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 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.
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