These days, many businesses offer some kind of loyalty program. The idea is that, when you buy from the company, you collect points to redeem on further products or services, enabling you to save money.
This is why such a scheme is also often called a ‘rewards program’. So, imagine how many rewards Microsoft could be willing to lavish upon you if you are already entrenched in its ecosystem. Welcome to Microsoft Rewards…
Yes, this is the name of Microsoft’s own loyalty scheme. There’s undoubtedly a big, trusted name behind it, but is Microsoft Rewards legit? How do you earn and redeem the points? Would it all be worth it for you personally? Let’s find out.
What is Microsoft Rewards?
Microsoft Rewards works like other loyalty schemes in that you can purchase products in exchange for points. These, in turn, can be spent like money. Hence, you can get hold of products or services at a discount or even for free.
There is, though, a bit more to it than that. With Microsoft Rewards, you don’t have to just buy products to get points. You can also earn points by completing particular preset tasks within Microsoft apps.
Of course, Microsoft’s Windows has had the desktop operating system market sewn up for a long time. Meanwhile, Microsoft Office is still often deemed the ‘gold standard’ in productivity suite software, despite attractive alternatives from Apple and Google.
However, why would Microsoft throw points (essentially money) at you just for using already popular products? Here are examples of what you can do to earn rewards with Microsoft:
- Make searches with the Bing search engine
- Use the Edge web browser to buy online from select retailers
- Play Xbox games
- Purchase movies and TV shows via the Microsoft Store
- Complete fun daily quizzes
Microsoft Rewards also has a tier system where, as you ascend the levels, you can start earning points at a higher rate. Here are the three different levels:
- Level 1: This, the bottom rung of the ladder, is where every Microsoft Rewards participant starts.
- Level 2: Attaining (and staying at) this level requires you to earn at least 500 points per month.
- Level 2 + Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: You must not only satisfy the Level 2 points requirement but also be an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber.
Many of the rules surrounding what points you can earn (and how you can earn them) at each level are somewhat complex. Nonetheless, Microsoft has provided some clarity with this table:
This table only briefly touches upon the points you would get from completing the various microtasks featured on the Microsoft Rewards dashboard.
These microtasks can differ from one day to the other. So, the tasks in the above screenshot might not be identical to those you see on your own Microsoft Rewards dashboard.
The rewards Microsoft offers for your loyalty points include gift cards, sweepstake entries, and cash donations to nonprofits. How many points you need for a reward depends on the nature of the reward itself…
With this rewards scheme, Microsoft is striving to attract more people to (and keep them engaged with) its apps. It makes sense, then, that gift cards to Microsoft outlets cost fewer points than gift cards to non-Microsoft retailers.
Who can use Microsoft Rewards?
Basically, anyone with a Microsoft account. You likely already have one, given that you need one to sign in to any Microsoft products or services, including:
- Office
- OneDrive
- Outlook.com
- Skype
- Bing
- Microsoft Store
- Microsoft 365
Even if you don’t currently have a Microsoft account, it’s easy to create one. Just go to signup.live.com and follow the on-screen instructions.
Using Microsoft Rewards doesn’t entail signing any contract (or making a commitment of any kind). Neither does it require you to pay any fees, such as entry or subscription charges.
Instead, Microsoft Rewards is included as a default part of your Microsoft account. You can access this loyalty program through the Microsoft Rewards login page at rewards.microsoft.com.
Of course, you need to think about a lot more than whether you can technically use Microsoft Rewards. There’s also the big question of whether you can practically use it to bring in a points haul genuinely worth your effort.
Getting started with Microsoft Rewards
Are there any particular Microsoft apps you want (and, crucially, would be able) to use to collect Microsoft Rewards points? If so, see if you can install those apps now.
Maybe you work full-time in an office but are also itching to undertake one of these remote side hustles? For example, you might be eager to do freelance writing with a smartphone or tablet computer while commuting on the train.
In this scenario, imagine how productive it would be to use the Bing mobile app during the journey. You could search on Bing to do research for your next article and earn points along the way. So, fetch that app from your mobile device’s app outlet.
