Latest from Windows Central in Microsoft-rewards

“It’s your Rewards birthday” — Microsoft rolls out a Birthday Boost with bonus points and a push to re‑engage users

Jennifer Young — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:43:53 +0000

I'm losing track of all the changes and shake-ups with Microsoft Rewards lately, but this latest update seems to be at least a positive and more personal one.

Alongside the news that we can finally spend points directly on the Xbox dashboard, Microsoft has rolled out a new Birthday Gift feature. Free points for aging? At least there is one upside.

Microsoft Rewards birthday bonus and how it works

Use your Microsoft Reward points to buy gift cards, enter competitions or even better, buy more games. (Image credit: Microsoft)

The feature went live on Monday April 20 and was spotted by a redditor but comes with a specific set of rules that you'll want to track if you're planning on taking advantage of a birthday splurge in Microsofts store.

According to the Microsoft Rewards FAQ , the gift isn't a simple point drop.

"During your birthday week (Monday - Sunday), eligible Rewards members will receive a special birthday gift.

You can earn 2x Rewards points on eligible games and add-ons purchased from the Store during this week. The points earned during this time can be claimed the week following your birthday.

Check the Rewards hub to see what's available for you."

Essentially, Microsoft is giving you a week-long window to double your earnings on digital content. If you've been eyeing a new release, your birthday week is a good time to pull the trigger.

It's a bit of a three-step dance, though. First you need to check the Rewards hub during your birthday month to see the offer on the dashboard. Next, you have to make the purchases during your birthday week, which Microsoft defines strictly as Monday through Sunday. Finally, you don't get those bonus points instantly; you have to return to the Rewards Hub the following week to claim them.

How to activate your Microsoft Rewards Birthday Bonus

Step 1 - Head to the Rewards Hub on your birthday month and find the offer to opt in.
Step 2 - Go on a shopping spree but ONLY during the Monday to Sunday period where your birthday falls.
Step 3 - Head back to the Rewards Hub the week AFTER to claim your extra points.

I do wonder why they have made it so convoluted. In the UK, for example, I get a flat double points bonus on my Boots card (drugstore) during my birthday month. It's no extra work and a passive bonus. It doesn't need to be that deep, Microsoft!

Either way, points hunters who make an effort to clear their dashboards each day will enjoy the opportunity to earn more points, and the 2x multiplier is generous if you can be bothered to jump through the hoops.

The other fine print

Head to the Microsoft Rewards Hub to see what you can redeem (Image credit: Windows Central)

The offer cannot be combined with other Rewards promotions, and monthly earning limits still apply.

This means if you’ve already hit your cap for the month through other activities, the birthday bonus might not be as lucrative as you’d hope.

Additionally, point values will still fluctuate based on your local currency and your current Rewards level.

The Senior Software Engineer for Microsoft Rewards did comment on the thread to say "this one was a shocking amount of work" and how excited the team is to release it, so I hope plenty of users still take advantage of the offer even with the required admin.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

“Coming soon”: It looks like you'll finally be able to spend Microsoft Rewards directly on your Xbox console

Adam Hales — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:06:30 +0000

Microsoft Rewards has gone through some changes recently, with a big update to the program that first rolled out in select regions and is now expanding more globally. It also looks like Xbox console users will soon get a small but meaningful upgrade, with the ability to spend reward points directly on console.

The feature is currently labelled as coming soon on Microsoft’s own Xbox Rewards site, so it is unclear exactly when it will arrive. Still, it is a nice addition.

The feature itself will allow users to seemingly spend their reward points when making purchases on console.

I have mentioned before that I do not personally use Microsoft Rewards. That is not because I do not like free things but more because the program often gets mixed feedback. Many users have raised concerns about how points are awarded, especially around the Bing Star Bonus.

Xbox users haven't been able to use Rewards points on the console in the past. (Image credit: Microsoft)

I wasn’t familiar with Bing Star Bonus myself, but after looking into it, it appears to be a newer perk introduced in April 2026. It claims users can earn up to 2,100 points per month from daily Bing searches, depending on their Rewards level. However, many users say they are unable to reach that full amount, even when following Microsoft’s own guidelines.

Hopefully that is something Microsoft can address, as a lot of people rely on Rewards to help cover the cost of Game Pass or reduce the price of games they want, among other things.

Alongside the broader rollout of the Rewards overhaul, Microsoft has also recently reverted changes to daily set points, effectively backtracking a previous increase.

As I mentioned, I don’t personally use Microsoft Rewards. I do game and get the, you’ve just earned rewards popup, but I rarely redeem them, mostly because I forget.

So for me, it would be nice if things like that were at least auto-redeemed, but that might be a bit much to ask.

Anyway, enough about me. I’d like to hear from you. Does this update, letting you use Rewards directly on Xbox, interest you, or are you like me and don’t really bother with it? Let me know in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

“Yeah… it’s not so good,” as Microsoft confirms major Rewards changes in May and what it means for anyone who relies on daily point earning

Adam Hales — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 13:29:33 +0000

Microsoft Rewards has been going through some changes lately, from quietly increasing Xbox gift card costs to reversing daily set point changes just two weeks ago, effectively backtracking earlier decisions.

Now, however, it looks like Microsoft Rewards is getting something of a makeover, with three new membership levels, more ways to earn, and additional perks.

Microsoft Rewards has been around since 2010, originally launching as Bing Rewards before being rebranded in 2016. In 2018, it merged with Xbox Live Rewards, and since then, the service has largely remained the same, at least on the surface.

I’ll preface this by saying parts of this system have been around in some regions for a while. However, more users are now starting to see it roll out globally. With that in mind, let’s start with the biggest change, the new membership tiers.

Microsoft Rewards updates (Image credit: u/Typical-Chair-8693 on Reddit)

Users will now see three levels: Member, Silver, and Gold. I’ll be honest, calling the first-tier member instead of Bronze feels a bit odd, but that’s what Microsoft has gone with.

Alongside that, users can expect more ways to earn points, including monthly bonuses. Those who reach Gold status could earn up to 7x more points, depending on how the system is structured.

That’s everything confirmed for now. However, not everyone is sold on the update. Over on Reddit, some users who have already had access to this system for a while have been fairly critical, with one user stating, “It's been rolling out to different countries for over a year. Yeah, it's not so good.”

From what I can gather, this system has already been available in regions like Mexico. As of now, it appears to be expanding further, with users in Germany, France, Thailand, and the United Kingdom beginning to see the changes roll out.

Given that these updates have been floating around for a year or so now, there’s nothing particularly surprising here. That said, seeing users call the update “not so good” doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence.

With that in mind, let me know your thoughts on these changes to Microsoft Rewards. Do you like them, dislike them, or not care at all? Drop a comment and take part in our poll!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Microsoft quietly raises Rewards points cost for Xbox gift cards — UK, US and more affected

Adam Hales — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 20:48:19 +0000

Microsoft Rewards has long been one of the few goodwill offerings from Microsoft. It was slightly revamped around the time of the Game Pass price hikes, seemingly to soften the blow of that steep increase.

Now, that once too-good-to-be-true Rewards program has quietly raised prices in the US and UK. Users on Reddit first noticed the change, with TrueAchievements later reporting that costs have increased by more than 5%.

Microsoft quietly raises Xbox gift card redemption costs

Microsoft Rewards Points (Image credit: Windows Central)

Microsoft Rewards is Microsoft’s own free program that aims to give back to users for using its various services, from Bing, Edge, Game Pass, and more.

Many used the service to redeem free gift cards and get essentially free Game Pass if you earn enough points, and now that process is being made slightly more difficult as Microsoft, without warning, has raised the prices by just shy of 5.3%, so go over just what has been changed.

Microsoft appears to have raised the points cost of Xbox gift cards by roughly 5.3% in both the US and the UK.

In the US, a $10 Xbox gift card previously cost 9,500 points with the Level 2 discount applied. It now costs 10,000 points. I do not have direct access to US pricing myself, so credit to TrueAchievements and users reporting the change for helping surface the data.

In the UK, the shift is almost identical. The £10 gift card has increased from 11,780 points to 12,400 points. Despite regional differences, it’s the same across the board, with roughly the same percentage increase.

Microsoft Rewards have quietly increases its prices again for Xbox Gift Cards in a number of regionsNew: €25 = 28,305 pointsOld: €25 = 25,735 pointsDifferent: 2,570 points or 10% increaseAlso, $10 gift card now costs 10,000 points.Source:https://t.co/0SkdjBzPBT pic.twitter.com/Sy75Nakta0February 17, 2026

For added context, Level 2 discounts apply to users who have put in the effort and reached Microsoft’s monthly threshold, which is typically 500 points.

Level 2 users earn more points per Bing search, gain access to additional earning opportunities, and receive slightly cheaper redemption rates on certain rewards.

Over to you

Have you noticed the increase in Rewards costs in your region? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and make sure to take part in our poll below:

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Microsoft Rewards teases upcoming Fall gift card sale — Why you should save your points now

sean.endicott@futurenet.com (Sean Endicott) — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 11:47:34 +0000

Microsoft just started teasing a Fall savings gift card sale that will start in October. The tech giant hasn't shared many details about the event, other than that you'll be able to use Microsoft Rewards points to receive gift cards.

If you head over to the Microsoft Rewards dashboard and navigate to "Redeem," you'll be met with a graphic for the upcoming sale. Amazon, Xbox, Starbucks, and Roblox gift cards all appear in the photo. There's also a chance other types of gift cards will be available as part of the sale.

Microsoft already lets you redeem points for gift cards, so it's safe to assume that the Fall savings sale will include better offers than what's currently available.

I suspect Microsoft Store and Xbox gift cards will provide the most value per Rewards point. Microsoft usually makes gift cards for its own services a better option.

So far, the Fall savings sale has been spotted on the Microsoft Rewards dashboard when viewed in the US and UK. I'll update this piece if we find out the sale will run in other areas.

While I generally recommend waiting until next month to redeem points for gift cards, it's worth using 1,000 points right now if you have a PC running Windows 10. You can enroll your PC into Microsoft's Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for free by using 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.

How to earn Microsoft Rewards

Microsoft Rewards points can be redeemed for gift cards and other prizes. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Microsoft Rewards is a program that allows you to exchange points for a variety of prizes. I've always used points to get gift cards, but you can also exchange points for chances to win prizes.

Offers are regionalized, so it's worth checking what's available in your area. The "rates" of exchange also change from time to time. For example, in the UK I can rent a movie through Rakuten for only 1,785 points.

There are several ways to earn Microsoft Rewards points. The easiest method is to use Bing as your search engine. You can also earn points by searching the web through the Taskbar on Windows 11 or Windows 10.

Buying qualifying items through the Microsoft Store will also earn you points. If you shop for hardware or other high-price items while signed into a Microsoft account, you can rack up points quickly.

Microsoft also has an earn page with quizzes and games that are updated daily.

There are three different levels for those who want to earn rewards, though the naming scheme is a bit strange. Microsoft breaks things down in a welcome page.

How to earn	Level 1	Level 2	Level 2 + Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Achieve a level	You are in the program. Level 1 is yours!	Earn at least 500 points per month	Earn at least 500 points per month and have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription
Daily Bing search point limit (3 points per search)	30 points max per day	150 points max per day	150 points max per day
Points earned per $ spent in Microsoft Store online	1:1	10:1	20:1
Points for exploring daily offers	✔	✔	✔
Access to exclusive member sales and discounts	--	✔	✔
Occasional surprise invites to exclusive member-only events	--	✔	✔
Up to 10% off when redeeming from Microsoft brands	--	✔	✔

As you can see, there's a massive difference in what you can earn depending on your level. The ratio of points earned on qualifying items in the Microsoft Store is the most noticeable difference. If you purchased a Surface Laptop 7 for $1,499.99 while at Level 2 + Xbox Game Pass Ultimate you would earn just under 30,000 Microsoft Rewards points. Buying the same PC while only being Level 1 would get you just $1,499 points.

Have your Microsoft Rewards points streaks been killed off on Xbox? You're not alone — but don't worry.

jez@windowscentral.com (Jez Corden) — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 20:56:08 +0000

Microsoft Rewards is one of the ecosystem's biggest unsung heroes.

When it comes to Microsoft Edge, Bing, or even Xbox, Microsoft will literally pay you to use them. If you make an account on Microsoft Rewards (using your Microsoft Account), you automatically begin accruing points when you use Microsoft Edge, do Bing searches, and even play games on Xbox Game Pass.

