How the Aisle Grocery App Gives You Cash Back

These days, we’re open to any and all ideas to save a little money on grocery bills. With prices for staples like ground beef and orange juice rising over the past year, shoppers across the country are managing tighter grocery budgets. A LendingTree survey in April even found that 88% of Americans have changed their grocery shopping habits in response to inflation. 

From using ChatGPT to plan a grocery list to searching for weekly discounts at specific grocery chains, consumers are looking for tools and tips that help them shop smarter. One app that’s been on our radar is Aisle, a platform offering cash-back deals in exchange for some flexibility on which grocery items you buy. 

We dug into the trending app to see if it’s worth adding to your weekly grocery routine and how it can help you save money.

How does Aisle work?

Released in 2021, this mobile platform features retailer-specific rebates on grocery and personal care products. Discounts range from buy-one-get-one-free deals to specific dollar savings, such as $2 or $3, and even include full refunds on certain products.

Download and open the app, then search for your preferred grocery store location, browse its available deals, and claim theany promotions that catch your eye within the app. You’ll get an automated text message with instructions on how to redeem your chosen deals. Next, head to the store, buy the relevant products, and keep your receipt. To complete the deal and get cash back, take a picture of the receipt and reply with it in the automated text chain.

The app is currently only available for iPhone users, but if you have an Android device, you can still take advantage of these promotions using a nearly identical process on the Aisle website.

When swiping through Aisle’s offers, you’ll notice that most products come from younger, independent brands, like Hopwtr’s nonalcoholic drinks or nut butter-filled dates from Realsy. You won’t find private label store brands — which limits rebates at places like Trader Joe’s — but major chains like Whole Foods, Wegmans, Target, Kroger, Walmart, Key Foods, and even 7-Eleven all participate in offering discounts through Aisle.

You might find deals on some higher-priced condiments like the chili crunch oil from Momofuku Goods or come across a new snack that becomes a household favorite. If you’re looking to explore new food brands without overspending, Aisle is the perfect place to start.

How to save money with Aisle

As a fairly strict budgeter, here’s my advice: Open Aisle when you want to explore a fun, new product, not when you’re shopping for staple grocery items like lettuce or chicken.

While testing Aisle during a run to 7-Eleven, I picked up a Perfect Protein Bar that was recommended by a fitness instructor friend. At checkout, I activated the deal in the Aisle app and promptly received a text with instructions to redeem it. (This only required taking a photo of the receipt and waiting for a refund via Venmo or PayPal.) 

The process was simple enough, but you need a Venmo account registered with the same phone number you use on the Aisle app, and you might have to wait 24 to 72 hours for the refund to process.

Spending $3.29 on an energy bar isn’t typically in my budget, but the 100% rebate allowed me to try something new without the monetary commitment, and I got a free afternoon protein boost out of it.

Are there any downsides to using Aisle?

As with most grocery rewards programs, Aisle requires a little extra planning before your next shopping trip. This might mean being more flexible with your product choices — for example, swapping store-brand citrus soda for Starry — and setting aside additional time to strategize.

Before any big shopping trips, I recommend dividing your grocery list into two groups: essentials and non-mandatory, but desired, items. From there, you can browse through Aisle’s available deals at your store to see if any discounts influence your product choices or offer cash back on items you were already planning to buy.

Look at items like snacks and drinks you’re planning to buy, and ask yourself if you’re committed to a specific brand of sweet tea or perhaps willing to try something new.

The lineup of offers and deals for specific products can vary between grocery chains and store locations. You may find that some discounts change as you take advantage of them multiple times. For example, the first time you buy a new snack, there might be a buy-one-get-one-free deal, but the second time you make the same purchase at the same store, you’ll get $1 off instead.

This isn’t a negative and can work to your benefit, but it can also be confusing for some shoppers at first. If you have several grocery stores nearby, check out the deals at each one through Aisle. It might even determine where you make your next shopping trip.