Once you’ve selected and installed the apps you want, head to rewards.microsoft.com and sign in using your Microsoft account details. You should see this ‘Welcome to Microsoft Rewards!’ notice:
Hit the blue ‘Next’ button twice to learn more about Microsoft Rewards. Alternatively, tap the ‘X’ to go straight to the Microsoft Rewards dashboard. There, you can start exploring many different ways to grow your points tally.
How many ways? So many that you are likely to find at least some you know you would enjoy regardless of the point-scoring aspect.
Using the Microsoft Rewards platform
When you land on the Microsoft Rewards dashboard for the first time, you should see something like this:
Here, ‘Available points’ means the number of Microsoft Rewards points currently available for you to redeem on prizes. So, expect this number to drop as you spend points.
Meanwhile, ‘Today’s points’ refers to the total amount of Microsoft Rewards points you have earned today (whether or not you have already spent any of them).
What is the ‘Auto-redeem’ option? This is where you can select a specific prize or nonprofit donation to automatically redeem as soon as you accumulate the required number of points. This option can come in useful if you are always pressed for time.
As for ‘Streak count’, this is the number of consecutive days you’ve completed the daily set. What’s the ‘daily set’? You’ll soon find out…
Earning Microsoft Rewards points
It’s hard not to spot the ‘Earn’, ‘Redeem’, ‘Status’, and ‘Winners’ links high on the dashboard. As you’ll initially be on the Earn tab by default, just scroll a little further down to uncover the ‘Daily set’ tasks.
Before the day is out, complete all three ‘Daily set’ tasks you see on the dashboard. Doing so will start a streak. Fulfil a three-day streak to unlock bonus points.
Scroll even further down to the section titled ‘More activities’. Like the daily sets, these can vary significantly in what they ask you to do.
Completing tasks in this section won’t start or build up a streak capable of festooning you with even more points. However, every little helps when you are striving to collect the points you need for that next big prize.
To further incentivize your point-scoring endeavors, it’s worth setting a goal within Microsoft Rewards. Simply setting this goal might be enough to get you some points!
To get started, scroll yet further down, past the ‘More activities’ bit and to the ‘Your goal’ section pictured below.
Tap the blue ‘Set goal’ link and, on the next page, browse the options. Keen on garnering enough points to convert into a donation to UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund)?
In that case, you could first click ‘Donate’ to load a list of charitable organisations including UNICEF. Next, hit the blue ‘SET AS GOAL’ button on the UNICEF listing.
Lacking ideas for what to set as your goal? Beneath the ‘Your goal’ box on the dashboard are ‘Suggested rewards’ that could give you a crucial spark of inspiration.
So, you could potentially spend 6,000 points from Microsoft Rewards on Robux, a virtual currency used on the online gaming platform Roblox.
Users of the popular, long-running Roblox create and play their own games as well as take part in games programmed by other users.
As you can also see from the screenshot above, it’s possible to exchange Microsoft Rewards points for sweepstakes entries. However, simply participating in a sweepstakes is no guarantee that you will win anything from it.
Redeeming Microsoft Rewards points
Ready to start redeeming those points you have picked up so far? Click the ‘Redeem’ link near the top of the dashboard.
You will quickly see a ‘Search’ field you can use to search for the types of prizes that would especially interest you. Alternatively, click ‘Show’ to reveal a number of prize categories.
The Microsoft Rewards redeem mechanism is delightfully easy to use. First, find a listing for a reward that interests you. Do you have enough points to be eligible for this reward? The listing will show a ‘REDEEM REWARD’ link you can click to do just that.
How easy is Microsoft Rewards to use?
This depends on two broad factors above all:
- How invested you already are (or can be) in the Microsoft ecosystem
- Which of the Microsoft Rewards opportunities you use — and how
The Microsoft Rewards interface is certainly straightforward to navigate. With every listed task, you get clear, easy-to-follow instructions on how to do it.
