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7/30/22
Current Bank bonuses and Tips on How to Earn Them
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnmego/featured-bank-bonuses-tips-how-trigger-them
Please check out my new and improved "Featured Banks" blog post. Now categorized into three sections, based on bank requirements, I've included info and tips that may help you qualify for some of these banks and great bonuses you might not have thought you'd be eligible for.
7/29/22
Update on Upgrade Bonuses
An update on Upgrade: after nearly a month since signing up, and having dozens of pending referrals for nearly all of that time, I received my first referral bonus last night. This gives me hope that Upgrade is honoring the bonuses, which was a big worry of mine. As many of us know, some of these apps - especially newer or "new to most" apps - will decide to not honor bonuses once their promotion has gone viral.
Fortunately, it seems Upgrade IS honoring bonuses, but based on my own experience along with all the feedback I've received so far, the process is taking 3-4 weeks for people who signed up and were approved after the first couple days of the promotion.
With that in mind, I'd like to make a plea to my fellow referral marketers as they promote Upgrade: please don't blatantly misrepresent the timeframe of receiving this signup bonus. I've seen numerous posts - one just before writing this update - telling people that the bonus is nearly instant, taking only 2-3 days to receive. I understand wanting to get that referral, but please do so honestly.
Here are the poll results so far (polls are still open, btw):
Nearside News
Nearside recently changed hosting banks (now Piermont Bank). Nearside sent an email out yesterday, informing us that we need to change the ACH routing and account numbers for any accounts we've connected to Nearside. Also, we should be receiving our new physical debit cards in mid-August, and will need to accept their new Terms and Conditions within the app.
As a reminder: Nearside ended their referral program June 29th.
A TRICKL From Tickl
Did you happen to sign up for Tickl on or around 5/27, when it popped up out of nowhere and briefly went viral? You know, right before the app reneged on awarding the earned bonuses, changed the bonus amounts, capped the signups a referrer could get, etc.? If you were one of these lucky people, you likely remember that the only redemption option was a $40 PayPal gift card/payment which cost 50,000 TCKL, yet most referrers - for the reasons I mentioned above - were stuck between 30K-40K TCKL. And even if you had enough in your account to redeem, the $40 rewards were out of stock.
If you still have that referral bonus TCKL in your account, there may be hope for you, yet. Tickl has added a $20 option. It will cost you 30K TCKL to redeem, which is technically more expensive than the $40-for-50K-TCKL option, but perhaps now, you're finally able to get something for your hard work referring TCKL that chaotic May day(s).
Thanks to Cecilia Delgado and Helena Eagle for the tip on this story!
7/28/22
Go Fetch!
https://fetchrewards.onelink.me/vvv3/referraltext?code=XRGUGB - code XRGUGB
Fetch just started another increased referral promotion! Now, through 8/3, sign up for Fetch - the receipt-scanning cashback app - and you'll get a 2,000 points ($2 value) signup bonus when you scan your first receipt. And for every person you refer, you'll get a 4,000 point ($4) referral bonus!
A nice perk to Fetch is that you can scan/upload both physical and digital receipts.
Fees, Fees, and More Fees!
You can add Upgrade Credit Card and Miles to the apps now charging a monthly fee. Upgrade is now charging a $2.98 monthly fee, and Miles is charging a 250 mile maintenance fee for 3 or more months of inactivity. With Miles, I'm not sure if it's been this way, or if this is something they've recently started doing.
Thanks to Kelli Mitchell for their tip on this story along with the screenshots!
7/27/22
Cashback to What it Was Before
Last week, I let you know about RebatesMe and TopCashback's limited-time $31 and $35 signup/referral promotions. Both promotions ended last night and have returned to their regular $10 bonuses. Hopefully you were able to get in on one or both of those bigger bonuses while they were active! Remember: to trigger either bonus, you need to earn $10 in cashback, which you do by shopping at any of the numerous retailers listed in the cashback portal app/site.
Click here to see my full list of cashback portal signup bonuses, along with tips on how to maximize your cashback earnings every time you shop.
7/26/22
WOW, a lot has happened in referral world today!
