Skip to content

13 Best Shopkick Cheats To Earn More Kicks in 2024

Shopkick Cheats

This post may contain affiliate links which means that sproutinue.com may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only promote products that we love and feel will benefit our readers. Please read our Disclosure Policy for more information.

Are you looking for ways to increase your earning potential on Shopkick? If so, you’re in the right place. 

Even the best reward apps don’t pay much, so accumulating the withdrawal minimum and cashing out may take some time. 

Therefore, finding ways to maximize your earnings is imperative to ensure your experience is worthwhile. 

In this article, I’ll delve into valuable Shopkick cheats to help you earn more kicks the next time you’re out shopping or completing offers. 

Whether you want to supplement your income or just enjoy the thrill of getting paid to shop, you’ll find these Shopkick hacks helpful.

Let’s get started! 

The Best Shopkick Cheats To Earn More Kicks

While Shopkick is an excellent way to earn free PayPal money, it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme. 

This side hustle can’t replace your day job. You can only use it to snag a few dollars in gift cards each month. If you’re smart with the app, you can boost your earnings by a few dollars. 

These Shopkick cheats aren’t anything out of the ordinary. You may have already done several.

Shopkick Cheats

Also, remember that when I say “cheats,” I don’t mean anything illegal that may result in getting banned or facing legal consequences.

With that in mind, beware of apps and sites that delve into illegal side hustles or claim to give you free money out of nothing. 

Here are some valuable tips and tricks to help you earn more kicks on Shopkick:

1. Turn On Your Location Settings

The Shopkick app requires that you turn on your location settings to get updates on offers near you. While this may sound obvious, it could easily slip your mind. 

Note that sharing your location isn’t compulsory. However, it’s a great way to stay up-to-date with offers and nearby participating stores.

Here’s how to enable location services on your phone:

  • Head to your phone’s settings
  • Tap the “Location and Security” option 
  • Search for Shopkick and toggle on

If your Shopkick app doesn’t pick your location immediately, refresh the app or relaunch. You can reinstall or update it if the problem persists.

While most people recommend using a VPN to change your location and get more location-based offers like walk-ins, this is untrue. Shopkick won’t work if you use a VPN. 

2. Link Your Credit or Debit Card

Another Shopkick cheat to get more kicks is linking your eligible credit and debit cards. 

You can earn extra kicks using your linked cards to make eligible purchases at participating stores. This is a great way to earn a passive income.

You can link your card in these simple steps:

  • Go to the main menu
  • Tap “settings”
  • Go to “Kicks for Purchases” 
  • Select “Link eligible card.”
  • Select Visa or Mastercard

Once you select Visa or Mastercard, you’re directed to their respective sites to finish linking the cards. The process takes up to 24 hours. 

Note that some information, such as your phone number, may be auto-filled in this process. Don’t edit any auto-filled information, even if it’s incorrect, to avoid missing rewards.

After linking your cards successfully, head to the app to find eligible offers. Under the Earn Tab, select “Kicks Nearby” to view eligible merchants and offers. Select a store near you, then shop and earn kicks. 

Some popular stores that offer linked card offers include these [3]:

  • Reebok 
  • Carter’s 
  • Tervis
  • TJ Maxx
  • American Eagle 
  • Aerie
  • New York & Company
  • Brighton Collectibles
  • Yankee Candle

Shopkick claims you must run qualifying purchases as a credit to earn extra kicks with your linked card. 

You must cancel the process when prompted for a PIN and then run it as credit instead of debit. This way, your transaction takes shorter to complete.

It’s important to read the terms and conditions of an app before linking it to your debit or credit card. With Shopkick, rest assured your information isn’t shared with third-party apps and sites. 

They also allow you to unlink your card at your convenience. Please do so immediately if you suspect any suspicious activity.

3. Turn on Bluetooth and App Notifications

Among the best cheats for Shopkick is turning on Bluetooth and Shopkick notifications. With notifications turned on, you’ll get regular updates on new offers near you. 

Having Bluetooth on ensures you get notified when you’re about to walk past a participating Shopkick partner. This lets you stay up-to-date with walk-in offers you might have missed on the app. 

You can turn on Bluetooth and allow Shopkick to send notifications through your device’s settings. Simply head to the permission tab to enable notifications. 

4. Shop Online Frequently 

Most of Shopkick’s money-making ventures, like walk-ins and scanning barcodes, are available in-store. 

However, the app has numerous online offers worth exploring. You may miss them if you’re not keen enough. 

Even if you prefer in-store shopping, purchasing a few items online to earn a few kicks is a good idea. Plus, it’s a great way to get paid without the hassle of moving from one store to the next.

