How to Earn Free Gift Cards with Shopkick
Here’s everything you need to know about how to earn free gift cards with the Shopkick app!
One of my earliest frugal hacks was learning how to earn free gift cards online. It is still one of my favorite things to do! Yes, this is really true and it really works. I have earned hundreds of dollars (probably thousands now) of gift cards since I started doing this. Here are 4 of my absolute favorite ways to earn free gift gifts.
I like to accumulate gift cards all year and set them aside for Christmas shopping. I also occasionally use them for a date night out. However you want to use them, free gift cards are wonderful! This is especially helpful when you are a stay-at-home mom with little kids who is on a tight budget. So many of us are on a tight budget now, that I thought it would be helpful to revisit the free gift card concept.
Today, I have a new way to share with you! If you are looking for a new way to earn some free gift cards – without needing to spend a lot of time or effort – let me tell you about the Shopkick app!
You may have heard of Shopkick before or maybe not. I used it years ago, but then hadn’t touched the app in years. I recently reinstalled it on my phone and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to earn my first gift card! (Yes, I had cashed out years ago, but since I honestly can’t remember the last time I used them, it was like a whole new experience again!)
When I was shopping at Walmart last week, I opened the app and earned kicks as soon as I walked in the door. Using the app, I scanned some items as I completed my regular shopping, and actually earned enough kicks (aka points) to redeem for a $2 gift card – in one quick trip to Walmart! It really works and is easy to use.
Let’s talk Shopkick and everything you need to know! Plus, if you have never tried Shopkick before, I have a special bonus for you so you can get a FREE $5 gift card when you use the code THRIVING. Here’s everything you need to know!
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read more in my disclosure policy.
What is the Shopkick app?
Shopkick is a free app that rewards you for shopping like you already do. It is a fun and easy way to earn free gift cards at the stores you already visit! You earn kicks (their version of points) for doing certain activities in store or online. The kicks are then available to be redeemed as gift cards.
The Shopkick app is completely free to download on either Android or Iphone.
How do you earn kicks with Shopkick?
There are a 6 different ways to earn kicks. Let’s talk about all of them, starting with the easiest.
Here are 3 totally free ways to earn kicks.
Earn kicks for walking into a store.
This is by far the easiest way to earn kicks! Make sure bluetooth is enabled on your phone. Then, open the app and walk into the store to earn anywhere from 10 to 30 kicks. If you do nothing else, this is a super easy way to earn kicks! Plus, if you use the code THRIVING when you sign up, you will get a bonus $5 worth of kicks after your first walk in!
Scan different products as you shop.
This is another easy – and totally free – way to earn kicks. If you have a bit of extra time as you shop, look for the products included in the app. You don’t have to buy any of them. Simply find the product in store and scan the barcode using the camera on your phone to earn kicks. The products are worth different levels of kicks, and change based on the stores where you shop. You can easily find the products available to scan when you open up the Shopkick app.
Here’s what the app looks like when you open it up. You select the store and see the options that are available for you for walk-ins, scans and receipts (more on that below). This is for a Walmart near me, after I had already scanned at Walmart last week. Look how many free kicks are available when you scan!
Watch videos in the Discover tab.
This is another easy way to earn more kicks. Open the Shopkick app and look for the Discover tab (it looks like a book). They have a variety of videos available and some of those videos are worth kicks. It will clearly say Earn kicks below the video so you know which ones are worth kicks. Also, the videos refresh daily!
What else can you do to earn kicks?
In addition to the three free ways of earning kicks, there are a couple ways to earn more kicks when you make purchases.
Submit a receipt featuring one of the Shopkick items.
You know all those products you scanned for the free kicks? If you happen to purchase one of them, you will earn bonus kicks! Just purchase the product and take a picture of the receipt for those kicks to be credited.
Shop online through Shopkick.
I am a big fan of using Rakuten to earn cash back when I shop online, but Shopkick offers a similar program. Simply start in the Shopkick app and make your purchase at a wide variety of stores online to earn more kicks from the comfort of your own home!
Link a credit or debit card.
There is one final way to earn more kicks and that is by securely linking a credit card in the app. Then, when you make purchases at a participating Shopick retailer, you will automatically earn kicks. This feature isn’t available with all retailers yet, but it is a super simple way to earn more kicks without any extra effort.
How much are kicks worth?
250 kicks equals $1, and gift card redemptions actually start at 500 kicks! I love that because it’s an easy way to get an extra $2 off at Target when you shop. The minimum gift card is different for every card, which you see when you log into the app. Remember, many gift cards start at $5 – and you can get your first $5 totally FREE when you use the code THRIVING to sign up here.
Note: This code is for new Shopkick users. You will get the $5 credit after you do your first walk in or scan.
Where can you use Shopkick?
Now, I know you may be thinking that this all sounds great but wondering if it is really available at the stores where you shop. The answer is yes! The stores vary by your location but there are a lot included with the Shopkick app.
Right around me, the stores that are available for earning kicks either walking in or scanning include Costco, Sam’s Club, Target, Walmart, Meijer, Kroger, CVS, Walgreens, Dollar General, Hallmark Gold Crown, Sally Beauty, Ulta Beauty and my favorite – Aldi! Yes, you can even use Shopkick at Aldi to earn kicks for scanning as you grocery shop!
What rewards can you earn with Shopkick?
There are so many amazing gift cards you can redeem with your kicks! There are currently over 60 gift card options. Some of my favorite gift card rewards include:
- Target
- Walmart
- Amazon
- Starbucks
- Kohls
- Old Navy
- Texas Roadhouse
- Michaels
- Panera
- Red Robin
- Wayfair
You can even redeem your kicks for a gift card to Instacart or Uber! Wouldn’t that be a great way to save money?
Remember, the minimum payout varies for the different stores. Most start at $5 (1250 kicks) but there are a couple (Target, TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Home Goods) that start at $2 (500 kicks). I easily earned $2 worth of kicks in one scanning trip at Walmart this past week.
You will see a running number of your total kicks accumulated on the top screen of your app. Once you have enough kicks, just click on the number to redeem your reward, and you’ll get the digital gift card added to your app. You can also set a reward goal of working towards a certain gift card to see your progress.
Who can use Shopkick?
The shopkick app is intended for anyone! I especially recommend Shopkick for anyone who wants to earn a little bit more in a free and easy way. Moms who want to earn free gift cards will like using this app!
Another tip? If you have an older child who is shopping with you, have them look through Shopkick and do the scans for you as you shop. It’s a good way to get them involved and earn your kicks for you!
Is the Shopkick app worth my time?
Are you going to earn hundreds of dollars each month? Probably not! But can you earn enother for a free drink or two at Starbucks each month? Definitely!
Here’s the thing. If you are on the fence, go ahead and give it a try! If you use my special code THRIVING, you get $5 just for trying it! Download the app here, enter the code, and use it at some store this week when you walk in. Isn’t it worth a free $5 gift card to give Shopkick a try?
I, personally, plan to use it to scan products in store when I have a bit of extra time…or when my oldest son is along to help. He will love that! I don’t know if I will use it every week, but I am going to try and use it regularly.
For me, Shopkick is just one more easy way to earn free gift cards to set aside for Christmas!