With those points, you can then immediately convert them into various types of rewards. You can grab vouchers for all sorts of retail stores, including Amazon in some regions. You can buy Xbox Game Pass codes using the points, and you can even buy currency in games like Diablo IV and Overwatch 2.

Microsoft offers various tasks you can complete to earn even more points. On Xbox, this usually revolves around playing games on Xbox Game Pass and similar things. If you maintain a score streak, it usually gives you multipliers that reward you with additional bonus points. However, some users began noticing today that there was a slight problem.

Some Xbox users are seeing their weekly streaks reset even after completing tasks. We’re looking into it now and will share updates as we have them. Thanks for your patience.August 5, 2025

Indeed, some Xbox users have started noticing that their weekly streaks have been resetting prematurely, even after completing tasks required. Microsoft says in the above post on X that it's investigating the error.

It's not the first time Microsoft Rewards has seen issues of this nature, but typically Microsoft has been able to reset and compensate people for losses.

It's a potentially thorny issue in essence, given that you are essentially giving Microsoft your time in exchange for a bit of cash on the side through vouchers and the like. If your time spent isn't being rewarded appropriately, then what's the point of the program in the first place?

I tend to use Microsoft Rewards to buy codes for Xbox and PC Game Pass for family members, but also buy Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV season passes.

The current score streaks on the Xbox PC app (which you can view by going to the menu, and selecting My Rewards) are: "Play a PC game," "Play Jewel in the Xbox app for mobile," and "Play a game on console." If you do all of these every day, you get bonus Microsoft reward points If you complete streaks on a weekly basis, you get even more modifiers and bonuses. You also get large bonuses for playing a variety of games in a single month, 350 points to be exact, for playing across 8 different titles.

Microsoft Edge and Bing have other types of score streaks and modifiers too, which can be viewed on the Microsoft Rewards website. It's a bit curious to me that Microsoft doesn't bake Rewards into other apps and services they have, such as the Microsoft Launcher or even things like SwiftKey, but it seems complicated enough maintaining what they already have most likely.

Either way, you can imagine how frustrating it might be if you'd worked to accumulate all of those score streaks and modifiers, only for it to be randomly wiped out due to a bug. Microsoft is on the case, at least, and we'll update you when and if a fix goes live.

Xbox Game Pass is going to be harder to pay for with Microsoft Rewards from April, it seems

richard.devine@futurenet.com (Richard Devine) — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 22:05:59 +0000

Microsoft Rewards can be a pretty lucrative program if you're firmly embedded in the company's ecosystem, including Xbox. But if you've been using it to pay for your Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, there's bad news. Microsoft is coming for (more of) your points.

As reported by Pure Xbox, Microsoft Rewards members who use the auto-redeem feature to cash in points for Game Pass subscriptions are being emailed warning of impending changes.

Per Pure Xbox, the email begins:

We wanted to let you know that we will be discontinuing Microsoft Rewards auto-redeem subscriptions for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Game Pass Core, and PC Game Pass on April 20, 2025. This change is due to a recent increase in Microsoft Rewards points needed for Xbox Game Pass subscriptions purchased with Rewards points. You can still use auto-redeem subscriptions for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Game Pass Core, and PC Game Pass, but you will need to renew your subscription by selecting a new Rewards auto-redeem option after April 20, 2025.

It's a pretty sizable increase, for sure. (Image credit: Windows Central)

I'll admit I needed to read it a couple of times because the wording isn't great. What it seems to mean is that the current auto-redeem subscription is going away, but the feature isn't being discontinued entirely. In its place, there will be a new, more expensive auto-redeem for Game Pass products.

Here in the UK, at least, those rates are already showing up. Game Pass PC is going up from 7,750 to 10,500, while Game Pass Ultimate is getting raised from 12,000 to 17,000. That's a lot.

I should also point out those are the rates I see as a level 2 member. It's safe to assume similarly hefty increases for level 1 members, albeit the actual numbers will be different.

Why is Microsoft doing this? Because they can? It won't affect me personally, as I don't earn close to enough points every month to pay for Game Pass. But I'd wager that enough folks out there are basically getting Game Pass for free every month with their points that Microsoft needs to make it harder.

After all, if you can't do it, you're more likely to pay for it with real cash, right? For now, you can still redeem at the existing rates, but if the email from the original report is accurate, you've got less than two months left.

Microsoft debuts new 'Rewards with Xbox' program, boosting the ways you can earn Microsoft Rewards pointsviagaming

Alexander Cope — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 15:16:14 +0000

Microsoft has recently made a huge announcement regarding Xbox-oriented rewards and loyalty program, which ties into the wider Microsoft Rewards ecosystem.

'Rewards with Xbox' is a free program Microsoft introduced in 2013 that allows players to earn special Microsoft Points through gaming on Xbox consoles. Players can then use these Microsoft Points to obtain free Xbox games, Xbox gift cards, additional Xbox Game Pass time, and much more via Microsoft Rewards.

However, on January 7, 2025, this program will be reimagined (via Xbox) to include new ways to earn Microsoft Points such as more Game Pass Quests, making it available on the PC Game Pass for the first time. Here's everything you need to know about the new 'Reward with Xbox' system.

'Rewards with Xbox' arrives on PC Game Pass

First off on the list of improvements coming to 'Rewards with Xbox' is that it will be made available on the Xbox PC app for Windows 11 and 10 for the first time. The ability to view your progress was previously only available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on Xbox consoles and mobile devices. This means that Xbox players can complete Game Pass Quests by playing games via Windows PC and PC Game Pass on top of playing console and xCloud.

To access Game Pass Quests to earn Microsoft Points, head over to your Xbox profile via console or the Xbox app on your Windows PC or mobile device, access the Rewards Hub, and start playing. You can also earn points for Microsoft Rewards by using Bing and Microsoft Edge, among other things. Head over to Rewards.Microsoft.com to sign up.

New types of Game Pass Quests to reward more Microsoft Points

Next up is that Microsoft has reinvented Game Pass Quest to make easier to complete, more fun to partake in, and more "enticing" by rewarding players with more Microsoft Points. Additionally, these new Game Pass Quests will be available to Japan for the first time on January 7, 2025.

Here's a rundown how the types of Game Pass Quests you will expect to see going forward:

Daily Play – Earn 10 Microsoft Points a day by playing any title available on Xbox Game Pass for at least 15 minutes.
Weekly Streaks – Play Xbox games for at least five days a week to complete a streak. The more days you play, the more points you can collect. If you can maintain your play-time streak for weeks, you can unlock point multipliers to earn even more Microsoft points. A 2-week streak will net you two times the base streak points, a 3-week will net you three times the base streak points, and going beyond a 4-week streak will only net you 4x the base streak points.
Monthly 4-Pack – Earn Microsoft Points by playing four different Xbox games available on Xbox Game Pass for at least 15 minutes each.
Monthly 8-Pack – Earn Microsoft Points by playing eight different Xbox games available on Xbox Game Pass for at least 15 minutes each.

The third big change coming for 'Rewards with Xbox' is that it will provide new ways to earn Microsoft Points for all players. When the update goes live on January 7, 2025, all 'Rewards with Xbox' members aged 18 and over will be able to access the new PC Weekly Bonus feature which will reward them 150 points when playing Xbox games for over 5 days (for at least 15 minutes per day).

Additionally, Microsoft is rebalancing points from the current Console Weekly Bonus to 150 points and the Daily PC Play to 10 points.

Rewards with Xbox picks up an age restriction

Finally, Microsoft has announced that starting from today, earning points with 'Rewards with Xbox' program will only be made available to Xbox players aged 18 and over. This means that the Rewards Hub will no longer be accessible on Xbox consoles or the Xbox app via PC or mobile to players under the age of 18.

However, this upcoming update will not impact existing Rewards and Microsoft Points players have previously earned. If you're a young player aged under 18 that has accumulated Microsoft Points before this update, you will still be able to collect more of them through parentally approved purchases of eligible items on the Microsoft Store, eligible searches on Microsoft Bing, and non-gameplay activities like completing the Microsoft Rewards Daily Set Quest.

Microsoft Rewards is an underrated ecosystem feature

Microsoft is certainly kicking off 2025 with a bang with this extremely generous New Year's present for Xbox players. With this newly improved 'Rewards with Xbox' system, players will no doubt be incentivized more than ever to play the best Xbox games and the best PC games the Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC has to offer so they can earn free games for their gigantic, ever-growing collection of Xbox titles.

Microsoft Rewards remains one of Microsoft's best-kept secrets, and was originally envisioned as a way to reward Bing users for supporting the search engine. As you know, a search engine is only as good as the data it gets from users who actually use the service. With Google dominating, Rewards has been a good incentive to shift at least some users across. Perhaps now it's Xbox's turn to help with that effort, too.

Many Microsoft Rewards accounts may have been unfairly suspended, but a fix is coming

samuelwtolbert@gmail.com (Samuel Tolbert) — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 20:45:15 +0000

Did you recently open your Microsoft Rewards account only to discover you've been suspended? If so, don't worry, you're not alone and a fix is on the way.

A number of Microsoft Rewards users noticed on Friday that their accounts were suddenly suspended without warning, sharing frustrations across Reddit and other social media. While it's not clear exactly how many users were affected, it was a large enough wave to quickly get noticed by Microsoft. Fortunately, the issue seems to easily fixable, with the official Microsoft Rewards support account on X (Twitter) sharing that the error has been identified and a fix is rolling out.

"Earlier today, we encountered an issue that incorrectly suspended some Microsoft Rewards accounts. We've deployed a fix, and any affected accounts should be back online in the next several hours. Thank you for your understanding as we address this," the team says.

If your account was inaccurately suspended recently, I'd give it a day or so then check to see if your account is restored.

Doing things like using the program outside of the officially supported regions or operating a bot to gather points more quickly can cause someone to be suspended, but when a large cluster of users are all suspended at once when they haven't clearly violated the rules, it's apparent something is wrong on Microsoft's end.

Microsoft Rewards is popular with Xbox players

Microsoft Rewards is a program that allows users to earn points as they search using Bing or partake in different activities like quizzes. These points can then be redeemed for a number of prizes, including sweepstakes entries and for Xbox gift cards or Xbox Game Pass subscription time. Those latter options make the system especially attractive for Xbox players, making it easier to buy a new game or keep a subscription extended at a lower cost.

Different rewards have different values, but as a rough rule of thumb, around 1,000 points usually correlates to around $1 USD of monetary value for something like a gift card.

There's even some game-specific options that make the system more useful, depending on what you play. For example, if you earn 22,500 points, you can grab an accelerated Diablo 4 Battle Pass for free, which would normally cost you $25.

How do I earn Microsoft Rewards points?

To earn Microsoft Rewards points, you'll want to engage in the following activities on a regular basis:

Use Bing for searches. Each search earns 5 points, and you can earn up to 150 points this way per day.
Buy Xbox games digitally. Each dollar you spend on Xbox games earns you 1 reward point.
Download the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox. This app gives you different tasks which will reward you for doing things like playing a particular game.

While this may not sound like a lot, things add up over time, and it's a great way to save a bit of money here and there on games and subscriptions if you're using your Xbox consistently.

Microsoft wants you to use Bing so much that it might give you $1,000,000 to do so — if you make the switch from Google

jez@windowscentral.com (Jez Corden) — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 16:25:18 +0000

What you need to know

Microsoft Rewards is a free program that gives you points for engaging with Microsoft products and services.
Today, I got an email detailing a new sweepstakes program, which is by far the most generous I've seen from Microsoft Rewards.
You can enter to win up to $1,000,000 USD just for searching with Bing instead of Google, installing Microsoft Edge, and other simple tasks.
Sadly, the sweepstakes are only valid in the United States and Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.

Microsoft Rewards wants to know if you want to earn a huge pile of cash for basically doing nothing. Yes? Well, look no further.

Microsoft Rewards is a loyalty program that rewards users with points for engaging with Microsoft products and services. If you ditch Google for Bing, ditch Chrome for Microsoft Edge, play games on Xbox Game Pass, or buy apps and services on the Microsoft Store — you will earn points. As you accumulate points, you can then convert them into a variety of rewards. I often use my points to buy Diablo 4 battle passes and Overwatch 2 coins, for example. But there are also vouchers for a variety of stores, including Microsoft's, allowing you to essentially pay for Xbox Game Pass for you or a friend for free.

Now, Microsoft Rewards is running a new $1,000,000 sweepstakes program, which will offer one lucky person instant millionaire status (or, perhaps a bit less after taxes). If you sign up at the Microsoft Rewards $1 million sweepstakes website, you automatically get 5 entries to win. You can earn up to 200 entries by performing a variety of tasks as detailed on the site therein.

