Microsoft Rewards To Pay You To
Use Windows 10 Edge Browser And Bing
Do you like using
Microsoft Edge browser? If not, this incentive might just change your mind and
you may end up using Edge.
Microsoft really wants you to try its new browser.
Edge is a minimalist
new web browser launched alongside Windows 10.
The Redmond technology
firm claims its new browser is faster and more
battery-efficient than Google Chrome or Firefox. One of the headline
features included in the overhauled new browser is the ability to quickly
scribble and annotate on webpages.
You can also use
voice assistant Cortana to provide context and additional information around a
topic or specific word by right-clicking within Edge.
But despite these
improvements and stand-out features, Microsoft Edge
has not proven particularly popular with customers.
In an effort to make people switch to
Microsoft Edge, the company will now pay you to use the browser, which the
company claims can last longer than its Google Chrome,
Mozilla Firefox and Opera counterparts.
Edge can according to Microsoft deliver
36-53 percent more battery life while doing daily tasks, including watching
videos on YouTube, browsing the Internet, or checking in with friends on social
networks.
What will change with Microsoft Rewards
With Bing Rewards, you'd receive a Bing
Rewards credit for every two Bing searches you performed per day (up to roughly
30 or so on your PC, and an additional 20 on a mobile phone). Those can add up
fast: 475 credits earns you a $5 discount at Amazon.com, for example, or a
Starbucks gift card. Under the new Microsoft Rewards program, the number of
times you can search Bing for credit will remain the same, for now.
Under the new system, Bing Rewards
credits will be replaced by Microsoft Points. Each Bing Rewards credit will
automatically be swapped for 10 Microsoft Points, Microsoft said.
(Unfortunately, this is an entirely separate program from Microsoft’s Xbox
Rewards program, which also offers credits and its own discounts.)
Now, however, Microsoft says you’ll also
earn points for shopping at the physical Microsoft stores; buying movies, music
and more via the Windows 10 Store app; as well as browsing with
Edge. Microsoft is also maintaining its tier system, so you’ll earn
additional discounts once you reach a certain number of points. The only
difference is that those discounts will now apply exclusively to Microsoft
products.
Microsoft Rewards will have two tiers. Tier 2 users can earn more points on Bing, save up to 10% on rewards from Microsoft brand, and will also receive “exclusive offers.” In order to maintain their Tier 2 status, users must at least earn 500 points or more points a month. Points can be traded in for vouchers or credits to places like Amazon, Starbucks, Skype and the ad-free version of Outlook.com.
Bing Rewards will automatically convert
to Microsoft Rewards points. One Bing Rewards credit is worth ten Microsoft
Rewards points. Earnings for Bing searches and redemption will also be synced to
reflect the conversion. Microsoft Rewards is expected to roll out in the next
few weeks.
Microsoft once dominated the browser game with Internet Explorer, a predecessor to Edge. However, Google’s Chrome and Mozilla’s Firefox rise to prominence over the last decade resulted in a significant decline in the usage of Internet Explorer, as it failed to match up with its rivals.
