Microsoft has started Earn, a reward program, last week in the United States. At present, the program, which is in its beta version, is available at Microsoft stores in three states: Arizona, Massachusetts and Washington. Twitter user h0x0d, who recently discovered new Microsoft apps OneClip and Flow, was the first one to stumble across Earn.
Still in testing phase
A Microsoft spokesperson told VentureBeat that it is a customer reward beta program available in the three states. As per the executive, Earn will help Visa and MasterCard customers turn Earn Credits for purchases at their favorite retailers and restaurants into technology rewards at Microsoft stores.
Microsoft is offering customers a chance to earn reward points without purchasing tech items. Similarly, the software company is wooing retailers, assuring them that when they join Microsoft, their customers will select them over competitors for earning reward points. Although it appears to be a clever plan, the number of customers who sign up just to earn points for purchasing tech products has yet to be seen.
How Microsoft’s Earn program works
Customers can register at www.earnbymicrosoft.com to use the service. Once on the website, the customers will get to learn how Microsoft works. They can register by giving contact information and debit and credit card details. Thereafter, the reward program will give 5% to 10% in Earn credits to customers when they use their cards at selected national retailers such as Starbucks, Whole Foods, 7 Eleven, Petsmart, Papa John’s, and 1-800-Flowers.com, along with hundreds of domestic restaurants. These Earn credits can be used to purchase products (such as software, laptops, tablets, phones, Xbox consoles and games, headphones, speakers, and so on) at Microsoft stores.
In a separate development, the company officially announced plans to launch Windows 10 on July 29. The official date was revealed by the company post the announcement by AMD CEO Lisa Su that Microsoft would launch Windows 10 in late July. Based on preview builds, one thing is sure: that the new OS is accompanied by number of changes and bugs. Now less than two months are left for Microsoft to fix all the issues and bugs present in the operating system.
