Earn Gift Cards with Shopkick + FREE $5 Gift Card!!
If you’re looking for honest Shopkick reviews, this is your go-to post on all things Shopkick! And be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for a RARE Shopkick promo code to get a FREE $5 gift card of your choice!
{Looking for other ways to earn gift cards? Check out our list of The Best Legitimate Paid Online Surveys!}
My Honest Shopkick Review
If you’ve been really curious about Shopkick but you’re not sure how to get started, this post is for you!
The Shopkick app can be a little bit overwhelming to navigate when you first get started, so in this post I want to walk you step-by-step through everything you need to know to get started!
What is Shopkick?
Shopkick is an app that you can download to your mobile device and use to earn gift cards.
And the best part of Shopkick? You don’t even have to buy anything to earn gift cards!!
All you have to do is walk into stores and scan products (if you want to) — and it can be done when you’re already out and about running errands and doing your shopping. Or if you’d prefer not to have to be out & about right now, you can earn online or in their Discover tab (more on that below!).
Is Shopkick Legitimate?
Yes, Shopkick is 100% legitimate. I’ve been using Shopkick for a couple of years now and love it!
And many readers have commented in the past with positive Shopkick reviews, too:
“Shopkick is great! I’ve gotten lots of $50 Walmart gift cards which I then use for Ibotta! I’ve made over $300!” – Suki
“I LOVE Shopkick! I like saving points for Target gift cards, then use them towards diapers/wipes in conjunction with their baby sales.” -Heather
“I really like the ShopKick app. I trade in my points for Starbucks cards.” -Victoria
“I have earned close to $500 in gift cards and cash. You can earn kicks and get a PayPal gift card which you can transfer to your bank account if you need cash.” – Ramona
“I have been using Shopkick for two years. I wish I had known about it sooner!! Myself, my husband, my son, and daughter all kick. In the two years, we have gotten $2071 worth of gift cards between the four of us, so it DOES WORK and it DOES PAY to do it! It’s FREE MONEY people!!!!!!! We live in a town of 25,000 people. I get kicks every day. The rest of my family maybe goes once or twice a week. We do buy things from time to time to earn the extra kicks, but mostly, the kicks are from walk ins and just scans!” -Gina
See more reviews here and here.
If you’re looking for a legitimate way to earn some extra gift cards without much extra effort, Shopkick is a really great app to try.
How Does Shopkick Work?
To get started with Shopkick, you simply download the app, turn on Bluetooth, and look under one of the three tabs at the bottom of the screen (pictured above) to see what kind of kicks are available for you:
- Choose the Nearby tab to earn kicks by walking into stores and scanning products (including grocery & drug stores!).
- Use the Online tab to earn kicks by shopping online (similar to cash back sites).
- Explore the Discover tab to perform actions in the app that earn you kicks.
{Psst! Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and use the Shopkick promo code to get a bonus $5 gift card when you first sign up!}
My Favorite Way to Earn
My favorite way to earn is by earning walk-ins and scanning products, simply because it’s SO easy to do — especially if you’re already out and about doing your regular weekly grocery shopping! Plus, you don’t have to link your debit card and no purchase is necessary!
{Hint: Sometimes you don’t even have to walk all the way in. You can just walk by the store and you’ll earn your walk-in kicks!}
So that you don’t waste a lot of extra time, I recommend that you only Shopkick at stores that you’re already planning on shopping at or that you’re nearby when you have a few extra minutes to spare.
New Ways to Earn!
Since I first started Shopkicking, they have added several new ways to earn that are perfect if you don’t feel comfortable being out in public right now.
Shop online and get kicks for your purchases — sort of like cash back!
Or check out their Discover tab to read articles, watch videos, or explore offers. You’ll earn kicks just for performing actions in the app right from the comfort of your own home! It’s really simple!
How Do I Redeem Kicks on Shopkick for Gift Cards?
It’s super easy to redeem your kicks for rewards in the Shopkick app. Just select which reward you want to try to earn kicks towards, and the app will let you know when it’s time to cash in! It’s SO simple.
