Have you heard of Shopkick?  It’s a super cool app available for iPhones and Androids.  The premise is to earn kicks, or points, when you walk into certain stores while the app is running on your phone.  Each “kick” is worth a certain number of points depending on which activity you are sent to do: scans; instant surprises; and walk-ins.

Here’s how each one works.

Let’s say you’re going to shop at Target so you turn on the Shopkick app on your phone.  You can switch it on at home or wait until you’re in the parking lot, just be sure to drag the screen down for an update of local shops (though it seems to do that automatically sometimes).  Right away you can see if there are any kick opportunities with the shops listed.

For this example, let’s look at how to collect kicks instantly using the picture above:

#1 – Click on the row for SuperTarget.

#2 – By clicking on the Target row, you can see that you can earn kicks by two ways.

#3 – First, by clicking on the “Instant Surprises” row you can find and touch the surprise to reveal either a point or a bubble to burst.

#4 – Pop the bubble to reveal a piece to a collection. When you’ve collected all 3 pieces, you get bonus points.

The second way, in the picture example above, to earn kicks is by scanning certain products with your phone (remember, either iPhone or Android). They list the products, you find them in the store (like a scavenger hunt!), then you scan the barcode or QR code {whichever the app directs}, and you collect kicks.

Another way to earn kicks is called “walk-in”, where you simply walk into the store with the app on and collect points.  After I finished shopping at Target the other day I strode next door to Old Navy where I walked in, stood at the entrance for a few seconds while the app located me and showed my points I collected, then turned around and walked back out. Simple as pie.

And the final way that I know of to earn points is by using the audio feature in the app to “listen” to tv commercials on the WB network from certain stores.  The two that I saw were for Macy’s and Best Buy and were listed at 100 points each.  I skipped this option, though, since you had to do it during two specific shows on a specific night.  And let’s face it, I wasn’t about to watch tv shows I don’t normally view just to score some points (especially these two particular programs – eww).

Otherwise, it’s very easy to earn points.

Oh, wait. Have I mentioned what you can earn from all of these kicks?  Along with Target, you can also earn gift cards from Best Buy, Restaurant.com, Macy’s, Old Navy, Toys R Us, and many more. You can also earn gift cards for gas for your car, which is awesome.

When I first read about Shopkick (from Jenny at Southern Savers – thanks, Jenny!) and downloaded the app I was skeptical.  But in 4 days I’ve earned over 1200 kicks, which qualifies me for a $5 Target giftcard!  This may seem to some like small change, but when you think about how few days it took me to get that many points, and how I can earn much more the longer I use the app, the Shopkick app is so worth it.

While I can see how it’s possible to spend my time looking for kicks instead of many other things I should be doing, I’ve made it a rule to only use the app when I’m out and about.

Shopkick Special!

Sometimes the walk-ins are doubled or there’s a special deal attached.  To celebrate the upcoming shopping chaos known as Black Friday (at the end of this week, in case you forgot), Shopkick has a special deal.  If you get the app for yourself and then invite 5 friends and they download the free app, they will each automatically earn 100 kicks for themselves, and you will earn 100 kicks for each friend who joins.  That’s 500 kicks for you alone! Plus, by them joining now, you will unlock the “2X VIP Pass” which will allow you to get double walk-in kicks on Black Friday.

And if you’re thinking “I’m out here in the boonies…I don’t live anywhere near those large stores, so I’ll never be able to use this app,” guess again.  As I drove along the other day with my kids, and Catz kept refreshing the app as we drove to different parts of town (on actual errands), we discovered stores we didn’t even know existed.  Instant kicks for veterinary clinics, dry cleaners, and even a tree cutting service popped up on the app.  It’s a great advertising tool for businesses, small and large, so the possibility for Shopkicks in your area is pretty high.

Besides, the app is free!  From now until Thanksgiving if you click here to get Shopkick, you can download the app and earn 100 kicks immediately (and I will earn 100 kicks as well – thanks!!).  Then, you can go to the 2X VIP Pass header in the app and invite 5 of your own friends to begin earning more kicks.  They make it very easy by giving you options to invite folks via Twitter, email, text message (SMS), and Facebook.  You can also take your link and include it in a post (like I did here).

And what a perfect time to begin using Shopkick!  With all of the driving around your town you’ll be doing – Christmas shopping, visiting friends, Christmas play/choir rehearsals, looking at Christmas light displays – you’ll be sure to gather up kicks just as quick as a squirrel storing up nuts.

Note: You are welcome to download the app directly from iTunes {for iPhone} or Market {for Android}, but you won’t get the 100 immediate kicks as this is a special offer through Shopkick and it’s current subscribers.  If you do go through my personal link to get the Shopkick app and your 100 kicks, I thank you and hope you enjoy this fun and money-making app!

I’d also love to know how you like it, so please let me know how it’s going for you!

P.S. If you click the link after Thanksgiving you can still download the app and receive 50 kicks (and I’ll receive 50 as well). Have fun!

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