Bumped App Shutting Down

Update 12/19/22: Bumped sent out an email today that they are shutting down and all brokerage accounts will be have their custody taken over by their host, Apex.

Update 10/29/20: This is now live.

Update 9/30/20: Looks like Bumped is moving towards a shopping portal style rather than a card linked program. Probably makes it completely useless.

Update 8/14/19: Uber and Lyft added. Hat tip reader BF

Update 8/13/19: Kroger & Albertsons added and offering 0.5%. Hat tip to GC Galore

Bumped Rewards App

Direct Link to Bumped

The Bumped app is another one of many card link programs where users earn rewards when shopping at many various retailers by linking your accounts and cards. The twist with Bumped is that you earn stock instead of cash back. As an example, when you shop at Walmart, you’ll earn 1% back in Walmart stock.

You can only pick one store within a category to get rewards in. You can only change your choice of merchant with-in a category ONCE PER MONTH, and only a few times per year. So choose wisely! You can use these saved offers both online and in-store.

Available Retailers

Below are all available retailers, separated by category. Again, you only get one store per category. Bear in mind, the rates listed below are meant as a sample only; rates can always change, plus, some readers are seeing different rates.

  • Burgers
    • 3% Jack in the Box
    • 3% McDonald’s
    • 3% Wendy’s
  • Club Warehouse
    • 3% Sam’s Club
  • Coffee
    • 3% Starbucks
  • Drug Stores
    • 1% Walgreens
    • 1% CVS
  • Family Dining
    • 2% Applebee’s
    • 2% Chili’s
    • 2% Olive Garden
    • 2% Red Robin
  • Grocery
    • 1% Kroger (entire family of Kroger stores seems to work for this)
  • Home Improvement
    • 1% Lowe’s
    • 1% Home Depot
  • Mexican Food
    • 2% Chipotle
    • 2% Taco Bell
  • Music Subscriptions
    • 1% Sirius XM
    • 1% Spotify
  • Pizza
    • 5% Domino’s
    • 1% Papa John’s
    • 2% Pizza Hut
  • Superstores
    • 1% Target
    • 1% Walmart
  • Telecommunications
    • .5% AT&T
    • .5% T-Mobile
    • .5% Verizon
  • Video Subscriptions
    • 1% Netflix
    • 5% Sling TV
  • Vineyards
    • 1% Willamette Valley Vineyards

Signup Process

To signup for the Bumped app, you’ll first input your email address to join a ‘waitlist’, and eventually you’ll get an email allowing you to join.

There is no sort of signup bonus or referral offer to sign up for Bumped.

Privacy and Security

In order to use Bumped, you’ll have to both link a card account AND open a brokerage account. Linking an account will require giving your login credentials of the bank (not just entering a card number). Bumped uses Plaid for this process. Bumped will have access to your transactions.

You’ll also have to open a brokerage account with Bumped since rewards are earned as fractional stocks shares in the given companies. This will require inputting your personal information like Social Security Number.

Stack with Other Apps

Many of our readers use multiple cash back apps, and even try stacking the deal by earning rewards from various apps with a single purchase. It’s an art to know which rewards programs stack and which don’t, and we take a stab at clarifying those details in our post Complete List of Card-Linked Reward Programs.

So, does Bumped stack ____? Readers indicate that Bumped stacks with all other programs.

FAQ

Here’s an FAQ, adapted from reader Ben’s excellent summary:

  • Q: Can you link VGC or MCGC?
    A: Nope, just your bank credit and debit cards (transactions must be run as credit).
  • Q: Can you buy gift cards?
    A: The term exclude it, occasionally they’ll enforce the ‘no gift cards’ rule for large purchases.
  • Q: What are the limits?
    A: $200/Merchant/Year ($20,000 at a 1% store like Target/Walmart/CVS/Walgreens). Note, that because there isn’t a weekly limit this works out better if you do a larger purchase like buying a TV.
  • Q: Does this work for monthly subscriptions for Telecommunications or just 1-time purchases?
    A: It works for everything! Great way to get a completely passive 0.5% back on your phone bill.
  • Q: What are the downsides?
    A: Unfortunately, because you have to open a brokerage account to use Bumped, you’ll have to pay taxes on your earnings. I haven’t cashed out yet so I do NOT have any further experience or knowledge in this (please ask your tax professional).

Our Verdict

Lots of readers have been telling us about Bumped as another valuable card-link program with many top retailers in the Bumped system, and I’ve been meaning to do a write-up on this for quite some time. I’m not entirely sure what they gain by giving us stock instead of cashback, maybe they think people won’t withdraw the funds as fast and they keep the float. Let us know in the comments below if you find Bumped worthwhile.

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138 Comments
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bbmak
bbmak (@guest_1613383)
May 6, 2023 14:43

I just got access to my Bumped account via APEX, and I am unable to liquidate my account, and also, I got hit by $15 admin fee. Anybody has the issue?

