How to Use the Microsoft Rewards Program and Redeem Points

Microsoft Rewards is a loyalty program that allows you to earn points by using Microsoft products and services. You can then redeem these points for gift cards, sweepstakes entries, donations to charity, and more. This program is available to anyone with a Microsoft account.

What is Microsoft Rewards?

Microsoft Rewards, previously known as Bing Rewards, is a customer loyalty program operated by Microsoft. The program allows members to earn points (also referred to as credits) by using Microsoft products like Bing, Microsoft Edge, Xbox, and Outlook and shopping at the Microsoft Store.

Points can then be redeemed for rewards like gift cards, donations to charity, entries into sweepstakes, and more. The program is available globally, with around 10 million active users as of 2020.

Microsoft Rewards helps drive engagement with Microsoft products and services. It incentivizes brand loyalty by rewarding users for their interactions. Members have the opportunity to earn free rewards that amplify their Microsoft experience.

How to Sign Up for Microsoft Rewards

Signing up for Microsoft Rewards is simple and free. All you need is a Microsoft account. If you don’t already have one, you can create a Microsoft account here.

Once you have a Microsoft account:

1. Go to the Microsoft Rewards website and click “Sign in” in the top right corner.
2. Sign in with your Microsoft account credentials.
3. Read through the Microsoft Rewards Terms & Conditions and click “Agree” at the bottom.
4. Click “Get Started” and you’re all set!

The sign up process takes less than 5 minutes. After signing up, you can start completing activities to earn points.

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How to Earn Points on Microsoft Rewards

There are many ways to earn points on Microsoft Rewards. The main ways include:

• Web searches – You’ll earn points for searching on Bing through Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, or the Bing app on your phone.
• Microsoft Edge searches – Earn bonus points for setting Microsoft Edge as your default browser.
• Mobile searches – Download the Microsoft Rewards app on your phone to earn points for mobile Bing searches.
• Referrals – Refer friends to join Microsoft Rewards and earn up to 5,000 points.
• Polls and quizzes – Earn points for answering fun polls and quizzes about entertainment, sports, culture, and more.
• Daily set – Earn bonus points by completing a daily set of activities like web searches or quizzes.
• Microsoft Store purchases – Earn points when you buy apps, games, movies, TV shows, and devices from the Microsoft Store.
• Gaming – Earn points through gaming quests, achievements, and Game Pass subscriptions on your Xbox console.
• Special offers – Limited-time promotions let you earn bonus points for purchases or trying services like Microsoft 365.

Completing daily activities like web searches is the easiest way to quickly accumulate points over time. You can check the Microsoft Rewards dashboard to see new ways to earn points each day.

Ways to Redeem Microsoft Rewards Points

Once you’ve earned points, you can redeem them in the Microsoft Rewards redemption center. Here are some of the most popular ways to use points:

Gift Cards

Gift cards make up the bulk of rewards. There are gift cards for popular merchants like Amazon, Starbucks, Target, and more. Gift cards start at around 5,000 points for a $5 card.

Microsoft also offers Xbox gift cards starting at 6,000 points. And you can get discounts on Microsoft gift cards – a $25 Microsoft gift card only costs 7,000 points.

Charitable Donations

You can donate your Microsoft Rewards points to various charities like the World Wildlife Fund, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Donations start at about 1,000 points.

Sweepstakes

For as little as 200 points you can enter sweepstakes. Microsoft frequently runs Xbox and Microsoft hardware sweepstakes where you can win consoles, PCs, headphones, and more.

Microsoft Products & Services

Some of the best rewards let you redeem points for Microsoft subscriptions and products. For example, you can get 1 month of Xbox Game Pass for 12,000 points or 3 months for 35,000 points.

There are also rewards like Skype minutes, OneDrive storage upgrades, and movie rentals that you can redeem points for.

Shop Microsoft

This lets you redeem points for dollars to spend in the Microsoft Store on anything you want. You can get $5 for 6,500 points to use towards apps, games, devices, and Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

Maximizing Points with Microsoft Rewards

Here are some tips to earn rewards points faster:

• Complete daily activities – The daily set gives bonus points for simple activities. Make these a habit.
• Use Microsoft Edge – Set Microsoft Edge as your default browser to earn up to 200 extra points per day.
• Earn streaks – You’ll earn a bonus each week you hit a daily activity streak. Streak bonuses increase each month.
• Take surveys – Check the Rewards dashboard for extra point surveys on entertainment, tech, and more.
• Set Bing as default – Ensure Bing is the default search engine on all your devices to maximize search points.
• Refer friends – Earn up to 5,000 points for each friend that joins Rewards and earns their first points.
• Check special offers – Limited-time promotions let you earn bonus points for purchases in the Microsoft Store.
• Use Bing Rebates – Get cashback when shopping online from eligible retailers through Bing Rebates.
• Game on Xbox – Earn achievement points, complete Xbox Game Pass quests, play new titles, and more.

Microsoft Rewards Levels

Microsoft Rewards has a multi-tier status system based on how actively you engage with the program:

Level 1 (Member)

This is the default entry-level that all new members start at. You’ll earn points at the standard rates.

Level 2

To reach Level 2, you need to earn 500 points within a month. Level 2 perks include:

• 10 points per dollar spent in the Microsoft Store
• 10% discount on Microsoft gift card redemptions
• Increased daily search limit

To maintain Level 2 status, you need to earn 500 points each month. If you don’t, you’ll be moved back down to Level 1.

Gold Status

This is the highest tier in Microsoft Rewards. To qualify for Gold Status you need to:

• Be on Level 2
• Have earned 5,000 lifetime points
• Have redeemed your first reward

Gold level perks include a points bonus on your Bing searches, entries into members-only sweepstakes, and a special birthday gift.

