Ibotta customers can get a free Thanksgiving meal by shopping at Walmart

Many Americans are struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic, with unemployment at historically high levels. Over a third of Americans are set to spend less money on Thanksgiving as a result, according to a survey by shopping app Ibotta.

In response, Ibotta has teamed up with Walmart and brands like Campbell’s, Butterball, and Coca-Cola to provide at least one million American families with a free Thanksgiving dinner—no questions asked. The app offers users 100% cashback on nine Thanksgiving dinner staples, including Butterball turkey roasts and full birds. The items must be purchased in-store at Walmart or through curbside pick-up or delivery.

The full list of items includes: 

• Campbell’s condensed cream of mushroom soup (10.5-ounce can)
• 2-liter bottle of Coke
• All varieties of Butterball 3-pound turkey roast or $9.98 cashback on all Butterball whole turkeys
• McCormick turkey gravy seasoning packet (0.87-ounce package)
• French’s crispy onions (2.8-ounce package)
• Idahoan instant mashed potatoes (8-ounce package)
• Great Value stuffing (6-ounce package)
• Great Value cranberry sauce (14-ounce can)
• Great Value frozen green beans (12-ounce bag)

Once the items have been purchased, the receipt can be scanned in the Ibotta app for cashback.

Bryan Leach, CEO and founder of Ibotta, told CNBC: “This is just a really tough year for so many people. Americans are struggling with a resurgence of Covid-19 cases and the country has been involved in an “incredibly bitter and divisive election.”

“We can’t give away 50 million of these things. But I view it as kind of a million is the minimum,” Leach added. “I would love it if the thing went completely viral and we were having the problem of needing to spend $30 million on it instead of a third of that, just because I think it would mean that we’re really on to something.”

“After months of uncertainty and financial strain, this giveaway will help ensure that Americans across the country have a good meal to sit down to on Thanksgiving Day, and we’re humbled to be included around the table,” Whitney Arthur of Coca-Cola added.

Ibotta is donating a further 150,000 meals to Feeding America as part of the promotion. “We wanted to do something where we could reach at least a million Americans. That meant looking at a multi-pronged strategy,” Leach said.