Is Rewarded Play legit?
Rewarded Play is a legit app that actually paid me after I earned my first $5. It has over 10 million downloads on Google Play and a rating of 4.2 out of 5 based on over 243,000 reviews. The app runs pretty smoothly, in my experience, though some users report technical issues with time tracking when playing different games.
While Rewarded Play is a legit app for earning gift cards from retailers like Amazon, I still don't think it's the best option if you're looking for long-term earnings potential. I had the most luck with the new-user promotions, which set this app apart from others like it, but it can be frustrating to earn much after a few hours.
What is Rewarded Play?
Rewarded Play is an app that rewards you for exploring new games, based on the time and progress you make. It also offers a little more variety, as you can get paid to watch ads or complete daily activities.
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| Developer | Influence Mobile, Inc. (founded 2019) |
| Device availability | Android app (Google Play) |
| Mobile app rating | 4.2/5 on Google Play (243K+ reviews) |
| Minimum redemption | $5 in gift cards |
| Redemption options |
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| How to earn money |
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Featured alternatives to consider
My experience using Rewarded Play
- Rewarded Play stands out for offering good new-user bonuses.
- You can only redeem your earnings as gift cards, and redemption values vary.
- It gets more difficult to earn cash with Rewarded Play the longer you play.
Right off the bat, Rewarded Play gave me 6,000 points and showed me two promotions for a total of $30 that I could earn in three days or less. The $30 was split into a $5 gift card and 25 credits ($25 in rewards), and I wasn't yet clear on how to use them. Nonetheless, I found this exciting for an app I had just downloaded.
However, these initial easy rewards made me wonder how much each point is worth, so I decided to investigate before using the app to play games. In the app, it showed that 45,000 points would give me a $5 Amazon gift card. This is roughly 0.011 cents per point, or $1 for every 9,000 points. So, the 6,000 points I earned were only worth about $0.66.
After checking other gift card redemption options, I found that this value is universal and makes earning rewards much less lucrative.
| Points | Dollar value |
| 10 | $0.001 |
| 100 | $0.01 |
| 1,000 | $0.11 |
| 10,000 | $1.11 |
| 100,000 | $11.11 |
I also took a peek at Rewarded Play's 30 different gift card options, including Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Best Buy, Target, and more. However, I was disappointed to find that I couldn't withdraw cash via PayPal.
Testerup, Cash Giraffe, and Mistplay are among my favorite gaming rewards platforms that let me get paid via PayPal. From early on, it became clear to me that these alternative platforms are superior for even more reasons.
Testing games on Rewarded Play
- There are a lot of games on Rewarded Play, but there are also a lot of ads.
- I earned enough to cash out $5 by installing three games and reaching level five on each.
- Rewarded Play requires you to redeem each gift card individually (and processing can take up to 14 days).
When browsing games on Rewarded Play, I saw options ranging from simple casual puzzlers to more immersive world-builders and casino-style games. I tried three:
- Monopoly Go: This mobile adaptation of the classic Monopoly board game was fun and nostalgic. The gameplay was smooth, and I enjoyed the city-building elements alongside classic property trading. However, progression felt quite slow without spending money on in-app purchases.
- Cake Sort: A simple yet addictive matching game where you clear rows of different cake pieces. It became repetitive over time, but I liked it for quick bursts of playtime.
- Hexa Sort: In this game, I had to arrange hexagonal pieces on a board to create merged pieces of the same color. The levels ramped up in difficulty quite quickly, so you might enjoy it if you're up for a challenge.
While I had fun with all three for a while, none of them really kept me hooked for long sessions. The games were decent for quick breaks but got repetitive after 20 to 30 minutes. There were also quite a few ads that interrupted my gameplay, making it hard to stay in the flow.
But my aim here was to meet the requirements for the new-user promotion. Installing three games was the first step. Next, I needed to reach level five in each of these games, which only took me around 30 to 40 minutes per game.
Collectively, these activities rewarded me with 45,000 points, exactly the number I needed to earn a $5 gift card. Once I completed these requirements, I could submit a request to redeem my points for a $5 Amazon gift card.
