How Ibotta Makes Money: Analyzing Business Model

Ibotta is an innovative mobile rewards platform that has seen tremendous success since its launch in 2012.

Ibotta generates revenue through charging affiliate commissions, providing advertising services, and offering anonymized and aggregated data to other companies. It uses an affiliate business strategy to operate.
How Ibotta Makes Money
We’ll look at the company’s main sources of income, including affiliate commissions, advertising services, and data sales.

How Ibotta Works

Ibotta is a digital rewards and cash-back platform that allows users to save money when they shop online or in-store.

Through their app, users can access offers from hundreds of retailers and brands in categories like grocery, health, electronics, apparel, travel, and more.

Users can add offers to their account, purchase the products, then upload a photo of the receipt to get cashback.

The cash back can be redeemed for gift cards, PayPal funds, or Venmo credits.

Additionally, Ibotta users can earn extra bonuses by participating in in-app tasks, such as surveys and quizzes.

Ibotta also allows users to link their loyalty cards from popular retailers like Target, Walmart, and Safeway so that any purchases made with that card will automatically earn cashback.

The app also offers referral codes which can be shared with friends and family for additional savings.

Ibotta’s mission is to help people save money on everyday purchases and make shopping more enjoyable.

With a community of more than 21 million users, it’s clear that this mission is resonating with consumers around the world.

A Short History Of Ibotta

Ibotta is a mobile shopping and payments app that was launched in 2012 by founders Bryan Leach, Brandon Yee, and Kevin Daugherty.

The company was founded with the idea of creating a platform that allowed users to save money on everyday purchases.
The company started out as a small startup in Denver, Colorado and quickly gained traction, expanding to the rest of the U.S. in 2014.

By 2016, the app had been downloaded by over 20 million users and had generated over $500 million in savings.

Today, Ibotta has become one of the most popular cash-back apps in the U.S., with over 40 million users and generating over $2 billion in savings each year.

The app is available in all 50 states and can be used for in-store, online, and even travel purchases.

How Does Ibotta Make Money?

Ibotta is a mobile rewards app that allows users to save money on groceries, apparel, and other everyday items.

It has become one of the most popular shopping apps in the US and is used by millions of people.

But how does Ibotta make money? 

Ibotta's Affiliate Commissions

Ibotta is a mobile coupon and cashback app that lets users earn money when they shop online or in-store.

It operates under an affiliate business model, which means that it earns a commission for every successful sale that it refers.

In this model, Ibotta partners with retailers and receives a commission for every purchase made by a customer that it refers.

The commission varies depending on the retailer, but it typically ranges from 2-10%.

Ibotta then passes a portion of that commission back to the user in the form of cashback rewards.

This makes Ibotta's affiliate commissions a key part of its revenue stream.

The more customers Ibotta can refer to retailers, the more money it can make in affiliate commissions.

To do this, Ibotta uses both traditional marketing methods (such as digital ads) and referral programs to get more customers.

The fact that Ibotta's business model relies heavily on affiliate commissions shows just how important its relationships with retailers are.

As long as the company continues to partner with the right retailers and promote their products successfully, its business model will remain viable.

Advertising Services

Ibotta also makes money through advertising services.

This involves partnering with brands to offer advertisements on their app.

When users complete tasks such as surveys and polls, Ibotta earns a commission from the advertiser.

Additionally, the company generates revenue from the sponsored posts and banners that appear in the app.

Ibotta also utilizes its relationship with various retailers to promote products within its platform.

For example, when a user adds a particular product to their shopping list, Ibotta might suggest that they try a different brand for a discount or other incentive.

The user will then receive an advertisement for that product and Ibotta will earn a commission.

Through these services, Ibotta is able to generate revenue while also providing customers with tailored offers and promotions.

Selling Data

Ibotta makes money by selling aggregated and anonymized data to other businesses.

This data is collected from Ibotta users, including their shopping habits and preferences.

By selling this data to other businesses, Ibotta can provide valuable insights about consumer behavior and trends.

Ibotta does not share individual user data, so the information is anonymous and aggregated.

This means that businesses can use the data to develop targeted advertising campaigns or better understand their customers without invading their privacy.

Ibotta uses the revenue generated from selling data to help fund its operations.

Selling data also helps Ibotta stay competitive in the market, as it provides insights that would otherwise be unavailable or costly to obtain.

Additionally, it gives Ibotta the ability to offer more tailored services to its customers.

Ibotta's Business Model

Ibotta operates under an affiliate business model, meaning it earns a commission for referring customers to a merchant.

When a user completes an offer from a participating retailer on Ibotta, the app receives a commission from the retailer.

This commission is a percentage of the sale, and it’s paid by the retailer after the purchase is completed.

In addition to earning money through affiliate commissions, Ibotta also offers advertising services and sells aggregated and anonymized data to other businesses.

By leveraging its expansive customer base, Ibotta is able to provide valuable insights to other businesses about consumer behavior, interests, and purchasing habits.

The company also earns revenue from its partnerships with various retailers and brands.

Ibotta works with over 1,500 retailers and brands to offer exclusive deals, coupons, and discounts to its users.

As part of these partnerships, Ibotta receives a portion of the sales from these retailers.

In summary, Ibotta’s business model is composed of three main components: affiliate commissions, advertising services, and selling aggregated and anonymized data.

By utilizing these three strategies, Ibotta has been able to build a successful and profitable business.

Ibotta Funding, Valuation & Revenue

Ibotta, the innovative mobile shopping app, has been able to garner a considerable amount of venture capital funding over the years.

According to Crunchbase, Ibotta has raised a total of $92.9 million across 7 rounds of venture capital funding.

Prominent investors into the company include Teamworthy Ventures, GGV Capital, Koch Disruptive Technologies, as well as Harbor Spring Capital.

Ibotta's most recent round of funding was announced in August 2019.

This Series D round of funding was able to bring in a valuation of $1 billion.

It is an impressive feat considering the company only launched in 2012.
Ibotta’s total revenue figures are unavailable to the public.

However, according to Forbes, Ibotta’s 2018 revenue was estimated to be around $100 million.

It was also reported that Ibotta had close to 30 million users as of August 2019.

The company has managed to experience tremendous growth in the past few years, which is expected to continue in the near future.