MyPoints is one of the most popular rewards programs for secondary income-seekers looking to earn cashback because of its wide variety of point-earning options, like scanning your grocery receipts, surveys and games. It’s free to sign up for and you can potentially earn cash back on purchases you’d be making anyway on shopping at popular retailers like Target and Amazon.
With over 500 financial service reviews published since 2006, our editorial team has decades of experience researching and giving honest reviews on the best personal finance products. We tried out MyPoints for a month to see how legitimate it is and share details with you. This is what we think you should know.
MyPoints is definitely one of the better rewards programs to sign up for and one of the most popular options for secondary income-seekers Earn earn rewards by taking surveys, watching videos, playing games and much more.
You can redeem your earned points through PayPal, on airline miles, or for gift cards at your favorite stores.
- Easy-to-use free mobile app
- Low-barrier for redemption
- Variety of methods to earn points
- May not be able to take all the surveys
- Some offers can be redundant
My experience using MyPoints
MyPoints is a legitimate app to make money and take surveys that has been actively rewarding users for their participation for over a quarter of a century. It’s consistently considered one of the best survey sites to make money with over 20 million active members currently. What’s more, the online reviews for this site are generally positive and online communities around MyPoints are pretty active. All this gives MyPoints a lot of clout and earned credibility, which is a good thing in this industry.
MyPoints is much more than just an online survey factory. In fact, there are multiple ways for you to earn rewards points such as watching videos, shopping through the partner sites, and even playing video games. MyPoints has a lot more to offer its members than most online survey programs that offer ways to make online income.
MyPoints signup process
MyPoints signup is relatively fast and free. In theory, you’ll answer a few basic questions like your birthdate, email address, and zip code. Once you do this, you’ll receive a confirmation email that lets you pick an account password and get things rolling.
Unfortunately, I had a rough time with this process. That may possibly be through fault of my own because my VPN was acting up. I couldn’t log into my account initially. Fortunately, MyPoints customer support was able to walk me through the problem, and I didn’t have any issues after. The takeaway here was that, despite my issues, customer service was present to assist.
» Sign-up offer: Join MyPoints today using our link to get $5 after you take your first 5 surveys.
MyPoints user experience
Overall, I was very happy with the user experience of MyPoints.
The site is well-designed and laid out in a clean, uncomplicated manner. I liked this a lot because many other online rewards programs I’ve tested out are far too cluttered, noisy, and confusing. So, they just end up overwhelming your senses trying to get you to click and giving very little value in return. MyPoints has the latest promotions featured front and center, and you can find other deals in the navigation bar easily enough above.
Using the service itself was also a pleasant experience. I was able to sign up for a variety of deals that let me earn points pretty quickly.
What’s more, MyPoints has two great mobile apps that are compatible with iOS and Android devices. This is an important feature for a rewards program since the majority of members would like to earn points while on the go.
The mobile app provides members with a convenient way of making use of these ample opportunities. Oh, and by the way, you’ll earn 100 points automatically just for downloading the app.
MyPoints pros & cons
Pros
- Great mobile app — Their mobile app is easy to use so you can earn cash on your phone or on the web.
- Easy redemption methods — You can redeem your rewards points typically once you get 700 points depending on the retailer. This is equal to a $5 gift card in most cases.
- Multiple methods of earning rewards points — You can earn rewards easily, through taking surveys, watching videos, and more.
- Excellent features for a good user experience — Their customer support team is helpful, and was easily able to resolve the issues I personally had.
Cons
- You may not be able to take all the surveys — Many surveys have disqualification terms though MyPoints may still give you a bonus.
- Redundant offers — I found that I sometimes received the same offer multiple times.
How do you earn points with MyPoints?
Another major benefit of using MyPoints is the points earning system. It’s not just an online survey system. Rather, MyPoints offers several ways for you to earn your rewards points.
Shop online
MyPoints is connected with over 1,900 participating retailers. Check out MyPoints first and see if a retailer you’re looking to make a purchase from or if you’re not looking for a specific retailer you can see what MyPoints’ partners are offering. Then make a purchase through the connected link and get the advertised points. You can also apply relevant coupons for each retailer if one is available.
Taking online surveys
Take a survey with MyPoints to answer questions and share your experience on a variety of topics to earn up to 2,200 points per a survey.
MyPoints will send you rewards every time you complete a survey. You may also still get a bonus even if you don’t qualify for a specific survey. That’s not something a lot of other survey sites do.
Magic Receipts
Magic Receipts through MyPoints lets you turn any receipt into cash. Check out their Magic Receipts drop-down to see offers (like $0.50 off bananas) and add them to your list after checking out participating stores. Then get cash for your purchases after submitting your receipts. Those bananas end up tasting a lot better.
Additional ways to earn with MyPoints
- Watching online videos.
- Deals and sign-up offers.
- Playing video games.
- Using the MyPoints Yahoo! Search engine.
- Reading promotional emails.
- Referring a friend to the program.
- Participating in local deals and voucher offers.
What’s really nice about this list is that it has something for everyone. You can choose the deal or program that you like best and earn points in a comfortable venue that’s congruous with your personality and likes. There’s even a Daily Goal that’s promoted personalized to you with specific bonuses associated with it.
Outstanding MyPoints features
There were several features that stood out in my mind that differentiated MyPoints from other sites of this ilk I’ve tried. Here are a few of them:
Score!
Score! is MyPoints’ built-in browser bar. Basically, you’ll use this when shopping online, and your MyPoints account will automatically be credited with points based on your purchase.
