Receipt Hog - the in's and out's

I almost didn't download Receipt Hog because of user reviews, but in hindsight, I'm glad that I use them. I have been using Receipt Hog for the same amount of time as Receipt Pal, and I've only earned about 1/3 the reward, but a lot of that is due to different rules about how to use the app - in other words, there was a learning curve :)

When I first started using it, Receipt Hog only accepted receipts from certain types of merchants, which made it frustrating because I couldn't upload receipts from gas purchases, restaurants, or thrift stores. However, with their most recent update, they now accept all receipts for at least some kind of reward, even if it's just a chance to play their slot game for a few extra coins.


 I am also pleased that they have a feedback button under each receipt that says "Did we get something wrong?". I have had to use that button several times since I started using them. This is because the receipts are processed by a computer, and sometimes their computer reads the information wrong. The most common mistake I've seen is the name of the store being incorrect but since it usually doesn't effect the reward I receive, I never bother to tell them "hey, you got this wrong".  Occasionally (about once every other month) it reads the total wrong on a receipt. For example, once I spent $25.62 at Ridley's, which would normally earn me 10 coins. They accidentally recorded it as $825.62, which rewarded me with 20 coins. I was able to submit the receipt again using their "did we get something wrong button" and they fixed it.  Very rarely (it's only happened to me once) it will completely reject a receipt that I know qualifies for coins or spins, and when I resubmitted it they were very prompt in fixing the problem. Receipts are often rejected simply because the image is too blurry, and you can simply take the picture again and try resubmitting it. That happens to me when I'm trying to hurry through uploading receipts instead of paying attention to taking a good picture of it.

Receipt Hog will reward receipts up to two weeks after the purchase. At first, I was confused and thought it had to be uploaded in the same Monday-Sunday week in which the purchase was made (because of the way the app looks when it shows you your coin total for the week), but when you read through the FAQ, they clarify that you have 2 weeks to upload the receipt.  Each qualifying receipt earns you a certain amount of "coins" (points) based on how much was spent, as well as a sweepstakes entry. Most receipts that don't qualify for coins will qualify for "spins" and a sweepstakes entry. The most any 1 receipt will earn you is 20 coins. The least is 5 coins. Once you earn 100 coins from receipts within the Monday-Sunday week period (I almost never reach that point), then every receipt you upload until the next week period begins will only earn you 5 coins, no matter how much was spent on the receipt. There is also a limit of 20 receipts per week that earn coins.

If this all sounds very complicated, it is, and that's why I don't ever double check anything besides whether or not my receipt was accepted and the amount they recorded was correct. The math is all too screwy for me to pay attention to, and the reward is too small for me to waste my time trying to figure out how to get the max number of coins.

The other way to earn coins is on their slots game. Just like a slot machine, you pull the lever, and if all 3 sections land on the same image, you get rewarded coins. You have to have "spins" in order to play the game, and these are rewarded with certain qualifying receipts, or by "leveling up" (which basically just means that you've used them for a long time. I'll explain more about that below). You can also earn spins by referring friends. To be honest, this is also not worth my time to worry about earning spins for the slot game, so basically, I only play their slots game when they tell me that I have spins. If it says I don't have any spins, then I don't worry about it. The receipts that earn you spins also have a limit to 20 receipts in a 7 day period.

Spins usually give you nothing (just like playing a real slot machine!) - meaning the images didn't line up and you get the "sorry, you aren't a winner" message. However, about 1 in every 5 spins rewards me with coins, usually 2 or 5. It's not much of a reward, so like I said, I don't worry about it too much, and only play the slots game when the app notifies me that I've earned spins. Spins can't be used for anything else in the app, so why not? However, there are some "jackpot" opportunities. One rewards you with 400 coins, another rewards you with $100 (I think in the form of enough coins to cash out $100), and the last one takes the total of the last shopping receipt you uploaded, and rewards it back to you in the form of enough coins to cash out that amount. This "jackpot" happens daily (meaning there is one winner a day). I usually only earn slots every 2-3 weeks, so it really would be the most random thing ever if I were to win that one.

So how much are coins worth in Receipt Hog?  To cash out you need at least 1,000 coins, and that will earn you $5.00 (through PayPal or Amazon gift card). Just like ReceiptPal, the cost of cashing out goes down if you save up your coins. There are only 4 amounts available for cashing out: $5, $10, $20, and $30. The $30.00 cash out costs 4500 coins. Since I don't pay attention to the max I can earn (since it's based on how much I spend), I really don't know how long it would take to earn 4500 coins, but if I were to cash out every time I hit 1000 coins, it would cost me 6,000 to reach that much, rather than just saving and getting more money for my time.

There is one more way to earn coins and spins in Receipt Hog, and that is by using it consistently. You start out with a "level" and every week that you take pictures of receipts (even if you only take a picture of 1 receipt a week) advances you closer to the next levels. I can't find a list anywhere that says how many weeks are required between each level up. I do know that the higher levels require longer use before advancing because they have a higher reward for reaching them. There is no way to lose your level, meaning if you take a 3 month break and didn't use the app, the only thing you lost is time. You're current progress towards the next level is still saved and begins to move forward as soon as you start using the app again. Right now I'm on level 9, and I need to use the app for 4 more weeks to level up. The lower levels only require 1 or 2 weeks of consistency in order to level up. I think the one I'm on right now requires a total of 7 weeks from start to finish. The highest is level 30, although I'm sure by the time I get there it will have added more levels. The first 11 levels reward you with a certain amount of slot spins upon completion; the amount gradually increases as your level increases. Once you complete level 12 you start earning coins upon completion of each level. The amount of coins you earn also gradually increases. By the time you reach level 24 you start earning 400 coins every time you complete a level. Again, nothing to waste my time making an extra effort in order to reach them, but it's still a nice reward for simply being consistent at using an app.

There are also weekly "challenges" that reward you with spins (which might result in a few extra coins). Basically if you are taking pictures of receipts every week, you'll earn both the bonus for the weekly challenge.  The weekly challenges are always the same - The first is to submit receipts for 1 week. You can submit only 1 receipt and that counts. It earns you 1 spin at the slots. The second is to submit receipts for 3 weeks, and the first week is counted in that 3.  That earns you 2 more spins. The last challenge is to upload receipts for 4 weeks (the previous 3 count towards that) and that earns you 3 spins. At the start of each month the challenges reset. So basically, if you take pictures of receipts every week, you will earn at least 6 spins a month, earn progress towards your next level, and earn coins for the totals (or a spin per receipt if it's a receipt that only qualifies for spins rather than coins).

Again this is all very complicated, and will frustrate the crap out of you if you try to manage how many coins or spins or levels that you're earning. Basically, I just upload receipts whenever I make purchases (which is every week), and when it tells me I have spins, I use them. I cashed out in November (just to offset out Christmas budget), but normally I will wait until I've earned enough to get the max payout available in order to cash out. I'm not counting on having that money for anything specific, but it's nice to have an extra $10-$15 I can use for an extra movie night every once in a while, and it's money I wouldn't have had otherwise.