Even though Shopkick has been around for many years now, there are still a lot of folks wondering, just what is the Shopkick app? And for all of us bargain hunters who like to save money on everyday stuff, it’s a great question.
In this smartphone era, budget-saving techniques are alive and well. I love apps like Shopkick that pay me cash for doing things I have to do anyway. What’s more, Shopkick makes saving money so much more convenient than in the old days of clipping coupons.
I confess I was never very good at the coupon thing. Especially the part where you had to remember to bring them with you after you clipped them. Oops! But I always have my phone with me, which is a big part of why saving with ShopKick is so easy and painless.
I published my first Shopkick app review shortly after joining the program back in 2017. This isn’t my first update. But after using the app to save money on a recent shopping excursion, I realized additional updates were overdue.
Shopkick has evolved during my years of membership and has even more to offer today which has made it an enduring favorite. Yes, I use other rebate programs also like Checkout 51 and Ibotta. Moreover, I save money with them all.
But, Shopkick is a keeper for me because it has the potential to make shopping and running errands (Uhgg!) fun again! Or at least more bearable. 🙂
So, let’s explore the ins and outs of this program and why I find “shopkicking” fun, shall we?
What is the Shopkick App and How Does Shopkick Work?
Shopkick is a U.S. based company that has a mission to reinvent the shopping experience. The app launched in August 2010 (according to Wikipedia). Trax, which is a global leader in “computer vision solutions” for retail organizations, acquired Shopkick in 2019. Members must be US residents who are 14 or older.
The Shopkick platform has a website, but the application can only be downloaded and used on mobile devices like smartphones or tablets. The program is available for both IOS and Android devices. With millions of users, Shopkick has a current rating in the App Store of 4.6 and a Google Play rating of 4.3.
When you realize they’ve paid rewards in excess of $85 million, you begin to understand Shopkick’s high ratings. Today’s digitally-savvy consumers want to save money with something that’s more engaging and personalized. The Sunday circular just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Here’s a quote from Shopkick CEO Bill Demas that may spark some interest in their approach.
“In the commerce world, we were ‘Pokémon Go’ before ‘Pokémon Go’ existed.”
Hmmm! The ‘Pokémon Go’ of shopping apps does sound a bit more interesting than coupon clipping, right?
It seems I’m not alone in that reaction. Millions of people already use Shopkick to
- discover new products;
- plan their shopping trips, and
- rack up rewards at more than 250,000 retail locations.
You can immediately personalize Shopkick by enabling Bluetooth after you download the free app. You’ll then see a list of stores within a few miles of your home that currently have offers for redemption. It’s all very location specific.
Consumers earn rewards, or virtual currency, called “kicks” that they then exchange for gift cards or cash. The conversion rate is 250 kicks to $1. Several retailers including popular ones like Walmart and Target allow you to exchange as few as 500 kicks for a $2 gift card. So, the payout threshold is low.
Personally, I prefer to build my points over time and then use them all for a special occasion or indulgence. But that’s just me! The program is very flexible and you can cash out quickly if you prefer.
Click Here to Create a Free Shopkick Account
How Do I Earn Kicks?
The idea behind Shopkick’s is to educate people about products and to engage shoppers throughout the entire purchase process from start to finish.
So, there are a bunch of ways to earn kicks including these:
- Simply walk into select stores (sometimes just getting close to the store is enough :)).
- Scan the barcodes on specified groceries, cleaning supplies, or beauty products as you shop.
- Buy particular products in the store and then later upload your receipt within the app.
- Make purchases at some retail outlets with a linked credit card.
- Earn kicks at the register for every dollar spent at some establishments (e.g. earn 2 kicks per dollar at Best Buy) by asking the cashier to scan a code on your phone before hitting the total button.
- Watch product videos as you’re planning your shopping trip ( they play for seconds).
- Shop online from the comfort of home.
- Invite your friends to join and earn referrals.
You’ll want to have the Shopkick program open on your phone before you enter any stores to take full advantage. Check out the video below for an overview;
My Personal Experience Using Shopkick
The image below is an example of my Shopkicks homepage following my last shopping trip using the app.
As shown at the top of the screen image above, 469 kicks are currently sitting in my account. Another 260 points are pending because I made a purchase at Marshall’s using a linked card that earned kicks, but the points won’t be available for 30 days.
