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If you’re looking to learn more about the GetUpside gas app, you’ve come to the right place.
In this GetUpside gas app review, I’m going to share everything I know from my own personal experience with this app.
And you’ll be able to discover for yourself if it can really make you money.
Sound like a plan? Ok, let’s get started.
What Is GetUpside?
GetUpside is a cashback platform that allows users to make money whenever they make a purchase from a gas station, grocery store, or restaurant. The program uses an app to engage consumers in select locations within the United States.
While their ultimate goal is to offer nationwide coverage, they have only partnered with gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants in a small number of states in the US.
As a result, their services are only available within those locations. The app’s objective is to benefit both the user and their business partners.
Users are given access to enticing deals associated with items they use on a daily basis. By making these deals available to users, the app is also funneling additional business towards its partners. GetUpside also earns a profit in the process.
Some people pass on joining GetUpside because its pool of partners is so small. But the company claims that their business model is designed to give people access to the things they need.
They are not necessarily interested in encouraging the purchase of non essentials. This allows them to stand out from some of their competitors in the marketplace.
When Was GetUpside Founded?
GetUpside came into existence in 2015 and is headquartered in Washington, DC. The founders, Lin and Alex Kinnier, are former Google employees.
They also had a hand in the operations of Opower before Oracle purchased the tech firm for over $500 million.
GetUpside counts Gideon Yu and Hal Varian among its supporters. Yu’s involvement is indirect.
Formation 8, a technology investment fund he founded, gave the app some seed capital at the start. Yu is known for the work he did as Facebook’s former Chief Technology Officer.
Varian, an investor and adviser, works for Google as Chief Economist. It’s safe to say, the app has all the intellectual and financial muscle it needs to succeed.
It has worked hard to set itself apart by providing cashback deals that vary with each location.
Basically, a retail partner’s competitors have no way of knowing the average price they offer users through the app. This makes it harder for them to compete.
The app doesn’t hide the fact that it pits retailers against one another.
When it opens up shop in a new location, GetUpside partners with the first service provider in the area to sign them up. Doing this allows the company to shut out street-corner competitors.
GetUpside has experienced rapid growth in a relatively short period of time.
How Does GetUpside Work?
To use this app you must be located in the following states:
- New York
- Florida
- North Carolina
- DC
- South Carolina
- Maryland
- Georgia
- Delaware
- Virginia
At the time of this review, these are the only states where the app is active. Although the company is constantly expanding.
So the likelihood that they might be coming to your area is high.
The objective of the app is to offer you cash back for making purchases. They claim that you can make a lot of money for doing nothing.
But that is partly true.
You do need to spend your own money to make purchases in order to enjoy the deals the app has to offer.
The advantage of GetUpside is the fact that you are spending money on the things you need. In other words, even if this app wasn’t in the picture, you would still buy gas for your car and visit the grocery store for groceries on a regular basis.
The goal of the app is to help you make money by doing the things you would have done regardless, while also helping the businesses in your area grow their customer base.
Here’s how the process typically works:
1) Download the GetUpside app
If you have a promo code, you can use it to increase the deals and rewards offered by the company. The app is available in most app stores. So downloading it is simple.
2) Sign up
Although this process is simple and straightforward. You will still need to provide some basic information.
Once you have the app and an account set up, GetUpside will need to know your location. This requires your permission.
Some people hesitate here and aren’t a fan of being tracked. But the app needs to know where you’re located in order to offer you the best deals and reward opportunities in your area.
3) Locate Partners
Once GetUpside determines your location, it will show you a map with all the partners it has in your area.
This includes grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants. The company’s partners include brands like BP, Shell, and Exxon.
4) Gather Partner information
If a partner catches your eye, click on them. The app will provide detailed information about their offers.
You will discover the amounts you can earn based on the deals being offered and purchases you make.
The app has partnered with various notable names. But some of their partners are small, under-performing businesses situated in isolated locations.
Keep this in mind before claiming a deal.
The app provides extensive information on each offer because they want you to make comparisons. Their goal is to allow you to make the best selection possible for your situation.
5) Claim offers
If you identify an enticing offer on the map, you can’t just run off to take advantage of it. You will need to first use the app to claim it.
Doing so will start a timer. You have to redeem the offer within the set time limit to enjoy the rewards.
6) Pay with a card (Plastic)
Once you visit the gas station, grocery store, or restaurant in question, make sure you pay with a card.
Even if you have cash and gift cards on hand, GetUpside will only recognize payments made via debit and credit card. This is important to remember.
7) Get a receipt
Once you complete your transaction, be sure to get a receipt. This is as critical as using plastic to make your payments.
The app expects you to photograph and upload a picture of the receipt. The platform is pretty strict about the receipts it accepts.
Viable receipts must feature the following:
- Date and time (of purchase).
- Address of the location where the transaction took place.
- Items you purchased.
- Evidence that you used a card to make payments (the last 4 digits of the card).
The picture taken of the receipt must be of high quality and make allnof the information easy to read.
A receipt that cannot be read is going to create complications for you. In fact, the app could reject it outright.
8) Get cashback
Once your receipts have been uploaded and processed, you will receive cashback. You can withdraw it immediately or let it sit in your account.
