I want a smart phone for iBotta.
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I use a flip phone. Pay $13/month for 60 min of calling which I never use up. There are no cell towers for most of my daily commute. BUT I want to do iBotta.
I just want the phone for iBotta. I have tablet, laptop, etc. but none of them can iBotta.
What should I get? Thanks!
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@my4mainecoons You probably could run ibotta in an emulator on a laptop. Also not sure why a tablet wouldn’t be able to ibotta - you just need to take a picture of the receipt when you get home right?
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@dangeruss My tablet is a Surface Pro 3 and since its running Windows I presumed I couldn’t use the iBotta app. I have an unopened android tablet. Maybe that would work…
IDK emulators. Is it the same idea and as easy as VM?
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There is a Tracfone LG Rebel 3 on HSN for $59, includes a year of service and 1500/1500/1.5g. That is what I use. It’s easier for me to buy a new phone, than find a used smart phone that may or may not work. You can also buy a really cheap smart phone at Dollar General or Kroger’s. Most any will do and you don’t have to buy the service.
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@briarycliffs I don’t know anything about smart phones. If I got the one from HSN it has service and you’re telling me I don’t need service… I have a flip phone. If I got the one from HSN could I get rid of flip phone and its $14/mo service?
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Yes you could get rid of your flip phone and $14/month service. Tracfone runs on Verizon or AT&T towers, usually has great coverage. You can pay $59.99 at HSN, get a decent phone, a year of service that comes with 1,500 minutes, 1,500 texts, and 1.5g of data (turn off the data and only use it for emergencies). You can buy more minutes/texts/data if you need. That would be cheaper for you than $14 month you are paying right now. I would recommend this service for light users and it’s what I use. When your year of service is up, it’s cheaper to buy another phone with service and minutes included than to just buy a year of service.
Alternatively, you can buy a smart phone without a service plan from a local store or online, and just use it as a mini tablet. You can load apps and such on it, just can’t use it as a phone. You can also ask relatives or friends to give you their old phone and just use it on wi-fi and load apps without paying for a phone service.
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@briarycliffs To do iBotta would I be using phone minutes or data? Could I just connect to my wifi instead of using either? I had an iTouch which I loved but lost.
Looks like its now $89.95 unless I’m looking at the wrong one.
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You do not use your minutes for Ibotta and can use only wi-fi. You can load the rebates you want at home and then return home to upload the receipt. I do sometimes turn on my data at the store because I forget what’s on my rebate list and the store’s wi-fi doesn’t usually work. It’s nice to have data in a rebate emergency.
You are right, the price did go up. The have the Rebel 2 with service and minutes on ebay directly from tracfone. https://www.ebay.com/itm/TracFone-LG-Rebel-2-4G-LTE-1-Year-of-Service-with-1200-MIN-1200-Text-1200MB/282914428443 This is the exact phone I had for 10 months and just bought an upgrade. The only problem is 8 gb is not very much room if you load up a lot of apps. I do like my apps. It’s a great little phone though. If you want to get in the smartphone arena the cheapest, buy the rebel 2 on ebay, it will last you for awhile until the service is almost up, then upgrade the phone next year. Or maybe HSN will have the rebel 3 on sale again in a few weeks.
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Try installing it on your tablet. What kind of tablet do you have that can’t do ibotta?
Also you can install bluestacks on the laptop and install ibotta on that. Not sure how easy it would be to scan the receipts.
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@dangeruss I have an Asus transformer tablet running Android lollipop (?) and when I tried to install the App it says that its not compatible with device.
If I use bluestacks on laptop could I scan receipt like I do for S*?
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@my4mainecoons said in I want a smart phone for iBotta.:
@dangeruss I have an Asus transformer tablet running Android lollipop (?) and when I tried to install the App it says that its not compatible with device.
If I use bluestacks on laptop could I scan receipt like I do for S*?
Not sure what s* is, and I haven’t tried to use the camera functionality on bluestacks, but I’d have to assume it works. It may be a little weird trying to manuever a front facing camera to take a picture of the receipt. May be easier with a usb cam or something (or by scanning it and somehow letting bluestacks use the image as the camera source).
Also you can wait for a sale on amazon fire tablet. I’m sure you can run ibotta on there.
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@dangeruss Thanks. S* = SavingStar. Its another cashback program similar to iBotta. Some data is direct upload using store “membership” card, other requires scanning in the receipt.
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If you have amex, pick up this…
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@dangeruss said in I want a smart phone for iBotta.:
If you have amex, pick up this…
My Amex doesn’t give points, it gives back cash. Wasn’t under my Amex offers. Can you point me towards the offer?
I can easily pick up $50 worth of Amazon gc using RA Bonus Cash today. Is it worth it? Sort of free…
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@my4mainecoons said in I want a smart phone for iBotta.:
@dangeruss said in I want a smart phone for iBotta.:
If you have amex, pick up this…
My Amex doesn’t give points, it gives back cash. Wasn’t under my Amex offers. Can you point me towards the offer?
I can easily pick up $50 worth of Amazon gc using RA Bonus Cash today. Is it worth it? Sort of free…
You should have at least one amex card that gives points… way too many amazon deals with points not to have one.
Plus always nice to have more amex cards. I have close to 20.
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@dangeruss I get free Amazon gc. Can’t recall the last time I used a cc for Amazon purchase. I’d have to find an Amex that gives points back for purchases and has no annual fee.
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@my4mainecoons said in I want a smart phone for iBotta.:
@dangeruss I get free Amazon gc. Can’t recall the last time I used a cc for Amazon purchase. I’d have to find an Amex that gives points back for purchases and has no annual fee.
You wouldn’t need to actually use the card - just have it. I mean I guess you would need to use it sometimes to at least have some points. You would redeem 1 point for 1 cent of the item, and you would get the $20 discount for the kindle for example.\
Plus the more amex cards you have, the higher your chances of getting good offers (and getting multiples of them).
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@dangeruss so if I got a card I’d buy something to earn a point (presuming $1 would get me 1 pt). Then could I use one point and pay the balance with Amazon gc?
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@my4mainecoons said in I want a smart phone for iBotta.:
@dangeruss so if I got a card I’d buy something to earn a point (presuming $1 would get me 1 pt). Then could I use one point and pay the balance with Amazon gc?
Yes.
Not sure how long it would actually get for the point to post, but yes.
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@dangeruss I’m more concerned that the offer will be gone before I get a card. Asking my sister who has Prime to order for me. Pretty sure she has Amex.
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@my4mainecoons said in I want a smart phone for iBotta.:
@dangeruss I’m more concerned that the offer will be gone before I get a card. Asking my sister who has Prime to order for me. Pretty sure she has Amex.
Yes this offer will be gone by the time you get the card…
But a similar offer was around a few days ago.
There will probably be a better one on prime day in June.
Also if your sister has prime, is there a reason she’s not sharing the membership with you? Unless she’s already at the limit or has a student account.
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@my4mainecoons an Android cheap tablet for $50 would work, just needs to run android, doesn’t have to be a cell phone.
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@mistercheap I have a cheap tablet with Android and the app is not compatible with it. So now I’m looking at getting another cheap tablet, the $14.99 Amazon Fire.
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@my4mainecoons said in I want a smart phone for iBotta.:
@mistercheap I have a cheap tablet with Android and the app is not compatible with it. So now I’m looking at getting another cheap tablet, the $14.99 Amazon Fire.
right, depends what version of Android it is running. Good luck, just started doing IBOTTA myself in February. Been pretty good so far, definitely has created some MM purchases for me.
