The American technology leader Microsoft announced recently the rollout of a new incentives program to get users to adopt its new native Windows 10 browser Microsoft Edge and its veteran search engine Bing in exchange for rewards.
Microsoft Rewards is currently available in the United States only and serves as a revamped and expanded version of the former Bing Rewards program. The strategy remains the same, although with a few tweaks here and there. Instead of earning Bing Credits users now earn Microsoft Points, which are acquired by performing various activities in Microsoft native services.
The name change intends to serve as an umbrella term to comprise the Microsoft Edge browser, the search engine Bing, and the Microsoft Store sales platform. By actively browsing on Edge, making searches on Bing, and buying items on the Store, users can earn Microsoft Points redeemable for a number of different, constantly changing rewards.
What can users get by signing up to Microsoft Rewards?
It is important to remember that only users whose computers run on Windows 10 are eligible to sign up to the Microsoft Rewards program, as only they are able to navigate using the latest browser from the tech giant.
By registering to participate on Microsoft Rewards, users will be awarded two Microsoft Points for every search they perform in Bing while surfing on Edge. Moreover, the rebranded system implements mobile-game-like mechanics with a daily limit for earned points set at 25 per day, which translates to 50 searches divided into 30 from a computer and 20 from a mobile device. Web surfing limits are also in place with 30 hours of navigation tops per month.
Microsoft Rewards groups subscribers into two tiers, with those at the second and highest tier getting more benefits than those in the introductory level. However, those in the premium tier will have to meet higher performance standards to maintain their status, namely, perform more searches using Bing in Microsoft Edge.
The system has been established in partnership with the popular coffee shop Starbucks and the sales giant Amazon, offering further benefits across other Microsoft-developed services like Outlook and Skype. A certain amount of Microsoft Points can be exchanged for discounts or vouchers for Amazon and Starbucks, whereas ad-free versions and in-app credit are available for Skype and Outlook.
Future updates to Microsoft Rewards are expected to integrate more members of the Microsoft family to the incentives system, like the Xbox Rewards platform already in place. For old Bing Rewards users, the conversion rate is 10 Microsoft Points for each Bing Credit previously owned, whereas Microsoft Store purchases translate into 1 point awarded for each dollar spent.
Source: Microsoft