And there are some great rewards to choose from, including Amazon, Starbucks, TJMaxx, Target, Walmart, Old Navy, Best Buy, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Barnes & Noble, and more!
When you’ve earned enough kicks to redeem for a reward, here’s what to do:
- Go to the “kicks center” in your app by clicking on your number of kicks at the top center of your screen.
- Click on the image of the gift card you’ve chosen as your reward.
- Click on “redeem kicks” at the bottom of the screen.
- (Or you can choose to “change goal” if you’d like to keep earning towards a higher valued gift card.)
You can find all of your rewards under the “my rewards” tab in the kicks center! When you’re ready to use one, just have the cashier scan the barcode of the gift card right from your Shopkick app!
How Much Can You Realistically Earn With Shopkick?
Here’s the cool thing! By simply walking into stores and scanning products, you can easily earn at least one $5 gift card per week! And that’s not even counting all the new ways they now have to earn!
Shopkick is one of the quickest and easiest ways to earn gift cards of just about any app I’ve tried.
And you could choose to spend your smaller gift cards on splurges as you receive them OR save them up throughout the year to stretch your Christmas budget! (If you earn $5 per week, you’ll have almost $250 to use for Christmas gifts when December rolls around!)
And honestly? You can definitely earn more than that, but I like to keep it simple and not waste extra time. I only use Shopkick when I’m already out and about, shopping in a particular store, or have some extra time to kill. I never go out of my way to get kicks!
{And I’ve heard SO many Shopkick reviews from readers who report these similar earnings!}
Pro Tip: Walk-ins and scans are the most prevalent and highest in value on the weekends. And you can even get higher value bonus kicks on holiday weekends!
Shopkick Promo Code: FREE $5 Gift Card
Interested in signing up for Shopkick after reading this review? Great news! You can currently get a FREE $5 gift card when you sign up! Here’s how:
- Go here to sign up.
- Download the app.
- During sign-up, use Shopkick promo code MONEYSAVINGMOM.
- Earn at least 50 kicks within 7 days — by walking in to a store, scanning products, shopping online, or using the Discover tab in the app.
- You’ll automatically be credited a bonus 1250 kicks — which is enough to redeem for any $5 gift card!
That’s it!! And you can choose from lots of different $5 gift cards, including Walmart, Target, Amazon, Starbucks, iTunes, and TONS more!
Sign up here with Shopkick to get started.
What’s your experience with Shopkick? Leave your Shopkick reviews in the comments! I’d love to hear!
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110 Comments
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Ramona N says:
I have earned close to $500 in gift cards and cash. You can earn kicks and get a paypal gift card which you can transfer to your bank account if you need cash.
They will have big kicks for walkins on a weekend or some days during the week. Watch for them. Try to get them that day or the offer may go away the next day.
Also, you can refer friends and you both get kicks. Make sure they enter the code on the app.
I love shopkick! -
One more thing…press the Discover tab on the app and you can earn kicks for watching videos and looking at the store ads. Look for ‘tap the blue surprise’ in the ad and you can get a kick.
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Megan Stitt says:
I have always wondered about this app but I think it would use up a lot of data or battery on your phone. Is that true?
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Meg says:
I haven’t found that to be the case. You do have to keep Bluetooth running on your phone while using the app, but you can totally turn it on and off if you don’t want to keep Bluetooth on in the background while not using the app! (But I keep mine on and don’t really have any issues.) Hope that helps! 🙂 -Meg, MSM Team
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Tanya Drewes says:
I don’t feel that it uses a lot of data. Besides just log into the stores WiFi if you are concerned about that.
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Barbara says:
I love Shopkick! You can get kicks for buying particular products, but I never do that. I just get the walk-ins, scans and video points. I have earned hundreds of dollars of gift cards since I’ve been doing it, and I get some exercise while I’m walking around scanning!