B9 is Back, but BCareful
B9, a payday cash advance app, was briefly popular, even viral, some months back in referral world, before disappearing into the abyss not long after. I didn't sign up for it at the time, so I can't speak to how good the app or its referral program was. Nevertheless, B9 is making the rounds again with a new referral promotion... with a catch.
The promotion: Sign up and deposit $10 using a debit card and get a $5 bonus, which you can then withdraw to Cash App.
The catch: B9 charges a $4.99 monthly fee, and will try to take the monthly bill as soon as you deposit. In order to not get charged, you have to be super stealthy in moving your deposit and the $5 bonus out.
Special thanks to Leticia Lopez for her insight on this current promotion!
Streetbeat To Start Charging Monthly $0.75 Fee
https://streetbeat.com/referral?code=EGFRHYNY, code EGFRHYNY
Streetbeat sent an email to its members yesterday, informing us that, starting August 8, 2022, it will charge users a monthly $0.75 fee if we have less than $400 in crypto investments in their portfolio. While I don't like fees, Streetbeat has been one of my heavy hitters this month, since they introduced their latest, generous referral promotion. With a slew of apps recently ending their referral programs and/or shutting down altogether, if this fee keeps Streetbeat and their referral program going strong, then I'm all for it!
Oculus Quest 2 (Meta) Price Hike in August
https://www.oculus.com/referrals/link/JJBNu
Did you see the news? Beginning in August, Meta is hiking the price of the Oculus Quest 2 by as much as 33%!
The 128GB version, now $299.99, will cost $399.99 (33% price hike).
The 256GB version, now $399.99, will cost $499.99 (25% price hike).
If you've ever considered buying an Oculus Quest 2, you only have a few more days to do so if you want to avoid paying the extra $100. PLUS, if you use my referral link to purchase your Quest 2, we'll both get $30 in Oculus store credit once you activate your headset! Use this credit for apps/games/accessories, etc.
I've owned the Oculus Quest 2 since 2020 and can't recommend it highly enough. But don't let Facebook rake you over the coals with their price hike! If you're going to buy the Oculus Quest 2, do it before August 1st, and use my link to get the $100 savings and extra $30 bonus!
Once you've signed up through me and we've received our bonuses, email me for game/app/accessory recommendations, etc.!
Final thoughts: I will always refer to it as the Oculus Quest 2; Meta is so "fetch".
Mos Bonus is No Longer Instant
Mos, the banking app originally targeted toward college students and alumni, has been offering instant signup and referral bonuses for nearly a year. The amounts have changed from time to time. In recent months, it's been $1 for both signup and referral bonus. I found out today that the bonus is no longer instant. According to my referee who signed up today, the bonus now takes two business days to receive. I confirmed this with another referee who signed up with me the other day. Apparently, this change was made 2-3 days ago and with no notice to members, as is typical with many apps, these days.
Upgrade Feedback Needed
If you signed up for Upgrade, I'm hoping for your help! Will you please take the poll(s) below regarding whether you received your signup bonus, along with your referral bonus(es) if you're referring Upgrade?
Your participation will help in clearing up questions/concerns regarding their bonus program and whether people have been - and are still - receiving their bonuses.
If you have any additional feedback regarding your personal experience, please email me.
Thanks so much!
7/25/22
The Point of No Return For PointCard
I received an email this afternoon announcing the end for PointCard. Here are the highlights:
August 9, 2022 - You will no longer be able to pull funds into your account.
August 24, 2022 - You will no longer be able to make purchases with your card.
September 8, 2022 - Your account will be disabled.
September 23, 2022 - Your account will be closed. Remaining funds will be returned via ACH to your linked bank account.
You can read more at https://help.point.app/hc/en-us/articles/7408632960791-PointCard-Neon-Sunset, and if you're a current member, you likely were sent an email, as well.
7/24/22
Well hello! This third installment of "Referral World News" is already off to a productive and interesting start!