Before aiming too high with how you leverage the Microsoft Rewards program, browse the daily sets and other activities. Some of them are likely to be so simple that they would take very little time out of your schedule.
You could be handed points just for picking your preference in a poll or making a specific search on Bing!
Generally, though, the quicker and simpler the task, the fewer the points it provides. In practice, you could tediously have to keep completing lots of basic tasks just to get a ‘decent’ points haul.
On the plus side, you can increasingly learn lots of little tips and tricks that collectively help you to earn points more quickly. One example would be searching via the Bing mobile app as well as the Bing website. So, make sure you have both at the ready!
For an in-depth look at how far you have come in your Microsoft Rewards journey, click ‘Status’ on the dashboard.
On the Status page, you will be able to quickly see details including:
- Your current level
- How many points you must add to reach the next level this month
- The number of lifetime points you’ve earned
- The number of lifetime points you’ve redeemed
Whatever the level you currently occupy, you can also promptly remind yourself which benefits come with it. Just hit the blue button labeled ‘See my level benefits’…
Top features of Microsoft Rewards
One especially exciting thing about Microsoft Rewards is that the further you dig into it, the more you can get out of it.
Here are a few examples of Microsoft Rewards features that could catch your eye (but also too easily go unnoticed)…
Cashback with Microsoft Edge
One component of Microsoft Rewards is Microsoft Cashback, where you can get some money returned to you when you buy online via Bing and Edge.
Make sure you are in one of the 36 countries where Microsoft Cashback is available — including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
Then, install Edge (if you don’t have it already) and use it to load rewards.microsoft.com. Doing so will bring up the Microsoft Rewards login page.
Once you’re logged into Microsoft Rewards, use Bing to search for ecommerce listings of products you would like to buy.
After completing an online purchase of a product labeled with a Microsoft Cashback Shopping tag, you will see a rebate credited to your Rewards account. It won’t be long before you are subsequently ready to transfer this money to your PayPal account.
Struggling to find many products with Microsoft Cashback Shopping tags attached? Consider looking for an alternative cashback platform you would be able to use instead of (or alongside) Microsoft Cashback.
One option worth considering is Ibotta. Get Whop’s verdict on whether Ibotta is the best cashback app available today.
Rewards with Xbox
Are you an avid Xbox gamer? If so, good news: Microsoft Rewards has even been extended to Xbox.
To find out how you can earn points by playing Xbox games (yes, really), visit the Rewards hub on any of the following:
- Your Xbox console
- The Xbox mobile app (on iOS, iPadOS, or Android)
- The Xbox app on Windows PC
Before looking for this Rewards hub, sign in to the app with your Microsoft Rewards account. Here is the default interface on the Xbox app for iPad:
Here, you would bring up the Rewards hub by tapping your username at the top of the screen. Next, scroll down to see a list of Xbox-specific microtasks each carrying points (albeit probably not that many).
Things get really exciting when you scroll down further still and tap ‘Weekly console bonus’ (even if the phrase is currently grayed out). As the app explains, you can earn a big batch of bonus points by playing on your Xbox console five days a week.
Subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate? You can gain even more points by completing Game Pass Quests. On the Rewards hub, these are sorted into the categories of Daily, Weekly, and Monthly. (Each category specifies whether you must finish the Quest within a day, week, or month to be given the points.)
The Quests can be as simple as ‘play any Game Pass game’ or as demanding as ‘complete 18 daily quests this month’.
Struggling to find many Xbox games you are actually keen to play? Then consider other gaming reward platforms like Mistplay and Scrambly. Here are the best apps that pay you to play games.
Shopping via Microsoft Store
Is there a particular movie, TV show, game, or game add-on you would like to buy? Dive into the Microsoft Store to see if you can download it from there.
Before you seal the deal on any particular purchase, however, check whether it would actually give you Microsoft Rewards points.
It bears emphasis that not necessarily everything you buy from the Microsoft Store will net you those points. Only “qualifying purchases” (as Microsoft calls them) count — and subscriptions and gift card purchases don’t.
