Honey was acquired by PayPal in 2020 and shut down on December 3, 2024

Honey, the cashback and coupon-finding browser extension, stopped working on December 3, 2024. PayPal, which bought Honey in 2020 for around $4 billion, decided to discontinue the service and fold its features into PayPal's own offerings. If you still have Honey installed, it no longer functions — the extension will not find coupons, explore codes, or earn cashback rewards.

The shutdown was announced in advance, giving users several months to transition to other tools. PayPal offered existing Honey members a one-time $5 credit to their PayPal account as a goodbye gesture, though that credit expired on January 31, 2025. If you had accumulated cashback in your Honey account before the shutdown, you needed to cash it out or transfer it before the service ended.

Key Takeaways

  • Honey stopped working entirely on December 3, 2024, after PayPal shut down the service.
  • Any cashback balance you had in Honey needed to be withdrawn before the shutdown date — unspent balances are now gone.
  • PayPal offered a one-time $5 credit to former Honey users, but that credit expired on January 31, 2025.
  • Other browser extensions like Capital One Shopping, Rakuten, and Ibotta offer similar cashback and coupon features.

Why PayPal shut down Honey

PayPal did not publicly explain the specific reason for the shutdown, but the decision likely reflected the company's strategy to consolidate services. Honey operated as a separate product even after PayPal's acquisition, with its own team and brand. Shutting it down allowed PayPal to redirect resources and reduce operational costs by merging cashback and coupon features into PayPal's main platform or other products.

The extension had also faced increasing competition from other cashback tools and from retailers offering their own loyalty programs. PayPal may have determined that maintaining Honey as a standalone service was no longer worth the investment, especially when the company could offer similar features through its existing user base.

What to do if you still have Honey installed

Remove the extension from your browser. Since Honey no longer works, keeping it installed serves no purpose and may slow your browser slightly. In Chrome, click the puzzle-piece icon in the top right, find Honey in the list, click the three dots next to it, and select "Remove from Chrome." In Firefox, go to about:addons, find Honey, and click "Remove." In Safari, go to Safari menu > Settings > Extensions, select Honey, and click "Uninstall."

If you had money sitting in your Honey account when the service shut down, that balance is lost. PayPal did not automatically transfer unused cashback to PayPal accounts — you had to manually withdraw it before December 3, 2024. Check your email for any confirmation of a withdrawal you may have made before the important date.

Cashback extensions that still work

Capital One Shopping works similarly to Honey and is free to use. It searches for coupon codes at checkout and tracks cashback offers from partner retailers. You do not need a Capital One credit card to use it. The extension is available for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

Rakuten is one of the oldest cashback platforms and offers both a website and browser extension. You earn a percentage back on purchases at thousands of retailers, and Rakuten pays out cashback quarterly or when you reach a minimum balance. The extension is free, though Rakuten makes money by taking a cut of the cashback merchants offer.

Ibotta focuses on grocery and drugstore purchases. You scan receipts or link your loyalty cards to earn cashback. While Ibotta is primarily a mobile app, it also offers a browser extension for online shopping at some retailers. Cashback typically appears within a few days of purchase.

Fetch Rewards is another receipt-scanning app that works for groceries and drugstores. It does not have a browser extension for online shopping, but if you buy groceries or household items in stores, you can photograph your receipt to earn points that convert to gift cards.

How to choose a replacement extension

The best replacement depends on where you shop most often. If you buy from a wide range of online retailers, Capital One Shopping or Rakuten cover the most stores. If you primarily shop groceries and drugstores, Ibotta or Fetch Rewards will earn you more cashback because they specialize in those categories. Some people use multiple extensions at once — for example, Rakuten for general online shopping and Ibotta for groceries.

Check whether the extension requires you to create an account before installing it. Most do, and you will need to log in each time you want to view your balance or cash out. Some extensions also require you to opt into tracking or data sharing, so read the privacy policy if that concerns you. Finally, verify that the extension supports your browser — not all cashback tools work on Safari or Edge.

How to transfer your shopping habits to a new tool

Start by installing the new extension and creating an account. Most cashback tools ask for your email and a password, and some offer sign-up bonuses of $5 to $10 in free cashback. Make a note of which retailers you shop at most often, then check the new extension's website to see if those stores are included and what cashback rate they offer.

Use the new extension on your next few purchases to make sure it works smoothly. Some extensions take a few seconds to load at checkout, and some require you to click a button to set up the cashback offer. If the extension does not find a coupon code or explore cashback when you expect it to, check the retailer's page on the extension's website — not all stores participate, and some have restrictions on which products may have access to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get my Honey cashback back if I missed the important date?

No. PayPal did not extend the important date or offer a way to recover unspent cashback after December 3, 2024. If you had a balance in Honey and did not withdraw it before the shutdown, that money is gone. Going forward, withdraw cashback from any extension regularly rather than letting it accumulate.

Will PayPal bring back a Honey-like feature?

PayPal has not announced plans to relaunch Honey or integrate its features into the main PayPal app. The company may eventually offer cashback or coupon features through PayPal itself, but there is no timeline for that. For now, you will need to use a third-party extension if you want cashback on online purchases.

Do these other extensions work as well as Honey did?

Capital One Shopping and Rakuten are comparable to Honey in terms of coverage and ease of use. Both find coupon codes and track cashback offers. The main difference is that Honey had a larger retailer network in some categories, so you may find fewer offers with a replacement extension at certain stores. However, the core functionality is similar.

Is it safe to use these cashback extensions?

Established extensions like Capital One Shopping, Rakuten, and Ibotta are safe to use. They are owned by legitimate financial companies and have millions of users. However, any extension you install can see your browsing activity, so read the privacy policy to understand what data the company collects. Avoid unknown or newly created extensions claiming to offer cashback.

Can I use multiple cashback extensions at the same time?

Yes, but it is not always helpful. If two extensions try to explore a coupon code at the same time, they may conflict. A better approach is to use one extension for general online shopping and another for specific categories — for example, Rakuten for most retailers and Ibotta for groceries. This avoids conflicts and lets you earn the highest cashback rate at each store.