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Same here! I never do the kick bates, but I’ve earned hundreds just from walking in and scanning! It’s the best!! -Meg, MSM Team
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lizajane says:
I won’t say I never do the kicks for buying specific products, but rarely. I love it as well. It’s quick and easy to scan especially in the health & beauty aisles since I can knock those out quickly.
It takes me quite awhile to get enough to cash out but that’s because I try to wait until I can get $50 gift cards. It’s a great feeling to knock $50 off my grocery bill, all for just scanning items here and there!
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Becky says:
My daughters and I all have Shopkick on our phones! We collect Kicks when we’re out running errands, particularly the Walk-Ins, which we refer to as “Drive-By’s”! They use theirs to get Starbucks gift cards for when they go out with their friends, and I supplement our Christmas budget with mine.
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You have to earn your scan kicks within 7 days of signing up to get the bonus. Hope that helps! -Meg, MSM Team
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Marie says:
Both my fiend and I signed up via the msm5 code and completed tasks within 7 days. Neither of us have received the 1250 kicks and are only getting excuses from the Shopkicks staff. Count us out!
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Hi, Marie! Can you please e-mail me at meagan@moneysavingmom.com and let me know the e-mail address you signed up with? I’ll get in touch with our contact and make sure you get credit! Thank you!
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Leaj says:
Do you know what they are using the information for? Getting paid to just walk into a store or a scan thing seems too good to be true LOL! They must be getting something out of it.
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I think it’s probably market research on shopping trends. Also, I think it’s an incentive to get you inside the store and hope you buy something! 😉 -Meg, MSM Team
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Laura says:
I like Shopkick and keep it on my phone, but I’m lucky to get 2 gift cards per year. $5 a week wouldn’t be realistic for me, and I’m out often and live in a huge metro area with multiple malls and shopping areas within 5 miles. Most stores only offer around 15 kicks for a walk-in, and they only let you walk in twice a month for that. It takes me about 6 months to accumulate enough for a gift card.
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Cris says:
I agree on $5 per week being unrealistic for me too. I used to save mine for a $25 and a $10 cheesecake factory gift card at a time and could do this 2x/ year max. I’ve been shopkicking for 6 years now and have earned $400 in gift cards so I will keep using it. I do walk-ins and scan items at least 2-3 times a week and never buy the suggested items. When I started using it, the walk-ins to grocery stores were bigger and now are only 10 kicks every 10 days or so. With all that being said, it is still great as extra fun money or to go eat at a place I wouldn’t without a few gift cards to offset the cost. I’ve also traded for shutterfly to cover the shipping cost of free items, macy’s do splurge on a fancy lipstick, hotels.com to help with trip costs and a few others.
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That really surprises me! I live in a big metro area with a huge outdoor mall, and I can earn a $5 gift card in an afternoon without hardly trying! I think it probably just depends on your area and what it’s worth to you. 🙂 -Meg, MSM Team
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Karen says:
I would sign up, but the app wants too many permissions. Why would it need the ability to make calls?
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I don’t think it asks for the ability to make calls. I’m pretty picky on what permissions I allow, and I just allow limited permissions on it “while using app”. Hope that helps! -Meg, MSM Team
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Wow! I didn’t know you could limit permissions. It did ask for ability to make an dmanage phone calls. However, I did just look again and Shopkick says that they use it only to secure the account, that they would never make a call. That sounds okay 🙂
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Sandy says:
I ❤️ Shopkick! I got my phone with a Black Friday deal and paid for it with gift cards from Shopkick. Now I’m saving for a new iPad mini-almost there!
I can usually get at least 300 kicks While getting my other shopping done. It helps that the stores with the most kicks are clustered together. -
Sharyn says:
I signed up a few weeks ago but also didn’t receive the $5 for using the msm code. But I will still keep using ShopKick- every little bit helps!