However, Rewarded Play requires that each redemption be processed manually. This step makes reward redemption difficult and unnecessarily lengthy. The platform states that each redemption can take up to 14 days to process, which is much longer than you would expect with some of the best game apps.
Earning Rewarded Play's less valuable credits
- You can also earn credits with Rewarded Play, but these are only for very specific discounts and purchases.
In addition to the $5 Amazon gift card I redeemed, Rewarded Play gave me 25 credits. I was excited at the prospect of getting a nice $25 gift card until I realized the heavily restricted redemption options.
I could only use those credits for random discounts on things like hotel bookings through Expedia, gourmet cookies, audio-guided workouts, and a few other niche online purchases I had no use for.
These options didn't make much sense to me, especially considering how easy it is to find similar (or even better) discounts, coupons, and cashback opportunities through services like Capital One Shopping and Rakuten.
Since none of the redemption options appealed to me as a simple gift card redemption would have, the credits ended up being essentially useless.
Earning points beyond the new user promotion
- The more you play, the harder it can be to earn without spending money on games.
- Long-term earnings are definitely on the low side.
Once I decided to start making progress toward the next $5 gift card, I found that earning points suddenly became much more challenging, and reaching 45,000 points felt out of reach.
For example, I could earn points by:
- Watching 10 ads to earn 26 points (less than a single cent)
- Playing Cake Sort for 5 minutes to earn 129 points (1.5 cents)
- Reaching level 700 in Hexa Sort to earn 2,750 points (30 cents)
Hitting the highest levels in these casual games was incredibly difficult without spending money. Speaking of which, Rewarded Play does offer the option to earn big points through in-game purchases. For example, I could spend $49.99 on Cake Sort to earn 178,750 points ($19.86).
Spending $50 to maybe earn a $20 gift card didn't seem worth it. So, the true earning potential felt quite limited beyond the initial $5 from the welcome offer.
Ultimately, despite the decent gameplay experience, the long-term earnings are quite low for a casual gamer unwilling to spend money on specific games.
How to earn more with Rewarded Play
If you want to maximize your point earnings on Rewarded Play without spending money, here are my tips:
- Strategically choose your games: Focus on the easier games that have quick levels to rack up points. Also, consider the types of games you're most skilled at and play multiple games within that category.
- Look for bonus opportunities: Take advantage of the daily streaks, which help you earn more points for meeting playing goals, and app battles, which offer potential points for competition. Rewarded Play also offers hourly prizes.
- Earn twice for the same activity: Complete available short tasks that apply to the games you already play. However, I recommend avoiding ads since each ad goes for 30 to 60 seconds and only provides a small number of points.
While persistence can earn you some gift cards over time, don't expect to make any serious money through Rewarded Play unless you're willing to spend money on in-game purchases and gameplay advantages. That's why I recommend viewing Rewarded Play as a method to explore new games and maybe earn a little bit of extra side money rather than a lucrative earning opportunity.
How much money can you make?
After I earned the easy $5 with the new-user promotion and got the 25 credits I didn't use, my earnings quickly tanked to mere pennies per hour.
To earn additional points and gift cards, I would need to spend considerable time playing games, completing tasks, and watching ads. But simple activities like watching ads would only earn me a fraction of a cent, and reaching higher levels would require grinding for potentially weeks to accumulate enough points.
Alternatively, I could spend money on in-game purchases, which ultimately didn't seem worthwhile.
Other users seem to have a similar experience, according to reviews. Some report earning $20 to $100 over months of casual play and hitting a wall where meaningful earnings became quite limited without spending on in-app purchases.
How to get paid on Rewarded Play
Once you earn 45,000 points (worth $5), you can redeem them for gift cards from Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and more.
To request a payout, simply go to the gift card rewards section and select the retailer you want to redeem with.
Rewarded Play then processes each redemption request manually. While this step can take up to 14 days, I received my $5 Amazon card within 24 hours, which was a pleasant surprise.
You'll receive a digital claim code that you must redeem within 15 days to accept the gift card. Then, you'll see further instructions for redeeming it.
What other users say about Rewarded Play
Many user reviews on Google Play echo my experience with Rewarded Play, both positive and negative.