Earning kicks feels like a good deal given that I need to pick up groceries and shop for other routine household items with or without Shopkick in the act. I’m being paid to shop and I use the rewards for extra treats.
Notice the three buttons at the bottom of the screen labeled Nearby, Online, and Discover. Each performs a useful function within the app. The Nearby tab is currently selected and what’s visible are the first few entries in a lengthy list of participating retailers in my area.
Nearby Tab
Icons next to the name of the store indicate the number of kicks available for walking in, scanning product barcodes, and buying promoted items. Not all stores offer all forms of kick rebates. Different companies also seem to refresh their offers at different rates.
Let me explain that a bit further based on the three stores listed above. I’ll also fill you in on some interesting anomalies I’ve observed that have me chuckling as I complete my errands.
Yesterday, I went to both Safeway and Marshalls. Safeway offered points for scanning and purchases but not for entering the store. Marshalls offers 75 walk-in points and1 kick for each dollar spent on purchases with a linked card.
But, as it happens, Marshalls is located in a very large Shopping Center that has multiple participating retailers including Best Buy, Target, and Carter’s among others. I mention this because I was able to get “walk-in” kicks from Target (10) just by pulling into the parking lot.
As I walked along the sidewalk, I was awarded points by Best Buy (50) and Carter’s (100). I never went inside. Viewing the app today, I can see that Best Buy is not extending the walk-in offer again today. But Target, Carter’s, and Marshalls would pay me to come back.
Once inside a store, you can quickly see a list of items eligible for scanning or rebates. There’s almost a scavenger hunt element to the scanning that I find amusing. The actual scanning of the barcode takes seconds and kicks are immediately awarded.
When you purchase items on the rebate list, I’ve found that taking the photo of the receipt within the app works flawlessly. Typically, it takes about 48 hours for the receipt to be processed and the kicks to post to your account.
Online Tab
Click the Online tab to view a list of more than 60 online merchants that partner with Shopkick’s. Kohl’s, PetSmart, Overstock, Groupon, and Home Depot are just a few of the participating retail operations.
You must access the websites of online retailers by using the Shopkick app. You can then shop as you normally would from the convenience of your sofa and earn a specified number of kicks for each dollar of purchases. For example, Groupon is currently offering 8 kicks per dollar spent,
The addition of online shopping is one factor that drove me to update my Shopkick app review. Kicks were only available in-store when I first joined back in 2017. The ability to use the app both online and in-store makes the Shopkick app super versatile.
Discover Tab
With the Discover button, you can peruse adds for promotional items and in some cases watch videos. Not all of the videos result in kicks awards, but some will pay 1 to 10 kicks just for viewing.
You may spot something you’d like to add to your list and try, or not 🙂 Either way, the videos only run for seconds.
Invite Friends
Shopkick offers a referral program that lets you earn kicks for inviting family and friends to join using your referral code. You can access your unique code by clicking on your profile icon and then sharing using email or social media.
If someone accepts your invitation to join Shopkicks and earns walk-in or scan kicks in the first 7 days, you each receive an award of 250 kicks. This is obviously not a big money-maker, but it can get you a little closer to your next treat.
How Do You Redeem Your Kicks?
Redeeming kicks is a simple process that literally takes seconds. Just click on your accumulated points total at the top of the Shopkick app screen and you’ll instantly be transported to “Kicks Center” where you can choose from 47 gift card options (as of the date of this post) or PayPal.
I invariably choose the Amazon gift card option. Identify the denomination of the gift card and a digital card is immediately available in your account. The minimum Amazon gift card denomination is $5 or 1,000 kicks. Minimums vary depending on the retailer you choose. Use the card by entering the unique card number at checkout.
But knowing that many readers prefer cold cash, I decided to try out the PayPal option. You should be aware that there is a small redemption fee of 50 kicks (the equivalent of 20 cents) if you choose PayPal. So a $5 PayPal transfer cost me 1,300 kicks.
My cash reward was instantly available in my PayPal account. Note that Shopkick made a change to their PayPal redemption threshold policy after I received the reward above. You now need 2,550 kicks to receive $10 via PayPal
My Final Verdict
So, does Shopkick work, and Is Shopkick legit? Absolutely! The Shopkick app is fun and engaging with various ways to earn reward points. You’re not going to get rich with the program, but if you’re a thrifty type, you definitely can save a bit on groceries and routine household items that you have to purchase anyway.
