I’ve owned a smart phone for a few years now, but I’ve barely scratched the surface of its usefulness in saving me money. This year I finally went hard-core and added a budgeting app which allows me to key in receipts and update and view all my budget category balances on the go. While this feature has created more spending visibility and allows me to feel more in control of my money, it doesn’t really save me money. Just this week I was introduced to an app that will save me money at the place I shop the most — Wal-Mart. The retail giant has introduced a new app known as Savings Catcher, a completely new program that allows shoppers to enjoy the benefits of competitive sales ads without the leg work. Here’s a little bit about how it works.
Savings Catcher Overview
The program, which is also available at walmart.com if you don’t own a smart phone, is actually a feature underneath the Wal-Mart app, which you might already have installed on your phone. Now, instead of presenting your sales ads at the register, you can simply scan the QR code on the bottom of your receipt. Wal-Mart will shop all the competitive ads (even online ads) in your area. When you scan in receipt, the app will tell you how many competitors were found. Within three days, you’ll receive an email notifying you if lower prices were found, and your savings. This money is applied to your account, which you can cash out at any time in the form of a gift card. If not, Wal-Mart will automatically transfer your refund to a card at the end of the year.
To streamline the process even more, you can sign up for e-receipts and access your receipts directly on your Wal-Mart app, where you can easily keep track of and enter them into Savings Catcher. All you need to get started is your walmart.com account information; if you don’t already have one, the app will prompt you to set one up.
So, let me get this straight. Wal-Mart will pay me the difference between its prices and a competitors? Yes! I have to admit, this motivated me to download the app as soon as I could. The maximum amount you can collect in one year’s time is $599.99 (under $600), and you can submit up to 7 receipts in one week (one per day). If you are someone who frequents this store for the majority of your shopping, this is a realistic savings goal! One idea is to allow the refunds to accumulate throughout the year and then cash them out for some extra Christmas shopping money, or an especially large purchase.
But Aren’t There Restrictions?
As with most offers, there are parameters for which ads and sales Savings Catcher will honor. For instance, it won’t apply savings from ‘Buy One, Get One’ offers or ‘percentage off’ deals. It also recognizes and pulls sales ads only from major chain retailers, not ‘mom and pop’ stores. Categories covered in ad matching are currently limited to mostly groceries and consumables, but will include more in the future. If you have any questions, simply read the FAQ page provided on the app’s home page.
Can You Really Save Money?
I only downloaded the app a few days ago and started entering in receipts, so it hasn’t been long enough for me to tell for sure, but I’ve spoken with people who have saved at least a few dollars with their receipts. The more sale items you purchase, and the more you purchase, the greater potential for savings. There are a few ways you’ll save. First of all, if you’re like me, I don’t have the time to comparison shop, and I rarely manage to use coupons. Using this app will allow me to save money in the same way that people who ‘ad match’ do. If Wal-Mart wants to do the work for me, why not! Secondly, if you already ad match, you’ll save that much more, because you’ll cater your purchases to items you know you’ll get a refund on. Furthermore, you can still use your coupons to increase your savings. I’d recommend trying a coupon app, as well.
Whether you’re a serious couponer or simply enjoy utilizing your smart phone, this new app is shaping up to be a helpful savings tool.
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