What Are Microsoft Rewards?

Everyone enjoys getting something for free. Whether it is large or small, the pleasure is often in the act of getting itself. If it's something you especially wanted, even better. The problem is when free is code for a lot of extra work. That's why we've put together a guide to getting free stuff from Microsoft's rewards programs as easily as possible. Just take a look below, sign up, start searching Bing and you're off to the races. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

Is Bing That Bad?

Over the years, Microsoft's search engines have got a bad rap. Part of that is due to the decisions they've made, but part of it is just because people know and love Google.

Good Bad
Strictly curated site index It's difficult to get your site noticed
Sites that aren't clicked on get dropped This leads to even less content per search
Mostly free from spam Some useful information gets caught in that filter
Image search has more obvious settings That makes it slightly more fiddly
Video search is less puritanical than Google's It's safe for children and work, but marginally less so

Signing Up For Microsoft Rewards

  1. Create a Microsoft account at live.com
  2. Navigate to the Rewards Program
  3. Click the "try it now, free" button
  4. Sign in to your Microsoft account
  5. Follow the instructions to complete sign up and begin accruing rewards

How To Get Microsoft Rewards Points Fast

Best Online Rewards Programs

Microsoft Rewards isn't the only game in town when it comes to getting cash by using the internet. The variety of cash back and rewards programs online is somewhat astounding. You should choose a service based on how you most commonly browse.

Service Rebates Rewards No Purchases Required Games and Surveys Online Shopping
Microsoft Rewards
Dollar Dig
Points 2 Shop
Swagbucks

Conclusion

One of the biggest issues with rewards and cash back programs on the internet is the assumption that they are a scam. But it's safe to say that Microsoft isn't in that business. Plus, before they were Microsoft Rewards, there was the Bing Rewards program, stretching all the way back to 2010. And before that there was the Live Search Cashback service that launched in 2008. It's safe to say that there isn't just strong ownership, but a real pedigree behind this service. And with the ability to get Xbox Live memberships, Amazon and Starbucks gift cards, and more, the service has proved itself repeatedly. The only downside is that it is only available to users in the United States. So if you don't mind a little change in your search habits, you should sign up and start getting free money.

In Depth

You are probably familiar with customer rewards programs that let you earn discounts or other rewards by shopping at a grocery store. Microsoft Rewards is the program Microsoft uses to reward its customers and users of its software. Users are awarded points when they browse with Microsoft Edge, search with Bing, and when they make purchases at a Microsoft Store. Users can then redeem award points for things like Xbox Live Gold memberships, sweepstakes entries, Starbucks gift cards, and more.

You can join the Microsoft Rewards program and begin earning points in just a few steps. First, you will need a Microsoft account. If you already have one, visit rewards.microsoft.com and click the "try it now, free" button. You will be prompted to log in with your account. Log in and then follow the prompts to join the program. You are ready to start earning points.

If you do not have an account, you will need to create one. Visit signup.live.com and follow the instructions to create it. Then visit rewards.microsoft.com to sign up for the rewards program.

Visit signup.live.com and follow the instructions to create it.

The easiest way to earn points is to use Bing as your search engine. You need to be logged in to the page using your account in order to earn points for your searches. To do so, visit bing.com and click the sign in link in the upper right corner. Then log in to your account.

You can also earn points through Microsoft bonuses offered in the rewards area of your account. For example, you might be able to earn bonus points by taking a short, fun quiz. Or by checking your award points with the Windows 10 internet browser, Edge.

Finally, you can earn points by making purchases at a Microsoft store, whether online or at a brick-and-mortar location. If you are in a physical shop, make sure to provide the email address you used to set up your account. That way the program can give you points based on the money you spend, much like many other retail rewards programs.

That way the program can give you points based on the money you spend, much like many other retail rewards programs.

You can interact with your rewards account by visiting account.microsoft.com/rewards. This is your rewards dashboard, and here you can check your points balance, redeem points, check your status to see your level, and see the winners of past drawings.

The rewards program places users in one of two levels. Users who have earned fewer than 500 points in a month are at level one. Level two is for those who earn 500 points or more in a month. The main difference between the two levels is how many points you can earn for searching with Bing. At level one, you can earn up to 50 points per day for Bing searches. At level two, you can earn up to 250. Level two users also get access to special discounts and offers that are not available at level one.

When you have earned enough points, you can redeem them for a wide variety of offers. For example, you could get a five dollar Amazon or Starbucks gift card, or enter a sweepstakes to win major prizes such as gaming consoles. You can even redeem points to donate to charities such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America or The Nature Conservancy.

For example, you could get a five dollar Amazon or Starbucks gift card, or enter a sweepstakes to win major prizes such as gaming consoles.

If you want to earn rewards for doing something you're probably already doing, such as searching and browsing the internet, Microsoft Rewards might be a good program for you.