For me, it’s definitely worth the minimal time investment. And, Shopkick offers rewards that appeal to virtually everyone. I love the gift card choices but they also offer cash through Paypal. And, don’t forget to multiply your savings by uploading the same receipts to other grocery scanning apps like Fetch Rewards, CoinOut, and ReceiptHog.
I would be hard-pressed to find a downside to using Shopkick!
Summing Up
I sincerely hope you found this post on What is the Shopkick App to be helpful and informative. If you’d like to create a free account and begin earning your kicks, you can click the link below.
Click Here to Create a Free Shopkick Account
Again, the potential money to be made from this shopping app is nice but pretty small. Would you be interested in learning how to make more? If you’d like to discover a way to make money online that has far more potential to supplement or even replace your income, you might be interested in building a website and becoming an affiliate marketer.
That’s the route I chose to take, and I accomplished it by joining an online platform called Wealthy Affiliate. If this sounds appealing, you can check it out for free by clicking the banner at the bottom of the page.
Over to You
Do you have any experiences with Shopkick that you’d like to share with us? If so, or if you still have questions about how Shopkick works, please give me a shout in the comment section below.
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I love shopkicks. I let my kids use my phone for the app to go look for the products for their barcodes. They found it fun while I found it money saving and a good way to distract the kids. I wouldn’t let children under 10 years old to use it or any child who could easily get lost. I love that you can redeem your kicks for amazon or paypal because I use them all the time. Thanks for posting this app review!
Hi Shelly,
I’m glad to hear your experiences with Shopkick have been positive also. Yes, I can see where older kids would enjoy the search for products and the scanning of barcodes. There’s a treasure hunt element to it that’s fun.
Happy Shopkicking and thanks for dropping by!
This seems like a fun shopping app. Not only is it fun, but one can earn points that can be exchanged for gift credit. Even though I’ve never heard of such an App, I’d like to download it and check it out. I shop regularly at Wal-Mart because it’s literally two minutes away from where I live, so it’d be great to earn some kicks. Thanks for the review.
Hi Todd,
If you regularly shop at Walmart, you should definitely download the Shopkick app. Walmart offers thousands of kicks and always has kicks available for walking in, scanning, and purchasing. Honestly, I think Shopkick is a no-brainer because I don’t like to pay full price if I can avoid it.
Shopkick is completely free to download and to use so you have nothing to lose. If for some reason you don’t like it, you can always delete it.
Thanks for jumping in with your comments!
Hi Linda,
Thank you for bringing this app to my attention. I still do things the old fashioned way and read the circulars. I guess it’s about time i get some apps into my phone and get with it. When I heard you were getting kicks, just by walking outside the store, I had to try this one out for sure. Do the offers increase around the holidays when everyone is shopping? I know malls are always popping up everywhere, and changing stores as well, so I should be able to find one with several participating store all in one spot. I am going back to your site and sign up for that shopkick app and get my kicks too!
Chas
Hi Chas,
Yes, my friends and I often joke about what we call “drive-by” Kicks. It’s often only necessary to pull into the parking lot or stroll past the front door. I’m sure retailers would very much prefer that you have to enter the store so they could capture your attention, but that’s not always the case.
Of course, once you’re inside the store there are many additional options for earning kicks including scanning barcodes and making purchases. It’s a great app for saving on routine household purchases and I know you’ll enjoy it.
From the vendor’s perspective, Shopkick is about driving traffic to stores. So, the offers definitely do increase around both major holidays and even lesser holidays like Presidents day. I also tend to see more kicks available on the weekends when more shoppers are likely to have the time to get out.
I hope you enjoy the app (and the savings) as much as I do, Thanks for commenting!
Hi Linda,
So I read through your Shopkick app review and it is a very interesting read. I think it was definitely worth a revisit after they introduced the online redemption feature. I could probably see the benefit of this app for families who may have larger monthly outlays to large department stores. I guess my question is, do you feel it is worth it for what appears to be a low rate of return for a single person? If you are an online shopper (like me, I hate going to stores) is there any way an online shopper can use the application to gain benefits? Also, I was confused, are the walk-in points different to the kicks?
I hope this comment is of some use to you. I liked your site.
Ken
Hi Ken,
There are currently about 50 stores where you can earn kicks online. If you ever shop online at Walmart, Amazon, Lowe’s, Home Depot or a host of other sites, there are benefits to using the Shopkick app. I also dislike shopping in local department stores and tend to avoid them when I can. But Shopkick is useful for a wide range of purchases. Most of us do still go to the grocery store regularly for food, beverages, and cleaning supplies. You can save on all of these routine purchases.