Microsoft Rewards Mobile App

The Microsoft Rewards app is available for iOS and Android devices. Having the app makes it easy to earn and redeem points on-the-go.

You can quickly complete your daily activities like mobile searches, check for new quizzes or offers, and browse rewards. It also lets you track your points balance, streaks, and status from your phone.

Downloading the app helps ensure you don’t miss out on any points opportunities throughout your day.

Tips for Using Microsoft Rewards

Here are some top tips for getting the most out of Microsoft Rewards:

• Check the rewards dashboard daily so you don’t miss out on bonus opportunities.
• Set reminders to complete your daily set if you have trouble remembering.
• Take advantage of 2X, 5X, or 10X point events when they pop up.
• Redeem points regularly so they don’t expire. Points expire after 18 months of no new activity.
• Only redeem points when you have enough for the reward you want. Points have no cash value.
• Use Bing Rebates when shopping online to earn cashback on top of points.
• Sign up for Microsoft Rewards newsletters so you don’t miss out on new point-earning options.
• Take advantage of weekly quizzes on entertainment, sports, and lifestyle topics to earn extra points quickly.
• Download the Microsoft Rewards apps for Xbox, Edge, and mobile to maximize your earnings across devices.

Is Microsoft Rewards Worth It?

Whether Microsoft Rewards is worth it depends on your habits and how easily you can incorporate Microsoft services into your routine.

If you already use Microsoft products like Bing, Edge, Windows, Xbox, and Outlook, you can easily rack up points on services you use anyway. Even casual use can quickly build up to redeemable rewards.

For shopping rewards members, linking Microsoft Rewards to the Microsoft Store app is worthwhile. You’ll earn points on digital content purchases you’re already making.

However, if you rarely use Microsoft services, you’d have to go out of your way to earn points. That may not end up being worth the time and effort.

The value also depends on your personal financial situation. For someone with a high income, the time spent earning pennies per search may not make sense compared to paid work.

But for others, like students on a budget, Microsoft Rewards can provide a nice extra source of gift cards, sweepstakes entries, and other perks.

Overall, if you’re already a Microsoft ecosystem user, sign up! It takes seconds to join and you’ve got nothing to lose by earning free rewards. More casual users may want to consider if adjusting habits to earn points will realistically be worthwhile.

Microsoft Rewards Compared to Other Loyalty Programs

How does Microsoft Rewards compare against loyalty and rewards programs from other tech companies? Here’s a quick rundown:

• Google Opinion Rewards – You earn Play Store credit by answering very short surveys. Less ongoing point opportunities but easier passive earnings.
• Amazon Shopper Panel – Get paid for sharing receipts and answering surveys. More hands-on than Microsoft Rewards.
• My Best Buy Rewards – Points earned are equivalent to cash rewards to spend at Best Buy. Requires being an active Best Buy customer.
• Target Circle – Earn 1% back and get deals by linking purchases to the app. Must shop frequently at Target.
• Dropbox Rewards – Referrals earn you extra storage. Invitation-only program with limited rewards.
• Apple Media Services – Earn and spend Apple credits across Apple services when you subscribe. Locked into the Apple ecosystem.

Overall, Microsoft Rewards offers a good balance of passive point opportunities from searches and active earning from shopping and gaming. The variety of redemption options gives it more flexibility than programs tied to specific retailers.

To Recap

Microsoft Rewards offers an effortless way to earn free rewards by doing your normal Microsoft-related activities. With plenty of daily opportunities to earn points and a variety of gift cards, sweepstakes, and other redemption options, the program provides great ongoing value.

Sign up for a Microsoft account if you don’t have one already so you can enroll in Rewards. Download the Microsoft Rewards apps, make Bing your default search engine, and leverage Microsoft products you already use.

Redeem points regularly for rewards so they don’t expire. And take advantage of bonus point events, streaks, referrals, rebates, gaming quests, and special offers to supercharge your points balance.

Stick with the program, build up your points over time, and enjoy the many perks, sweepstakes entries, subscriptions, gift cards, and other rewards you can redeem absolutely free!

Frequently Asked Questions

How many points can I earn per day?

There is no daily point earning limit. However, the maximum points you can earn per day from just Bing web searches is capped based on your membership level.

At Level 1, you are capped at earning 100 points from Bing searches. At Level 2, your daily search point limit increases to 300.

But you can still earn unlimited points from other activities like quizzes, gaming quests, promotions, and Microsoft Store purchases each day.

Do points expire?

Yes, Microsoft Rewards points expire after 18 months of no earning or redeeming activity. Make sure to redeem your points before they expire.

Expired points are permanently deleted from your account, so redeem them within 18 months if you want to maximize the value of your earnings.

Can I earn points on multiple devices?

Absolutely! You can earn Microsoft Rewards points across all your devices, including PCs, laptops, tablets, phones, and Xbox consoles.

Just make sure you complete searches and activities from the same Microsoft account on all your devices to ensure the points get credited properly.

How do I earn points with Bing Rebates?

Bing Rebates are cashback rewards you can earn when shopping online. To earn, make sure you:

1. Access the retailer’s website through Bing Rebates instead of directly.
2. Complete your qualifying purchase at the retailer’s website within 30 days.
3. You’ll then see cashback deposited into your Microsoft Rewards account as points.

There are hundreds of participating retailers. You earn 1-20% cashback on purchases depending on the retailer.

Can I transfer points to other users?

Unfortunately, you can’t transfer your Microsoft Rewards points to other members. Points are non-transferable and can only be redeemed by the account that earned them.

If you have multiple eligible Microsoft accounts in the same household, you can pool points by redeeming rewards from the account with the highest balance and using them on any account. But direct point transfers are not possible.

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