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Hi, Sharyn! I’m going to e-mail you about this. Be on the lookout in your inbox! -Meg, MSM Team
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Jenny says:
I agree that $5 per week is totally unrealistic unless you ate going out of your way to get kicks. I’ve had the app for over a month, since the last time it was mentioned on MSM. I earned the initial $5 with the promo code, but I not earned any additional gift cards. The 3 grocery stores that I shop at weekly have no or very few kicks. If I go to Walmart or Target, where they have more kicks, my kids get totally annoyed by me walking all over the store trying to find these items to scan.
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Aw, bummer! I’m sorry you don’t find it useful! I really love it, but it probably depends on your area and what it’s worth to you. 🙂 I don’t have kids, so it’s easy for me to spend some time going around and grabbing kicks! I find it fun! -Meg, MSM Team
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I’ve gotten lazy about using it but I have cashed in some gift cards with it. Outlet malls are a great place to rack up some kicks too! Sometimes you can get kicks by just walking by the door.
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Adrione says:
I signed up for Shopkick over the weekend and I love it! I have received my $5 gift card and I’m now working on my second one. I liked it so much that I convinced my son to sign up as well. He received his $5 gift card as well by using the code that you provided but he is not receiving any of the walk-in bonuses for the first 7 days. On my app it shows a countdown clock, but his does not have it. He’s missing out on a lot of bonus points for the walk-ins. Any assistance that you could provide with this would be great.
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Jordan says:
I’m sorry he’s having trouble! The $5 dollar gift card is the deal when signing up with the code. If he’s having trouble with walk-ins I would contact Shopkick. I hope that helps! -Jordan, MSM Team
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Anna carfagno says:
When I pushed redeem for my gift certificate it wouldn’t work. We have left two messages to them. And they are not helping. Right now I a man not happy
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So sorry you’re having issues! I’ve reached out to our Shopkick contact to make sure you get taken care of. 🙂 -Meg, MSM Team
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Hi, Anna! I reached out to Shopkick customer service and they said you redeemed for a $25 Starbucks gift card on July 31st. Are you not able to see that gift card in your kicks center? Just click on your number of kicks at the center top of the screen in the app, then click on “my rewards” and you’ll see your gift cards there that you can use. Hope that helps! -Meg, MSM Team
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Janise says:
I see, seem like a glitch in their system? As far gift cards not been funded. Me too. I redeem an amazon gift card on July 30 today 3 days later I have not received anything, no email, no notification, I even checked my spam emails. Also, I made an online purchase during the Amazon Deal Days and has not been reflected.
I fill out the contact info for both issues and received an auto email like they received my inquiry but that is all.
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After you redeem for your gift card, it automatically shows up in your account. Just click on your number of kicks at the center top of the screen in the app, then click on “my rewards” and you’ll see your gift cards there that you can use. Hope that helps! -Meg, MSM Team
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Hi Meg thanks a lot for your response. Yes, I went through all those steps. I can see under kicks activity that kicks were deducted;; for an Amazon gift card. However, I haven’t’ received the gift card code, I have been checking every day my spam and regular email for any gift code and nothing.
Any idea how long it takes to get your gift code?-
Hi, Janise! When you redeem kicks, the gift card is automatically added to your account. It doesn’t come by email. In the kicks center, just look under the “my rewards” tab and you’ll see it. Hope that helps! -Meg, MSM Team
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Mallory Duborg says:
Does the $5 bonus gift card (Kicks) automatically show up once you scan your first kick? Mine has not shown up.
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Hi, Mallory! Yes — the 1250 kicks should show up after your first scan. If they haven’t, please email me at meagan@moneysavingmom.com so I can get this taken care of for you! Sorry you’re having troubles! -Meg, MSM Team
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K says:
Is this promotion code still valid? It appeared so at first, but the account is showing 0 kicks. When the code was entered, it said 1250 kicks were received, but then showed 0 kicks. Tried entering the code again. Said code had already been entered. Still showing 0 kicks.
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Kelly says:
I just signed up & was wondering this also! If it’s invalid, I wish that I had used someone else’s code.