There is no minimum withdrawal balance.
9) Avoid prepaid receipts for gas
When it comes to gas, GetUpside doesn’t accept prepaid purchase receipts. If you want to enjoy the benefits of this app, don’t prepay for gas.
How to Join GetUpside
To join GetUpside, you can download the app from the Apple store or Google Play store for both iOS and Android mobile devices.
It is completely free to join.
With the app installed, open an account by providing an email address and choosing a password. The app doesn’t require too much personal information.
You must provide access to your location and camera. For the most part, this platform doesn’t ask for any information that isn’t commonly requested by apps of this kind.
How Does the GetUpside App Work?
The GetUpside app is simple, straightforward, and intuitive. It is meant to be used on a smartphone.
Once you download and install it, the app will show you a map with all the company’s partners in the area and their offers real-time.
You will want to browse these offers until you find a deal that you like. The information shown on the map includes the name of the service provider and the discounts you could earn by doing business with them.
Claiming Offers
When you see an offer that you like, there is a ‘claim’ button that you can use to claim the offer.
If you successfully claim an offer, a timer will appear on the screen giving you 4 hours to make the required purchase and scan the receipt.
Complete these steps within the required period of time, the money you earned will be added to your account.
This happens automatically. You don’t have to do anything.
Once the money hits your account, the app has mechanisms that will allow you to withdraw it using one of the options provided.
How Does GetUpside Make Money
The amounts you can earn will depend on the places where you spend your money. Here are the ways to earn with the platform:
1) Gas
With gas stations, you can earn as much as 25 cents (in cashback) for every gallon purchased.
This doesn’t seem like a lot of money. But if you are making frequent purchases, it will add up.
Besides offering cashback, the app allows you to locate the gas stations with the cheapest prices in your area.
2) Food
If you dine out a lot, you can also utilize the app for going to restaurants, which earns you cashback of up to 35%.
This app bases the cashback percentage on your total before tips and taxes.
3) Groceries
Purchases made at grocery stores that are partnered with this app, will earn you cashback of up to 15%.
So long as you’re doing business with a GetUpside partner, there are no brand restrictions.
There are also ways to use the app’s cashback offers along with coupons and loyalty programs to increase your earnings and savings even more.
4) Referring Friends
Every person who gets the app receives a promo code.
If someone joins GetUpside using your promo code, you will receive an extra 15 cents per gallon and your friend receives an extra 15 cents cash back on their first use. Also, you will every on every gallon they purchase moving forward.
Above is a screenshot of my invite code. Feel free to use it if you like. The more people you refer, the more you earn.
How Do You Get Paid With GetUpside?
GetUpside uses gift cards, PayPal, and checks to make payments.
The app requires 24-48 hours to process your receipt and make your money available to you.
If you have $15 or more in your account, you can withdraw to PayPal for free.
For accounts with less than $15, you can still withdraw but they will charge you $1.
Would you prefer a check? For checks, any amount of $50 or more is free. They will charge you $1 for anything less.
Is GetUpside A Scam Or Legit?
GetUpside is a legitimate business entity with a Better Business Bureau rating of C+. Their app started with 5,000 downloads in 2016, and that was at a time when they only catered to users in the DC area.
But that figure jumped to 100,000 downloads and then to over 250,000 people in ten cities scattered throughout the country.
The amount of money you can earn will depend on the number of purchases you make.
But most people on average make anywhere between $50 and $200 annually, and that is on gas alone.
You can assume that business is going well for GetUpside. They managed to raise $11 million from investors not too long ago.
This suggests that their financial figures are encouraging.
Competitors to GetUpside
GasBuddy
If you are looking for alternatives to GetUpside, GasBuddy offers a similar service. You can get cash back whenever you buy gas. But GasBuddy is only limited to gas.
Ibotta
Ibotta is another similar type of platform, but it does have its differences.
GetUpside’s flexibility is where it shines. Apps like FuelRewards and Shopkick have their perks, but their operations are restricted to a particular field.
With GetUpside, you get cash back for gas, grocery, and restaurant purchases.
Pro and Cons of GetUpside
Pros
- An app that is straightforward and easy to download, install and use.
- The referral program offers attractive financial rewards.
- There are no withdrawal limits regardless of the method you use.
- No brand restrictions when you claim offers with partners.
- You save by spending money on the things you need and are buying already.
- There is no minimum withdrawal balance.
- It’s free to join the platform.
Cons
- You can’t use cash if you want to earn rewards.
- The app is only available in a few states.
- You can’t prepay for gas.
- The cashback percentages are pretty low.
Customer Feedback
The app has attracted some complaints from people. Some users were irritated by the fact that they couldn’t use it in their area.
Others have found that the app kept sending them to the worst gas stations, restaurants, and grocery stores.
But with over 51,000 or so reviews from customers, the app still has an average rating of 4.7, which is very good.
Conclusion
There you have it. My GetUpside gas app review in a nutshell. And I must say. This app is pretty cool.
For me, living in New York where gas prices are sky-high, any way to save a few dollars is a no-brainer.
That’s why I highly recommend you give this app a go if it’s available in your area. If you’re not in one of the areas where it’s available, you never know. The platform could be coming to your area before you know it.