The Microsoft Rewards programme - formerly known as Bing Rewards - has launched in the United Kingdom, bringing the opportunity for those who use the company"s services and purchase its products to collect points that can be redeemed in exchange for a range of rewards.
"There are thousands of Rewards available to you," Microsoft says, "from music, to apps, to sweepstakes, and more - all from Microsoft. Once you have enough points to snag what you want, each of those eligible rewards will light up for redemption on your Rewards page." It added:
Whether you’re renting a movie, buying a game, or purchasing a new Surface, earn points with purchases from the Windows, Xbox and Microsoft stores.
Along with purchases, members can also earn points from searching and browsing the web using Microsoft"s Bing search engine and Edge browser, for a total of "up to £20,000 spending per year".
On its Rewards site, Microsoft said that you"ll "earn at least 1 point for every £1 spent", although it clarified that the "Surface Hub is excluded from this program".
When you first sign up to Microsoft Rewards, you"ll get an onboarding tour introducing you to the program, and offering you 50 points for proceeding through it.
The tour highlights the opportunities for earning...
...and some of the opportunities for redeeming the points that you"ll earn.
The tour ends with the promise of a "special bonus offer", before taking you to your Rewards dashboard.
The dashboard provides an overview of your current points total, your next Rewards status level, and the ability to set a goal. The first time that you do this, you"ll get a bonus to help accelerate your earnings.
You"ll see other opportunities to earn too, including special challenges, quizzes, shopping deals, and other features that will help you to top up your points total. You can also choose to donate your points to a good cause, and "for a limited time", Microsoft will match your donation.
The options to redeem your points will depend on how many points you have available, but examples include Xbox promo codes, Skype credit, Windows Store gift cards, Groove Music Pass, and more.
Microsoft Rewards members will also be able to enter sweepstakes and competitions that aren"t available elsewhere.
Source: Microsoft Rewards | Hat-tip to Michael West (@itsmichaelwest)!