Get started in these simple steps:

  • Launch the Shopkick app
  • Go to the Earn tab
  • Select “Kicks Online” to find eligible online stores
  • Tap “Shop” 
  • Complete your online purchase
  • Get your kicks

Once you complete the online purchase, you must wait 72 hours for the Shopkick team to confirm how many kicks you’ve earned and when to expect them in your account.

This is one of the best ways to earn free money, especially if you’re an avid online shopper. 

The advantage of shopping online is that you can compare prices, coupons, and offers across thousands of stores worldwide from the comfort of your home. 

Sites like Rakuten and Capital One Shopping are helpful for online shopping deals. Simply install their shopping Chrome extensions, sign up, and you’re good to go. 

5. Stack Several Reward Apps

Shopkick isn’t the only rebate app out there. In fact, other shopping reward apps may have better offers.

Some, like Rakuten, offer signup bonuses of up to $30. Others, like Capital One Shopping, help you compare different stores for the best coupons and offers. 

Using these apps alongside Shopkick is an excellent way to get good rewards for making everyday purchases. 

However, stacking Shopkick with these similar apps doesn’t always work. You may lose your Shopkick rewards if you’re using other apps simultaneously. 

Here are some of the best apps like Shopkick, worth exploring if you wish to earn more PayPal money.

  • Upside: This rebate app lets you earn cashback at restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations.
  • Pogo: Like Shopkick, Pogo offers several methods to make quick cash besides shopping. You can get paid to complete surveys and share your data. Read my Pogo App review.
  • Drop: This platform is available in the U.S. and Canada. It lets you earn money by completing simple tasks like answering consumer surveys, shopping, and playing games.
  • Fetch Rewards: Another best cashback app available. It lets you earn free gift cards to major brands and retailers like Amazon by scanning receipts.
  • Ibotta: This rewards site gives you a $10 welcome bonus when you spend at least $30
  • Swagbucks: This is one of the best get-paid-to sites since it offers numerous money-making methods. Some include shopping online, answering surveys, playing games for money, and searching the web.
  • Rakuten: Earn cashback for shopping at over 3,500 stores worldwide through this website. You earn a $10 bonus when you spend $25.

While these shopping reward apps may not make you rich or replace your 9-5 job, using them is a great way to get paid for shopping that you would’ve done anyway.

Apart from shopping and other ventures like answering surveys, playing games, and surfing the web, these sites have great referral programs. Check them out to earn more.

6. Shop During Peak Periods

Another valuable Shopkick cheat is shopping during peak hours and days, such as weekends. While this may sound like a no-brainer, many shoppers overlook this Shopkick hack. 

Most stores will have the best offers during the peak periods. Consequently, there are more opportunities to earn money on Shopkick during these times. 

For instance, Shopkick will likely have more walk-in, scanning, and purchasing offers over the weekends than weekdays. 

These offers may end fast since there are more shoppers during busy periods. It’s important to claim and complete offers quickly to optimize your income during these times.

7. Invite Your Friends to Shopkick

Shopkick has a great referral program that allows you to earn more kicks and maximize your earnings. 

Plus, there’s no limit to the number of people you can invite. The more you refer, the more you earn.

Follow these steps to refer a friend:

  • Launch the Shopkick app
  • Tap the Invite tab
  • Generate your unique invite link and code
  • Send the link or code to your friend

You can use the link or code to refer people to the app. The link is more advantageous since the process is automatic. 

However, if your friend signs up without your referral link, you can still earn kicks when they manually key in your invite code.

Note that your friend must earn 10 kicks within the first two weeks of signing up to qualify for your 250 kicks referral bonus.

Your friend also gets 250 bonus kicks when they sign up using your invite code or link. Consider posting your invite link on your blog or social media to optimize your earnings. 

You may earn quite a sum from referrals if you have a loyal following. 

8. Follow Shopkick on Social Media

If you’re still searching for ways to increase your income on Shopkick, following them on Social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook is a great idea.

Shopkick hosts promos and contests regularly for their social media followers. By following them on social media, you can participate in giveaways and contests where you can win kicks.

Most giveaways involve winning thousands of kicks by performing simple tasks like tagging a friend to a Shopkick post, commenting on a post, or purchasing a particular product.

They also have lucrative deals during certain times of the year, like the summer, where you can shop for less while earning cashback.  

This is an excellent way to earn more kicks. However, winning is purely by chance. At least you have nothing to lose since they mostly involve simple tasks that don’t require you to use money.

9. Don’t Lose Your Receipts

You’re missing out greatly if you usually throw away your receipts immediately after shopping. One way to make money on Shopkick is through scanning receipts.