As my experience and user reviews show, Rewarded Play can initially offer easy gift card money. However, the repetitive games and limited long-term earning potential make the app less ideal for a reliable side income.
Positive Rewarded Play reviews
Several long-term users reported success earning gift cards by casually playing the games and found the app fun and easy to use. Some users also mentioned that Rewarded Player's customer service is helpful for addressing their issues promptly and that the app gets frequent updates.
Negative Rewarded Play reviews
However, there are also critical reviews from users who found the game selection boring, noticed time-tracking issues, had trouble qualifying for paid surveys, or didn't like how long it took to accumulate enough points for consistent rewards.
A 2-star review on Google Play from Kearia W. said, "After the first 2 gift cards, the point accrual slows down, and it takes longer to attain the reward. And the game challenges don't calculate correctly...."
Alternatives to Rewarded Play
If you're looking for a more consistent and rewarding way to earn money through mobile gaming, I recommend checking out the platforms below.
Cash Giraffe
Cash Giraffe is available for both Android and Apple devices, which sets it apart from many other gaming rewards apps. It's better for casual gamers than Mistplay because it has a limited selection of offers and games, reducing your decision overload. I also recommend this app if you prefer simplicity.
Compared to Rewarded Play, Cash Giraffe tends to offer better earning potential and a wider variety of games. It will pay you for your time and is most rewarding when you play many games for a little time. Plus, you can get paid via gift cards or PayPal.
Visit Cash Giraffe | Learn more in our Cash Giraffe review
Testerup
Testerup is another platform I've enjoyed using, though it takes a slightly different approach by allowing you to earn money through gaming tasks, app testing, and surveys.
The gaming tasks were my personal favorite, as they offered solid payouts for reaching specific levels or milestones within different mobile games. The platform also provided clear earning structures upfront, making it easy for me to judge if a particular game or task was worth my time before diving in.
While Testerup's $70 minimum payout threshold was on the higher side, seeing that first PayPal payment come through after hitting the requirement in about five hours felt incredibly satisfying. I might have been lucky, though, as many users seem to reach the minimum payout in about seven to 14 hours of gameplay.
Visit Testerup | Learn more in our Testerup review
Mistplay
Mistplay is an Android app that lets you earn units (the in-app currency) by playing a wide variety of mobile games across different genres. You can then redeem these units for popular gift cards (like Amazon) or cash via PayPal.
When playing Mistplay, I found the earning structure to be far more engaging and rewarding than Rewarded Play. Specific level milestones and achievements were tied to unit payouts, motivating me to keep progressing through each game.
After around 3.5 hours of gameplay, I had already earned my first $15 payout, which felt like a much more reasonable return on my time compared to Rewarded Play.
Learn more in our Mistplay review.
FAQs
Is the Rewarded Play app legit?
While it doesn't offer the best earnings potential of any app like it, the Rewarded Play app is legitimate and has over 10 million downloads. It has a 4.2-star rating on the Google Play Store, as of this update.
Which is better, Mistplay or Rewarded Play?
While both apps let me earn money through mobile games, Mistplay was more rewarding. Rewarded Play provided an initial $5 boost, but earnings dwindled quickly. Mistplay offered steady unit accumulation and incentivized progression with rewards tied to milestones, and I earned a $15 payout after 3.5 hours. Plus, Mistplay offers PayPal as a redemption option.
How to redeem a gift card on Rewarded Play?
After earning 45,000 points, go to the menu in the upper-left corner of the app and select rewards to choose a $5 gift card from your preferred retailer. Rewarded Play manually reviews each request, which can take up to 14 days, and feels more cumbersome than platforms like Mistplay and Testerup.
Bottom line
After thoroughly testing and comparing Rewarded Play with other popular gaming rewards platforms, I found that Rewarded Play fell short in long-term earning potential and overall user experience.
Sure, the new-user promotions on Rewarded Play gave me a nice initial boost, but sustaining any meaningful earnings proved incredibly challenging as a casual player. The payouts for other activities were minuscule, and it didn't seem worthwhile to spend my money on in-app purchases to earn some points.
Since I hit a hard ceiling quite quickly, I'd recommend considering Mistplay, Cash Giraffe, and Testerup, as they offer a more consistent, worthwhile experience.