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The code is still valid. Please email me at meagan@moneysavingmom.com if you have any issues! -Meg, MSM Team
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Received replies from both Meg & Shopkick—and my rewards! Super fast & friendly service from Shopkick: very impressed. Actually, I’m glad to have found both MSM & Shopkick—Aloha & Mahalo from Hawaii!!!
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So glad we could help you out, Kelly! 🙂 Happy Saving and Shopkicking!! -Meg, MSM Team
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Yes, it is definitely still valid. Please email me at meagan@moneysavingmom.com so that I can look into this for you! -Meg, MSM Team
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Yes, it is definitely still valid. Please email me at meagan@moneysavingmom.com so that I can look into this for you! -Meg, MSM Team
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It’s totally up to you! I personally don’t, but I’m really strict with who I give those kinds of information to. I’ve never connected my card and I’m still able to earn a lot without doing the rebates! -Meg, MSM Team
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Jennie says:
I have been using shopkicks for the past year and I did link my card. I would say that I earn about 50% of my kicks with my linked card and via the kicks rebate. There are several stores that will give you kicks no matter what you purchase just by using your linked card. For example TJ max and Marshall’s always offer at least 1 kick per dollar, very often 3 kicks per dollar, and around holidays I’ve seen up to 10 kicks per dollar. And it’s a great way to double dip on the very same app. For example, we’ve been saving kicks for hotel.com gift cards for my daughters volleyball tournaments. Over the past two months my hubby and I earned $75 in hotel.com gift cards. I just made a reservations with hotel.com via the shop kick app and earned 6 kicks per dollar. This earned me over 1400 kicks to go towards another hotel.com card. We typically save up kicks for bigger items…we earned $300 in Disney gift cards for our Disney trip this fall. Like with any of these apps, the more you can maximize all the features the faster you earn rewards.
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Karen says:
I signed up last week and went and did my scans but did not receive the bonus either.
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Mary says:
I tried scanning receipts to get kicks, but it only worked on one. The next one I tried I got the message” the name of the store is not visible”…it was visible! My photo was perfectly clear. Very frustrating.
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I would contact their support to see if they can help. I’m sorry you’re experiencing this issue! -Jordan, MSM Team
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Casey says:
Is the “MONEYSAVINGMOM” promo still valid? Recent comments say they’re not getting the 1250 bonus kicks. Thanks!
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Walk-in kicks seem to be a thing of the past since COVID. I used to really enjoy using this app, but I’ve gotten pretty much nothing in the last 6+ months.
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Really? I still see a ton of walk-in opportunities in my app! But the good thing is that they’ve added other ways to earn, so that’s helpful! -Meg, MSM Team
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I have used Shopkick for a bit and was ready to redeem. However it does not like my phone number, through Republic Wireless. I emailed their help desk and was told: “Your provider offers Google Voice-type numbers in addition to actual cell numbers, and we cannot enable these within our system. Our team went over a few options and could not find a way to make it work. I’m so sorry that you’re not able to join us at this time. I really hope you’ll be able to in the future.”
Now I have to decide what to do, keep earning kicks with the hope to be able to cash out in the future or stop my actions and hope at some point to cash out the $25 in points I do have.
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Wow! This is the first time we have heard this. I am so sorry this has happened to you. I am sorry there isn’t anything more I can do to help! -Jordan, MSM Team
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Carol Pope says:
Hi I used your code and signed up..however when I scan it says this item is not valid…I double checked for size and it was the right item…it would not accept my scan for any item in CVS .
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That’s very strange! Are you sure you had the correct item? Usually that means you don’t have the right item. Maybe try a different store? I’m so sorry you’re having issues! You can try reaching out to their customer service, if you continue having problems! -Meg, MSM Team
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Jennifer says:
Hi, I just had to restart my Shopkicks account after a couple years idle 🙁
So I used the MONEYSAVINGMOM code and it acknowledged it, so it seems to still be valid. Now I’m doing discover things while stuck at home today until I can get my drive-by kicks for driving past overpriced shops like at the mall and stuff.I have a friend who is SHOCKED I haven’t been in an Ulta Beauty shop before and knows my hair and skin issues (health related but still) so she said save up the Fetch Rewards points, Shopkick Points, Receipt Hog points as well as Panel App (this is a slow earn background app but does pay!) and then we ride.