One of the tasks is to simply install Microsoft Edge, while another is to simply search on Bing every day in a score streak. Setting your default browser and default search engine to Edge and Bing should help you maximize the 200 entries passively, without needing to do any of the additional tasks.

Unfortunately for global users, the sweepstakes are only valid in a handful of countries, namely the United States and Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. One person will win a million dollars, while two runners-up will win ten thousand dollars. Microsoft is also donating up to $500,000 to the World Wildlife Fund and Unicef comprised of $5 for every entrant who earns above 50 entries.

You can read the full list of competition rules over here.

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Microsoft Rewards is pretty damn good

Microsoft Rewards is pretty great, especially for people who are already passively within the Microsoft ecosystem. Doing basic things passively like Bing searching, Edge browsing, or playing games on Xbox Game Pass can net you tens of thousands of points without much effort. I logged into my Microsoft Rewards page just now to discover I have 66,000 points without even trying. For reference, 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs 35,000 points. The more you use Microsoft Rewards, the fewer points it'll cost too. I have a 7000 points discount for being "Level 2," for example. That's a value of $60~ for doing basically nothing I wouldn't have already been doing anyway.

The rewards page details the variety of methods you can use to earn points. You can cash them in on the Xbox app on Android and iOS too, which accumulate via playing games and earning achievements and other things of that nature. If you're already in the Microsoft ecosystem, there's absolutely no reason not to sign up and use it. If you're an avowed Google and Chrome user, you should know that for the most part, Bing is a completely viable search engine for most day-to-day searches. It struggles a bit on granular, obscure, and local searches, but for popular search terms, it's basically on par with Google these days. Microsoft Edge is also powered by Chrome under the hood, too, so there's no real difference between using the two.

You can sign up to Microsoft Rewards here for free, with your Microsoft account (same as your Xbox or Windows account).

Here's how to get a Diablo 4 Battle Pass for free

Jennifer Young — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 10:27:56 +0000

What you need to know

Diablo 4 launches Season 6: Season of Hatred Rising on October 8 with a new Battle Pass and Seasonal Rewards.
The launch coincides with the first expansion for the game, Vessel of Hatred.
The Premium Battle Pass is optional, but you can get one for free as well as 20 tier skips through Microsoft Rewards.

If you've jumped back into Diablo 4 for the sixth season, Season of Hatred Rising, or you just coming back to the game for the Vessel of Hatred expansion, you may be eyeing up the Premium or Accelerated Battle Pass.

If you've purchased the Deluxe or Ultimate Editions of Vessel of Hatred, you will already have a Battle Pass with your purchase. However, if you've gone for the Standard edition, or haven't purchased the expansion at all and just want to check out the new season, I have a way you can potentially get your upgraded Battle Passes for free.

How to claim a free Premium or Accelerated Battle Pass using Microsoft Reward points

Jennifer Young - Windows Central

Simply head on over to Microsoft Rewards and you can bag the accelerated pass for 22,500 points. The accelerated pass costs $25 normally, and this adds up considerably if you want to buy each season.

The Accelerated Pass comes with 20 tier skips to speed up your journey through the Diablo 6 Season and an emote.

If you don't have the points for the Accelerated Pass, you can get the Premium Battle Pass for only 9000 points, saving you $10 in 'real money'. This gets you the 90 tiers but no skips, and no fancy emote. Though this would be my choice for the best value.

If you already have the Battle Pass, you can still get 20 tier skips for the lowly fee of 1700 reward points, which should shave off a fair amount of time it will take you to complete your Season of Hatred Rising pass. Normally skipping a tier costs 200 Platinum in game, or $1.99 in real money terms.

Once you have redeemed, you'll receive an email with a code. Use this code on battle.net, as explained in the email, rather than on your Xbox or on Steam.

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What are Microsoft Reward points?

Microsoft Reward points can be exchanged for gift cards, movies, games, nonprofit donations, and more. They can be earnt simply by interacting with Microsoft's eco system like Xbox and Bing.

How do I earn Microsoft Reward points?

Searching with Bing on your browser nets you up to 5 points per search, and up to 150 points per day.
Purchases from the Microsoft store will reward 1 point per dollar spent.
Downloading the Rewards app on your Xbox will give you simple activities to complete to earn points daily, weekly and monthly.
Playing games on Xbox or watching movies and TV shows as indicated on your Xbox dashboard.
Downloading the Microsoft Rewards browser extension on Google Chrome will set your default search engine to Bing and track your point balance if you prefer this browser.
Download the Xbox Game Pass app on your mobile.

If you play games on Xbox, it's ridiculously easy to build up reward points; in fact reward points have funded many of my Xbox controller purchases over the years and they will now be financing my Diablo 4 Battle Passes.

Is Diablo 4 Season 6 Battle Pass worth purchasing?

(Image credit: Jennifer Young - WIndows Central)

The Season of Hatred Rising cosmetics obtainable through the Battle Pass are certainly some of the highest quality I've seen so far, so I do think you'll be happy with a Battle Pass purchase this season. If you've already purchased the Vessel of Hatred Deluxe or Ultimate editions, you'll have a Premium Battle Pass ready to go. However if you saved some money grabbing the standard edition, this method could get you the pass for free.

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Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred | was ~~$39.99~~ now $35.49 at CD Keys (XBOX)

Pricing for the new expansion starts from $39.99 MSRP, with the Deluxe and Ultimate coming with some extra cosmetics. If you don't care about cosmetics, grab the cheapest edition for all the new content and you'll still get a new Snow Leopard pet. The Deluxe Edition gets you a War-Cat mount, Premium Battle Pass token and Spiritborn Armor Set, as well as another Wolf pet. The Ultimate Edition comes with all of the above plus 3000 Platinum to spend in the Diablo store, Angel and Demon Wings, a THIRD cat pet, armor sets for all classes, and the Nahantu Town Portal.

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Microsoft Rewards expands to all 7 continents with new streak restore and protection capabilities — Oh, you can learn a new language for free for using Bing on Edge, too

kevinokemwa@outlook.com (Kevin Okemwa) — Thu, 16 May 2024 22:50:17 +0000

What you need to know

Microsoft is expanding its Microsoft Rewards program across 230+ regions and countries, including Morocco and Israel making it available in all 7 continents.
The platform is also gaining new streak restore and protection capabilities to improve the daily streak bonuses user experience.
Users can now donate their Microsoft Reward points to over 200 markets.
Microsoft has partnered with Duolingo to provide Reward members with access to 3 months of Super Duolingo for free when they search the internet with Microsoft Bing on Edge for 3 days.

Microsoft runs a great program called Microsoft Rewards that allows enthusiasts to earn "loyalty points" for using its products and services, such as Bing, Microsoft Edge, and more. Users can redeem these points for shopping, etc.

However, the program has undergone critical changes in the past few months, raising concern among its avid users. For instance, the company introduced a "cooldown period" to the program, which allows users to garner loyalty points for only 3 searches per 15 minutes. Microsoft indicated these changes are part of its routine updates designed to fine-tune how users redeem their reward points as part of its efforts to promote the growth and expansion of the program.

In March, Microsoft confirmed it was discontinuing the Xbox Rewards app in April and replacing it with a simplified hub, ultimately killing the beloved weekly streaks. But as it happens, the Microsoft Rewards is about to get much better.

According to a post from Microsoft's official Bing Dev official Bing Dev account on X (formerly Twitter), the tech giant is expanding its Microsoft Rewards daily streak bonuses to more users. Daily streak bonuses will now be available across 230+ regions and countries, including Morocco and Israel.

Lots of #MicrosoftRewards news today! We heard you love the daily streak bonuses, so we've expanded this opportunity to be in 230+ regions and countries. We also have two new features for you to keep your streak active ⬇️May 15, 2024

(Image credit: Daniel Rubino - Windows Central)

Additionally, Microsoft is shipping two neat features to the platform to improve users' interaction with daily streak bonuses. Right off the bat, users can restore their streak once every 60 days via the streak restore feature. Users with more than a 100-day streak can restore it once a month.

Microsoft is also integrating a streak protection feature into the Rewards program. Once you enable the feature, it will protect your streak and prevent it from getting lost. Microsoft says users will get up to 14 days per calendar year of streak protection.

Moreover, if you happen to complete your streak while the feature is enabled, "it will not count against your quota of days." Microsoft says this was an issue raised by concerned users, prompting the introduction of the feature that will allow users to maintain their streaks.

Learn a new language for using Bing on Microsoft Edge

(Image credit: Future)

Finally, Microsoft has expanded the capability to donate Microsoft Reward points to over 200 markets. Right now, users can donate their reward points to over 1.8 million charities.

Microsoft is also partnering with Duolingo to provide Microsoft Reward members with access to 3 months of Super Duolingo for free when they search the internet with Microsoft Bing on Edge for 3 days.

Microsoft to discontinue its Xbox Rewards app and replace it with a simplified hub in April 2024 — killing weekly streaks

kevinokemwa@outlook.com (Kevin Okemwa) — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 16:33:13 +0000

What you need to know

In December, several users received a notification indicating Microsoft might be killing its Xbox Rewards app.
Multiple users received a similar notification but now features a new date.
Microsoft will no longer publish offers on the platform after April 15, 2024, ultimately ending the beloved weekly streaks.
Critical changes to the Microsoft Rewards program in the past few months include introducing a cooldown period and adjusting the points awarded for certain activities.

Microsoft Rewards is a great program that lets users earn points for using services like Bing, Microsoft Edge, and more. The reward points can be redeemed for shopping. However, the program has undergone "critical changes" in the past few months, with Microsoft indicating that it regularly fine-tunes the methods for redeeming points as one of the avenues for promoting the growth and expansion of the program.

While Microsoft confirmed that it had no plans to discontinue the program, the same can't be said about the Xbox Rewards app if the reports hitting social media are anything to go by. In December, multiple users posted images on social media platforms featuring a notification indicating that the Xbox Rewards app was being discontinued in favor of the simplified and unified new Rewards hub.

Things have been relatively quiet since then, until recently when users in Brazil started receiving the same message on their Xbox Rewards app. However, the message now features a new date — April 15, 2024.

(Update) In Brazil, several players have received a message about the closure of the Rewards App on Xbox on April 15th, 2024It's the same message as in December 2023 but with a new dateCredit to @Betinhogvzdias for the find 👏 https://t.co/LjTADwvVva pic.twitter.com/tYcyWZxxRLMarch 20, 2024

Here's the full message:

Rewards with Xbox has a new home. Check out the new Rewards hub, your go-to destination for Xbox activities and offers, available across devices. Now, you can see available activities, set up a goal, and redeem your rewards in one place. The new activities focus on what matters most: earning points while having fun playing games.

With the new Rewards hub and gaming activities coming to Xbox, we will no longer publish offers in the Microsoft Rewards app on console, Starting April 2024. This means the current Weekly Set and Weekly Streak on this app will end as of April 15, 2024.

We're excited to bring the Rewards hub with new activities to Rewards with Xbox, and we're looking forward to providing even more ways to earn Rewards in the future.

What does this mean?

(Image credit: Xbox)

Per the notification, users have approximately three weeks to continue earning points for their weekly streaks via the Xbox Rewards app. Microsoft will no longer use the platform to publish offers after April 15, 2024.

Microsoft has made significant adjustments to how it awards points for various activities, but it's not yet clear if this will affect the unified and simplified new Rewards hub, too. However, the reward points for Xbox Game Pass Quests have also been reduced significantly.

Microsoft guts its Rewards Program further by raising redemption points for Xbox and other third-party gift cards (UPDATED)

kevinokemwa@outlook.com (Kevin Okemwa) — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:14:03 +0000

What you need to know

UPDATE 3/9/2024: Microsoft commented on the rise of redemption prices for gift cards on its Reward program indicating that it "regularly tunes the methods for redeeming points," and that it's exploring more ways to grow and expand the platform.
You'll need more Microsoft Reward points to get Xbox and Amazon gift cards.
Microsoft has made significant adjustments to its Rewards program in the past few months, including the dropping points awarded for activities, introducing a cooldown period that limits how many points a user can get per hour, and more.
Several users indicated that Microsoft Rewards was seemingly back to normal in January, garnering up to 30 points per reward, but this isn't the case.

The Microsoft Rewards program has undergone several changes in the past few months that most users aren't too happy about. It all started with Microsoft halting the capability to earn points for using Microsoft Edge daily, barely a week after killing the Xbox Rewards app.

