One major complaint of Uber and Lyft drivers is just how expensive gas is. Luckily, more companies are helping drivers save money and earn cash back for filling up, and one of those apps is Upside.
Savings and cash-back is something I’m always on the lookout for, especially if I don’t have to do anything different from what I usually do on a day-to-day basis.
Today I’m going to review Upside, one of the best cash back apps that helps me do just that.
I’ll discuss the app’s features, how it can save you money, and what I like and dislike about this app.
What is the Upside App?
Upside is a cash back app that anyone can install and use to save money at the gas pump. It is a US-based company that partners with some of the biggest gas, grocery, and restaurant brands in the nation, making it easy to earn cash back.
The premise behind the cash back offer is to help businesses attract more customers, while customers get a discount on the things they buy, making the partnership a win for everyone involved.
The app is free to use and available in most states across the U.S. You can search available locations in the app. Upside is currently in more than 30,000 locations.
You can search nearby stations to find one that has a lower price per gallon and a higher cash back offer.
In addition to saving money at the pump with Upside, you can also earn cash back by eating at participating restaurants and shopping at participating grocery stores:
- Gas Stations: Up to 25¢/gal cash back on gas at 25,000+ gas stations across the U.S. (including all the big brands like Shell, Valero, BP, Phillips 66, Circle K, Speedway, 76, Racetrac, Conoco, Mobil, and Exxon).
- Restaurants: Up to 45% cash back at 17,000+ restaurants, cafes, fast food joints, and more.
- Grocery Stores: Up to 30% cash back on groceries in select cities like Minneapolis, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix, and Raleigh.
Is Upside Legit?
Yes, Upside is a legitimate, U.S.-based entity with office locations in Austin, TX, and Washington D.C. Upside holds an A- rating with a 4.84 out of 5-star rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The app is completely safe, and you won’t have to worry about any scams or hidden fees.
Downloading Upside
Use our referral link to download the app and use Upside promo code RSG25 for an additional 25¢/gal signup bonus on your first fill-up.
After you’ve downloaded and opened the app, all you have to do to register as a new user is sign in with Facebook, or Google, or create a new account with an email address.
Be sure to allow access to your location when the prompt comes up and you’ll be ready to go.
Using the Upside App
Using Upside is easy and straightforward. Here’s an overview of what it’s like.
1. Download the App and Login
When you open the app, you’ll be greeted by a screen that looks like this:
2. Find Gas Stations in Your Area
From there, you can find the gas station you want to go to. In my area, BP is one of the gas stations available through Upside, and there are new stations being added all the time.
The app shows me up front that I’ll be receiving cash back in the amount of $0.16 – $0.27/gallon at BP depending on the grade of fuel I use.
The “More info” button has some fine print that says that my offer is good for up to 50 gallons of gas, which is a pretty good deal.
3. Claim Offer
As you can see in the above image, there’s a big blue “Claim Offer” button. Make sure you click claim for the correct gas station and make sure you’re at the correct gas station when you go to fill up.
If you make a mistake you’ll be able to cancel by clicking “Unclaim”.
4. Submit Receipt
After clicking claim, you must complete the cash-back offer by submitting a receipt for cash in the app within 4 hours of claiming it.
I claimed the offer as I was headed to the gas station to make sure I would be within the time limit. Once you’re at the gas pump, use your normal credit or debit card and fill up your vehicle.
After you’re done filling up, make sure to get your receipt so you can submit it through the app in order to receive the cash back bonus.
If you have trouble scanning your receipt automatically, tap on the screen and it will allow you to manually take the photo instead of waiting for the autofocus.
After submitting the receipt, I received an email from Upside that said my cash-back will be processed within 4-24 hours and that, once completed, the cash back will show up in my account where I can cash it out as a gift card, to my Paypal, or directly to my bank.
5. Get Your Cash Back
Once my cash back was approved, it showed up in my app! It showed me exactly how much I had available to cash out as well as the options I had for receiving the cash. I like that I have options.
I do have a PayPal account, so it would be convenient for me to just transfer it there, though I can also cash out my earnings to my bank account, and I LOVE that I can choose gift cards for things I enjoy doing such as dining out or going to the movies or shopping online.
