Microsoft’s Bing Rewards scheme now pays UK webizens to dump Chrome

A UK guide to Microsoft Bing Rewards: Microsoft has brought its Rewards programme to the UK, which allows users to rack up loyalty points for using the company’s search engine and other services over rivals like Google Chrome.
Microsoft has expanded its Rewards programme to the UK, which means Bing users who sign up to the scheme will start earning rewards points for every search they make, as well as for using several other MS services.
Yes, the company is essentially paying people to use its search engine, though, rather than cash, you’ll earn rewards points that can be redeemed across Microsoft services.
That means things such as Skype Credit, Xbox digital gift cards, and Groove Music passes are up for grabs.
So, how do you go about taking Microsoft up on its generous offer? Well, we’ve got all the answers you need, so read on for a full guide.
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Bing Rewards UK: How to sign up
Microsoft really wants you to stop using Google, and has therefore made it incredibly easy, not to mention free, to sign up for the rewards scheme. All you need to do is head over to the Microsoft Rewards site and hit: “Sign up now, free”.
If you have a Microsoft account already, you’ll be asked to sign in; otherwise you’ll be asked to sign up for one. Once you’ve done that, you can earn a quick 50 points just for taking a tour of the Rewards page.
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Bing Rewards UK: How to earn points
Earning points is also pretty straightforward. You can rack ’em up by using Bing as your search engine while signed into your Microsoft account (you’ll earn three points per Bing search up to a maximum of 30 per day), or by shopping at the Microsoft, Windows, and Xbox Stores.
To see how many points you’ve earned, just head over to the Microsoft site, sign in, and click on your account icon in the top right. You should see your points total in the pop-up that appears, but you can click on “View Account”, then “Rewards” in the nav bar to see more details.
The Rewards page will show you a more detailed breakdown of your points, including information on the various levels and how many points you need to reach the next one. You can also earn points from this page by carrying out easy tasks such as taking a quiz or following the links to shop on the various Microsoft stores. You can even donate your points to charity if you’re feeling particularly altruistic.
Earn 500 points and you’ll move up to level 2, where you can earn more points for Bing searches and get up to 10% off when redeeming rewards from Microsoft brands.
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Bing Rewards UK: What do your points get you?
Once you’ve got enough points you can redeem them for such rewards as gift cards for games, movies, and apps, sweepstakes for exclusive prizes, and more.
To redeem your points, head to the Rewards page using the above method and click on “Redeem” in the sub-nav bar that appears below the main one. From here, you’ll see individual rewards such as Skype Credit or Xbox gift cards, along with a progress bar to show you how close you are to earning that particular reward.
And that’s all you need to know. Sign up now to start earning.
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What do you make of Microsoft’s promotion? Let us know in the comments.