At the time, most users speculated that Microsoft was discontinuing the program. However, this wasn't the case. The Redmond giant issued a statement indicating that it was evolving the program, having made significant adjustments to its loyalty awards points system, dropping points for "other activities" from 10 to 2.

Microsoft also introduced a "cooldown" period to the program, limiting users to award points for only 3 searches per 15 minutes. Based on opinions shared across social media platforms, it's apparent that these changes aren't welcome to the program. Some users said they would no longer use Microsoft Edge or Bing, further stating that Microsoft Rewards kept them there.

While a January report seemingly indicated that the Microsoft Rewards program was back to normal, with users getting up to 30 points per reward again, this isn't the case (at least according to complaints lodged by multiple users across social media).

WTF?! Redeeming a Microsoft Gift card now requires +33% of points?! from r/MicrosoftRewards

"Same exact situation here. Had enough for 25€ already, but today I still have to grind to get it back. To say that I thought of buying games last night is an understatement and I should have..US has a +5% increase, EU has a +12%. The MSR team is at it again. How is that fucking fair... 1€=1.10$. Yet they treat 1€=1$ on their store, shitting on it like always," a concerned user lamented on Reddit.

Based on the Reddit thread, Microsoft has seemingly raised the points value for gift card redemptions and increased it by up to 33% (via MSPowerUser). According to some users in the United States, a $50 Microsoft gift card translates to 47,500 points, up from 46,000 points.

Redemption prices for Xbox gift cards have gone up in most places. 3rd party gift cards like Amazon have gone down in some countries.March 6, 2024

The same also applies to third-party gift cards from retailers like Amazon. You'll need anything from 7,600 to 8,125 points for a £5 Amazon gift card. It's worth noting that Amazon no longer lets users use their gift card balances to buy other gift cards. This means that you won't be able to use Microsoft Rewards to get an Amazon gift card to add to your Amazon account to buy other gift cards.

The drastic changes to the Microsoft Rewards Program are hurting Bing and Edge more

(Image credit: Future)

Multiple users have openly indicated that they've been using Microsoft Edge and Bing solely for the Microsoft Reward points they are awarded when using these services. It's no secret that Microsoft Edge and Bing's market share is struggling a bit; even Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that Google doesn't play fairly.

According to StatCounter's February report, Microsoft Edge holds a 5.07% stake in the browser market share globally. Users have previously outlined their preference for other browsers over Edge due to its "bloatedness," some have outlined Bing's search quality issues as the main reason they use other search engines.

Microsoft is placing all its bets on AI, integrating the technology across most of its products, including Edge and Bing. Interestingly, our recent poll indicated that most readers don't find Microsoft Copilot helpful.

It will be interesting to watch how Microsoft handles this issue moving forward. We'll keep a close tab on the issue as it unfolds and keep you posted on any developments.

Microsoft Edge | Free

Microsoft Edge is the default browser on Windows. It's based on Chromium, so it's compatible with most of the web. Several Insider versions of the browser allow you to test new features and provide feedback to Microsoft.View Deal

The Microsoft Rewards Program is seemingly back to normal, with users getting up to 30 points per reward again

kevinokemwa@outlook.com (Kevin Okemwa) — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 20:40:54 +0000

What you need to know

The Microsoft Reward Program has undergone numerous changes in the past few months, including adjustments to the points awarded for searches.
The changes included a drop in the number of points awarded and the introduction of a cooldown period which limited users to points for only 3 searches per 15 minutes.
Microsoft categorically indicated that it was not pulling the plug on the program, but there were plans in place to evolve it.
The company has seemingly reverted to the standard point awarding system for the program, allowing users to earn up to 30 points per reward.

In a surprising turn of events, Microsoft has seemingly reverted to its old/standard point awarding system for its Microsoft Rewards program. According to a spot by Idle Sloth on X (formerly Twitter), users can now garner up to "5, 10, and 30 points per reward again."

(FYI) Microsoft Rewards points have returned to 5, 10, and 30 points per reward again 👏 pic.twitter.com/hWzWSDYu5LJanuary 15, 2024

Last year, Microsoft's loyalty award programs, Microsoft Rewards, and Xbox Rewards app underwent significant changes. This included restructuring the Microsoft Rewards award system, which saw points awarded for "other activities" drop from 10 to 2. The company also decided to call it quits on the Xbox Rewards app, ending the weekly challenges and player streaks.

Based on the feedback shared by users across social media platforms following these moves, it's clear that it was an unwelcome change. Consequently, several users highlighted that they no longer found Microsoft's Chromium-based browser, Edge useful, further indicating that they were mainly using the browser because of Microsoft Rewards.

Microsoft issued a statement stating that there were no plans in place to discontinue the Microsoft Rewards. The company added that it was evolving the program, hence the notable changes in the award system. Part of these changes included a cooldown period which restricted users to 3 searches per 15 minutes.

Don't fix what isn't broken

(Image credit: Huschka)

Browser wars continue to be a thing, even in 2024. Regardless of whichever browser you use, Microsoft Edge comes with a handful of features that are designed to make your user experience while scouring the web easier. Microsoft Rewards is one of the main selling points for the browser, which is why many users were aggrieved when Microsoft started making changes to the program.

In the past few years, Microsoft has doubled down on its efforts to enhance Edge's user experience by shipping new features and updates to it in equal measure. This includes an AI-powered assistant, Microsoft Copilot integrated into the browsing experience. Users have openly indicated that Microsoft Edge feels rather bloated because of the hundreds of features that might not find useful.

ALSO READ: Has Google crippled YouTube on Microsoft Edge?

As such, it's apparent that Microsoft's decision to "evolve" the program would have negatively impacted the browser's market share.

Is the Microsoft Reward program back to normal for you? Let us know in the comments below.

Microsoft Edge | Free

Microsoft Edge is the default browser on Windows. It's based on Chromium, so it's compatible with the vast majority of the web. There are several Insider versions of the browser, allowing you to test new features and provide feedback to Microsoft.View Deal

Microsoft Rewards features a 'cooldown' period — users will only get points for 3 searches every 15 minutes (UPDATED)

kevinokemwa@outlook.com (Kevin Okemwa) — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 01:08:27 +0000

What you need to know

UPDATE: Microsoft Rewards now features a cooldown period, which will see users get points for only 3 searches per 15 minutes.
Microsoft Rewards recently halted daily point earnings for using Microsoft Edge, barely a week after killing the Xbox Rewards app.
A new report indicates that Microsoft has made major adjustments to how it awards points, dropping points for "other activities" from 10 to 2.
Microsoft issued a statement indicating that the program is evolving, but there are no plans to discontinue the program indefinitely.
Users have also indicated they cannot claim their points via the Xbox Awards app.

UPDATE DEC. 4, 2023: As it turns out, Microsoft's Reward program now features a Cooldown period. According to a spot by Idle Sloth on X (formerly Twitter), users will only accrue points for only 3 searches per 15 minutes.

(FYI) Microsoft Rewards now have a Cooldown period 🤦‍♂️"Points are awarded for only 3 searches per 15 minutes"Credit to @Betinhogvzdias for 📸 pic.twitter.com/GNzbBB46uqDecember 3, 2023

The move has been received with a lot of resentment if the comment section on the post is anything to go by. Some users have stated they are entirely done with the Microsoft Rewards program, while others have outrightly indicated that they'll no longer use Microsoft Edge.

The original article continues below.

More trouble is seemingly brewing for avid Microsoft Rewards users after halting point earnings in Microsoft Edge. As one of our readers pointed out earlier today, Microsoft has significantly adjusted how it awards points to users enrolled in the program. Huschka told Windows Central that points earned from "other activities" have dropped from 10 to 2, while the weekly puzzle only garners a single point.

John McIlhinney also shared the same sentiments via Windows Central's forums, citing:

"I've also noticed that, outside of the daily set, tasks that were previously worth 5 or 10 points are now worth 1 or 2, so fewer points there too. Note that I am receiving additional points by logging into the Microsoft Start app on my phone and viewing news items. I suspect that the Bing app does the same. They also recently had a special event where you got 5 points per day and then 100 points every 8th day and then 1000 points if you did that 12 times in a row. That seems to have finished, and I didn't even notice, so I assume that I got my 1000 points. Last time I recall noticing, I was about 2/3 of the way there."

Microsoft has since issued a statement addressing the issue, according to a spot by Windows Latest, as highlighted below:

"Over the last few years, the Microsoft Rewards program has regularly evolved to reflect our growth and expansion. We evaluate every change for consistency and fairness, tuning the methods and frequency through which our members can earn points.

Whether searching with Bing, browsing with Edge, playing on Xbox, or making purchases in the Microsoft store, we know our members take delight in the added incentive the Microsoft Rewards program offers. We aim to grow in ways that continue to provide value to our members, and we eagerly monitor feedback to ensure satisfaction. We appreciate the enthusiasm and loyalty of our Microsoft Rewards members and remain excited for the program's future."

While the statement doesn't say much other than pointing out that the program is evolving, concerned users can rest assured that the program will continue to run for the foreseeable future.

Elsewhere, Microsoft's recent move to pull the plug on its Xbox Rewards app seems to be in full swing. Huschka also pointed out that he has been unable to claim his points from the Xbox Reward app. Instead, he gets the "Try again in a bit. Something went wrong" error.

Are you able to claim your points via the Xbox Awards app? Let me know in the comments.

Microsoft Rewards halts daily point earnings in Edge after killing the Xbox app in just a week — No more freebies!

kevinokemwa@outlook.com (Kevin Okemwa) — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 12:39:54 +0000

What you need to know

Microsoft is reportedly removing the capability to earn Microsoft Rewards points for using Microsoft Edge daily.
Initially, the issue seemed only to affect users based in the UK and Ireland, but it now appears more widespread.
Multiple users have also flagged an issue with the Microsoft Rewards tally system, citing that it's taking longer than usual to reflect, forcing them to wait up to 6 seconds between searches.

Update 8 PM ET on 12/1/2023: A new report indicates that Microsoft has made major adjustments to how it awards points, dropping points for "other activities" from 10 to 2. Microsoft issued a statement indicating that the program is evolving, but there are no plans in play to discontinue the program indefinitely. Our full story.

If you're an avid user of Microsoft's services and products, you're likely familiar with Microsoft Rewards. If not, it's essentially a reward scheme run by Microsoft that lets users earn loyalty points for using the company's services like Bing for web searches and more.

But in a surprising turn of events, users might no longer be able to earn Microsoft Rewards loyalty points for using Microsoft Edge, according to a spot by Idle Sloth on X (formerly Twitter). The change started taking effect earlier this week when multiple users began flagging the issue across various social media platforms. Users could get up to 12 Microsoft Rewards loyalty points daily for using Microsoft Edge to browse the web.

(FYI) Microsoft has now removed the ability to earn daily points for using the Edge browser, which was 12 points per day in the UK & Ireland 🇬🇧🇮🇪Has it happened in your country?Today Yesterday pic.twitter.com/RTL1VQ4QFZNovember 29, 2023

This news comes exactly a week after it was reported that Microsoft is pulling the plug on its Xbox Rewards app, ultimately ending the weekly challenges and player streaks. Idle Sloth first pointed out that the issue had impacted users based in the UK and Ireland. However, it now seems the issue is widespread as more users from different regions also cite a similar issue.

Strangely enough, this isn't the only Microsoft Rewards-related issue affecting users. According to a spot by True Achievements, users now have to wait up to 6 seconds between searches for them to be tallied as part of their daily search points.

[UK] Daily edge search points removed from r/MicrosoftRewards

In hindsight, the points would ordinarily be reflected in your daily search total almost instantly. While I could not replicate the same results, there might be an issue with the program, like an unintended bug.

Impacting the Edge user base

(Image credit: Future)

Over the years, Microsoft has pushed a ton of features as well as updates to its Chromium-based browser Edge. While most users appreciate these neat additions, some simply view it as bloatware. As pointed out by several users expressing their frustrations over the changes, the reward scheme was the driving force pushing them to use the browser.

But it now seems that users might gradually transition to other browsers, significantly impacting Microsoft Edge's user base.

Are you still earning Microsoft Rewards points for using Edge? Let us know in the comments.

Microsoft might be killing its Xbox Rewards app, leaving a question mark over the future of our gamer freebies

Jennifer Young — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 14:43:38 +0000

What you need to know

Xbox consoles are said to today be showing players a message stating that Microsoft Xbox Rewards is coming to a close.
The weekly series of quests will continue in the app until the end of November, and be removed permanently from December. Moving forward, those quests would display in a new Rewards tab in your Xbox profile.
However, the tab doesn't seem to support streaks and some of the other bonuses the old Microsoft Rewards app has.
The weekly Microsoft Xbox Rewards quests are an easy way for players to earn points towards Xbox purchases.
The news was originally broken on Twitter by user IdleSloth, and a screenshot was shown in Portuguese — we haven't yet been able to replicate the message on a US, German, or UK console.

