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Can you really get Free Gift Cards?
Zogo is a free app that pays you to learn, which is very rare. That’s why I was shocked to find out about this finance app.
This free financial literacy app claims to give rewards to people that use their app to learn about finances.
Spoiler alert! I had a bit of drama with the Zogo app. So I’ll give you some alternative options to get cash and gift card rewards from Zogo competitors.
I earned free gift cards until…
I did earn some gift cards in the Zogo app for the first year. I answered trivia questions and earned pineapples (points). And I referred others for additional pineapples.
I was even logging in for the Pineapple Party, which is a way to earn additional Pineapples starting at 9pm ET each night.
The questions on Zogo are based on finances, including teaching financial terms and how to save for retirement or buy a home. And rewards options included:
- Amazon
- Starbucks
- Apple
- Walmart
- Robux
- and more!
It took 5,000 points to earn a $5 gift card. But then, the requirement went up. So instead of a $5 reward, I had to work for a $10 reward. And it goes up from there. I’m now at the tier that only allows me to cash out for $100 gift cards.
No more gift cards?!
I used the Zogo app for a year, then the problems started. I started to notice delays in my cash-out requests. Before, when I cashed out for a gift card, I would receive it that day. Usually within an hour. But, it started to take weeks!
I gave them extra time because it said the gift cards could take up to 2 days to be sent. No prob, I’m a patient person.
But after several days of not receiving my reward, I reached out to Zogo customer service when my gift card didn’t arrive.
I was told that it would take up to 2 days (although we were past that time frame). Then my gift card magically showed up.
After that first delay, it happened again. But I did end up getting my gift card a couple of weeks later.
Fast-forward to today. I am owed $200 in gift cards by Zogo, but when I try to cash out, the app says “0 left” for every type of gift card.
The photo shows that the out-of-stock message includes reassurance that “This item is currently out of stock. Gift cards are refreshed daily at midnight ET!”
In my Maury voice: “And that’s a lie!”
I’ve been seeing that message for two months now. I have set alarms to remind me to check at midnight on several occasions. I checked at 12am, 12:01am, and even waited several more minutes and would check back at later times. The rewards aren’t being restocked.
I’ve also been diligent in reaching out to customer service. I show the actual messages in my YouTube video, but here is a summary of the responses I received from Zogo:
1st response: They blamed me by saying that I may be checking at the wrong time because they are based in the eastern time zone, and that is may not be midnight for me.
They told me to search Google to figure it out! And if I’m still having issues, screenshot it and they’ll have the rewards team look at it. (I am in the Eastern time zone, and sent the email just after midnight so that blame game didn’t work).
2nd response: The “developer team” is looking at the screenshots I sent.
3rd response (After they ignored my previous two messages after two weeks): They denied that there is an issue and reinforced that the gift cards are refreshed daily.
“Once those gift cards for the day are run out, they are refreshed the next day!”
-Zogo customer service rep
Note the exclamation point. I guess they were sick of me. LOL!
Since they were in denial, I sent a screenshot with timestamped proof that I had checked at midnight, and I sent it just after midnight. In my response, I also let them know that I saw many recent reviews complaining that there are never any gift cards.
I didn’t mention that many of my YouTube subscribers have let me know that they haven’t gotten gift cards either. Zogo’s response:
Nothing.
They did not respond, which says a lot about them and their care for their users.
The Turning Point
After a few months went by, I decided to reach out to the Credit Union that Zogo assigned to my account. (They assign a bank to every account.)
The manager at the bank responded the same day and informed me that he would contact Zogo to attempt to get the issue resolved.
Within a day, I received an email from a supervisor at Zogo who informed me that since I had been cashing out $100 gift cards, the system flagged my account.
Sidenote: I don’t understand how they can force me to cash out in $100 increments, then flag me for doing so.
Nonetheless, the supervisor at Zogo was able to send me my e-gift cards within 2 business days. He also assured me that he would get to the root of why the customer service team didn’t help me.
But I did get my gift cards!
Be sure to check out this latest change to the Zogo app!
Is Zogo A Scam?
When it comes down to it, Zogo is definitely a legit platform. But they definitely dropped the ball on this situation.
The manager at the bank that helped me out, informed me that this type of issue was uncommon for Zogo. And I do take his word for it. After all, I had used the app for a year before having an issue.
So, Zogo, I forgive you.
Zogo is a legit app. And if you want to try it for yourself, click here.
But if you want alternative options, then check out these other gift card apps:
Zogo App Competitors!
While I haven’t found any apps that pay you to learn specifically about finance, these are some awesome apps that will reward you for:
- Playing games
- Watching videos
- Scanning receipts
- And more!
MyPoints
MyPoints is the app that I have been with the longest. They have many options to earn free gift cards including:
- Playing games
- Completing surveys
- Watching videos
- Printing coupons
- Searching the internet
- Shopping online
They have 85 different free gift card options including Visa, Amazon, and cash via PayPal. The time frame to get the gift cards vary. I have received rewards within hours, and some took a few days. So redeem ahead of time.
MyPoints is a great way to spend your extra time to earn cash and gift cards. I highly recommend it.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is awesome, especially if you want to earn gift cards by playing games, watch tv, or answer surveys. Those are just some of the ways you can earn free gift cards with Swagbucks. And if you refer family and friends, you can earn even more.
Swagbucks allows you to cash in the points you earn for rewards. And they have A LOT of rewards options including Visa gift cards, money through PayPal, Amazon, and Apple. Be sure to redeem ahead of time, as it can take a few days to get the reward emailed to you.
I often go for the rewards that offer discounts. Yes, they offer discounts on the rewards so you can spend fewer points than usual for your reward. So, instead of using 990 points, a reward may be on sale for 800 points. This can help you stretch those gift cards.
Be sure to get the Swagbucks app, and get your bonus points (usually at least $5) for signing up! If you’re in Germany, use this link to sign up.
Here are some alternatives to the Zogo app!
For a list of websites to earn free gift cards, see the post: 3 MUST-TRY WEBSITES TO EARN FREE GIFT CARDS AND MAKE MONEY ONLINE!
