Get 'paid' to walk using free apps
Earn big retailer vouchers, cinema tickets, coffee & more for steps and other activity
Walking has great value – not just to your health, or to the environment, but also monetary value. This is because there are a plethora of free apps (or ones you can use if you have certain health/life insurance plans) that effectively pay you to walk.
While some apps only record walking, others will also reward you for activities such as running, cycling, and swimming. They monitor your activity by either syncing with your phone's built-in pedometer and GPS, or connecting with third-party fitness apps, or with an activity tracker such as Fitbit or Garmin.
You'll earn points which can then be converted into vouchers for big retailers such as Amazon and Asda, cinema tickets, and coffee, depending on the activity rewards app you use.
The NHS says the average person takes between 3,000 and 4,000 steps in a day, but it also says the target for a healthy heart is 10,000 a day, and of course walking's the most environmentally friendly way of getting around.
These apps can be good motivation to get us moving more – something MSE founder Martin Lewis (a self-confessed fitness tracker addict) clearly doesn't have a problem with...
We asked MoneySavers which free activity rewards apps they use – below is our analysis of the five most popular, though there are many more out there.
Here's a quick summary...
- Sweatcoin – Rewards are hit-and-miss (mostly % off a retailer or free trials) but it'll log your steps in the background so requires minimal attention.
- Win Walk – A strong selection of big brand gift cards, but you have to remember to bank your steps at the end of each day, or lose your progress. It's only available for Android devices.
- Vitality – If you've got an eligible policy with it, it's a good way to get free coffee and cinema tickets.
- Charity Miles – This is the app if you want your efforts to benefit others too, though it won't automatically track exercise.
- Biscuit – The app for those with a dog, which rewards you with big brand gift vouchers for going walkies and even playing with your pooch.
Each app has differing benefits, and how quickly you can earn rewards can depend on how you want to engage with them. In some cases you'll receive much more step-tacular results by spending time on the app doing things such as watching adverts, completing surveys or playing games in addition to walking.
Here's our full rundown...
Sweatcoin - various rewards, such as 40% of Garmin, 15% off Adidas, or Disney+ free trial
Get it: Android | iPhone (requires iOS 13.4 or later)
You'll need to sign up to Sweatcoin with your email address and phone number. Sweatcoin says it doesn't sell anyone's data.
What activities does it log? Indoor and outdoor steps.
How does it track activities? Sweatcoin doesn't link up with fitness trackers, but if you have an Apple Watch 2 or later model, you can link it with that. Otherwise, annoyingly you'll always need your phone with you.
It uses the phone's built-in pedometer. You either need to keep the app open for it to work, or allow it to run in the background.
How many points does it give? Its points are known as sweatcoins – 1,000 steps equals 0.95 sweatcoins, but the free version only allows you to track up to 10,000 steps a day. The premium version (from £4.99 a month or £24.99 annually) allows you to earn unlimited sweatcoins a day.
Not every step you take is always counted – only those Sweatcoin's algorithm can verify (it says about 65% on average) – and it also says it misses the odd step when its 'battery saver' mode is on. When I tested it, out of 2,000 steps, it converted 1,664 of them into sweatcoins.
What can you spend rewards on? Only a handful of rewards are available at any one time, often changing daily, and they can be a bit hit-and-miss, and don't often have the mass appeal of a high street voucher. When we checked, you could exchange 10 sweatcoins (equivalent to about 10,500 steps) to get 40% off Garmin or 15% off Adidas. We've also seen discounts on Grüum, Green Chef and Loveholidays.
Are there any ways you can increase your points, besides walking? Yes, Sweatcoin has daily rewards, challenges, offers and boosts - all will provide you with other ways to earn more sweatcoins. For example, I found one which was as easy as playing a game for one-minute, giving me an extra 2.5 sweatcoins in return, equivalent to walking a bit more than 2,500 steps. Or, you can invite friends to download the app for five sweatcoins, equivalent to walking over 5,000 steps.
How does it make money? It partners with brands, who pay to be featured within the marketplace of its app, and also has a limited amount of advertising.