Freebie fans who enjoy collecting Microsoft Reward points via their Xbox dashboard are facing a significant letdown today. It seems that Microsoft could be discontinuing the weekly reward quests on the console and shutting down the Microsoft Rewards app entirely on Xbox.

Microsoft Rewards is a free, no-brainer program that lets you earn points going about your daily tasks on the platform. Points can be earned by shopping, using Bing search, and gaming on Xbox, Windows PC, and mobile. The message shown indicates activities will simply move to another Rewards app, but previous changes in the past 12 months have always seemed to spell less rewards, so we are not optimistic.

The news broke today on X (Twitter):

(FYI) In December, Xbox Rewards is getting a New App to simplify and streamline Reward the experience. According to a message that has shown up on Xbox consoles.The weekly series will continue until the end of November and, after that, it will be deactivated in the application.… pic.twitter.com/BIobpcOXG5November 23, 2023

The message itself is in Portuguese, and so far nobody on the Windows Central team has managed to get it to appear on a US or UK region Xbox, so we cannot confirm if this is a worldwide change or not. We will update as we know more.

The message translated to English using Google reads:

Earn Rewards with Xbox

We recreated, simplified, and integrated the Rewards experience on Xbox, making it all about gameplay and the activities that players love most. With the new Rewards hub on Xbox, players will no longer need to have separate apps to earn or redeem Reward points.

Starting December 2023, we will no longer publish offers in the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox, focusing instead on new activities in the new Rewards hub. Basically, this change is intended to simplify and streamline the Rewards experience for players and helps access all Xbox-related offers and activities in one convenient location. The weekly series continues until the end of November and, after that, it will be deactivated in the application, along with the weekly sequence.

Xbox Rewards will remain part of the Microsoft Rewards program, and all points you earn on Xbox will continue in other parts of the program. To maximize your points and earn even more, be sure to check out the hub.

What's the big deal?

While the message suggests a straightforward transition of the Reward system to another "streamlined" app, it signifies the conclusion of many players' weekly streaks for the Microsoft Rewards weekly activities — a streak held in high regard by numerous players, some boasting two-year streaks. For context, a 10-week streak yields 2500 points. This has been one of the few effective methods left to accumulate points. It should be noted that the Xbox Rewards dashboard currently available on your profile page on your Xbox was additive to a lot of the quests we get on the Microsoft Rewards for Xbox app — removing the separate app will result in cumulatively fewer rewards overall. That's not to say the Rewards tab won't suddenly get more quests as a result of this reported shutdown, but there are reasons to be skeptical (more on that in a minute).

In addition to this, the Microsoft Rewards dashboard on Xbox has been notably less rewarding in recent months, progressively declining in available activities since the controversial relocation of 'Achieve More, Earn More' to the Game Pass app.

Message gamers were met with in March on the Xbox Rewards Dashboard. (Image credit: Jennifer Young - Windows Central)

Microsoft Rewards for Xbox has been going downhill for a long time

The removal of 'Achieve More. Earn More' (AMEM) marked a downward trajectory for Microsoft Rewards on Xbox. Numerous activities have been removed from the dashboard since then, transforming an app that was once a priority when I turned on my Xbox, into an afterthought. In short, it has been significantly nerfed. Previously, in the UK, I could easily earn 2500-3000 points per month, which was quite handy for covering expenses like Diablo 4 battle passes with Microsoft Reward points.

The nature of the new app and whether it will be more rewarding than current activities remains uncertain. However, historical patterns indicate that changes to the Rewards system on Xbox have not been favorable.

The reality is that Microsoft Rewards was always designed to be something that would drive people to use Bing.com, rather than Xbox. If people are earning enough points without actively using Bing for their searches, Microsoft may see that as defeating the point for them.

Can I still earn Microsoft Rewards points elsewhere?

Yes. There aren't any changes right now to the current system which lets you earn Microsoft Reward points by searching on Bing, spending money in the Microsoft Store and exploring the daily activities on Microsoft Rewards.

Updates on how it will operate on Xbox from December are eagerly awaited. This article will be updated as more information becomes available, and if other regions begin to experience the same message.

The big change coming to Microsoft Rewards that will make you love it even more

richard.devine@futurenet.com (Richard Devine) — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 14:40:50 +0000

What you need to know

Microsoft Rewards is currently testing a new feature to make redeeming points for gift cards much less frustrating.
Currently you can only redeem in set, rounded amounts, but the new feature will provide a way to redeem non-rounded amounts.
If all goes well the feature should roll out in the coming weeks.

Microsoft Rewards is a fantastic program for those of us embedded in the company's ecosystem, and it looks like it's about to get even better.

Right now, there are several great ways you can redeem your points for real world gift cards at places like Amazon as well as for Microsoft and Xbox. The only catch is that redemptions can only be requested in rounded amounts, such as $5, $10, and so on.

All that looks like it's about to change. Microsoft's Mikhail Parakhin has shared the news on Twitter.

Easter, a good time for updates on the "Bing gives back" aspects: starting a flight where you will be able to redeem non-round amounts in gift cards (like $46 below), so you can redeem more often. If all goes well with the flight, plan to roll out in a couple of weeks. pic.twitter.com/Fv1VYY4hawApril 9, 2023

The implementation appears simple. Instead of choosing a pre-selected amount, we'll be able to enter a custom value and the necessary rewards points will be calculated from there. This means that if, for example, you want to buy something that's a specific amount, you're not going to have to use more points than necessary to get a gift card.

This parent who uses points to buy Minecoins for his kid is incredibly happy about this!

The flight is random, so you could well be seeing it already, but all being well everyone should be seeing it before too long.

And yes, it will be available outside the U.S., as Parakhin confirmed in a follow-up tweet.

If you're not yet using Microsoft Rewards, you really should be. Getting points is so easy. Buying things on the Microsoft Store and the Xbox earns points, searching on Bing earns points, and there are regular quests to complete for bonus rewards. It's free money, and who doesn't like the sound of that?

Achieve More, Earn Less — unless you are an Xbox Game Pass subscriber

Jennifer Young — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 18:14:12 +0000

What you need to know

Microsoft Rewards lets you earn points for searching, shopping and gaming on the Microsoft ecosystem. These points can be redeemed for various rewards.
'Achieve More. Earn More' (AMEM) was a daily reward available on the Xbox dashboard, rewarding 50 points for earning an in-game achievement.
After days of showing as 'under maintenance' AMEM has been removed completely as a reward option, to be moved to Quests.
Quests are only available for Game Pass subscribers.

Microsoft Rewards is a free, no-brainer program that lets you earn points going about your daily tasks on the platform. Points can be earned by shopping, using Bing search, and gaming on Xbox, Windows PC and mobile. Unless you subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, you've just lost one of the most popular rewards methods, as it's been moved to Quests which is only available for subscribers.

Acheive More. Earn More (but only on Game Pass)

Message gamers will be met with today on the Xbox Rewards Dashboard. (Image credit: Jennifer Young - Windows Central)

The 'Achieve More. Earn More' (AMEM) punch card on the Xbox dashboard, rewarded players with 50 points on each day they earned a new achievement in-game. It was a popular way to net 50 points daily, however, it was often wrought with issues. Reward participants would often take to social media and complain that AMEM didn't track achievements properly and it was regularly taken down for maintenance.

So it was no surprise when the most recent outage of AMEM had gone on for days. Players checking their Reward punchcard for the reward have been met with an 'under maintenance' message for over a week now, rewarding us with just 5 points a day for the inconvenience. The message read that "our team is actively working to solve a technical problem with the offer."

The punch card updated today, and it appears that the problem has been solved, albeit with a total removal of AMEM from Microsoft Rewards. The dashboard now shows a new, apologetic message from Xbox stating that Achieve More. Earn More will be moving to Quests from April 4 2023 as a daily achievement. It will no longer be available via Microsoft Rewards.

Microsoft Quests (Image credit: Jennifer Young - Windows Central)

What are Quests?

Microsoft Quests are tasks that you complete to earn rewards within your game library. Whilst on the face of it this seems a small change, a simple bit of housekeeping, it actually means that the opportunity to earn those daily points will now be exclusive to Game Pass subscribers only, as Quests is exclusive to subscribers. The message doesn't confirm if you will still be rewarded with 50 points either.

The message from Xbox states non-subscribers to Xbox Game Pass will still be able to use the other activities available on Microsoft Rewards, but gamers are still expressing their displeasure with this on Twitter and Reddit. 50 reward points a day adds up considerably over the year and this is definitely a blow to fans of the Microsoft Rewards program. This news comes just days after the $1 offer of Game Pass Ultimate has been removed from the store for new subscribers.

Windows Central's Take

Whilst at surface level, this news does seem negative, it only takes a cursory glance over the Microsoft Rewards online communities to see how many issues were ongoing with the AMEM punch card, and helpdesk staff regularly had to apply points manually due to failed tracking.

With the task being a daily reward this probably spelled a lot of work hours for Xbox for minimal reward. Their inability to permanently fix the issue, and regularly needing to remove it for maintenance has no doubt been a major driver in this decision to make it a Game Pass subscriber perk only.

This move is likely down to business, AMEM leads to multiple support tickets and if those players are also Game Pass subscribers, it provides a little more give and take to the situation. Taking things away and making them a paid perk is never going to be viewed on kindly though, just ask Twitter Blue.

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DALL-E 3 and Bing Image Creator need boosts to work quickly, and Microsoft Rewards Points are the key

sean.endicott@futurenet.com (Sean Endicott) — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 18:03:59 +0000

Can you earn Microsoft Rewards points by using the new Bing?

Best answer: Unfortunately, you cannot earn Microsoft Rewards points by using the chat functionality within the new Bing. You can, however, continue to earn Microsoft Rewards points by using the standard search interface of Bing.

What are Microsoft Rewards points?

Microsoft Rewards points can be exchanged for gift cards, movies, games, nonprofit donations, and more. They used to be known as Bing Rewards points, but the name changed back in 2016.

You earn points by using Microsoft services when signed in to your Microsoft account. Microsoft outlines the main ways you can earn points in a support document:

Search with Bing (level up faster by searching with Bing on Microsoft Edge).
Search the web through the search box on the taskbar on your Windows10 device.
Buy stuff from Microsoft Store online (from your mobile device, on Xbox One, in the Microsoft Store app on your Windows 10/11 or Windows 8.1 device, or via the web). For more info, see Shop and earn Microsoft Rewards points.
Use Cortana to search with Bing.
Explore the earn page and the points breakdown page. Opportunities to earn points, like taking quizzes or playing trivia games, are updated daily, so check in often!
Play selected games or complete selected quests on Xbox One. Launch the Rewards app to get started. For more info, see Earn rewards on Xbox.

One of the easiest ways to earn Microsoft Rewards points is to use Bing as your search engine. There are different levels for earning rewards. A single search always earns you three Microsoft Rewards points, but the daily cap for how many points you can earn depends on your level.

Microsoft Rewards levels
Benefits	Level 1	Level 2	Level 2 + Xbox Live Gold
Daily Bing search point limit (3 points per search)	50	250	250
Bing search bonus daily cap for Microsoft Edge	5	20	20
Points earned per $ spent in Microsoft Store online	1:1	10:1	20:1
Points for exploring daily offers	✅	✅	✅
Access to exclusive member sales and discounts		✅	✅
Occasional surprise invites to exclusive member-only events		✅	✅
Up to 10% off when redeeming from Microsoft brands		✅	✅

What is the new Bing?

Microsoft announced a new version of Bing in February 2023. The revamped search engine uses artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, and Microsoft's own proprietary tech to generate responses based on real-time information. There are two ways to interact with the new Bing.

Note: The new Bing is currently in preview. You have to add your name to the wait list to try out the new Bing.

First, you can use the new Bing in a similar way to the old Bing (or any other popular search engine like Google). Go to bing.com and enter your query into the search box. You'll then see search results.

Every time you search for something using this method, you'll earn three Microsoft Rewards points. There are caps for how many points you can earn each day on your phone or PC. If you use Bing as your default browser on all of your devices, you can rack up points without much thought or effort.

Normal search queries through Bing will show a page that will be familiar to anyone that's used a search engine. (Image credit: Future)

If you click on the chat tab within Bing, you'll open a new way to communicate with the search engine. Chat functionality allows you to make more complex inquiries and ask follow-up questions.

