[February 01, 2011] Apps let you scan, snap and click your way to rewards Tweet Feb 01, 2011 (The Miami Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Need some extra money? Take your smartphone to the store and rack up points for cash and gift cards. One of the latest marketing trends pays you to walk into stores and use your phone's camera to scan barcodes or take photos of products -- provided you've already downloaded the free app. And some of these apps also reward you for trying other free apps. Advertisers are hoping these gimmicks will make users more likely to stick the featured product in the shopping cart. Since it's a new concept, all of these apps are still working out the kinks, but here's a rundown of those that are leading the space. It's worth noting that some require more time and effort than others to earn rewards. --Shopkick (iPhone, Android): This app is focused on getting you to walk into sponsored stores. It partnered with big names like Target, Best Buy, Macy's, Sports Authority, Crate & Barrel, Arden B, Wet Seal and American Eagle Outfitters. You can earn two points for just glancing at a store's deals from home. Walking into the store can earn you at least 50 points, with some days offering double or quadruple points. A few stores, like Target and Best Buy, offer more points -- usually 10 to 25 a pop -- if you scan product barcodes in the store. This can be repeated every day. Points rack up fast if you're willing to run around scanning product barcodes with the phone's camera. You can earn a Facebook credit for as little as 25 points, but the rewards start getting worthwhile at 1,250 points with $5 off purchases at Best Buy, Target, American Eagle, Sports Authority, Arden B or Wet Seal. If you have the patience to build up several thousand points, you can get gift cards worth as much as $25 or items like Skullcandy earbuds. Users collect walk-in points when they load the app inside a store -- that is, if it works. Unlike other apps, which use GPS, this one offers points only if it can detect special sensors in the store's ceiling. I reloaded the app again and again to get picked up by the Shopkick sensors, but couldn't get it to work. --CheckPoints (iPhone, Android): Unlike many other apps, CheckPoints doesn't require you to be in a specific store to rack up points. It focuses on getting you to scan individual product barcodes, whether you find the product at a gas station, mall or grocery mart. Products span a wide range, from DVDs to batteries to Snuggies. You can earn 50 points for some products, but most scans are worth 10 or 15. Users also earn a coin for every scan, which can be used in the app's slot machine game. I got about 20 points for every third spin on the slots. If you have an older iPod Touch without a camera to scan barcodes, you're not left out. Coins can be earned by just downloading some sponsored apps -- many free. Rewards include gift certificates to Amazon, Home Depot and CVS, with 300 points equal to $1. I was able to earn $1 on Amazon in about 10 minutes by scanning all the featured items at a drug store and using the coins I earned in the slot game. CheckPoints still has some bugs to work out, as it didn't always find a nearby store, and some businesses were incorrectly labeled as having products to scan. (Sorry, but the sandwich shop across the street doesn't sell Milkbone dog snacks and pantyhose.) WeReward (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry): Designed by Orlando-based ad agency Izea, this app pays you cash through PayPal to take photos of yourself at a store or with a product you bought. For example, if I take a photo of myself with the food I ordered at Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, I can earn 195 points ($1.95). Or I can earn points from home, such as 75 points (75 cents) for taking a picture of myself making a Nesquik drink. There's also the option of leaving a comment about the product or store. The key here is that you can't just walk in and scan barcodes. You have to have bought something. Users can only cash out after reaching 1,000 points, which is $10. It can take up to three days before a photo is approved for points. Users can also post that photo to Twitter, Facebook or Foursquare, but it's not required to earn points. Izea CEO Ted Murphy said users have been sharing photos on social media about 60 percent of the time -- which is, of course, the reason advertisers are interested. Be aware that the terms of use say the advertiser has the right to use the photos and comments you send in any way they wish. So if you don't want something shared, don't send it. --Field Agent (iPhone): You're a secret shopper, getting assignments to go to a specific store and snap a photo or answer questions about it. It pays more money than other apps (usually $3 to $12, paid through PayPal), but assignments are hard to come by and not always in a convenient location. Once an assignment is accepted, the user has a couple of hours to complete it. If you fail to perform or do a poor job, your agent reputation score goes down. Agents with higher scores get the first chance to grab a new job. It's best to turn on notifications to get alerts of available jobs or you might never be able to snatch a mission near you. If you're in the area of an unclaimed assignment, it's not a bad way to earn a quick $5 to $10. But in months of having the app, I have yet to snag a job: The ones that came my way were either during inconvenient hours or too far away. --AppRewards (iPhone): Why kill time playing Angry Birds when you can earn cash by reviewing it? There's no need to leave the house: This app rewards users for their opinions about downloaded apps or videos about apps. But there aren't enough free app review tasks available yet to earn rewards. It takes 1,750 points to get $5 on PayPal, but if you completed every free review currently in the app, you would only get 640 points. There are points rewarded for downloading paid apps, and as of now, a user would have to pay to download four 99-cent apps and review them to reach that $5 PayPal prize -- not worth the time. If you have faith and patience, you can sign up to receive e-mail alerts when there's a new app or video to review. To see more of The Miami Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.herald.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Miami Herald Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]