Our analysis summary: This app is a good one for leaving to do its thing in the background, while you go about your normal day. MSE Olivia has used the app for over a year and says she is more of a passive user (allowing the app to track her steps without intentionally stepping for sweatcoins). With this approach she has earned 'free' trials for Disney+ and Apple Music, as well as discounts at big brands.
Win Walk - earn gift cards from brands such as Amazon, Costa and Just Eat
Get it: Android only
You'll need to sign up to Win Walk with your email address and allow it to track your location, though this only works in European countries (something I found out while visiting Jordan, despite doing many, many steps across Petra). It says it'll never share your data.
What activities does it log? Indoor and outdoor steps.
How does it track activities? It automatically counts your steps using your phone's step sensor. You can also sync with Google Fit to more accurately track your steps and also use less battery if you'd prefer. The downside is you have to manually log your steps at the end of each day or the coins you've earned won't be saved. This can be frustrating as if you forget to do this, you lose that day's earnings which caught me out a few times when testing the app. I also found the app glitchy at times.
How many points does it give? For every 100 steps you get one coin, but this is limited to 10,000 steps per day (so 100 coins maximum). You'll then need 21,000 coins to able to able to redeem a £10 gift card. So, say you walked an average 5,000 steps a day earning 50 coins a day, it would take you nearly 14 months to get a £10 voucher. If you're averaging the maximum 10,000 a day, it would take a bit under seven months.
What can you spend rewards on? When we checked you could redeem gift cards from big brands including Primark, H&M, New Look, TK Maxx, Asda, Currys, M&S, Tesco, Amazon, Costa, Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Starbucks.
How does it make money? From adverts that pop up while you're using the app.
Are there any ways you can increase your points, besides walking? Yes, you can claim bonus coins for watching extra ads and playing games.
Our analysis summary: Win Walk offers some of the best rewards with a plentiful selection to choose from, but it forces you to put the effort in (and we aren't talking about the steps). It makes you manually bank your coins like you're on an episode of The Weakest Link, and if you forget to do it, you lose your coins for that day, so this isn't a 'just run it in the background' app.
It also pushes you to engage with the app by watching ads – for example, when MSE Oli tested it, he could only bank all his coins for the day in one go if he watched an advert first, which often lasted a couple of minutes, otherwise he had to tap on each individual coin (which could be up to 100 times) – good finger workout though I suppose.
If you can put up with those annoyances and have time to interactive with the app, and remember to bank those coins, this can give decent rewards.
Vitality Rewards - Caffé Nero & cinema tickets
You can only use the Vitality Rewards app if you’ve a personal or business health or life insurance plan with Vitality. Of course, this shouldn't be the only reason for taking out a policy – see our health insurance or life insurance guides.
What activities does it log? Walking, running, cycling, swimming, joining a Parkrun or working out at a partner gym. See Vitality for full activity tracking info.
How does it track activities? You’ll need to link an activity tracking device to the app. It supports Apple Health, Garmin, Google Fit, Polar, Fitbit, Samsung and Withings.
How many points does it give? Different activities earn you a certain number of Vitality active points, with a maximum of eight points per day. It works on a weekly basis starting each Monday and you can earn a total of 40 points in a week.
If 7,000 steps are tracked in a day, that earns you three Vitality active points. 10,000 steps gets you five points and 12,500+ steps gets you the full eight points. See Vitality for more info on earning points from other activities.
What can you spend rewards on? Earn a certain number of points in a week and you’ll be able to collect your rewards the following week. If you earn 12 points in a week (the equivalent of 22,500 steps or 10.7 miles) you can get one free drink at Caffé Nero, while 48 activity points in a month earns you a free cinema ticket at Vue or Odeon.
Are there ways you can increase your points, besides walking and other activities mentioned above? No.
Our analysis summary: If you've already got a health insurance policy, downloading the Vitality app is an easy way to keep motivated with your health goals and earn some decent discounts and freebies for doing so.
Charity Miles - earn money for charities
You'll need to sign up to Charity Miles with your email address and allow it to track your location. It says it'll never share your data.