Based on the participating merchants and current offers, you can earn up to 500 kicks for every receipt you upload to Shopkick. 

This is how to go about it:

  • Go to the Earn tab
  • Proceed to “Kicks Nearby”
  • Select a store near you
  • Tap “Receipts” to see available offers
  • Purchase the items
  • Upload your receipt

While keeping receipts is a great way to get paid to shop, it also helps manage and track your expenses.

It’s important to avoid getting carried away and purchasing items you don’t need just to earn through this method.

10. Scan Barcodes Regularly

One thing I like about Shopkick is that it lets you earn money by scanning barcodes for items without purchasing them. 

While moving around a store looking for items to scan for kicks may be tiring, it’s an excellent way to earn kicks without spending money.

Earn your kicks in these steps:

  • Locate the Earn tab
  • Go to “Kicks Nearby”
  • Search for your store of choice
  • Check for available scans
  • Scan the items using your phone’s camera
  • Earn kicks

The number of kicks you earn per scan depends on the offer, item, and store. You may make 5 to 40 kicks, though some items may pay in hundreds. 

Always ensure you’re in the right store before scanning to avoid wasting time on the wrong products. Also, position your camera and scan the barcodes in good lighting to earn rewards. 

The disadvantage of this feature is that it’s only available in-store. You may miss out if you often shop online. 

11. Walk Into Stores

You may find this section helpful if you’ve been searching for ways to get paid to walk. 

The Walk-in feature on Shopkick is a way to make free cash. All you have to do is walk into a participating store. You don’t have to purchase any item.

Here’s how:

  •  Turn on your phone’s Bluetooth
  • Grant Shopkick access to your microphone
  • Ensure you have a stable internet connection
  • Open the Shopkick app
  • Search for eligible stores in the Nearby tab
  • Walk into a participating store

Shopkick partner stores offering kicks for walking in have a small box at the entrance. As you walk into the store, the box emits a signal which your phone picks up. 

Once your phone picks the signal, you get your kicks. How easy is that? You can earn between 10 and 200 kicks by just walking into an eligible store. 

You can do this whenever you head out shopping or do other things like an evening walk or jogging.

12. Launch the Shopkick App as You Shop

Launching the app as you shop is an excellent Shopkick cheat if you want to earn more kicks.

Having the app open allows you to keep track of the activities you must complete to land more kicks as you shop. For instance, you know the items to scan and keep track of the ones you’ve scanned already. 

Also, keeping the app open gives you first-hand information on new offers that Shopkick may add as you shop.  

Consider opening the app while in a new shopping area to check for new tasks to complete.

13. Update Your Shopkick App Regularly

The final Shopkick cheat every shopper must employ is updating the app regularly. This lets you have up-to-date information on new offers and features added to the app. 

Also, an updated app is less likely to have bugs and cause difficulties during your money-making journey. It’s wise to have the latest app update to ensure its smooth running.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Cheat at Shopkick?

No, you can’t cheat at Shopkick without getting caught. Some people may recommend illegal ways to earn kicks, like using a VPN to access more location-based offers. 

However, these illegal methods don’t work. It’ll only be a matter of time before you get caught. I suggest using the legal hacks outlined in this article to make the most out of your shopping trips. 

For instance, you can earn more kicks by referring as many people as possible and scanning barcodes.

How Do You Get Shopkick Points Fast?

Here are some of the best ways to rack up Shopkick points fast:

  • Refer as many people as possible
  • Shop during peak periods
  • Shop online often to snag online offers
  • Turn on Bluetooth and Shopkick notifications
  • Follow Shopkick on social media
  • Keep your receipts
  • Link your credit and debit cards
  • Update your Shopkick app regularly

Do Shopkick Gift Cards Expire?

No, Shopkick gift cards don’t expire. However, this may vary depending on the store. Check the store’s policy to determine if their gift cards expire before redeeming your reward.

Final Thoughts

Using the Shopkick cheats mentioned in this article, you can make your shopping trips worthwhile. 

As I mentioned, Shopkick isn’t the only app that pays you to shop. There are numerous rebate apps like Drop and Pogo that are worth exploring.

If you feel that Shopkick isn’t paying as much as you’d wish to earn, consider using other rebate apps. Also, always compare offers, discounts, and cashback rates before settling on a particular rebate app.

Lydia is a personal finance expert and the founder of Sproutinue, a personal finance site helping you find legit ways to make money, save money, and achieve financial freedom. She has been featured on various major financial publications, including Investopedia, Business Insider, GoBankingRates, and more.

Back To Top