Worthy alternatives to Microsoft Rewards
Microsoft Rewards is only one of many GPT (‘get-paid-to’) platforms you could consider. Here are some others to consider:
1. Survey Junkie
If surveys are your thing, you can specialize in filling them out on the go. Simply downloading the Survey Junkie mobile app will get you 100 points right off the bat.
2. Shopkick
Prefer in-person to online shopping? With Shopkick, you can earn rewards by scanning things in brick-and-mortar shops, such as pharmacies and grocery stores.
3. InboxDollars
InboxDollars — unlike Microsoft Cashback — provides cashback offers through web browsers other than Microsoft Edge. So, if you are besotted with, say, Google Chrome or Apple’s Safari, there’s no need to break with it just for cashback purposes.
Is Microsoft Rewards worth it?
Microsoft Rewards has recently attracted some negative publicity, specifically concerning the size of the rewards offered. Some benefits offered under the scheme have indeed been reined in or even axed altogether.
Many users of Microsoft Rewards have also shared disparaging thoughts about it on the review website Trustpilot. There, the scheme has (at the time of writing) an atrocious average rating of 1.7 out of 5 from 69 reviews.
One common theme of these reviews is how much longer it now takes to amass points than it once did. One reviewer with the username CodedFunction sums up the situation clearly:
Some of the changes to Microsoft Rewards might be minor in theory but prove rather less so in practice. One example is Microsoft’s decision to prevent users from earning points on more Bing searches than three per 15 minutes, as this reviewer explains:
Judging from some of the most recent reviews, you can still reap meaningful benefits from Microsoft Rewards if you are persistent with it.
The most important takeaway from all of this is that, yes, Microsoft Rewards is worth it — if you are firmly wedded to the Microsoft ecosystem. If you are already in the habit of using Microsoft products and services pretty regularly, your tally of Microsoft Rewards points could soar.
One crucial question remains. Exactly which Microsoft products and services do you use? Those you would be able to earn the most points from using — like Bing and Edge — also happen to be relatively unpopular.
You might still fancy giving them a try. However, keep in mind that many other rewards schemes do not require you to stick with the offerings of just one company.
It’s best to treat Microsoft Rewards as a small source of passive income. To rack up revenue more quickly, it’s worth pursuing many other passive income ideas — like selling digital products.
Find new, exciting ways to make a living on Whop
One big problem with trying to make money with GPT sites (not just Microsoft Rewards) is how onerous and time-draining it can be. Do you have the patience to complete lots of quizzes and surveys on subjects of little interest to you?
Over the long term, it could work out much better to create and sell digital products revolving around your interests. After all, the more you enjoy the process, the likelier you are to continue with it — and thus make more money with it.
Whop is the ideal place for you to start selling digital products — including eBooks, podcasts, and courses.
Register with Whop today and join communities where you can learn from experts and boost your knowledge of earning online before you start selling yourself!
FAQs
Why has my Microsoft Rewards account been “temporarily restricted”?
No doubt it can be frustrating if, when you attempt to redeem hard-earned points, you are told that your account has been “temporarily restricted”.
However, Microsoft might have simply suspended this account to free up time to verify its security and legitimacy — or validate an attempted redemption.
In many instances, the functionality of your account should be stored within 24 hours. If it isn’t, fill out and submit the contact form at rewards.microsoft.com/support to report the problem.
What can I do to keep my Microsoft Rewards account in good standing?
To stay on Microsoft’s good side and avoid having your account suspended or points deducted, it would bode well for you to:
- Only earn and redeem points in the country where you reside
- Avoid using a VPN to access the Microsoft Rewards scheme
- Keep the address and phone number on your account up to date ☎
- Share your location with Microsoft if the company asks you to validate your account
You should also remember to always use the same account for your Microsoft Rewards activities. Running multiple accounts can look suspicious.
Will my Microsoft Rewards points expire if I don’t use them?
Yes, eventually — but only if you don’t gain any points with Microsoft Rewards for an uninterrupted run of 18 months. That’s when any points you already have will expire, so remember to keep postponing the expiration date by occasionally completing a new point-scoring activity.
