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Shopkick App Review: Earn Cash Walking Into Stores

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Shopkick is a rewards app that I have mentioned so many times, such as in my 45+ apps to earn free gift cards and free money on PayPal posts.  In short, you can earn gift cards while out and about, and in some cases, you don’t even need to anything.  It can be as simple as walking into a store.

While you won’t get rich using the app, you can earn a few dollars a day as long as you’re leaving the house.  If you’re okay with this, then you may want to strap in and read this review.

As in all of my reviews, I’m always honest, promoting what I feel has value.  No matter what my relationship may be, I will never mislead you in any way.

In today’s review, I will talk about the company, how the app works as well as how you can take full advantage of it.

Let’s begin!

Who Runs Shopkick?

Shopkick is operated by Trax, which is said to be the world’s leading provider of computer vision and analytics solutions for retail.  The company acquired the app in 2019 in hopes of digitizing the physical retail world.  As a winner of multiple rewards, including being selected as a Red Herring Top 100 Global, there’s no doubt the company backing this app is 100% legit, so there’s no worry there.



Is Shopkick legit?

This is a question that’s always asked, and it’s for good reason.  In short, yes, it’s 100% legit.  It’s backed by a very reputable company and has more than 10,000,000 downloads.  Plus, it has been mentioned in many prominent media outlets.

I know my word may not mean much, but you can check the reviews on the official app store and see that thousands of people say nice things about it.

How Does It Work?

As you use the app, you can earn what’s known as “kicks,” which is the app’s in-house currency, in which you can cash out for a variety of gift card rewards.  The company will reward you to take pictures of your receipts, scan items inside of a store or even walk into a store to check in, to name a few.  As you’re about to find out, there are so many ways to earn.

99% of the time, you will need to be out and about as the app mainly works inside local retailer outlets.  While there are some online opportunities, most revolve around getting cash back, so you won’t come out ahead.

Signing Up

The app is 100% free to download and can be done either via the Google Play or iTunes store.  If you do sign up, be sure to use the code NICE645299 for a special sign-up bonus.

To sign up, you will need to provide an email address to get started.

Earning Kicks

As mentioned, you can earn kicks in a few ways, all of which I will mention below.  But, first, let’s talk about how you can find them when you open the app.

To find these kicks, you will open your app and scroll to the bottom and click on the “nearby” link.

In doing this, it will showcase a retailer as well as what’s available near your current location.  Remember, most kicks are earned in person.

So, for example, Walgreens, at the time, had 240 kicks available in the scan section and another 5450 kicks available in the receipt section.

If we were to click on the “Scan” section, you will see a list of something like this, all broken down into categories.

The first example, being the Rachel Ray magazine, I could earn 20 kicks if I just took a picture of the barcode while in store, but I could earn 550 kicks if I purchased it and then uploaded my receipt.

To claim, you will just click on an offer and then choose your option.

It’s as easy as clicking on which option you want to do and then taking a picture.

The Types of Kicks

As mentioned, there are a variety of kicks available, and the type will depend on the store and time of the year.  Right now, as I write this, there are four options, including the following:

Walk into stores

In this case, all you need to do is walk into the store and you will earn a certain number of kicks.  There is no purchase required.

Scan barcodes of select products

Like the Walgreen’s example above, you will need to find select products inside of a store and scan the barcode using the app. Again, no purchase is required.  Consider it more like a scavenger hunt.

Purchase and submit a receipt

This is just like scanning the barcode, only that the app asks you to purchase the item and then upload a receipt.  These tend to be your higher-valued tasks.

Purchase with a linked card

Link your credit/debit card and every time you spend money with a participating retailer, you can earn a set number of kicks per dollar spent.  You can link your card through the account section via the “linked cards” link.  You can link one card at the moment.

Make online purchases

This was the online section I was talking about.  Much like purchasing with a linked card, you can earn kicks for every dollar you spend at participating retailers.  You just need to click on the special link inside your app to earn.

Watch videos

And, lastly, you can earn kicks and discover new products when you watch the in-app videos.  I don’t see these offers all that often, but they do pop up on occasions.  Keep in mind they are lower in pay, about one kick per view.  It’s not much.

Referring friends

I also wanted to note that you can refer friends as well, which can earn you can earn you kicks as well.  This value changes, so be sure to check out the app when you download it.

The Rewards

When it comes to cash out, you can choose from a variety of gift card options as well as PayPal.  At the moment, they had 47 gift card options, including Amazon, Target, Best Buy and Starbucks to name a few.

If you want PayPal, you will need at least $10 in kicks, which equates to 2,550 kicks, but if you want a gift card, redemptions start at 500 kicks, which is $2 in value. 500 kicks, in many cases, won’t take you long to earn.

How much are kicks worth?

How much your kicks are worth depends on the reward option you choose.

For example, if you wanted the $10 PayPal option, that would be 2,550 kicks, which means your kicks would be worth $0.0039 each.  However, if you only wanted a $2 Walmart gift card valued at 500 kicks, then your kicks would be worth $0.004 each.

In the end, each kick is worth about $0.004 each, but it can be a pinch more or less.  Again, it depends on which option you choose.  Generally, the higher valued gift cards are worth more.

How long does it take to get paid?

Depending on the reward, some are available in the app while others are emailed.  In many cases, the rewards are sent instantly, but in some cases, it could take a few hours.  Almost 99% of the time, you will receive your payment in less than 24 hours.



The Pros and Cons

As in all of my reviews, I love to see what people online are saying.  To make it easy, I broke down what I found in simple pros and cons categories.

The Pros

  • the app is fun
  • you can earn gift cards without spending a penny
  • lots of stores participating
  • the reviews are mainly positive with 4.3/5 average rating

The Cons

  • some jobs can be time consuming
  • you may not have a lot of locations in your area (it’s geographical dependent)
  • it’s a mobile only app
  • most kicks are earned while on the go

Final Thoughts

10/10Shopkick is an awesome app.  In fact, it’s one of my favorites.

Keep in mind that with most of these apps, you won’t make a killing, but I don’t see why you can’t make $10+ a week, especially if you upload your receipts and add a linked card.  As long as you have that mindset, it makes using the app that much easier.

For now, download the app and make it a habit to check it out when you’re shopping since there’s a good chance you can earn kicks inside the store you’re visiting.  If not, something will be near by.  It’s fun, it’s different and it’s refreshing to break away from your traditional survey apps.

That concludes the Shopkick review for now.  As always, if you have a comment on the app, whether it be good or bad, you’re more than welcome to comment below.  Thanks for visiting!

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Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

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