You may think that a system designed to answer several questions within a thread would be a quick way to earn Microsoft Rewards points. That is not the case. Individual questions within a chat session do not earn you points. In fact, using the chat functionality of the new Bing does not earn Microsoft Rewards points.

The new chat feature within Bing is more conversational, but it does not earn you Microsoft Rewards points. (Image credit: Future)

We reached out to Microsoft regarding Microsoft Rewards points. The company confirmed that chat sessions within the chat tab do not count toward earning Microsoft Rewards points but that normal searches still earn points.

Can Microsoft Rewards Points be used for Bing Image Creator?

Bing Image Creator with DALL-E 3 can generate an almost infinite number of images. (Image credit: Bing Image Creator)

As of October 2023, OpenAI's DALL-E 3 model powers Bing Image Creator. DALL-E 3 makes images generated by Bing more accurate and realistic. Bing Image Creator is free to use, but you need to use boosts to have the tool generate images quickly. New Bing Image Creator users get 25 free boosts, but you can get more with Microsoft Rewards Points.

Without boosts, making an image can take several minutes, so it's worth having some boosts available if you plan to use Bing Image Creator.

Get Overwatch Coins for free with Microsoft Rewards, here's how

lowryb3865@gmail.com (Brendan Lowry) — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 20:01:54 +0000

Ever since Overwatch 2 launched back in October, its players have been very critical of the game's frustrating free-to-play progression systems. While it's possible to earn the Overwatch Coins that fans need in order to purchase things like the Battle Pass or cosmetics in the microtransaction shop, players are capped a paltry 60 Overwatch Coins per week. Making matters worse is the fact that you'll only hit that cap if you complete every challenge available each week, which can be a big time commitment depending on the objectives you're given.

Thanks to a new update to the Microsoft Rewards program, however, it's now possible to earn Overwatch Coins by engaging with that system as well. And here's the best part: you can get Overwatch Coins with this method way faster than you currently can by completing Overwatch 2's weekly challenges. Here's how.

How to get Overwatch 2 coins for free with Microsoft Rewards

(Image credit: Windows Central)

To start working your way towards free Overwatch Coins with Microsoft Rewards, you'll first need to sign up for the program with your Microsoft account. You can do that on the official Microsoft Rewards homepage. Once that's done, it's time to earn the points that you'll eventually redeem for Overwatch 2's premium currency.

There are several different ways to earn Microsoft Rewards points, so we've listed all of them in detail below. Note that Xbox players have some additional ways to earn points through the Rewards app that's available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles, such as by completing weekly activities or filling out monthly surveys. You can also earn points by purchasing physical and digital products on the Microsoft Store while signed into your Microsoft account, though we're focusing on ways to get them for free in this guide.

Search with Bing (you can earn additional points by using Microsoft Edge to search).
Search the web with the search box on your Windows device's taskbar.
Use Cortana to search with Bing.
Look through the official earn page. There are a variety of different tasks you can complete to earn small amounts of points on a daily basis. These generally include finishing quick quizzes, taking polls, clicking through to Microsoft-approved search results, and other simple tasks. You can also earn large chunks of points by installing official Microsoft apps and extensions listed there.
Using all of the above methods on a daily basis will give you a streak, which awards you bonus points for keeping on top of Rewards opportunities.

Generally, it's possible to earn up to around 300-350 points a day, meaning that there are roughly 10,000 points available for grabs each month. To redeem them for Overwatch Coins, head to the Overwatch Coins Rewards page and choose how many coins you'd like to get a digital code for. We recommend getting them in increments of 200 for 1,800 Rewards points, as this is the most efficient ratio of Overwatch Coins gained per Rewards point spent. Notably, you can get 1,000 Overwatch Coins — enough for access to the Premium Overwatch 2 Season 2 Battle Pass — for 9,000 points this way, as opposed to selecting the 1,000 Overwatch Coins for 10,000 points option.

Once you've redeemed your points for a code, you can then redeem the code for your Overwatch Coins on your Battle.net Account Overview page. Since you get a Battle.net code instead of a Microsoft Store one, all Overwatch 2 players on all platforms can take advantage of Microsoft Rewards in this way.

Overwatch 2 is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. It's arguably one of the best Xbox shooters available, and since it's free-to-play, it doesn't cost anything to check it out. Alternatively, players can purchase the Overwatch 2: Watchpoint Pack that provides access to a Premium Battle Pass, 2,000 Overwatch Coins, and a bundle of unique Legendary skins.

Microsoft Rewards now supported in 38 additional countries, including Vatican City

sendicott47@outlook.com (Sean Endicott) — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 11:20:45 +0000

What you need to know

The Microsoft Rewards Program is now available in 38 additional countries.
A total of 58 countries are now supported by the program.
Microsoft Reward points can be exchanged for gift cards, raffle entries, charitable donations, and other items.

Microsoft Reward points can be exchanged for a variety of items, such as gift cards, raffle entries, and charitable donations. Now, more users can take part in the program and earn reward points. As spotted by Twitter user Idle Sloth, the Microsoft Rewards Program is now available in an additional 38 countries, bringing the total count to 58.

"Earn rewards for yourself or donations to causes of your choice just by searching, shopping, and gaming with Microsoft," reads the Microsoft Rewards webpage. "It’s a free and fun way to reward yourself and make a difference."

The support document for the program was updated at some point before July 31, 2022, according to the Wayback Machine. It's possible that these countries received support before that date.

The Microsoft Rewards Program is now available in the following countries:

Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
Croatia
Czech Republic
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Holy See (Vatican City state)
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Kazakhstan
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
San Marino Republic
Serbia
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States (Available in all 50 states and in Washington D.C. Not available in Puerto Rico.)

Several notable countries are now supported, as highlighted by Idle Sloth:

Hungary 🇭🇺Iceland 🇮🇸Kazakhstan 🇰🇿Latvia 🇱🇻Liechtenstein 🇱🇮Lithuania 🇱🇹Luxembourg 🇱🇺Macedonia 🇲🇰Malta 🇲🇹Moldova 🇲🇩Monaco 🇲🇨Montenegro 🇲🇪Poland 🇵🇱Portugal 🇵🇹Romania 🇷🇴San Marino Republic 🇸🇲Serbia 🇷🇸Slovak Republic 🇸🇰Slovenia 🇸🇮Switzerland 🇨🇭Turkey 🇹🇷Ukraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/hRpicU93x9August 3, 2022

It appears that, at least in some countries, support for the rewards program is not available for Xbox. In a Twitter thread about the topic, Xbox Loyalty Marketing Lead Daniel Martins said, "our team keeps hard at work to improve the Microsoft Rewards service quality and welcome more and more members. While we don’t have anything to share right now, stay tuned to our official channels for announcements to keep up to date!"

In addition to several larger countries, people in Vatican City can now use the Microsoft Rewards Program. We'll have to wait for official word on if the Pope uses Bing or not.

Grab 6,000 bonus Microsoft Rewards points with Elden Ring on Xbox

Richard Devine — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 14:04:44 +0000

What you need to know

If you're buying Elden Ring on Xbox then there's a pretty killer Microsoft Rewards promotion to go with it.
Activate the punch card and when you buy it on Xbox you can get 6,000 points added to your account.
Elden Ring is set to launch on Feb 25 and can be pre-ordered now.

Elden Ring is one of the most hotly anticipated games of 2022 and the wait to play is almost over with a February 25 release date on the horizon. But if you're going to be playing on Xbox there's more good news, with a pretty sizeable bonus on offer from Microsoft Rewards.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

If you don't have the Microsoft Rewards app on your Xbox yet, then you definitely should. But once you do, heading inside you'll find a special punch card for Elden Ring. Activate it and assuming you purchase the game before March 9 you'll get 6,000 Microsoft Rewards points. Not too shabby at all, since it's essentially enough points to claim a free $5 voucher you can use towards something else for just buying a game you were going to get anyway.

Microsoft Rewards on Xbox is a killer feature, with a number of ways to earn points on top of those you'd already earn on the desktop or mobile. Regular Game Pass quests add small, but frequent amounts to your account and it doesn't take long to build up a fairly healthy balance. 6,000 extra points is an easy win.

The successor to Dark Souls

Elden Ring

Elden Ring ... oh, Elden Ring!

Elden Ring is FromSoftware's next fantasy epic, featuring a focus on open-ended design in a universe created by both FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki and A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin.

Microsoft Rewards members can now score Magzter GOLD, meaning magazines and newspapers galore

Robert Carnevale — Thu, 06 May 2021 19:24:05 +0000

What you need to know

Magzter is now on Microsoft Rewards.
For 3,000 Rewards points per month, you can claim Magzter GOLD.
New U.S. users who sign up for Microsoft Rewards via Magzter can get one month of GOLD for free.

Worried that you're not reading enough of People magazine? Behind on news because you haven't gotten around to reading the latest Daily Express? Well, have no fear. Microsoft Rewards and Magzter are here to make sure you have access to more reading material than you'll ever need.

Magzter is now offering Magzter GOLD via Microsoft Rewards. The price is 3,000 Rewards points per month. Here's a little blurb from the press release spelling it all out:

"Magzter, the world's largest digital newsstand, is launching a new offer for Microsoft Rewards members in the U.S. Now, Microsoft Rewards members can subscribe to Magzter GOLD with just 3,000 Microsoft Rewards points a month. Additionally, any new user from the U.S. who signs up for Microsoft Rewards via Magzter can receive an offer for a free month of Magzter GOLD."

In case you're not familiar with Magzter, its sales pitch is that it offers newspapers and magazines across every possible beat you could ever imagine. Want to find out what's happening in Indonesia? They have newspapers for that. Want a magazine for gun enthusiasts? That's there, too. Everything from Playboy Slovakia and Gospel USA Magazine to El Heraldo de México and the Daily Mirror will be at your fingertips via Magzter.

If you pick Magzter as your Microsoft Rewards reward, you can read your new collection of magazines and newspapers on the Magzter website or Android and iOS apps.

You'll soon earn Microsoft Rewards points for using Microsoft Search

sendicott47@outlook.com (Sean Endicott) — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 13:07:33 +0000

What you need to know

You'll soon be able to earn Microsoft Rewards when using Microsoft Search.
The option will work within select Microsoft 365 services with work or school accounts.
The new way to earn Microsoft Rewards points could arrive as soon as May 2021.

You'll soon have a new way to earn Microsoft Rewards points. Potentially as soon as next month, you'll be able to earn Microsoft Rewards when using Microsoft Search. Once the feature rolls out, you'll be able to earn Microsoft Rewards points when signed into select Microsoft 365 services with a school or work account.

The feature is on the Microsoft 365 roadmap and was spotted by Neowin. It could come as soon as May 2021, but that date is subject to change.

Here's the full description of the feature:

Microsoft Search: Earn Microsoft Rewards when using a work or school accountUsers in your organization will have the ability to earn Microsoft Rewards points when signed into select Microsoft 365 services (Microsoft Search in Bing) with their organizational (work or school) account.

Microsoft Rewards allows you to earn points that can be exchanged for credit in the Microsoft Store and for several other items. Last year our Richard Devine wrote about how Microsoft Rewards is the best Xbox feature you might not be using.

Being able to earn points through Microsoft Search will add yet another way to rack up rewards. Microsoft Search is a tool that allows people to search for information within an organization. It can also work with Bing on the web.

It's not clear at this time how many points people will earn for searches. It's also not clear how easy it will be to transfer the points to a personal account. Right now, you can transfer Microsoft Rewards points to another person, but there are limits depending on your status as a Microsoft Rewards earner.

Earn up to 10,000 Microsoft reward points for playing games this January

sendicott47@outlook.com (Sean Endicott) — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 14:30:42 +0000

What you need to know

You can earn up to 10,000 Microsoft Rewards points for earning Gamerscore this month.
The number of reward points you earn matches how much Gamerscore you earn, up to 10,000 points.
You can use Microsoft Rewards to purchase gift cards, Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, and more.

Microsoft Rewards is a program that allows you to exchange earned points for Microsoft Gift Cards, Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, Xbox Live Gold subscriptions, and much more. It's one of the best Xbox features that you might not be using, and during the month of January, you can easily earn quite a few points. A new Microsoft Rewards challenge will earn you one Microsoft Rewards point for every Gamerscore point that you earn, with a limit of 10,000 Rewards points.

Twitter user NBA Kirkland spotted the challenge (via TrueAchievements. The challenge runs from January 6th until January 26th. During that time, every Gamerscore point you earn will be matched with a Microsoft Rewards point (up to its limit of 10,000).