If you ever want to look at the breakdown of how Upside reviews your earnings, you can just view your earnings right within the app. Just click “My History” from the main screen and you can see everything!
How Much Did I Make from Upside?
In this review of Upside, I used a culmination of 2 different gas station visits by me and my husband.
| Driver | Gas Refill Amount | Cashback |
| My Husband | 20 Gallons | $2.00 |
| Me | 17 Gallons | $4.51 |
| Total | $6.51 |
My husband earned $2 by filling his Camry with about 20 gallons of gas, while I earned $4.51 by filling my Grand Caravan with about 17 gallons of gas
The reason why I saved more money is that I was able to find a better-priced gas station with a deeper discount than my husband’s gas station, so I was able to save more despite buying less gas.
So, for two fill-ups, we earned a total of $6.51, which may not seem like much, but when you’re an Uber or Lyft driver who fills up daily, you’ll enjoy seeing a little bit of that cash coming back to you.
Plus, I was able to get even more cash back by using my Uber GoBank card at the pump to earn their cash back bonus at the same time. So stacking rewards is an option, but check the terms and fine print.
Use Upside promo code RSG25 to earn an additional 25¢/gal on your first fill-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about Upside.
Is there an Upside promo code?
Yes, use Promo Code RSG25 to earn at least 25¢/gal on your first fill-up! Not sure if Upside is right for you? It works! Just check out RSG contributor Chris G.’s cashback from Upside, $543:
How does Upside work?
Upside is a cashback app that gives you cashback for transactions you make at gas stations, restaurants, and grocery stores across the U.S. To claim your cashback points, all you have to do is upload a picture of your receipt. After 4 – 24 hours, your cashback will be processed. You’ll see the points in your account, where you can cash it out as a gift card, send it to PayPal, or receive a check.
How does Upside make money?
To make their money, Upside uses a business model they call the “Circle of Life”. The Circle of Life involves 4 stages — Invest, Acquire, Personalize, and Share. To summarize, Upside makes money off of incremental profit, which is the profit generated from an increase in sales. In other words, Upside makes money only when their partner businesses start earning more.
If their partners don’t make an incremental profit (i.e., sales don’t increase), Upside doesn’t get paid. So, to survive, Upside incentivizes users to buy more using all sorts of customer incentives. This way, the customer saves money, the business gets more customers, and Upside earns enough money to repeat the cycle once again — everybody wins.
Is Upside available in my area?
You can use Upside at thousands of gas stations, restaurants, and grocery stores across the U.S. Upside add new locations every day, so check these regularly.
How do you cash out on the Upside app?
Before you can cash out your earnings, you need to wait for Upside to process your receipt. This process takes anywhere from 4 – 24 hours. After your receipt is processed, you should receive an email from Upside letting you know about your earnings.
If you go on the app, you’ll see your earnings in the top right corner of the screen. Click that and you’ll see a variety of options for cashing out your earnings. You can cash out your earnings as a gift card, send it to PayPal, or receive a check
How long does Upside take to process a receipt/cashback?
Upside takes 4 – 24 hours to process a receipt/cashback.
How can I use Upside promo/referral codes?
After downloading the app, you can sign up with Facebook, or Google, or create a new account with an email address. If you go to Menu > Profile > Edit Promo Code, you can type in any referral code to receive extra cash back on your first use.
How old is the Upside app?
The company Upside Services, Inc. was founded in 2015. In 2016, they launched the Upside iOS app on the Apple App Store.
Should You Use the Upside App?
Overall I enjoyed reviewing Upside and testing the app for myself. The app works smoothly and is easy to use. It takes a little getting used to, having to claim the gas station and upload the receipt, but if you’re serious about saving money then you’ll get used to it fast enough.
Plus the Upside team is always adding new features and they want to get rid of receipts in the future. They said that in the future, your credit or debit card will be linked in the app and there will be no need for uploading receipts.
Plus, I usually use Upside in conjunction with the Gasbuddy app to get the most savings and find the best deals.
As Upside gets more popular and more gas stations and restaurants participate, I’ll be back to update my Upside review article.
There are many other stations available in other parts of the country, so download the app to see if your go-to gas station is a part of this app!
