Earn gift cards while you shop, walk, and live your life: The ultimate guide to points & rewards!

Who doesn’t love a free coffee, a surprise Target run, or a guilt-free dinner out? Gift cards are the modern-day gold stars—and the good news is, you can earn them without doing much more than what you’re already doing. Here’s how to rack up points and cash them in for gift cards, including some hyper-local Chicago gems you might not know about.

Receipt Scanning Apps

• Fetch Rewards: Snap a photo of any receipt and earn points you can cash in for gift cards to Amazon, Starbucks, and more. Local tip: Bonus points often at Jewel-Osco and Mariano’s.
• Receipt Hog: Turn receipts into coins and coins into gift cards.
• Ibotta: Earn cash back at Jewel-Osco, CVS, Target, Mariano’s, and more. Scan receipts or link loyalty cards. (This has been a favorite for a while and often has Thanksgiving meal deals.)

Surveys & Microtasks

• Swagbucks: Watch videos, answer surveys, shop online, and get rewarded. Local users sometimes get invited to high-paying Chicago studies.
• InboxDollars: Like Swagbucks, with real cash payouts and occasional local offers.

Loyalty Programs

• Jewel-Osco for U^™: Grocery points redeemable for savings or gift cards.
• Mariano’s Rewards: Connect with the Kroger Rewards program for digital coupons, fuel points, and occasional gift card redemptions—especially during promotions.
• myWalgreens: Earn points for every purchase and health habit completed.
• Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Dough: Earn rewards every time you order pizza—redeem for freebies or gift cards.
• Portillo’s Birthday Club: Free cake on your birthday, plus occasional reward offers.
• Goddess and the Grocer Rewards: Points for every local order, good toward future discounts and store credit.

Cash Back & Shopping Rewards

• Ibotta: Mentioned again because it’s that good—especially useful in Chicagoland stores like Mariano’s and CVS.
• Rakuten: Online shopping = cashback = gift cards.

Get Paid for Walking

• Sweatcoin & StepBet: Turn your lakefront strolls into real rewards.

Local Tip:
Attending events like Chicago Gourmet, Do312 pop-ups, or Millennium Park concerts? Watch your inbox for post-event surveys—they often come with $5–$10 gift cards as a thank-you!

Stack those points, stay consistent, and you might just fund your next Target trip or Friday-night dinner entirely with rewards.