Midnight
Midnight (@guest_1641773)
June 25, 2023 21:01

Had this issue…. Basically they took the entire account balance.

Midnight
Midnight (@guest_1652884)
July 13, 2023 08:26

Update: I complained to Finra (Apex Regulator) and received and was told I would be mailed a $20 check.

bbmak
bbmak (@guest_1667913)
August 7, 2023 10:57

are you able to talk to APEX clearing and get the money back? I still heard nothing from APEX clearing. I am going to file a complaint to FINRA as well.

Al
Al (@guest_1675909)
August 20, 2023 01:23

How did you do to access your account ?

bbmak
bbmak (@guest_1686763)
September 6, 2023 01:26
  Al

Go to APEXClearing website and create an ID, it will ask you the account number, the account number basically your bumped statement account number.

Also, I am pretty sure most of the people accounts are $0 now. APEX Clearing is robbing all the users by adding monthly admin fees there, and they make withdrawal process extremely long and complicated. I tried to call them, and the guy tells me that they don’t accept withdrawal request from phone. You have to submit a ticket with withdrawal form and a photo ID.

I suggest everyone who wants their money back should go check your account now. Also, I would file a FINRA complaint as well.

Alex
Alex (@guest_1573317)
March 9, 2023 19:47

Anyone gotten an email from Apex? I know I haven’t.

Jason
Jason (@guest_1514786)
December 19, 2022 23:39

Out 1.66 ouch

Joe
Joe (@guest_1514759)
December 19, 2022 23:02

They shut me down quick for MS behavior. Weird that other apps that paid on MS for a long time, like Dosh, have survived while these apps failed.

ZC
ZC (@guest_1514669)
December 19, 2022 21:20

I don’t even know how to get the stocks or the money out of this? Does anyone know how?

Slowbrake
Slowbrake (@guest_1514703)
December 19, 2022 21:54
  ZC

Email says in 30 days APEX will either liquidate or transfer/ACAT them out for you (DTC number 0158, if that means anything). I imagine APEX will contact through email, but I dunno.

I can’t get into the app to check – either the servers are dead or overwhelmed.

It’s been 15 years – almost a literal generation – since startups had to make money. Silicon VC need return on real capital now, the era of angel investing for social capital is dead. Thanks for your service bumped.

parkdanil
parkdanil (@guest_1514758)
December 19, 2022 23:00
  ZC

We’ll have to wait for Apex to start sending out emails next month to see how to get our stocks. If we try to transfer them now, there is a $75 fee, and not all brokerages will accept fraction shares.

Kris
Kris (@guest_1514645)
December 19, 2022 20:43

Another one bumped the dust.

Ryan Goldstein
Ryan Goldstein (@guest_1514659)
December 19, 2022 21:07

They sent an email with subject “Retiring Bumped Rewards Program”, received it about an hour ago:

https://i.imgur.com/leuv2Pa.png
https://i.imgur.com/DZw9pKg.png
https://i.imgur.com/ErACj8z.png
https://i.imgur.com/BANk0eb.png

Tyler
Tyler (@guest_1405786)
July 7, 2022 12:16

Bumped is killing off their apps and card-linked Loyalty rewards https://twitter.com/bumped/status/1545067889689890816

Davis
Davis (@guest_1366201)
April 15, 2022 14:47

There are currently (4) $1 learn and earn videos (no quizzes). Here are the current linked card cashbacks.

Choose one of the following:
3% at L’Occitane en Provence, 1% at Bluemercury, The Body Shop, The Vitamin Shoppe

Choose one of the following:
1% at Aeropostale, Carhartt, H&M, Levi’s, Tailored Brands, The Gap

Choose one of the following:
3% at ASICS, 1% at Athleta, Finish Line, JackRabbit, Lids, Moosejaw, Olympia Sports

Choose one of the following:
1% at BJ’s Wholesale, Sam’s Club

Choose one of the following:
1% at Burger King, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Domino’s, Jack in the Box, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Wendy’s

Choose one of the following:
1% at BP, Chevron, Lyft, Shell, Uber

Choose one of the following:
1% at Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, Sirius XM Satellite Radio, Sling TV, Spotify

Choose one of the following:
1% at Dunkin’, Starbucks

1% at PetSmart, Sunbasket, Willamette Valley Vineyards

Jason
Jason (@guest_1274494)
October 28, 2021 20:42

I got a snail mail “loyalty is back.’ $10 in stock postcard after ignoring them for a very long time (no linked card, no portal usage). I went ahead and linked a card and did a transaction about a week ago. Nothing posted yet, but who knows, they might be worth looking at again. The merchant list seems pretty limited now, maybe it will grow. They were not able to link Amex cards when I tried.

Slowbrake
Slowbrake (@guest_1248766)
September 4, 2021 19:55

Any stories on shutdowns?

I’m going full hog and, being stocks, this seems a little different than the typical ‘points aren’t real, so we don’t owe you anything’