What activities does it log? Walking and running (both outdoor and indoor), and outdoor cycling.
How does it track activities? It won't track your activity automatically – you've got to open the app and select to start a workout each time you want it to track what you do. It uses your phone's GPS and motion sensors. You can also link Charity Miles to your Strava account too if you have one.
How many points does it give? For every mile you move, you'll earn money for your chosen charity. You're not awarded a specific amount each time – the charity gets a percentage of the money available, dependent on how many miles have been accrued for it.
What can you spend rewards on? 40+ charities (though a lot are US-based) including Save The Children, Stand Up To Cancer, and the World Wildlife Fund. You pick which charity you want to support when you sign up, though you can change this at any time.
How does it make money? From sponsorship – you'll see advertising within the app, and when you start an activity.
Are there ways you can increase your points, besides walking and other activities mentioned above? No.
Our analysis summary: Of course, this app is philanthropic in its approach to rewards. If you're wanting to do your bit to help others, or need some motivation to get a more active, this is a great all-rounder that'll hopefully make you feel good both physically and mentally.
Biscuit - earn rewards for walking & caring for your dog
You'll need to sign up to Biscuit with your email address and upload some information about your dog, so the app can make personalised health and exercise recommendations for your pooch based on its breed and age.
What activities does it log? Dog walks, and other activities that keep your dog active such as running or playing in the park together.
How does it track activities? You'll need to manually do this by tapping ‘Record activity’ on the app dashboard. You then select the dog you are walking with, hit start and away you go. You'll need to allow the app access to your location mapping (GPS), as it won't be able to track a walk without it.
How many points does it give? You'll get 25 points (referred to as 'biscuits' in this app), per one hour walk. This can be split into multiple walks a day (so two 30-minute walks, for example), plus a bonus 50 biscuits for reaching your weekly activity target which is usually three one-hour walks a week (Biscuit will track this from Monday until 11.59pm on Sunday).
What can you spend rewards on? You can save up biscuits to redeem as gift vouchers from big brands including Asda and Amazon. Alternatively, gift vouchers can also be spent on pet care brands so you can either treat yourself or your four-legged-friend.
Rewards can be redeemed for as little as 10 biscuits – I spotted discount codes in exchange for this. If you're after a gift voucher, 650 biscuits gets a £10 Caffè Nero voucher or 1,000 biscuits for Amazon. However, it's worth noting that you'll need to submit your dog's microchip details in order to access the gift vouchers – I suspect this is to provide proof of dog ownership.
Are there ways you can increase your points, besides walking and other activities mentioned above? Yes, you can also earn 'Wellbeing badges' for taking care of your dogs health in other ways, such as applying a flea treatment.
Our analysis summary: If you have a dog, you're going to be doing a lot of walkies anyway – and this is a way to make it even more rewarding, providing you're happy to give extra info about your pooch.
Will these apps drain my phone battery?
It's worth noting that because some fitness rewards apps are constantly monitoring your activity (others only do it when you tell it to), this can drain the battery power on some phones, which is one of the biggest criticisms we hear about these apps.
I certainly noticed a much bigger drop in battery percentage than normal after running Sweatcoin and Charity Miles, so while it may not affect every phone the same way, it's good to keep an eye on this.
Are these apps worth it?
If you do a decent amount of walking or other exercise, then why not get some extra perks for doing what you'd normally do anyway. If you're looking for something to encourage you to get fitter or be more environmentally friendly by ditching the car and walking instead, then these can be good for that also.
However, if vouchers are your primary focus of gratification above health and fitness, then you may be disappointed as some rewards can take a while to accrue.
Some apps do have paid tiers which can get you rewards quicker, but you should be cautious of these as apps can change their terms, or the rewards they offer, at any time – we saw this back in 2016 with the Bounts fitness app membership changes.
If redeeming a gift voucher reward, use it as quickly as possible. They often have an expiry date or if a firm goes bust, they're usually rendered useless.
It's best to see any rewards you get as a bonus rather than a guarantee.
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