To take part in the challenge, you need to download the Microsoft Rewards on Xbox app and activate the punch card.

What you can exchange Microsoft Rewards points for each month varies a bit from month to month, with the exact exchange rate for some rewards fluctuating. That being said, it's safe to say that 10,000 Microsoft Rewards points will get you more than a month of Xbox Game Pass. You can also use it on Microsoft Gift Cards, Xbox Live Gold subscriptions, and several other rewards. You can also use Rewards points to donate to charity or to enter sweepstakes.

A quick trick that you might not know about is that you can set your Rewards points to auto-renew for specific rewards. When you do this, the exchange rate for points to rewards is a little bit better than usual.

A catalog of games

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

All your gaming needs, in one subscription.

Is the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate the best value in all of gaming? It's possible. Ultimate bundles your Xbox Live Gold subscription, an Xbox Game Pass subscription for both Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, and Xbox Cloud Gaming for on-the-go. That means access to hundreds of games, with more added all the time, for a single monthly subscription cost.

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Microsoft Rewards is the best Xbox feature you might not be using

Richard Devine — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 17:53:23 +0000

Did you know that Microsoft Rewards on the Xbox? Did you also know that it's one of the best places to earn those reward points by doing very little?

File this under one of those "I thought everyone knew" things, but having discussed it with a friend over the holidays who was completely oblivious to the program, perhaps it's not all that well known.

So here's the deal. If you're not using it, then you should start, immediately. Especially if you have an Xbox Series S. But whether you're new or an old hand, you might find this helpful in maximizing your use of the program.

Get rewarded for buying and playing games

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

The first thing you should do is make sure you have the dedicated Microsoft Rewards Xbox app installed on your console. It's your gateway to a whole bunch of Xbox-specific chances to increase your points, in many cases without doing much at all.

There are some regular features, like Game Pass Quests, which you can earn small rewards from daily and weekly, with bonuses for hitting monthly goals. We're not talking anything tough either, literally just playing a Game Pass game every day or unlocking achievements is all it takes. If you're playing these games anyway, why not monetize them? Over time, lots of small amounts soon add up.

Then there are the bigger bonuses. The recent holiday sale, for example, offered a 5,000 point bonus on meeting a minimum spend (£35 where I am) on almost all games in the promotion. If you're buying new games from the Microsoft Store in a sale — and this is where it makes even more sense for Xbox Series S owners — anyway, 5,000 points is a pretty big chunk.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

It's almost enough on it's own to get five bucks/pounds added to your account to put towards another game. Using Microsoft Rewards points I earned with very little effort I took £15 off the price of Cyberpunk 2077. Who doesn't like free money?

The key is to keep checking the app on your Xbox and activate relevant punch cards. At the time of writing this there are sizeable bonuses for people who play Apex Legends, Call of Duty and Rainbow Six Siege, as well as for purchasing media.

Sure, a lot of the higher tier rewards are linked to buying stuff, but if you're buying it anyway, what's the harm? Again...it's all free money.

Auto-redeem for the best rates

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

When it comes to getting something for your (hard) earned points, there's a lot to choose from. You can enter contests, get subscriptions to Gold or Game Pass Ultimate, donate some to charitable causes or you can cash them in for Xbox gift cards to credit onto your account.

And if you set up an auto-redeem, which has its own tab in the Microsoft Rewards app, you'll get a better redemption rate and make your points go a little further each time.

For example, I currently get a £5 credit for 5,500 points on auto-redeem, compared to 5,850 without. It's not much, but I'd rather save those points over time than not.

Combine it with the desktop

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

How much you earn and how much you can redeem will depend on how active you are in the program. It also covers desktop use, of course, so if you're searching with Bing, especially in Microsoft Edge, you'll earn points every day.

You'll also be able to earn on purchases from the Microsoft Store, be that apps and games (including when you buy Xbox games), digital video content or even items like a new Surface. There are plenty of opportunities to earn rewards points and use them towards more discounts on new games.

There are exemptions, for example, on Xbox you won't earn points on microtransactions, but there's plenty of information readily available on what is eligible. And the web portal is always worth visiting for a few extra opportunities to top up on points.

If you're not already using the program though, definitely get the app installed or visit the website, get signed up and get earning. You'd be silly not to.

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Xbox Series X: Everything we know
Best games coming to Xbox Series X/S
List of Xbox Series X specs
What is the Xbox Series X release date?
How much does Xbox Series X cost?
Why you can't preorder Xbox Series X yet
Best Xbox Series X Headsets

Xbox owners donate 'hundreds of thousands of dollars' to fight coronavirus

matt@windowscentral.com (Matt Brown) — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 09:53:54 +0000

Microsoft recently unveiled an initiative to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic, providing Xbox One owners with the opportunity to donate to the CDC Foundation by playing Xbox games. Hooking into its Microsoft Rewards program, players can donate earned points to coronavirus relief efforts, with every 1,000 points matched by a $1 donation from Redmond itself.

In short, Xbox One owners can do their part, staying at home, and staying entertained.

Those efforts appear to have been well received, with over 100,000 donations clocked through Microsoft rewards. Existing contributions surpassed "hundreds of thousands of dollars," aiding to CDC Foundation in its response to coronavirus.

Source: Microsoft (Image credit: Source: Microsoft)

"Within the first few weeks of announcing Xbox One owners can use Microsoft Rewards points to donate to the CDC Foundation, our gamer community has come together with over a hundred thousand individual donations – an incredible showing of support for the CDC Foundation contributing to hundreds of thousands of dollars donated this month by Rewards members," states Microsoft. "We are incredibly inspired by the way the community is rallying to provide support in this time of need."

The platform holder has announced an expansion of the Xbox One program, providing an opportunity for U.S. players to donate to non-profit GlobalGiving and the United Nations Foundation. That comes with two extra virtual "punchcards," allowing gamers to secure over 6,000 Microsoft Rewards points in total, equating to a $6 donation.

To access the points or donate, download the Microsoft Rewards app for Xbox One, and look out for the "Support A Hero While At Home" tiles under featured offers.

Xbox

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Microsoft Rewards app launches for everyone on Xbox One

dan.lancaster@mobilenations.com (Dan Thorp-Lancaster) — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 14:54:29 +0000

After a brief period of testing with Xbox Insiders, Microsoft has launched its Microsoft Rewards app for Xbox One. If you want to keep an eye on your rewards points right from your console, the app is available for everyone to download now.

The app offers an experience that should be largely familiar to those who are already using Microsoft Rewards. The app lets you check up on how many rewards points you've earned over your account's lifetime, along with currently available points. Once you're ready to start spending the points you've accrued, you can use them to buy things like gift cards and other goodies. And for those who haven't yet joined the program, you can get started right from the Xbox app.

Microsoft Rewards is here to level up your gaming experience.
Download the app on Xbox One and start earning Microsoft Store credit: https://t.co/FyrP6ZTgpf pic.twitter.com/Rsv870bE68Microsoft Rewards is here to level up your gaming experience.
Download the app on Xbox One and start earning Microsoft Store credit: https://t.co/FyrP6ZTgpf pic.twitter.com/Rsv870bE68— Xbox (@Xbox) July 5, 2018 July 5, 2018

The Microsoft Rewards Xbox app was U.S.-only while it was in testing, but it should now be available in all countries where Microsoft Rewards is supported.

See at Microsoft

Microsoft Rewards app for Xbox One now up for testing with Insiders

dan.lancaster@mobilenations.com (Dan Thorp-Lancaster) — Tue, 29 May 2018 20:28:03 +0000

Now that Xbox Live Rewards is making the transition to Microsoft Rewards, Microsoft is taking the next step in its journey: an app for Xbox One. the company announced today that a Microsoft Rewards app is now available on the console for testing with Xbox Insiders.

If you're already familiar with Microsoft Rewards, you'll know what to expect here. The app allows you to check up on how many rewards points you've earned over your account's lifetime, as well as currently available points. And if you're ready to start spending, you can purchase things like gift cards with any points you've accrued. And if you're not yet a part of the program, you can join from the app as well.

The app is currently in beta testing, so expect some hiccups. If you want to start testing, Xbox Insiders in the U.S. can join the beta through the "Insider Content" portion of the Xbox Insider Hub. And while it's U.S.-only for right now, Microsoft says the app will launch in all countries where Microsoft Rewards is supported.

If you're an Xbox Insider and you don't yet see the Microsoft Rewards app available in the Insider Hub, don't fret; Microsoft plans to roll the app out to more Insiders "in the coming weeks."

Xbox Live Rewards will transition to Microsoft Rewards in June

dan.lancaster@mobilenations.com (Dan Thorp-Lancaster) — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 14:59:01 +0000

Microsoft has announced that it the Xbox Live Rewards program will become Microsoft Rewards in June. The move appears to be occurring across a number of regions, including in the U.S., UK, and France, according to alerts posted to the official Xbox Live Rewards{.nofollow} page and emails being sent to members. And while there's no exact date for the switchover, Microsoft says in an accompanying FAQ{.nofollow} that it is planning to complete the migration to Microsoft Rewards "by the end of June 2018."

If you're already an Xbox Live Rewards member, then Microsoft Rewards will feel fairly familiar. While you can currently earn reward points for doing things like purchasing games, movies, and TV shows, the move to Microsoft Rewards will additionally allow you to be rewarded for Bing searches and shopping at Microsoft Store locations. The points you earn can then be redeemed for things like contest entries, gift cards, and more.

According to Microsoft, Xbox Live Rewards memberships will automatically become Microsoft Rewards memberships in June. Existing Microsoft Rewards members will simply have their Xbox Live Rewards membership merged with their existing account. When the transition occurs, any leftover credits and MyVIP Gems will be added to your Microsoft account in your local currency, and you'll have one year to spend it on digital items from the Microsoft Store, Microsoft says. If you'd rather not go through with the transition, Microsoft will let you opt out by June 15{.nofollow} and your remaining rewards credits and MyVIP Gems balance will be added to your Microsoft account in your local currency.

As far as a timeline is concerned, Microsoft has some specific checkpoints laid out. Here's a look at how the transition will go down:

May 31: All Xbox Live Rewards offers and missions end: the last day to earn Rewards Credits, make progress on your MyVIP Star Rank, earn your % back on purchases, earn MyVIP Gems, or unlock new MyVIP Perks
May 31: Last day to claim any special FREEdom Rewards tokens from the FREEdom Rewards page{.nofollow}
June 15: Last day to claim any open MyVIP Perks, or redeem your unused MyVIP Gems for prizes from the MyVIP Vault
June 15: Last day to opt-out of Xbox Live Rewards if you don't want to transition to Microsoft Rewards>- By the end of June 2018: Deposit of pending Xbox Live Rewards Credits into your Microsoft account
By the end of June 2018: Xbox Live Rewards becomes Microsoft Rewards

For more, you can check out Microsoft's full FAQ{.nofollow} on the Microsoft Rewards transition.

Microsoft Movies & TV offers up extra Xbox Live Rewards credits

dan.lancaster@mobilenations.com (Dan Thorp-Lancaster) — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 16:15:26 +0000

Microsoft already offers a number of ways to snag Xbox Live Rewards credits each month, but its latest involves a healthy dose of movies and TV shows. Running from now through December 31, Microsoft says{.nofollow} you can pick up extra credits and gems for buying or renting content from Movies & TV.

In all, Microsoft says you can earn a maximum of 10,000 credits and 20 VIP gems through the December cutoff. To get the full enchilada, however, will require spending a not-insignificant amount of money across four categories. Here's a look:

Must Watch: Spend $30 before tax on featured new releases{.nofollow} from Microsoft Movies & TV to score your Reward. - 3,000 rewards credits and 5 MyVIP gems
Triple Feature: Spend at least $4 before tax on 3 separate movie rentals to claim your Reward. - 1,000 rewards credits and 5 MyVIP gems
Movie Marathon: Spend at least $25 before tax on movies to cash in. - 3,000 rewards credits and 5 MyVIP gems
TV Showmance: Spend $25 before tax on any TV content of your choosing and watch to your heart's content. - 3,000 rewards credits and 5 MyVIP gems.

That's a pretty hefty sum to spend if you're trying to earn the full amount of rewards points, but it's not a bad way to earn some extra credits if you're planning to buy or rent stuff over the next month anyway. And while it probably won't overcome the simmering unease among Movies & TV fans who may be second guessing Microsoft's commitment to its media services following the abrupt shutdown of Groove Music, the promotion is a nice bonus for anyone dipping their toes back in. Now here's to hoping Movies & TV joins Movies Anywhere sooner rather than later.

