Checkout 51 - what's the catch?

[widebody911]

My wife wants to sign up for this site/app called checkout 51. Supposedly they give you cash back for buying groceries. However, I graduated magna cum laude from the school of "There is No Free Lunch" Companies don't really just give money away. A google search only found a bunch of shill 'review' sites gushing about how awesome the program is.

My suspicion is that it's a way to collect consumer shopping data without actually having to have a hook into any store's actual POS or rewards system. Since you have to scan and send in your entire receipt, they now have data on your entire purchase, not just the jar of pickles on which you just saved 20¢.

[kach22i]

Per my wife's recommendation I Googled "scam checkout 51" to see if any red flags came up.

Informative article:
Is Checkout 51 A Scam Or Actually Legit?

Yes it’s definitely a legitimate company and people are earning extra money with this opportunity. It’s perfect for people that want to get paid for something they already do and for anyone that liked Ibotta but didn’t have a smartphone. So I feel confident in recommending Checkout 51 to you guys.

Reddit thread:
Checkout 51 - an app/site that gives you cash back when you buy specific items during the week : beermoney

Dec 11, 2012
Checkout 51: Is It A Scam Or A Legitimate Way To Earn Cash Back On Groceries?

Many people have been asking me if Checkout 51 is a scam and I’m here to put your mind at ease. It’s not a scam.

[Steve Carlton]

Please use Checkout 51 normally. There is nothing to be concerned about.

[widebody911]

I did the exact same thing, and only came up with the exact same fluff

Originally Posted by kach22i

Per my wife's recommendation I Googled "scam checkout 51" to see if any red flags came up.

[nota]

the aliens want to know what you eat
helps them decide if they want to EAT YOU

[IROC]

My wife uses "ebates" and evidently gets the free lunch. I'm wary, but the space-time continuum seems to be hanging in there...

[GH85Carrera]

The old adage...

If you are not paying you are the product seems to apply.

[OffCamber00]

Originally Posted by IROC

My wife uses "ebates" and evidently gets the free lunch. I'm wary, but the space-time continuum seems to be hanging in there...

I just heard about this yesterday from a woman in my office who is a shopaholic. She has received $550 cash back so far this year for stuff she has bought which comes to her as Pay Pal deposits.

[tweezers74]

They collect data. Shopping habits. You have to submit a receipt so instead of people taking surveys that they might not be accurate in answering honestly and the response rate is low, give them 25 cents and get their whole receipt. That's my guess. They can follow trends over time. Geographical information. Lots of stuff.

[dw1]

Remember..."To Serve Man" (cookbook)?