Raise, a company that's best known for its gift card marketplace, announced the launch of the Slide mobile payments app in July 2020. The app was designed to not only allow shoppers to pay with their phones, but also to earn cash back in-store and online.

With Slide, you can build up cash back savings through your everyday purchases. The best part is that the effort that's required on your part is minimal. You won't need to hunt down deals or upload receipts to receive your cash back.

What Does It Offer?

Want to learn more about how Slide works and how it helps shoppers earn cash back? Here’s a quick breakdown of what this free app can offer you. 

Unlimited 4% Cash Back

A 4% cash back rate is something that even the best rewards cards typically only offer on select categories. But with Slide, you earn in it on every purchase you make at one of its retail partners. And there's no monthly or quarterly rewards caps.

Here’s an example of how much you might be able to save by using Slide. Let’s say that you’ve spend $300 per month at brands that work with Slide. That would lead to $12 in cash back each month or $144 per year.

Although the cash back is unlimited, you'll want to pull out the funds fairly regularly. As of now, the cash back earnings you accumulate in Slide will expire 2 years after you earned them. You can withdraw your earnings through Venmo or PayPal once your balance reaches at least $15.

Check out Slide here >>

Plentiful Payment Options

In order to start earning 4% cash back, you’ll need to link a payment method. The current options include credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and BitPay. You can also pre-load your account to earn an extra 1% cash back.

Once you’ve added a payment method, you'll create a barcode from the Slide app to present to the cashier or enter the serial numbers online. The barcode or serial numbers will work like a gift card, except for there won't ever be any money left over after the transaction.

One thing that I don’t love about Slide is that you have to enter the exact payment amount for each purchase with taxes and tips included to receive a barcode. That means you’ll have to quickly run through these steps at the counter to present a barcode to a cashier.

It shouldn’t take more than a few seconds to run through the process. But it won’t be quite as fast as swiping your credit card. Plus, this shouldn't be an issue at all for online purchases since you'll be able take as much time as you need without having to worrying that you're holding up a line.

200+ Partners

Since over 200 brands are working with Slide, you should have no problems accumulating cash back. A few include Lowe’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Southwest, Chipotle, and Carnival. Notably, though, some of the biggest retailers like Amazon and Walmart are currently missing from Slide’s partners.

Ability To Stack Rewards

If you already have a rewards credit card, you can "double dip" by loading it into Slide. You'll enjoy your credit card’s cash back and rewards features, plus you'll can take advantage of Slide’s 4% cash back! 

This is a huge benefit that could really push your earning up into the stratosphere. For example, let's say that your rewards card rotates its bonus categories and is currently paying 5% at restaurants. If you use that card in combination with Slide to make a purchase at Chipotle, you'd effectively earn 9% back on the transaction (5% from your credit card issuer and 4% from Slide)!

Depending on your rewards credit card, the savings could stack up quickly. Want to stack your earnings with a rewards credit card? Check out our favorite rewards credit cards here.

Are There Any Fees?

You won’t run into any monthly, annual, or transaction fees when you use Slide. However, you should keep potential overdraft fees in mind if you link your debit card inside the app.

How Does Slide Compare?

Slide isn't the first app to provide a streamlined cash back experience. Dosh, for example, also makes it easy to save without the need to search for coupons or scan receipts. But other apps like Ibotta could potentially provide more cash back at selected retailers if you're willing to upload receipts.

It should be noted that neither Dosh and Ibotta are able to promise unlimited 4% cash back on every transaction. But, on the plus side, both support more retailers than Slide. Here's a quick look at how Slide compares:

How Do I Open An Account?

Ready to try Slide? You can start by visiting the Slide website. From there, you’ll have the option to download the app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

Once you’ve downloaded the app, you'll need to create an account and link a payment method before you can start using the app for cash back. Once you've linked a payment method, all you need to do is make purchases with the app and occasionally transfer out your earnings. 

Is It Safe And Secure?

It’s always important to do your research before handing over your credit or debit card information to a company. The good news is that Slide makes security a priority. Slide won’t store any of your payment information and ensures that all of the payment processors are PCI compliant.

How Do I Contact Slide?

You can reach out to slide via email at [email protected]. Additionally, you can connect on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter @Slide.

In general, customers seem happy with their experience. Apple users gave Slide 4.1 out of 5 stars. And the Slide app has earned 4.3 out of 5 stars in the Google Play Store.

Is It Worth It?

Extra cash back is never a bad thing. And Slide makes the cash back accumulation process easy. Plus, the app allows you to stack these rewards with your credit card rewards. However, the in-person payment process might feel a bit cumbersome to some.

I would recommend looking at Slide's partners to estimate how much you could save in a year by using the app. If it looks like a worthwhile opportunity, then go for it! But if most of the retailers aren't in your regular shopping rotation, you might want to use one of the cash back apps that offers a larger roster of brands.

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