See at Microsoft{.cta .shop.nofollow}

Microsoft Rewards now rolling out in Canada

dan.lancaster@mobilenations.com (Dan Thorp-Lancaster) — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 17:52:43 +0000

Microsoft has been teasing the change for some time, but Microsoft Rewards is now available in Canada. This is part of a transition that sees the previous Xbox Live Rewards changing over to Microsoft Rewards. Microsoft has started alerting people of the change via email and inviting Canadian fans to try Microsoft Rewards.

If you were previously an Xbox Live Rewards member, you shouldn't have to take any action; the service should simply transition to Microsoft Rewards. However, you'll now be able to earn points when shopping at the Microsoft Store or searching with Bing. You'll also still earn points when purchasing games, movies, and TV shows in the Xbox Store. Points can then be redeemed for contest entries, Xbox gift cards, and more.

Microsoft has been gradually expanding Microsoft Rewards over the past several months, including to Australia and the UK. If you live in Canada, you should be able to sign up or check out your rewards dashboard at Microsoft now{.nofollow}.

Thanks to Eric, Tanner, and Andrew for the tips!

Microsoft Rewards is coming to users in the United Kingdom

zac.bowden@futurenet.com (Zac Bowden) — Tue, 16 May 2017 12:07:03 +0000

Good news! If you're a user who resides in the United Kingdom, you will soon be able to take advantage of Microsoft's rewards program! Originally exclusive to the United States, Microsoft Rewards is now slowly rolling out to Microsoft Accounts that reside in the United Kingdom.

Users in the United Kingdom can now head to the official Microsoft Rewards website located here{.nofollow}, where you can now sign up and begin earning points for doing various things in the Microsoft ecosystem. If you earn enough points, you level up, and can also win prizes!

If you're unable to access the Rewards website in the UK, that's probably because the program is still rolling out. Check back in a few hours and see if you can sign up then. In the meantime, are you interested in the Microsoft Rewards program in the UK? Let us know.

Microsoft's FREEdom Rewards will give you prizes for playing free Xbox games

dan.lancaster@mobilenations.com (Dan Thorp-Lancaster) — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 16:04:05 +0000

Microsoft is looking to give a boost to its library of free-to-play titles on the Xbox One with the aptly named FREEdom Rewards campaign. Open to Xbox Live Rewards members, FREEdom Rewards{.nofollow} essentially gives you a shot at winning prizes for checking out games like Roblox, Neverwinter, and Warframe.

At the moment, the biggest prize of all is up for grabs for playing Roblox. For every 30 minutes you play the game through February 28, you get another entry (up to 4 per week) to win a 4K Samsung TV, a wireless gaming chair, or a gaming headset. Other games, like Neverwinter, World of Tanks, and Star Trek Online will reward you with a small in-game item or items for referring friends. Meanwhile, spending money on in-game items and add-ons will earn you Rewards Credits.

The current campaign has 42 days left as of this writing, so there's still plenty of time to get in. Be sure to hit up the FREEdom Rewards site{.nofollow} for the full skinny on what's up for grabs and to join Xbox Live Rewards to participate.

Microsoft Rewards extension for Edge launches in preview

dan.lancaster@mobilenations.com (Dan Thorp-Lancaster) — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 17:17:57 +0000

A Microsoft Rewards extension for the company's Edge browser is now available in preview form. With the extension, you can not only easily check to see if you're currently earning points while browsing, but you an also quickly take a look at current offers, quizzes and more.

Here's a quick look at the features of the Microsoft Rewards extension:

Clearly see when you are actively browsing - So you know when you're earning points.
Easy access - Quickly access daily offers and quizzes to earn additional points.
See your rewards status - including points balance, daily points earned, and progress towards a redemption goal.

Keep in mind that the extension is in preview, which means that there are bound to be some bugs involved. Also be aware that you must be signed into your Windows 10 machine with your Microsoft Rewards account for the extension to work properly. That said, you can check out the Microsoft Rewards extension on the Windows Store now. Also be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Thanks to ArtieMcD for the tip!

See the Microsoft Rewards Edge extension at the Microsoft Store

Boldly collect extra Microsoft Points by buying or renting Star Trek TV shows and movies

John Callaham — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 16:43:57 +0000

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of Star Trek, the Microsoft Rewards program is offering extra bonus points for people who buy or rent Star Trek TV shows or movies.

Microsoft Rewards is the newly revamped version of the Bing Rewards program, which allows people in the U.S. to collect points by using Bing and Microsoft Edge browser, along with buying Xbox and Windows games. The points can then be exchanged for eGift cards for Microsoft products and services, along with Amazon and Starbucks gift cards and more.

In this special offer, you can also get 3,000 extra Microsoft Rewards points when you purchase a Star Trek movie from the Movies and TV service, and that includes pre-orders of the latest movie Star Trek Beyond. You can also get 500 extra points for renting one of those movies. If you want to purchase a season of one of the five Star Trek TV shows, you can claim an extra 4,000 points as well.

Lear more about the new Microsoft Rewards program

See Star Trek bonuses at Microsoft Rewards{.cta .large}

The switch has been flipped for Microsoft Rewards in the U.S. with new site design

daniel@windowscentral.com (Daniel Rubino) — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 18:10:07 +0000

Back in August, it was announced that Bing Rewards would soon be replaced by the Microsoft Rewards program for those in the United States. The program's concept remains the same, but nomenclature, status, and ability to redeem points were all being modified.

Those changes appear to have taken effect today as noticed by @prjkthack who tipped us on the modification. The Bing Rewards page is now updated to reflect the new Microsoft Rewards status along with new features and redesign.

Some of the changes include points for using Microsoft's Edge browser, purchasing items in both the Windows Store and Microsoft Store. Other changes are more superficial e.g. instead of credits they are points. Bing Rewards had three levels (Member, Silver, and Gold), but Microsoft Rewards has Tier 1 and Tier 2 levels. If users earn 500 Microsoft Points a month, they will be a Tier 2 member and will be able to get a 10% discount on rewards from Microsoft brands. All current Bing Rewards members who signed up before August 15 will be upgraded to Tier 2 which will last until October 31.

Users can redeem 'points' for Gift Cards and chances to win prizes

Points can be exchanged for rewards such as gift cards at GameStop, Amazon, Starbucks, Hulu, and Microsoft brands.

You can head to the new site found at this link: account.microsoft.com/rewards{.nofollow}.

You can read the full changes in the official Microsoft FAQ on the subject. As usual, Microsoft Rewards is U.S. only for the time being.

Microsoft is making big changes to Bing Rewards, including its name

John Callaham — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 12:25:03 +0000

Microsoft is emailing members of Bing Rewards, informing them of some major changes to the program that offers a way to earn points towards purchasing gift cards. One of those changes is that the program will now be called Microsoft Rewards.

The old Bing Rewards let users earn points for gift cards, sweepstakes entries and more by searching on Bing. The new Microsoft Rewards will retain earning points via Bing searches, but users will also be able to earn points by purchasing items in both the Windows Store and Microsoft Store. Yes, that even includes buying items in physical Microsoft Store locations. In addition, points can be earned by using the Microsoft Edge web browser:

You'll earn points when you're actively browsing. Active browsing means the Microsoft Edge browser is in view on your desktop and the icon is highlighted on the taskbar AND you're actively engaging with the browser (mouse movements, clicks, touch gestures, keyboard presses, or presentation mode - like watching a full-screen video).

Bing Rewards used a "credit" system, but Microsoft Rewards will convert them to "points". In the new system, one Bing Rewards credit will be turned into 10 Microsoft Points. Finally, the levels of membership will change as well. Bing Rewards has three levels (Member, Silver and Gold), but Microsoft Rewards will just have Tier 1 and Tier 2 levels. If users earn 500 Microsoft Points a month, they will be a Tier 2 member and will be able to get a 10% discount on rewards from Microsoft brands. All current Bing Rewards members who signed up prior to August 15 will be upgraded to Tier 2 which will last until October 31.

Microsoft's email stated the change from Bing Rewards to Microsoft Rewards will be made automatically in the next few weeks. As with Bing Rewards, Microsoft Rewards will be limited to U.S. users

Check out the official FAQ page for Microsoft Rewards{.cta .large}

Thanks to Kyle for the tip!

Microsoft spruces up Xbox Live Rewards, your Rewards Credits will now become cash

Sam Sabri — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 21:44:17 +0000

Microsoft recently made the decision to drop their Point system from Xbox Live. It was a move that many people on Xbox Live have been wanting for quite some time. While you could get discounts on Microsoft Points (thus saving money), the system itself had a few annoyances that many aren’t mourning the loss of. Now Microsoft is refreshing their Xbox Live Reward program to reflect changes to the loss of Microsoft Points. Details after the break.

Familiar with Xbox Live Rewards? It’s a loyalty program for members on Xbox Live that offered Microsoft Points as rewards. You could get those Microsoft Points by doing things like renewing your membership, playing games, taking surveys, and other engagements through Xbox Live.

Now that Microsoft Points have gone the way of the Dodo there are a few changes to the site. The site itself has received an overhaul in the UI department. Things have been cleaned up and received the ~~Metro~~ Microsoft Design Language treatment. It’s also easier to see how you can earn credits within the Xbox Live Rewards program and how you can spend those credits.

Go check out the site and see the various ways you can earn credits and spend them. For example, you can earn 5,000 Rewards Credits by purchasing any five map packs between now and October 1^st. If you renew your Xbox Live Gold account you can rack up 250 Rewards Credits with a 1 month renewal or 3,000 Rewards Credits for 12 months.

Go rack up Rewards Credits and turn them into cash for your Microsoft Account. You aren’t getting something for nothing, you do spend money to get Rewards Credits. But it’s a nice way to get a little something back for an action you were probably going to do anyways. Surveys are a nice way to earn Rewards Credits without spending money too.

Rack up 5,000 Rewards Credits and turn that into $5 USD.

Make sure you go to http://rewards.xbox.com to sign up if you haven’t already. This program is only available in 16 countries. Places like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, France, and others. Check their FAQ to learn more.

Thanks for the tip stevearsenault!

HTC Titan III mysteriously appears in this month's Xbox Live Survey (Updated)

George Ponder — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:57:27 +0000

Update 12/4/12: Microsoft has let us know directly that this was indeed a typo and it has since been fixed on the survey. It now says Titan II.

Every month Xbox Live Rewards conducts a survey that is an easy way for Rewards participants to earn points. Well the December survey makes reference to something that is a bit of a mystery.

The survey asks if participants how excited they would be if they received the following smartphones as a gift. The survey includes the iPhone 5, Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx HD, Nokia Lumia 920, Samsung Galaxy S3 and the HTC Titan III.

Not the Titan II but the Titan III.

The Titan III or Zenith was the third HTC Windows Phone that kept surfacing earlier this summer. The Zenith was rumored to have a 4.7" Super LCD 2 screen which would qualify it for Titan status. But as far as we know, the Zenith or Titan III never made it out of the cutting room.

We won't read too much into this with it likely being a typo by the Xbox Live Rewards staff. Then again, maybe HTC is planning for a early 2013 surprise?

Thanks, Nathan, for the tip!

Xbox LIVE's new MyAchievements program rewards Gold members for their Gamerscores

Seth Brodeur — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:55:35 +0000

Microsoft has added a new perk for Xbox LIVE Rewards Gold members. MyAchievements, as it is called, offers benefits for players who have achieved certain Gamerscores. The program is live and has already unlocked the different tiers for players who have reached each milestone, of which there are three.

The Contender level (Gamerscore 3000-9999) entitles you to a "special gift" during your birthday month. It's not clear what exactly that gift is, but according to the fine print, it's worth a whopping $.25. We are guessing it is a birthday prop for your avatar. In addition to the birthday gift, the Champion level (Gamerscore 10000-25000) entitles you to a 1% discount on Xbox LIVE Marketplace purchases. The top level, Legend (Gamerscore 25000+) doubles your discount in the Marketplace to 2%.

It's certainly a step in the right direction for Microsoft to offer something to players for their Gamerscore, other than just bragging rights. And seriously, who really ever brags about their Gamerscore anyway? The rewards aren't significant enough to drive up the number of Gold subscribers, and falls short of what other services (like Sony's PSN Rewards) offers their members, but at least they're throwing the current ones a bone. The MyAchievements program is set to go until June 30 2013, so who knows, there could be more to come.

What do you think? Is the MyAchievements perk enough to get you gaming?

Source: Microsoft

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