It’s an excellent feature because most people don’t remember to use their MyPoints accounts when shopping. Score! also gives you coupons, deals, and the latest promos, making it easier and faster to earn rewards points.
Daily deals
I liked the Daily Deals feature very much. This highlights the days biggest promotions available through MyPoints so you don’t miss out.
It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of some promo sites, but it gives members an easy way to earn more points quickly. And that’s really the whole point, isn’t it?
Shop in-store
Another feature I found extremely helpful was the Shop In-Store option. This is basically a really simple way for you to redeem your MyPoints rewards points.
If you are shopping in a participating store, you can just scan the receipt with your smartphone and pay for the purchase using MyPoints rewards points. That is a tremendous opportunity that most rewards redemption policies don’t have on offer.
Redeeming your points with MyPoints
Gift cards are the usual redemption option with MyPoints, but we’ve found MyPoints to be pretty versatile when it comes to redemptions.
Gift cards
You can redeem your rewards points once you get 700 points with MyPoints, depending on the retailer. This is equal to a $5 gift card in most cases.
That’s a pretty low bar considering the competition. What’s even more impressive is that some of the deals will let you use your rewards points immediately. So, you can take a survey and cash out on the spot. That’s a useful policy.
More MyPoints redemption options
MyPoints rewards points may be redeemed in a number of ways in addition to gift cards including:
- Redeem points for real money by transferring them to your PayPal or Visa prepaid account and then to your bank account.
- Convert points to airline miles with United MileagePlus accounts.
- Shop at participating stores including major brands like Kohl’s, Old Navy, Target, Walmart, and more.
If you click on ‘All Rewards’ you will see what options are specifically avaliable to you based on your pint balance and what MyPoints may be currently offering. You can filter Gift Cards (blue) or eGift Card (green), for example, and sort them alphabetically by partners.
Why you should use MyPoints
You should use MyPoints if you’re looking for additional income that will count as secondary income for you or if you’re still in college and want a few bucks. MyPoints will never equate to what someone would earn full-time but can bring in a small amount of income you not have brought in without it. That income – since you wouldn’t technically have had it – can be put away like you never had it or used for fun activities like an occasionally Friday night pizza with the family.
Use MyPoints if you don’t mind taking surveys or planned to shop at some of the participating retailers anyway. Or, if you spotted some cool coupons (like those delicious, delicious discounted bananas I mentioned) and don’t mind submitting receipts.
Why you might not want to use MyPoints
I repeat — MyPoints will not work out for you as a sole source of income. It’s for secondary income-seekers. Your time can be better spent searching for a main full-time source of income. You may not want to use MyPoints if it’s going to deter, for example, a job search.
MyPoints is also not for users who are not interested in any of the earning opportunities or do not want to be bothered submitting receipts for those associated tasks.
Frequently asked questions about MyPoints
Here are some common questions you may have about MyPoints.
Is MyPoints legit?
Yes, MyPoints is a legitimate and real rewards platform to earn redeemable rewards by taking surveys and completing other activities. MyPoints has a long history spanning back to 1996.
Is MyPoints safe to use?
MyPoints is safe to use noted by its 4.4 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot and over 20 million active members.
Is MyPoints worth it?
MyPoints is worth it if you were going to shop at participating retailers or purchase relevant products. MyPoints can be worth it for those with free time seeking additional or a secondary income by completing activities, like surveys, for redeemable rewards.
The competition
If you prefer something like MyPoints or want to consider other apps to make money fast online, these are some competitors in the same field as MyPoints.
MyPoints vs Swagbucks
Swagbucks is our favorite app to make money on-the-go. Like MyPoints, Swagbucks offers the ability to take surveys, play games and earn.
Swagbucks is perhaps the web’s no. 1 venue for taking surveys, watching videos, and playing games for cash online. The platform is well-built, well-reviewed, and available for Android, iOS, and through your internet browser.
- Earn cashback with your daily routine
- Multiple ways to earn
- Free to join
- May not qualify for all activities
- Can be time consuming
Swagbucks and MyPoints are actually owned by the same parent company but operate as two totally different reward programs. They both, however, can provide you with extra money you would not have had otherwise for taking surveys or completing activities you might have anyway. Swagbucks is the most popular of the two and according to users offers easier rewards.
MyPoints vs InboxDollars
InboxDollars is another option that lets you earn up to a few bucks an hour at your own schedule.
InboxDollars is a free app that offers a variety of ways to make money fast including surveys that pay between $0.50 and $5, earning cash back for playing games. You can even get paid for receiving and reading certain emails.
- Earn cash, not points
- Totally free; no risk to sign up
- Not everyone will qualify for highest-paid surveys
InboxDollars offers the ability to earn with an extensive library of gaming options (we’re partial to sudoku), videos and of course surveys. You might typically rake in up to $2 an hour so it works out great if these include activities you were going to take part in anyway.
Note that there is a minimum threshold to reach before you can redeem with InboxDollars that is typically higher than both MyPoints or Swagbucks.
Summary: Is MyPoints legit?
MyPoints is definitely one of the better rewards programs to sign up for. Granted, there are a few drawbacks such as not being eligible for all surveys, and caps on the amount of points you can earn per day in certain categories that may apply.
But even with these drawbacks, MyPoints still came out looking good. There are several ways to earn points, the redemption policy is flexible and customer-centric, and you can redeem your rewards points in a variety of ways.
If my experience with MyPoints is anything like the general public’s, this is a great opportunity for people to earn with little effort required. Try it yourself for free and don’t miss out on some extra cash.