So much for boxtops!
For one, it takes 10 times as much work because you have to sooth the receipt, tape it down, and take pictures in sections, only to have it NOT RECOGNIZE a date or store or something and you have to redo it. And that’s only if you actually remember to hurry up and scan the receipt before you forget and it’s been past two weeks, which is a TOTAL bummer and angers me. Then today I tried scanning 3 different receipts and it’s didn’t recognize ANY boxtop items even though there were maybe 10 on each, all from Kroger where I’ve always shopped and it’s always recognized them. And to “report missing items” you literally have to scroll through every item on your receipt, figure out which one could be the nature valley bars and then fish out the item from your pantry and take a picture for proof...ridiculous! I’m so upset by this new “modern” way sending boxtops... not only are they incapable of actually functioning and at least providing a halfway decent workIng app, but there ROBBING schools of money that better education. They should be embarrassed and ashamed at this epic disaster they call an “app”.
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Response from developer
We're sorry to hear you are having issues - can you reach out to us at BTFE.App@genmills.com so that we can help you troubleshoot? Our app is very accurate at reading receipts and it is not typical for it to miss multiple items.
Okay - could be better
This app has been good. I like being able to designate a class for earnings to go to for school competitions- not sure if my school knows how to look at this though. Also nice to be able to change schools from receipt to receipt to divide earnings for more than one school. Receipts are easy to scan, and instant feedback is nice. However, in the last several months it seems like I get less and less box tops. I’ve had several receipts that I had to report missing earnings on, and it’s difficult to track if they ever actually go in. Also, Sam’s Club paper receipts have to be emailed in like digital receipts. If you try to scan, it always says date missing even when it’s not. I think there are a lot of people who may not download and use the app that would clip box tops, but also people who will scan receipts in the app and like not having to keep up with clipping and saving. Thanks for the money for our schools, but I was happier with the app when I first got it in summer 2019 than I am now in spring 2020.
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Review
I love the box tops program and all the companies that participate by offering and placing the logo the their products. It is a great way to help schools to earn cash for programs. The app is simple to use and instantly adds the scanned amount to the school’s balance. It’s great to see the progress on my smartphone as our earnings grow.
Unfortunately fewer companies are participating in the program so there is less opportunity to find the logo on products and then raise funds in this manner which our smaller school has relied upon. We are also finding fewer families participating by downloading the app and scanning their receipts as it requires more work on their part. The 14 day timeframe to scan receipts requires timely action. In the past, families would place their clipped Box Tops in a drawer and turn the in periodically with no other work needed. While our school will not earn as much as we had in the past, we still greatly appreciate this fun fundraising opportunity that you offer!
Unfortunately fewer companies are participating in the program so there is less opportunity to find the logo on products and then raise funds in this manner which our smaller school has relied upon. We are also finding fewer families participating by downloading the app and scanning their receipts as it requires more work on their part. The 14 day timeframe to scan receipts requires timely action. In the past, families would place their clipped Box Tops in a drawer and turn the in periodically with no other work needed. While our school will not earn as much as we had in the past, we still greatly appreciate this fun fundraising opportunity that you offer!
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Scanning the receipts is fun but..
I really like seeing the credits I get for my school and I like the fact that the schools probably see the credits, especially now because I’ve submitted BoxTops for years but never knew what I was actually doing for the school and never got a “Thank you” for my effort. As great as this is, I don’t know how many receipts I’ve thrown away before realizing I had bought a product with a box top on it and it was too late to scan it. It takes a lot more effort to turn them in now and I’m sure that many people don’t have the patience and/or motivation to keep the receipt before trashing them and especially not digging them out of the trash can (like I’ve been doing at my house when my husband throws them away). It seemed easier to just cut them off the product.
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Hardly ever get any $$
Compared to the old method, I feel like I earn way less for our schools. This app was great in the beginning, but now it barely or never recognizes legitimate box tops. This program, I fear, is near its end.
Also, it’s really unfair that because my daughter’s school shares the same building as another program (she is in a public gifted school and the other program is a language immersion program) that the schools’ earnings cannot be separated. We used to rely on these funds but now not only do we have to share them with another program, we also don’t earn as much as we used to due to this digital program.
I’m pretty much done with scanning these receipts. It’s a literal waste of my time. I just don’t think earning .20 after scanning tons a receipts is worth it anymore. Sorry if I sound sour, maybe I should be grateful for the little bit of free money, but to me it just seems like this is a way for these companies to phase out the box tops program. If you’re going to phase it out, just do it—do not waste our time and hope.
Also, it’s really unfair that because my daughter’s school shares the same building as another program (she is in a public gifted school and the other program is a language immersion program) that the schools’ earnings cannot be separated. We used to rely on these funds but now not only do we have to share them with another program, we also don’t earn as much as we used to due to this digital program.
I’m pretty much done with scanning these receipts. It’s a literal waste of my time. I just don’t think earning .20 after scanning tons a receipts is worth it anymore. Sorry if I sound sour, maybe I should be grateful for the little bit of free money, but to me it just seems like this is a way for these companies to phase out the box tops program. If you’re going to phase it out, just do it—do not waste our time and hope.
