Shopkick was introduced to me by a friend around two years ago. Every time you invite a friend who isn’t a member of Shopkick you get kicks also known as points. What for? You’ll find out. Since then I started telling my friends, my mom and even my sisters’ friends about the app. There are several other ways to earn kicks: walking into stores, scanning products in said stores, and purchasing something from those stores. Now, I’m not just talking about any store. Don’t go to the Wal-mart 10 miles away from you when it specifically tells you it’s the Wal-Mart that’s 0.2 miles away. Going to malls or outlet stores is the best way to earn points because there would be too many stores you could go to.

Unfortunately, I’m not much of a shopper since I don’t get allowance or have a job. So, I don’t go to the mall every weekend. When I do, I try not to forget to open the app, turn on bluetooth and location, and awkwardly walk in and out of entrances. (Wait for it to tell you that you have received your kicks.) That’s another thing, if your phone has poor standby power, it won’t last long. There is also a barcode scanner to scan specific products that are shown although sometimes those products aren’t in the store. There are also instances where it says you scanned it wrong or it’s the wrong product. Just scan it again or maybe it is the wrong product; you have to read the specific brand. The last way to get those points is purchasing products through credit cards.

Now, what is the purpose of the kicks? You can redeem rewards! This is where it gets challenging because you can choose from so many. Trade in your kicks for gift cards ranging from $2-$25 (i.e. Starbucks, Target, American Eagle, Nike, Sephora… you name it!) That’s not all! For tens or hundreds of thousands of kicks, you can get a TV, something from Tiffany&Co., an iPad Air, even gas! For millions of kicks, you can get a motorcycle or hitch a ride on the Princess Cruise (In dollars, the cruise would cost almost $23,000). You’d have to do a lot of walking and scanning and buying, and it could take forever… unless you like the mall. If you like scavenger hunts or holiday shopping, this is the best app for you and you get these amazing rewards. In the end, you didn’t pay for a anything.

Shopkick notifies you if you’re close to a store and tells you how much kicks are available. It can get annoying sometimes when you drive by stores everyday. In the app, they show you what’s on sale and great deals.

TIP: If you’re trying to waste time, tap on some of the deals, scroll to the bottom and ‘tap for a surprise’. You get a kick.

If you do download the app, don’t forget to give me your name so I can invite you and get myself some Beats. I’m only 48,000 kicks away! Now you know what you’re going to do the next time you go to the mall.