CoinOut works by giving you Coins for photographing paper receipts and connecting your email and store accounts, and the number of Coins per receipt depends on your monthly level, from Bronze to Diamond. The catch is that you can't redeem anything until you reach Silver level, and PayPal is only offered at Diamond.
CoinOut looks like every other receipt app until you hit the level system. That's what decides how much each receipt is worth and which rewards you can take, and it's why two people uploading the same receipts can see very different balances. Here's how it all fits together, from CoinOut's own help centre.
Ways to earn Coins in CoinOut
- Photograph paper receipts.
- Connect your email and retailer accounts, and download orders weekly.
- Complete the Daily Check-in, available from Gold level up.
- Play CoinPlay and CoinFrenzy, and watch videos with CoinView.
- Claim Deals and Offers, refer friends and complete badges.
- Do barcode tasks and surveys on the Missions page.
How levels change what each receipt earns
CoinOut pays more per receipt as you level up. For the first 25 receipts each week, up to 125 a month, it lists:
| Level | Coins per receipt (first 25 a week) | After the weekly or monthly limit |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 10 | 0 |
| Silver | 20 | 10 |
| Gold | 30 | 10 |
| Platinum | 40 | 10 |
| Diamond | 50 | 10 |
Your level is based on the previous month's activity and re-evaluated on the 1st of each month. So the work you put in during one month sets what your receipts are worth in the following one. The weekly count resets every Sunday and covers paper receipts and online orders combined, and it's based on the date CoinOut processes the receipt, not the purchase date.
What makes a receipt valid
CoinOut says a paper receipt needs the store name, the date and time, the items with prices and the total. On top of that:
- Submit it within 14 days of the purchase date.
- It must be your own purchase or a household member's.
- It must be in English and in US dollars, from a store in the Continental United States, Alaska or Hawaii.
- No more than 5 receipts from the same retailer in a 24-hour period.
- Each receipt can only be submitted once, and never shared with another CoinOut account.
Receipts that don't earn include duplicates, zero or negative totals, business purchases, and bills for services such as phone, utilities, medical costs, subscriptions and car payments.
Connected accounts and barcode tasks
For email receipts, CoinOut says the app needs to be open for at least 5 minutes to scan your connected inbox for new purchases. The separate download orders button only checks retail connections such as Amazon, Walmart and Target, not your email.
Sometimes a grocery receipt triggers a barcode task on the Missions tab, where you scan the items you bought. Those Coins are capped per 30-day period by level, from 200 Coins at Bronze to 600 at Diamond.
Redeeming your Coins
The first rewards become available at Silver level once you have at least 3,000 Coins. Your Choice Gift Cards are available at every reward amount, Venmo and Amazon gift cards start one tier up, and PayPal is only offered at the two largest amounts, which need Diamond level.
| Redemption rule | What CoinOut says |
|---|---|
| Time between requests | At least 30 minutes |
| Limits | Up to 5 redemptions a day, 10 a week and 30 a month |
| Speed | Most rewards within a few minutes; all typically within 7 business days |
| Claim deadline | 180 days to activate or claim, or the funds are forfeited |
Simple habits that get more from CoinOut
- Upload receipts every week rather than in occasional batches, because your level depends on steady monthly activity.
- Snap each receipt soon after shopping, well inside the 14-day window.
- Spread big shopping days across stores: only 5 receipts from the same retailer count in 24 hours.
- Connect your email and store accounts so online orders count towards the weekly 25.
- Leave the app open for a few minutes now and then so it can scan your inbox.
- Claim every reward as soon as it's approved, well before the 180-day deadline.
Keeping your account active
CoinOut says that if you don't submit a valid paper receipt for 90 days or more, your account becomes inactive and your Coins expire. It sends a warning by push notification and email 7 days before, so keep those switched on. Downloading e-receipts alone doesn't keep you active; you need paper receipts too.
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One more warning from CoinOut: using a VPN may get your account flagged for suspicious activity, so switch it off while you use the app.
My verdict on how CoinOut works
CoinOut rewards regular, consistent use. If you upload receipts every week, you'll climb the levels and each receipt becomes worth several times more; if you dip in occasionally, you'll stay at Bronze and struggle to reach the first reward. It's US-only, because receipts must be in US dollars from stores in the Continental United States, Alaska or Hawaii, so readers elsewhere, Canada included, should skip it. For more ideas, see my guide to apps that pay you to drive and my guide to legitimate ways to make money online.
Frequently asked questions
When can I cash out on CoinOut?
CoinOut says the first rewards become available at Silver level once you have at least 3,000 Coins, the first step up from Bronze.
How many Coins does CoinOut give per receipt?
For the first 25 receipts a week, from 10 Coins at Bronze level up to 50 Coins at Diamond.
How old can a receipt be for CoinOut?
Receipts must be submitted within 14 days of the purchase date.
Can I get PayPal from CoinOut?
Yes, but CoinOut only offers PayPal at its two largest reward amounts, which need Diamond level.
How long do CoinOut rewards take?
CoinOut says most rewards are available within a few minutes, and all are typically processed within 7 business days.
Do CoinOut Coins expire?
Yes. If you don't submit a valid paper receipt for 90 days or more, your account becomes inactive and your Coins expire.