Shopkick has dubbed their reward points “kicks.” You earn kicks in a bunch of different ways including walking into some stores, scanning specified product barcodes, and making purchases.
There are so many ways that you can earn kicks that I do think it’s worthwhile even for a single person to use the app. You’re not going to make life-changing income but is there anything wrong with earning enough for a couple extra Starbuck’s lattes a month? I don’t think so 🙂
Now, if you’re interested in life-changing income, I recommend you check out Wealthy Affiliate which is the platform where I learned to create this amazing blog you’re reading. It costs nothing to explore the platform and try your hand at building a website.
I hope this helps and thanks for reading.
This seems like a fun shopping app. Not only is it fun, but one can earn points that can be exchanged for gift credit. Even though I’ve never heard of such an App, I’d like to download it and check it out. I shop regularly at local stores because it’s close to where I live, so it’d be great to earn some kicks. Thanks for the review. Is the app available on play store?
Yes, Shopkick is available for download on Play Store and has a positive 4.3 rating. Shopkick has partnered with more than 250 retailers, so I’m sure you’ll have many local options where you can earn kicks. It is fun to use and it’s even more fun to redeem kicks and splurge on little extra treats.
I hope you enjoy Shopkick as much as I do and thanks for reading my Shopkick app review!
I am all for saving money and have used several different rebate apps over the years. I never heard of Shopkick though till now. I have already downloaded it after I read your article. Can’t wait to see how many kicks I get. I particularly liked the fact that you can cash out by Paypal. Gift cards are good but I don’t redeem the gift cards as often. Thanks, Cav
Hi Cav,
I’m pleased I was able to introduce you to a new app. I think you’ll find that the kicks add up pretty quickly. I also really like the flexibility of cash or gift cards. Everyone can choose the reward that works best for them. I hope Shopkick works out well for you and you realize some nice earnings.
Thanks for stopping by!
You really go into all the detail of the Shopkick App and that’s good. I do not personally use it since it is not available where I live, but I use a few other apps or loyalty membership cards. It really is a no brainer, you just get paid to shop, but you would still have shopped, so why not take the advantage. I prefer to let the ponts accumulate that way I appreciate them more. But.whatever your choice, it is always a gain, especially when you have more point collections running simultaneously for different goods or services!
Hi Maricat,
I couldn’t agree with you more. It just makes sense to save money on purchases we have to make anyway. Apps like Shopkick are so easy to use. Shopkick is particularly nice because you don’t necessarily have to buy anything to rack up some points. Points for walking into participating stores, scanning barcodes, and watching short videos all add up.
It’s unfortunate that you can’t take advantage of Shopkick where you live. But I’m happy to hear that you’ve other shopping apps to use.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Linda, nice to meet you. The Shopkick app looks interesting and I might try it. But what I really like is the idea of an online business. I just started building my website and I have a lot of questions.
I really like your website and everything in it. if I could I would like to steal it from you. How did you come up with all that? What theme have you used to get your site to look like this? My theme is Ceylon I found it really boring when I chose it but I didn’t know which one is the best, or what that they do. What’s your theme? how did you come up with that list like quick navigation? My niche is accessories. Do you have any tips to help me succeed in that niche or to help my site come alive like yours?
Hey Linda, are you much happier now you’re working at home than when you were a corporate employee?
Hi Marie,
It sounds like you’re really new to making money online and just getting started. Everyone has to start someplace. So, I commend you for diving in.
Yes, I love working from home and continuously expanding my website. The theme I use is called Hit Mag and I love the fact that it’s a very flexible theme that gives me a lot of design leeway. But the best part is that Hit Mag is also a very clean theme that is fast loading.
As for your niche, accessories seems like an excessively broad topic to me. Have you done your research to determine who your ideal customer is and what types of information they are seeking?
Every successful Internet marketing business must focus on problem-solving and providing solution-driven content.
I encourage you to consider joining Wealthy Affiliate to get some exceptional training that will position you for success in any niche you choose. Their starter membership is completely risk-free. Don’t worry, no one will ask you for a credit card.
We all need guidance as we begin any new task. Please contact me if you decide to join WA and I will be happy to help in any way that I can.
Good luck and thanks for the kind words about my site!