 1-10% | Cheque/PayPal | Low (click through) |
| Checkout 51 | Receipt scan | $0.25-$3/item | Cheque | Medium (scan receipts) |
| Caddle | Receipt + surveys | Varies | PayPal | Medium |
| PC Optimum | Loyalty points | 1-20%+ (points) | Store credit | Low (scan card) |
| Drop | Card-linked | Varies | Gift cards | None (automatic) |
Tips for Maximizing Cashback in Canada
- Always stack -- Use card cashback plus portal cashback plus receipt cashback on the same transaction whenever possible
- Check before buying -- Spend 30 seconds checking Rakuten and Checkout 51 for offers before making a purchase, especially for big-ticket items
- Use the right card -- Pay with KOHO for automatic cashback on everything. Use Neo at specific partners where their rate is higher
- Do not change spending habits -- Cashback should reward purchases you were already going to make. Buying something just for cashback defeats the purpose
- Set up all apps now -- Download and configure every app on this list today. The setup takes 10 minutes total and the apps work passively from then on
Bottom Line
KOHO is the best single cashback tool for Canadians because it works automatically on every purchase and also pays interest on your balance. Stack it with Rakuten for online shopping and Checkout 51 for groceries, and you have a system that earns hundreds to thousands of dollars per year with minimal effort. Sign up for KOHO here with code 45ET55JSYA for a bonus.