Tip: Rack up those Microsoft Points. Bing and IE users getting "Rewarded"

Editorial Note: Microsoft Points are going to exist more than and more than of import to yous future Windows Phone seven users, which is why you lot may want to pay attending to today'south tip!

Even though Bing Cashback was cancelled a few months back (shame as it was a great program), Microsoft has returned with a new, similar program called Bing Rewards. Information technology'south technically in "preview" right now only you tin notwithstanding sign upward and begin racking upwardly credits as an incentive for using Microsoft'southward Bing "determination engine".

Microsoft Credits can easily be earned but past using Bing for all your searching needs, setting Bing equally your homepage, making use of the feature-rich related searches, or just exploring the daily paradigm'south information hotspots. A full of 250 credits are thrown your way just for signing up for the program. The "credits" tin and so be exchanged for "rewards" or even better, Microsoft Points, which can then exist used in the Zune/Xbox Marketplace (more on that below).

And so is there a catch? Of grade there is...

Read more after the bound as we try to make sense of Microsoft'south latest Bing incentive program!

To get started, you'll have to install the Bing Bar to proceed a tally on your credit allotment (see paradigm below). Also, the Bing Bar is just compatible with Net Explorer and so you will essentially be earning credit for non only using Bing, but (for most people) going dorsum to using Net Explorer.

The Bing Bar will go on you signed into your Hotmail/Livemail account and it will show yous how to earn some extra credits with "Featured offers" under the Rewards Tab. The featured offers are just links to checkout and they change daily. Each offering will land you, on average, a bonus three credits. You can also earn one credit for every five searches, upwardly to a total of ten per day. (Past the finish of day one I had already earned 275 credits. Swell.)

Bing and IE Users Getting "Rewarded" (Image 177)

Later all is said and washed, you tin can exchange the credits for rewards (confused yet?). The rewards run from moving-picture show tickets, luggage, electronics, and souvenir cards. There are currently over 250 rewards to choose from and they run every bit low as 100 credits for charitable donations to 4807 credits for – no joke - the book Mastering the Fine art of French Cooking Vol. 1 by Julia Child, Louise Bertholle, Simone Beck. (I'1000 willing to bet that's the get-go and probably terminal fourth dimension a book virtually French cuisine volition always be featured here, and how it out-prices things like video games, Blu-ray/DVD'southward, and well-nigh electronics is beyond me.)

So why would you want to sign upward? Well, if you're an Internet Explorer user who likes Bing and beingness rewarded for your everday behavior, then this is certainly right upwards your marry. If not, and so all I tin can say is requite it a try, you may very well be surprised at how far Explorer has come since the last time yous've used it i.eastward. Internet Explorer 9 (beta). For those of y'all who have no interest, I offering this every bit a carrot: Sign up to receive 250 credits and do the bare minimum of offers and searches. Microsoft Points, which are good for music and videos in the Zune Marketplace (or games/game content through the Xbox Live Market) are exchanged at a charge per unit of 100 credits for 100 points. That's a very piece of cake 200+ gratuitous Microsoft Points correct at that place for basically doing nothing.

Finally, this offer seems to exist only for U.S. residents at the moment (at least for now, remember this is a preview program) and we should mention that delivery time tin can take up to 8 weeks (yikes), even for digital content (again, yikes). Only hey, that's what you get for free.

On the other paw, maybe this is also many hoops to spring through for some points. What do y'all folks remember, skillful idea or convoluted mumbo jumbo?

Check out the whole affair over at world wide web.bing.com/rewards and the FAQ here

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