The CheckPoints app sounds like it could be a convenient and easy way to make a bit of extra money, but is it really?
There are some people who love it, yet others are saying the CheckPoints app is a scam–so which is it?
In this review we’ll be going over what this app is, how it all works, complaints, whether or not it’s a scam and more.
CheckPoints App Overview
CheckPoints is a rewards app that is completely free to download and use (for both Apple and Android devices), which you can use to get gift cards for Amazon, Walmart, etc.
There are a variety of ways to earn, but the main way is by going to stores and scanning items right from your smartphone. While it certainly isn’t anything you should be driving all over the place for, it can help turn your weekly grocery trip into a bit of a profitable event.
I’ll get staight to the point here and tell you that No, CheckPoints is not a scam. That said, there are a fair number of complaints that we will be getting to shortly–which you will definitely want to see.
Want a video explanation of what CheckPoints is? Watch this short overview video from the creators themselves:
How It Works
So you may be wondering how they can possibly pay people to go to stores, scan barcodes, etc. After all, getting paid to do things like this does sound a bit strange–but there is a perfectly good explanation.
CheckPoints gets paid by advertisers and market research companies, then passing along some of that profit to its users as incentive to use the app in the first place.
Different Ways to Earn
1. Check-ins
The main way to earn points is through “check ins”. This is where you simply check-in at stores in your area. You will be able to open up the app and scan for local stores that you can do this at.
Once you are at a store you can see if there are any offers to get points for scanning items. If there are then the process is simple–you scan the barcodes of items and get points for doing so.
2. Videos
The app will also reward you for watching videos, which are usually some sort of advertisment or trailer for something that are 1-3 minutes in length. These are easy to earn points with but are pretty much a waste of time because of how little you will earn.
Also, the limit for how many points you can earn watching videos is 500 a day–so it’s not like you can just leave videos playing all day long to earn points constantly.
3. Offers
Like many of the different rewards sites out there, CheckPoints also rewards users for completing offers, which can vary a lot. Offers include things like signing up for something, joining websites, taking surveys, downloading apps, etc.
4. Surveys
Surveys seem to be a pretty popular way to earn through this app. You will be able to earn points by sharing your opinion on various things. These surveys usually don’t last more than 15 minutes or so.
5. Referrals
CheckPoints also has a referral program where you will be able to earn 100% of what your referrals earn for the first 14 days. You will get a referral link you can have people join through to get credit for this.
It’s nice that there is a referral program, but to be honest I’m not impressed at all. Only being able to earn from referrals’ earnings for the first 14 days isn’t very great compared to other rewards apps.
How Much Can You Earn?
The amount you will be able to earn depends on where you live. Obviously there will be a lot more opportunity to earn in stores if you live in a city versus living out in the rural countryside. Additionally things like your demographic also come into play.
At the time of writing this they reward users with around 15-20 points for a check-in and with offers you can earn a good bit more–up to 100 points, but these often require more of you.
Overall the app is okay for earning a few extra points (redeemable for rewards) in your spare time, but other than that it’s not really worth it. You can certainly earn more with our top picks for making money from home.
Rewards
All this talk about earning points, but what good are they really?
Well, the points aren’t worth much of anything until you redeem them for the various rewards that are offered here, which mostly include gift cards for Amazon, Walmart, Target, Etc.
You will also be able to get entries into giveaways where you can win free gas cards and gift cards.
Complaints
No More Check-In Points
A recent complaint that has been coming up quite often comes from an update in which they discontinued check-in points. At this point I’m hoping that they reinstate them, because I don’t see this app lasting for too much longer without the ability to earn checking points, which was pretty much the main way to earn in the first place.
Below are some reviews left from users on the Google Play Store…
Too Picky
Some other complaints I came across have to do with the app being too picky when it comes to scanning items. You have to have the exact right item, and sometimes this can be frustrating if there are many similar items, such as items of the same brand that are different sizes.
Not Enough Opportunity
There has also been a growing number of complaints about the overall lack of opportunity to earn with this app, in particular when it comes to earning points at stores.
Surveys are a Waste of Time
Just like every survey app or survey site out there, taking surveys through this app is it going to likely be a frustrating experience at times because you will get disqualified. Usually what happens is you answer a handful of questions and if they don’t like the way you answered something you are kicked out, disqualified.
Apparently they used to give people 5 points even when disqualified, but they have since done away with this and now you just waste your time for nothing when this happens.
Horrible Customer Service
Bugs not getting fixed, no warning about changes, no responses after complaining about issues, ETC. Overall there seems to be a major lack of good customer service with this app, which is pretty much to be expected these days.
Hard to Cash Out
There have also been a handful of concerning complaints I have come across about people nearing the cash out threshold (the lowest amount of points needed to be able to redeem them for rewards) and then the opportunities to earn points suddenly decreasing drastically, as if they are being purposely held back from cashing out.
I have seen this sort of thing happen before with other apps, so it is certainly not out of the question and very well could be true to some extent. That said, there are people cashing out and getting gift cards, so it’s not like it is a complete scam even if this is true.
Scam?
Nope, not a scam, just not a very good way to earn money either.
Conclusion – Is CheckPoints Worth Your Time?
What this all comes down to is what exactly you are looking for. If you are looking for an app that can potentially earn you a bit of the extra pocket change in your spare time or at your next store visit, and you’re looking for an app that is going to be somewhat frustrating, then this might be for you.
While it isn’t a scam it is not an app that we here at Legendary Wallet are going to be promoting, simply because we think there are much better choices. For example, Swagbucks is a great alternative. This rewards program allows you to earn money by surfing the web, watching videos, playing games, shopping, taking surveys and more–and it has been around for years plus it has a much better reputation than CheckPoints.
Alternatively you can check out these 40+ apps for making money or jump straight to our #1 recommended program if you are actually looking to make good money In your spare time.
What do you think about the CheckPoints app? Have you used the app before and do you think it is worth it or not? We always love to hear from our readers and would really appreciate any comments or questions left below 🙂