Franki Review 2026: Real Cash Back, Visa and Mastercard Only
Franki is a free app that pays you cash back for eating at partner restaurants, and you can withdraw it to your bank.
On a $60 dinner, a 5% Franki offer pays $3 back and a 20% offer pays $12, as cash you can move to your bank.
TopDown ReviewsCash back for eating out, with a few rules to learn first
Franki is a free iPhone and Android app that pays you back part of what you spend at partner restaurants, cafés and bars. You find a place in the app, tap to activate its cash-back offer before you go, and pay with the credit card you've linked. A few days later the cash back shows up in your Franki wallet, and you can withdraw it to a bank account or debit card.
The rate depends on the restaurant. Franki doesn't publish a standard one, and each offer shows its own percentage in the app. Recent reports put most offers at 5%, with some restaurants at up to 20%. Franki's terms leave tax and tips out of the calculation, so the rate applies to the food and drink on the bill.
That money is real cash, which is the main thing setting Franki apart from inKind. inKind pays its rewards as credit you can only spend at other inKind restaurants, and it expires if you stop going. Franki's cash back has no such limit once it's in your wallet. The trade-off is that you pay at the table as usual and Franki has to spot the charge, so the card rules matter.
Franki only tracks Visa and Mastercard credit cards, one at a time. American Express, Discover and debit cards don't track automatically, and neither does anything paid through Uber Eats, DoorDash or PayPal. Since spring 2026, many offers have also needed a photo of your receipt, even with a linked card. Franki said in its own replies to App Store reviews that it moved many offers to receipt upload on purpose.
Reviews tell a split story. Franki has 4.5 stars on the App Store from about 1,900 ratings, but 2.7 on Google Play from about 450. Since the receipt change, recent complaints on both stores keep coming back to the same few things: receipts getting rejected, linked cards dropping off, and the app crashing partway through a video upload. Franki answers most of them and has fixed some, including a June bug that blocked withdrawals.
Why We Love It
- Free to download and use, with no membership to buy
- Cash back you can withdraw to your bank, not store credit
- Each offer shows its rate before you go, typically 5% to 20%
- New members get a $2 sign-up bonus, plus $10 after a first purchase in CA, TX or IL
- Apple Pay and Google Pay count if they use your linked card
- Video reviews from local diners help you pick a place before you go
Considerations
- Tracks Visa and Mastercard credit cards only, and only one at a time
- Many offers now need a receipt photo, and users report rejections
- Nothing earned on tax, tips, delivery apps or PayPal payments
- Cash back must be activated before you pay and can't be added afterward
- Offers are concentrated in big US cities
- Rated 2.7 on Google Play, well below its 4.5 on the App Store
How Franki Works in Practice
Activating comes first. Every offer has to be switched on in the app before you pay, and Franki can't apply cash back to a meal after the fact. If you go back to the same place twice, you mark the first offer as used and activate it again, because each payment needs its own activation.
When an offer tracks through your linked card, Franki's help center says cash back should appear 3 to 5 business days after the charge posts. The terms allow 5 to 10 business days and say it can take longer. If the restaurant reverses or disputes the charge, the pending cash back is removed.
When an offer needs a receipt, the app says so as you activate it. You photograph the receipt and upload it within the window the offer gives you. It has to show the restaurant's name and address, the date and time, the total, and your card type with the last four digits. Franki reviews receipts by hand, usually within 1 to 2 business days, and accepts one receipt per activation.
The app also works as a restaurant guide, with short videos from other diners. Members who reach Franki's higher Social Club levels can earn extra for posting videos, and there are timed challenges called Adventures that pay a bonus for trying new places. None of that is needed to earn ordinary cash back.
Add a referral code within 7 days
If someone referred you and the link didn't carry their code, type it into your Franki wallet under "Who brought you to Franki?" Franki's help center gives you 7 days from signing up to do it.
We Recommend This To Readers Who:
-
Eat out in a big US city
Offers cluster in large metros, so check which places near you carry one before you sign up.
-
Pay with a Visa or Mastercard credit card
That's the only kind Franki tracks automatically. Debit only works where an offer accepts receipts.
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Don't mind a photo of the receipt
Many offers now ask for one, so it helps to make it a habit before you leave the table.
What decides your Franki cash back
Four things decide whether a Franki meal earns, and how much.
Food and drinks
The part your cash-back rate applies to, once the offer is activated.
Tax and tip
Charged to your card as usual. Franki's terms exclude both from cash back.
The receipt
Needed on many offers. Uploaded in the app within the offer's time window.
What Franki pays back on a $60 dinner
A $60 dinner with 9% tax and a 20% tip comes to $77.40. Cash back is worked out on the $60.
| Option | Price |
|---|---|
| Cash back at a 5% offer | $3.00 |
| Cash back at a 20% offer | $12.00 |
| A new member's first 5% dinner in CA, TX or IL, with both bonuses | $15.00 |
Good to Know
Franki questions, answered
What people ask before downloading, answered from Franki's own terms and help center.
Is Franki legit?
Yes. Franki is run by Franki Inc. in Santa Monica, California, has more than 100,000 Android downloads, and says members have earned over $2.5 million in cash back. The complaints worth knowing about are practical ones, mainly rejected receipts and linked cards dropping off, rather than signs of a scam.
How do you get money out of Franki?
Open your Franki wallet, connect a bank account or debit card through Plaid, and tap Withdraw. Franki's help center doesn't list a minimum. If you ever delete your account, rewards that haven't been paid out are lost, so withdraw first.
Is it safe to link my card to Franki?
Franki says it never stores your full card number, only uses purchase data to check your cash back, and doesn't sell your financial details. Its App Store privacy label also says your location, device identifiers and usage data may be used to track you across other companies' apps and websites.
How does Franki compare with inKind?
Both pay you back for eating out. inKind pays credit you can only spend at inKind restaurants, and it expires two months after your last visit. Franki pays cash you can withdraw, but only tracks Visa and Mastercard credit cards and often asks for a receipt. If you want the money itself, Franki suits you better.
Is there a Franki referral code?
Yes. New members get $2 for signing up and, in California, Texas and Illinois, $10 more after a first cash-back purchase. We keep a current code and the steps at couponsuck.com/franki-referral-code/.
Should you download Franki?
Check which restaurants near you carry an offer first. If places you already go to are on it and you pay with a Visa or Mastercard credit card, Franki pays real cash back, typically 5% to 20% of the food bill, that you can move to your bank. Expect to photograph some receipts, and expect fewer offers outside big cities.
