Drop is a smartphone app that allows its users to earn rewards – in the form of gift cards – by shopping at the retailers they already buy from. The Drop app isn’t a credit card rewards program, doesn’t require a credit card, and actually enables shoppers to earn on top of the credit card rewards they already earn. Users can earn with Drop by simply registering their credit or debit card and shopping at participating retailers, which include a long list of the most popular brands and marketplaces. It’s a free app that anyone can use, offers a quick and easy sign up process, and enables its users to turn their retail purchases into gift card rewards over time.

In this Drop app review, you’ll learn exactly how this shopping rewards program works and if it would be advantageous to sign up for Drop.

Drop App: The Basics

Pros:

• Rack up cash rewards where you normally shop
• No need to spend any more money than usual
• Quick, simple sign up
• Cash back rewards are earned in addition to credit card rewards

Cons:

• Cash back is really just gift cards, not actual cash
• You don’t get rewarded for cash transactions you make when you shop, so make sure you’re using your credit or debit card

Ideal for: Anyone who wants to effortlessly earn free gift cards after gradually shopping where they normally shop, as long as you’re paying with a credit or debit card.

Not ideal for: Those of us who impulse spend and can’t resist notifications for attractive offers from retailers who are offering a little extra (tip: turn off notifications).

Drop: What is it?

Some of you may be old enough to remember the days when wallets were stuffed with individual loyalty cards for various retailers – each brand had its own card and system. Thanks to smartphones, QR codes and contactless payment technology, however, the days carrying around a stack of physical cards are pretty much behind us. The Drop App allows its users to spend at their favorite retailers, including widely-shopped brands like Target and Starbucks, and earn “cash back” rewards while simply using the debit or credit card they would normally use.

After signing up and linking their cards, users start building up points based on where they spend – with some retailers offering more points than others at any given time. Users can browse special offers of the moment and see which brands are offering additional points-per-dollar-spent so they can rack up easier points.

The points that users earn with Drop can then be redeemed within the app for gift cards from a very wide array of leading brands.

How to Earn with Drop

Getting started with the Drop app is a smooth and easy-to-navigate experience, and the design of the platform makes it possible for anyone to set up an account in just a few minutes.

Signing Up

This almost goes without saying, but this app can be downloaded from either the Google Play marketplace or – if you’re on an Apple device – the App store. New users can create a new account with any email address or login with their Facebook account.

You will then be prompted to select which financial institution (Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi, etc.) you use, and you can link your account to your new Drop app account by entering in your login and password that you use to sign into your normal online banking site.

After linking up your bank account, you are prompted to select five preferred retailers out of a short list. These will serve as the initial basis of some of the special offers the app presents to you, but you will be able to see offers from many more brands once you move to the next step – it’s not limited to just that first assortment.

How to Earn Rewards

Once users add their bank info and select their favorite retail brands, they are all set. Rewards can start accumulating as soon as the next purchase is made with the linked account at participating retailers (which is a massively long list). The first tab on the bottom of the app is “Browse,” where various offers can be seen, including “Boosted” brands that are doling out more points than usual.

Gap, for example, is a Boosted retailer at the time of writing, and is offering 60 points per $1 dollar spent. Most brands can be found somewhere in the range of 15-60 points per dollar, but there are certainly higher opportunities on the app that can be found within a few seconds of scrolling.

➼ Download the Drop app and start earning rewards here.

How to Redeem Rewards

A user’s current point count can always be seen on the top right corner of the app’s interface, or by selecting the “Points” tab. With the Drop app, 1,000 points amounts to $1 dollar in “cash back” rewards. Rather than actual cash, however, e-gift cards are what you earn with Drop. With 10,000 points, for instance, a $10 gift card can be instantly downloaded and used, and there are a ton of popular brands to choose when selecting your e-gift card.

After a retailer and dollar value is selected for the gift card reward, it will appear in the user’s wallet within the app and be ready to claim with the designated brand.

Drop App Review: Additional Highlights

Who is this app for?

This rewards program would allow anyone who uses a debit or credit card frequently at popular brands to earn gift cards easily, and at zero cost. Just quickly signing up, adding brands, linking cards and selecting offers can mean free gift cards on a regular basis. Many users can even get enough points for a gift card after just a few days of normal spending.

Keeping this Drop App review honest, however, a rewards program like this can encourage overspending and impulse purchases for those of you who don’t have enough control of their buying habits. For most consumers, however, earning points can be a simple and mindless process using this app.

What about credit card rewards?

One of the nicer benefits when you earn with Drop is the fact that it is completely separate from the credit card rewards points that users earn anyway. If you earn 2 points cash back at Target from your credit card, for example, the amount of Drop points you earn by swiping that same card at Target will be accumulated on top of – and separately from – your bank’s own points program. Users can essentially earn points in two systems for one purchase, and redeem them separately at their convenience.

Is it safe?

During the sign-up process, users may feel slightly put off when they are asked to type in the login credentials for their personal bank account. That’s a natural reaction, especially when they don’t already use popular apps like Venmo – which have a similar account-linking process. However, the Drop app uses bank-level 156-bit encryption, so users can rest assured that their personal data will likely remain secure.

Conclusion

As this Drop app review has outlined, this app and accompanying rewards program is an easy-to-use, modern and convenient way for any debit or credit card users to earn free gift cards without much effort at all. Anyone who wants to earn with Drop can do so without changing their normal spending behavior and still earn points that can be redeemed for gift cards from the retailers they love. If used responsibly, this app can serve as a source of free money for a ton of consumers out there, and add to the credit card rewards they’re already earning on a day-to-day basis.

➼ Download the Drop app and start earning rewards here.