1Q app used to pay 25 cents (US Dollars) for every question they’d ask that you’d answer (if able, some didn’t apply to me). But it went quiet. Anyone else on 1Q, message me by FB (j.leahann.s) and help me out.
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Katti says:
I signed up for Shopkicks just recently as well. I put those code in and did not receive the $5 gift card.
I did get 25 points which in turn gave me the 1250… but I thought you were supposed to get an additional $5 with your code.Does it still work?
Thanks for your help.
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Getting the 1250 is the bonus, because that allows you to cash in for a $5 gift card of your choice. So you got the bonus! Just go in to your rewards center and choose the reward you’d like to trade in the 1250 points for. Hope that helps! -Meg, MSM Team
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Melissa says:
Is it possible to print the gift card reward instead of having them scan your phone? Also, can you use the gift card for online shopping?
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Bonnie says:
I haven’t received my points either. I signed up through stories today. Have earned 92 points but still haven’t gotten the $5 bonus points.
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Yes I did. I emailed about it too. I have 94 points today and still no added bonus points. I even tried adding the code again on my account today and now it’s saying not valid. I used moneysavingmom code as instructed to use in the Instagram stories
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Alex says:
I signed up usimg the link provided on Tuesday and entered the Moneysavingmom code and I’ve earned over 45 points but I didn’t get the extra 1250 points 🙁
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Alissa says:
Hi there! I downloaded shopkick and got 25 points+ in kickbacks and I didn’t get the $5 gift certificate either.
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Brandie Jones says:
I know this code works because I heard a lot about it but it won’t let me scan an item in store or earn points from videos. Do you know why?
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Hi Brandie! That’s very strange! I would definitely contact their customer service about that. So sorry you’re having issues! -Meg, MSM Team
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Faun says:
I received the 1250 points after using the code, but whenever I try to redeem, I keep getting an error. I was wondering if someone could help out.
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Jenny says:
Hi there! I downloaded shopkick and got 25 points+ in kickbacks and I didn’t get the $5 gift certificate either.
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You have to now earn 60 points to get the $5 bonus. We updated the post a week or two ago. Hope that helps! -Meg, MSM Team
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Hey Meg, just wanted to let you know that I have gotten 60 points and when I try to redeem a gift card it says, An error has occurred.
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Hi Jenny! That sounds like a technical glitch within the app. I would contact Shopkick customer service. They should be able to help you! Sorry you’re having issues!! -Meg, MSM Team
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The promo code is still working. Did you follow the step-by-step instructions? -Meg, MSM Team
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Gina Kalous says:
I have been using Shopkick for two years. I wish I had known about it sooner!! Myself, my husband, my son and daughter all kick. In the two years, we have gotten $2071 worth of gift cards between the four of us, so it DOES WORK and it DOES PAY to do it! It’s FREE MONEY people!!!!!!! We live in a town of 25,000 people. I get kicks every day. The rest of my family maybe goes once or twice a week. We do buy things from time to time to earn the extra kicks, but mostly, the kicks are from walk ins and just scans. Hint: you don’t always have to “walk in” to get the walk in kicks. Lots of times you can just drive close enough to the entrance of the store to get the walk in without having to get out of your car!!!
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Thank you so much for this great review! Would you mind if we shared it with our readers as an honest, positive experience? -Meg, MSM Team
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Amy Libenow says:
I love Shopkicks! I have used it for over a year and earned close to $200 in gift cards. One tip I do is open the app every day – regardless of if I am shopping or not. I open the “Discover” tab which has videos ranging from 1-5 points.. the videos are quick and you can get anywhere from 3 to 20 extra points a day – just from the videos! I also check to see if there are other sites offering perks for buying the same items to double my savings.. Like Swagbucks Instore deals, Ibotta, Fetch… etc. Often times you can get the item for free when you combine the deals.
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