HostGator? He Hardly Knew Her!
https://referral.hostgator.com/s/John98
Do I watch too much "The People's Court"? Maybe, especially if I'm channeling Harvey Levin. But, I digress. I had so much fun keeping you all updated with all things referral world last week, that I decided to create a website dedicated to it! It's nothing fancy, and likely won't be for some time. For now, it's merely a redirect to the latest "Referral World News" blog post (currently, this one). Because, while I probably should've created a website years ago, there just aren't enough hours in the day and I'm too "set in my ways" with how I promote referral opportunities these days. Like I said, though, I am really enjoying this unique way to not only share referrals, but to share more than that with you... the good and bad with these apps and opportunities. So in addition to now owning and operating referralworldnews.com, you can now send any questions and feedback to [email protected]! Pretty fancy, eh? #humblebrag
Speaking of creating a website: If I can do it, YOU can do it! I was pleasantly surprised to find when I signed up for HostGator, today, that they have a cool referral program as well! When you use my link, you get free domain registration and 60% off webhosting for your first year. Plus, you'll get your own referral link to receive a $50 Visa Prepaid card for every person you successfully refer! FYI, the reason this email is reaching you later than usual is because I spent several hours researching webhosting and HostGator consistently rated at the top of PCMag, CNET and several other articles I read.
Upgrade, or Downgrade?
https://upgrade.com/p/E504waK5xc
As I reported on last week, Upgrade extended their "great" $100 signup and referral bonus promotion until 7/31/22. Well, they've extended it once again! This time, until 8/31/22. On paper, this is one of the best banking bonuses out there right now because there is no direct deposit requirement, and you only need to make three purchases within 60 days - of ANY amount - to trigger. On paper, the only downsides are
Upgrade takes longer to approve accounts than other banks. It took 2-4 days before my account was approved, and I hear that the verification process may be more strict than than other banks;
Upgrade doesn't offer a virtual card, so you have to wait for your card to arrive in the mail;
So, why the "great" in quotes? I've been referring Upgrade since I got approved towards the end of June. It took just under two weeks from start to finish for me to sign up, get approved, get my card, trigger the bonus, and receive my $100 signup bonus. In my app, I have several pending referrals, but ZERO bonuses. For the moment, I'm chalking it up to:
Some signups started the process, but didn't finish (happens all the time);
Some signups were denied an account;
Some signups are still waiting on their card;
Some signups received their card, but haven't made the three purchases, yet;
Having said all that, I'm starting to fear that Upgrade isn't honoring bonuses, due to the amount of pending referrals I have with zero referral bonuses received.
I've created two polls. I'll be updating this blog post later in the week with the results, and would really appreciate your participation!
And please feel free to email me with any additional questions or comments regarding Upgrade!
Recap of Last Week's News:
Steady continues to pay out $10 referral bonuses (double their usual $5);
Times Club lowered their signup and referral bonuses from $20 to $10 (including all pending referral bonuses);
Oxygen is closing accounts without cause or explanation;
Strike briefly required a deposit to trigger signup bonus but removed that requirement;
Solo continues to pay out signup and referral bonuses (currently $15 signup, and $15 for first 10 referral bonuses and $20 for each bonus thereafter this month);
Bancorp sent an email to Millions customers telling us that Millions is shutting down beginning in August. Shortly thereafter, Millions sent an email denying the allegations, stating that they're simply cutting ties with Bancorp and are switching to a new hosting bank;
Millions and Bumped ended their referral programs;
Acorns offered a straightforward, no-gimmick signup bonus for the first time in my years as a member: a $55 signup bonus instead of the usual $5;
Upgrade extended their $100 signup and referral bonuses until 7/31/22;
RebatesMe raised their signup and referral bonuses from $10 to $31 (through 7/26/22);
TopCashback raised their signup and referral bonuses from $10 to $35 (unknown expiration);
Have a Referral News Tip?
Please send me an email if there's any new app/referral news you think I should know about and/or would like to see featured in Referral World News!
And, As Always...
You can check out all my signup/referral bonus opportunities here... over 100 sites/apps, categorized with current bonuses and info! And if you have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]
Check out my profile, where you can follow me and find my latest posts! Check out my new blog/website, referralworldnews.com, updated daily. You can also find more of my referrals at https://invt.co/@johnmego . And if you haven't signed up for BuyMeACoffee and/or Invitation yet, please use my referral links below to sign up:
BuyMeACoffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/?via=johnmego
Invitation: https://invt.co/?invite=3dL2NnX9l
