The Upside App, founded nine years ago, offers cashback rewards for gas, groceries and dining. Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 anchor Shannon Perrine put the app to the test. At BP in Swissvale the app told the user that they could get 32 cents off a gallon of gas, bringing the price per gallon down to $3.13.Users must use the same card registered with the account to get both the discount and cashback.They register the card, and after you make a purchase at the location, you notify the business. They then match the card to confirm and then you get cash back.After a few days, the cash back would be 42 cents on $3.13.There are three ways to get cash back. “One, you can hook up your bank account and we can just deposit the money in your bank account. Second, you can cash it out to a prepaid debit card.” Wayne Lin, Co-Founder of Upside, said. “So again, super easy as a prepaid Visa Card. You can just use it wherever you typically make purchases. And third, we have a whole catalog of gift cards.” Mike Pascarella found that those bigger cashback options he saw early on in his Upside-to-date use are rarer. He had receipts of 6 cents and 5 cents cash back on recent purchases.His lifetime earnings added up to $307.28. Pascarella says he uses his Upside money to buy Christmas presents for his children.“You know, it’s back to school season. The money has saved up, you know, help me get the supplies I need for my kids to go back to school. Or other people would be like, hey, save it up. And I treated myself to a spa day, whatever, whatever people want to do with it.” Lin said.When asked about how the Upside app makes profit, Lin said they match consumers to businesses in the surrounding areas. “We’re matching you as a consumer to the businesses around you, where they are willing to share part of their profit with you, to get you to choose them versus someone else. And when we create that match and we bring people together, we ask for a little bit of that profit as well. So, for the business we work with, this is all incremental profit and sales for them.” He said.The Better Business Bureau gives Upside an A+ rating — saying the volume of complaints is minute compared to the size of the business.
The Upside App, founded nine years ago, offers cashback rewards for gas, groceries and dining.
Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 anchor Shannon Perrine put the app to the test.
At BP in Swissvale the app told the user that they could get 32 cents off a gallon of gas, bringing the price per gallon down to $3.13.
Users must use the same card registered with the account to get both the discount and cashback.
They register the card, and after you make a purchase at the location, you notify the business. They then match the card to confirm and then you get cash back.
After a few days, the cash back would be 42 cents on $3.13.
There are three ways to get cash back.
“One, you can hook up your bank account and we can just deposit the money in your bank account. Second, you can cash it out to a prepaid debit card.” Wayne Lin, Co-Founder of Upside, said. “So again, super easy as a prepaid Visa Card. You can just use it wherever you typically make purchases. And third, we have a whole catalog of gift cards.”
Mike Pascarella found that those bigger cashback options he saw early on in his Upside-to-date use are rarer. He had receipts of 6 cents and 5 cents cash back on recent purchases.
His lifetime earnings added up to $307.28. Pascarella says he uses his Upside money to buy Christmas presents for his children.
“You know, it’s back to school season. The money has saved up, you know, help me get the supplies I need for my kids to go back to school. Or other people would be like, hey, save it up. And I treated myself to a spa day, whatever, whatever people want to do with it.” Lin said.
When asked about how the Upside app makes profit, Lin said they match consumers to businesses in the surrounding areas.
“We’re matching you as a consumer to the businesses around you, where they are willing to share part of their profit with you, to get you to choose them versus someone else. And when we create that match and we bring people together, we ask for a little bit of that profit as well. So, for the business we work with, this is all incremental profit and sales for them.” He said.
The Better Business Bureau gives Upside an A+ rating — saying the volume of complaints is minute compared to the size of the business.