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I like the idea of an app
I like the idea of an app for box tops. It’s not as messy as cutting and leaving boxes structurally compromised to be able to turn the box tops in at our school, but I HATE the two week timeline and I hate not knowing exactly what products I should be getting box tops for. If I see a box top I cut it out. Now I have to rely on the app to work appropriately and have already had it miss items I knew I should have gotten credit for. Their dispute process in the app is easy, but I don’t have the time to put into checking every item on my receipt to see if I should be getting boxtops.
The two week timeline seems a little ridiculous to me since boxtops on boxes are good a year or more commonly. Why can’t we have a 30 or 60 day timeline? It’s still significantly less than the ones on the boxes, but would give those of us who are running around shopping between sports, work, taking care of our families, etc. more time to be able to collect the boxtops for our schools.
The two week timeline seems a little ridiculous to me since boxtops on boxes are good a year or more commonly. Why can’t we have a 30 or 60 day timeline? It’s still significantly less than the ones on the boxes, but would give those of us who are running around shopping between sports, work, taking care of our families, etc. more time to be able to collect the boxtops for our schools.
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Not worth the trouble
I buy box tops products and now that the program has switched over to an App, have missed out on more opportunities to help my school. Receipts must be scanned within 2 weeks of purchase date or no credits given, products may say “Double Box Tops” on the Box but look out for the fine print which says that expired 9 months ago. At least with the printed box tops I knew exactly what my school would get credit for, when the credits expired and it was rarely before the food did. And, I didn’t have to rely on my spouse to bring home the receipt so I could try scanning it in. We have competitions in school for the class who collects the most box tops but the restrictions on the App version of the program are so great we never get much collected any more. What IS happening is data collection for Box Tops as you have to scan your entire receipt in order for the App to ‘see’ if you bought anything that ‘might’ earn a credit. Totally frustrating.
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Needs a lot of work
I get why every program is trying to go digital but this just isn’t the program to do it with. It usually doesn’t work, giving me errors such as “No date shown receipt” when it’s in plain view or saying there aren’t any box tops rewards when there clearly were (sometimes multiple). I’ve had to re-scan so many receipts that are a foot or longer in length only to get the same errors and in the end never get the credit for the box tops. I have tried submitting missing box tops but never received the credit. AND our school does competitions in each class room for box tops and now that it’s digital, I’m only able to submit box tops under one child’s name unless I want multiple accounts using multiple emails and log in and out. I simply want to throw the cardboard box tops in the jar I already have set up and each month when there is a competition at the school, distribute them amongst my three boys so they all get some credit. I have let more box tops go this last year than I ever have, and the school suffers for it. Go back to the way it was or make this better.
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Good purpose; app errors
I love that these products are supporting our schools but I’ve had at least three errors with redeeming via the app in just a few months of use. I’ve contacted BoxTops at least twice, the first time they graciously credited my account with the info/pictures I sent, but this time they took a few days to reply telling me to update my app... well the receipt is now lost and it took me another 5min to figure out how to manually update and it already was, so that didn’t help me.
So now instead of the fun of getting box top gifts from our family and friends and the joy of kids getting to contribute to their school, the app takes the power out of the kids hands and makes more work for this mom. The kids who are old enough to operate the app themselves don’t have schools who participate.
I still use it even though I get no personal benefit from the work of remembering to save and scan if I see a box top when I’m shopping.
So now instead of the fun of getting box top gifts from our family and friends and the joy of kids getting to contribute to their school, the app takes the power out of the kids hands and makes more work for this mom. The kids who are old enough to operate the app themselves don’t have schools who participate.
I still use it even though I get no personal benefit from the work of remembering to save and scan if I see a box top when I’m shopping.
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Not mom or kid friendly, breach of privacy
If there is a long receipt, the items won’t scan due to the fact that the date must be shown. In addition, I saved a receipt, went on vacation, and when I scanned it the receipt expired (must scan within 14 days). That’s if I even remember where I put the receipt and if I made a mental note at the store that I had an item to scan. Kids do not get the physical satisfaction of clipping a box top to earn points for school. Scanning and writing in dates on paper to submit are not allowing the kids the proper credit. This is more work on parents and takes the joy and work off kids for their contributions towards class parties or other incentives.
In my opinion this is a scapegoat for box tops to not give as much money to the school as parents will lose receipts, unable to scan long receipts in one picture, or forget to even scan. My parents and friends would help me by saving physical box tops. This is no longer the case as I refuse to convince others to ‘simply get the app’ or ‘save receipts’.
Finally, this system leaves a paper trail and breach of my privacy by scanning my purchases into a centralized database (we can be told this info is protected, but is it really with the hackers and system breaches?). My personal info (location, time, credit card, other items purchased) are now being recorded to an external source.
In my opinion this is a scapegoat for box tops to not give as much money to the school as parents will lose receipts, unable to scan long receipts in one picture, or forget to even scan. My parents and friends would help me by saving physical box tops. This is no longer the case as I refuse to convince others to ‘simply get the app’ or ‘save receipts’.
Finally, this system leaves a paper trail and breach of my privacy by scanning my purchases into a centralized database (we can be told this info is protected, but is it really with the hackers and system breaches?). My personal info (location, time, credit card, other items purchased) are now being recorded to an external source.
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