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What Is Earn by Microsoft?
Earn is a new offering by Microsoft that is currently in open beta. It’s a coalition loyalty program (similar to American Express’ new Plenti program), which means that purchases you make at a variety of different retailers will earn the same loyalty points. The basic idea is that you link your debit and credit cards to Earn, then when you make purchases at participating merchants with those cards and then you’ll receive Earn credits.
At the moment only Visa & MasterCard cards can be added. They also have plans to allow users to be able to add American Express cards ‘very shortly’. There is no word on when Discover cards might be able to be added, if at all.
How Much Will You Earn?
The amount of earn credits that you’ll receive depends on the merchant, but there is a minimum of 5% and maximum of 10%. This is in addition to whatever credit card points (and loyalty points) your card normally earns. This means there is no downside in enrolling your cards (although there is a very limited risk of a security breach).
Note: Earning is currently restricted to Arizona, Massachusetts, and Washington
The amount you earned is based on the total amount charged on your card which is inclusive of tax, tip and shipping.
Current Partners
To begin with Earn has partnered with the following merchants:
Referral Program – $10 Free Sign Up
Earn also offers a referral program, for every person you sign up that makes at least one Earn transaction you’ll receive $5 and they’ll receive $10. You can post your referral link in the comments below, on one condition: you must provide something of value in addition to your referral link. If you don’t provide anything of value in your comment, I’ll simply remove your link.
Redeeming Earn Credits
Your Earn Credits can only be redeemed at local Microsoft stores and currently only in Arizona, Massachusetts, and Washington. Presumably you’ll also be able to redeem them online and in other states at some point in the future as well.
To use your credits you simply need to use the card that is enrolled in Earn by Microsoft to make a purchase at your local Microsoft store. 100% of your Earn balance will be applied to the purchase and will show as a statement credit on your card statement.
Limitations
There are a number of limitations to Earn which make it not as good as it looks at first glance. I’ve included them below:
- People have reported receiving warning e-mails about purchasing cash equivalents (e.g Visa gift cards) using enrolled cards.
What is interesting about the above is that the fine print states:
Microsoft reserves the right not to provide or to reverse Earn Credits for purchases of prepaid debit cards, money orders, gift cards, cash equivalents, and for items that are returned
Yet people have been earning Earn Credits on these purchases, but they were simply warned not to do it again. It would’ve made more sense to just disallow the points that were earned instead.
- You’re limited to earning $2,000 in Earn credits per calendar year
- Points expire one year after they’ve been earned (first in, first out)
- Card’s cannot be enrolled in Rewards Network and this program. If they are enrolled with Rewards Network you won’t earn Earn credits.
- Transactions where a PIN is entered do not earn points. This seems particularly limited given the impending liability shift in October (although this is just for EMV cards, so not a lot of merchants will require PIN – but it will be a gradual process over the coming years).
- Earn credits can only currently be redeemed at Microsoft stores in Arizona, Massachusetts, and Washington
Final Thoughts
Not being able to earn points on gift card purchases is a real downer, especially if it’s being enforced. That being said if you make regular every day purchases at these merchants and don’t participate in the Rewards Network, then this is a good option for you to get an additional 5-10% in Microsoft credit back on those purchases. It’s also kind of annoying that there is a $2,000 calendar year limit and points expire after one year, although that means you could have $4,000 in your account at one time which should be more than enough for even the largest Microsoft purchase.
I like this program a lot more than the American Express offering, the earning rates are much higher and there is less fluff. Being limited to local Microsoft stores is a bit limiting, but they’ve also partnered with places I actually shop at rather than Plenti’s partners.
Hat tip to View From The Wing via Miles Per Day
Microsoft Earn referral: https://www.earnbymicrosoft.com/?borrfc=r_F7F
Be warned: Starbucks in airports and grocery stores don’t count at all!
Full details: “Earn 5% on purchases at your local Starbucks store. Earn 10% when you reload your Starbucks Card online. Not valid at Starbucks in airports, hotels, retailers and grocery stores. “
This is only for Washington Massachusetts and Arizona, even “National” brands such as 7-11 won’t earn anything outside of these beta areas. Confirmed from their support when my transaction didn’t register in 7-11.
Please change the title
Updated title.
I signed up for this program and it is amazing. No hassle of swiping additional reward card on purchase.
All you need to do is register your card once by providing only your 16 digit card number (No CVV or expiration to be provided) and then just pay with your any bank Visa or master card as you always will. Cashback start accumulating on your account.
Using this link for signup gives you a $10 Credit. Refer you friends inturn to get $5
https://www.earnbymicrosoft.com/?borrfc=r_EOD
My referral link: https://www.earnbymicrosoft.com/?borrfc=r_EBT
Use it with Credit Card Reward Program + Store fuel rewards means more rewards!
My Referral Link: https://www.earnbymicrosoft.com/?borrfc=r_EOH
Comments: When you earn credit from dining in restaurant, this program has the potential to be combined with Rewards Network program (meaning UADining/AADining etc.) I added the same credit card to both program successfully. will update data point after try.
It would be great if you can earn both Microsoft credits and Mileage from single dine. Can’t wait to give it a try.
If you read the post you’ll see that it specifically states that you can’t be in both programs at once (it’ll let you enroll, you just won’t earn Earn by Microsoft points).
My referral link: https://www.earnbymicrosoft.com/?borrfc=r_EOJ
This is going to be great for those with GiftCardMall at Whole Foods:
Whole Foods has a pilot program with Blackhawk in about 50 stores, Patrick Cronin, Blackhawk’s vice president of finance , told IBD.
Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/blackhawk-wins-in-gift-cards-e-cards-next-cm476267#ixzz3hsMYEHKT
For those living outside of the states listed, you don’t earn any points. I live in California and bought a few vanilla gift cards at 7-11 and did not receive any points. I think its only limited to those people who live in WA, AZ, MA.
You are correct – only available for WA, AZ, and MA. Should update the title to reflect this information.
Did you try purchasing anything else? Maybe they got the cash equivalents to code correctly to not earn points.
Found this: http://imgur.com/IMpoWZ4
Apparently only Starbucks works in CA for now – others have confirmed it works for Starbucks in CA but not Whole Foods or 7-11 yet.
I was really excited to test this when I heard about it last week.
Unfortunately, it seems to be a sham.
I did trial purchases at Starbucks, Whole Foods and 7-Eleven in Massachusetts.
Although some purchases tracked initially none have posted and now they’re not even pending.
I’ll keep an eye on it, but I don’t think this is going to work for me.
I’d like to update my previous comment asserting this program is a sham.
My pending transactions that disappeared did indeed eventually show up in my account.
The only problem I have now is that 7-Eleven locations in MA evidently aren’t in their system.
So I haven’t pressed it there.
But for now it does appear to work as they say it does otherwise.
Seems like it’s a good way to earn additional cashback at merchants you’d actually use.
But I can’t say personally yet whether large transactions draw unwanted attention.
My referral link: https://www.earnbymicrosoft.com/?borrfc=r_EO6
Comment: I think most people are already aware of this, but in case some don’t, you can get vanilla gift cards at 7-11 stores without pump and it codes as gas. You need to look around to find one that will allow you to pay by credit card. But if you do, chase freedom is offering 5% on gas this quarter, which will be a valuable double dip.
Also a question: Per the language of the terms, do people outside these 3 states earn credits at all?
“National brands
Receive 5% to 10% in Earn Credits when you use your enrolled cards at any of these participating merchants (Arizona, Massachusetts, and Washington only).”
Since you can’t have this and rewards network, it comes down to would I rather have miles or Microsoft credits. I’m leaning towards the miles.