Great news, Ibotta shoppers! It’s now much easier to earn mobile manufacturer rebates at all Ibotta-supported retailers (Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, Safeway, Vons, Publix, Ralphs, King Soopers, Duane Reade and more).

How does it work? You validate your purchases yourself.

In the old days, after earning your discounts, scanning items to make sure they’re qualifying, and making your purchase, you had to scan your receipt and wait for approval. Sometimes, that approval didn’t come right away, as in the case of the missing peanut butter. But the situation was always resolved by Ibotta’s fantastic customer service, and rightful rebates were always rewarded.

But Ibotta recently announced that, now, just as you can scan items with the app to make sure they qualify, you can also scan items after uploading your receipt to confirm the purchase yourself. This is extremely exciting, because it means that (if the new system works) my account will be credited much more quickly and there should be (in theory) less margin for error. I’ll be heading to my local Target tomorrow to test it out!

The BEST way to use Ibotta is by combining it with other mobile couponing methods. You should always use SnipSnapped store coupons to purchase items, for which you can’t earn manufacturer rebates, like store brand eggs, milk, and fresh baked bread. Depending on where you shop, you also might be able to combine SavingStar and Upromise mobile rebates with your Ibotta rebates.

I promise you: combining and (when you can) stacking your mobile couponing methods is essential for smart holiday menu planning and food shopping. Think it’s all too good to be true? Then check out how I saved more than 50% on my Thanksgiving grocery bill!