If you signed up for the cash back app Ibotta at some point and forgot about it, you may receive an email that warns of an account maintenance fee.
Ibotta is a free app, so this email may lead to some confusion. I’m going to clear it up for you in this article.
1. Only Inactive Accounts Are Impacted
If you use Ibotta regularly, you will never have to worry about an account maintenance fee. This only affects inactive accounts with a standing balance.
If you haven’t used Ibotta in six months, $3.99 per month will be deducted from whatever balance you have left.
Ibotta states on its website that the maintenance fee deductions are assessed because of the costs associated with creating and maintaining your account.
For active users, those costs are covered by the fees Ibotta earns from its partner brands and retailers.
2. You Will Never Actually Owe Ibotta Money
Although this is called an account maintenance fee, your bank account will never be charged and you won’t be sent a bill. The fee will be deducted from your Ibotta balance until it reaches zero.
Once your account balance reaches $0, it will stay that way until you redeem an offer or your account is terminated.
3. Redeem an Offer to Avoid Account Fees
If you want to make your account active again, simply redeem a qualifying offer. If you use the app to earn cash back on your purchases at least once every 180 days, your account will remain active.
To cancel your Ibotta account, submit a ticket on Ibotta’s website and select “Cancelling My Ibotta Account.”
Before you do that, consider reading my guide with the best ways to earn cash back with Ibotta. I signed up back in 2014 and have earned an average of $500 every year.
Here’s my Ibotta Cheat Sheet and Review of the Cash Back App!