Pogo Review: Pros, Cons, And Alternatives

Pogo is an app that pays you to share your data about your shopping and more.

Most of us could use a little extra wiggle room in our budgets. But the thought of taking on more hours at work or building a lucrative side hustle might put that dream out of reach. Pogo offers an easy way to see more dollars in your bank account.

While you won’t have to put too much effort into this income stream, you will have to be comfortable sharing your purchase history and real-time location with the app.

We explore how Pogo works and what you can expect to earn so you can decide if it’s a good fit for your situation.

What Is Pogo?

Pogo is an app that pays you to share your purchase history and location. According to the company, its goal is to "make you more money by unlocking the power of your data.” As of writing, Pogo has secured $14.8 million in funding, the bulk of it coming from a $12.3 million seed round. 

What Does It Offer?

Pogo stands out for the many ways you can earn rewards. Also, their low payout threshold and payment options make it easy to redeem your rewards. Here's what you can expect when you join Pogo: 

Earn Rewards

Pogo offers several low effort ways to earn rewards. These include:

• Sharing your purchase history: When you link your cards and bank accounts to Pogo, you can expect to earn cash back from every purchase. Since you are linking your information, you won’t have to bother uploading a photo of your receipt. 
• Uploading receipts: If you choose not to use a linked card, you also have the option of uploading receipts to get credit for your purchases. Notably, you’ll earn double the points if you link your card. 
• Sharing your location: Pogo offers rewards for sharing your location information. If you are comfortable sharing your location data, you can earn points when you go to different retailers. 
• Data dividends: When your information is used, you’ll earn reward points. 
• Taking surveys: You can take surveys within the Pogo app to share your feedback and earn rewards. 
• Playing games: You can earn rewards within Pogo by playing games. 
• Sharing your emails: Pogo will pay you to read all of your emails. While they are looking for shopping receipts, you’ll likely have to grant access to all of your emails. 
• Financial offers: Pogo will recommend different financial products that might suit your needs. For example, it might suggest you switch your car insurance or consolidate your debt. If you take the offer, you’ll earn some reward points. 
• Referring your friends: You can refer friends to Pogo. If they use your link to sign up, you’ll earn 250 points for each person.

When you make purchases using linked accounts, you'll earn at the following rates: 

• $10-50: 20 points
• $50-100: 35 points
• $100+: 50 points

If you opt to upload your receipts instead of linking your accounts, the earning rates are lower, as follows: 

• Up to $10: 2 points
• $10-50: 4 points
• $50-100: 8 points
• $100+: 15 points

Redeem Rewards Easily

When you are ready to cash out your points, you can do so via Venmo or PayPal. You also have the option to redeem the points for gift cards.

Keep in mind that every 1,000 points is worth $1. You’ll need at least 3,000 points to cash out your funds. And you’ll start with a 300-point sign-up bonus. 

Stay In Control Of Your Data

If you choose to share your data with Pogo, you have some control over how the platform can use the information. For example, you can choose if the data will be used for market research, personalized ads, or both. It’s possible to update your preferences at any time in the app.

Are There Any Fees?

Pogo is free to use. In fact, you can even earn money through Pogo. The catch is that the company sells your data. 

How Does Pogo Compare?

Pogo isn’t the only app allowing you to make money by sharing your purchase history and other information.  

If you want to stick with online surveys, not location tracking, Survey Junkie could be a good fit. You’ll get matched with different surveys through which you can share your opinion. But the app doesn’t track your location.

If you are interested in sharing your data, Caden offers this option. It has landed $24.4 million in funding to pay users for their data, which is anonymized. The company has a lower rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars in the Apple App Store. unfortunately, you need to accumulate $40 worth of points before you can cash out. 

How Do I Open An Account?

If you want to open an account, start by downloading the app. From there, you’ll be asked to add your phone number for two-factor authentication purposes. You’ll be asked to provide additional information to finalize your account set up.

It only took me a few minutes to make it through the sign-up process. 

Is It Safe And Secure?

Pogo makes it clear that the app collects and sells your data. If you are comfortable with that, you could earn rewards through the app.

In terms of protecting your financial information, Pogo uses Plaid to handle your banking information. Plaid offers a secure way to protect your data. 

How Do I Contact Pogo?

You can connect with Pogo by submitting a request via a contact form. There is no information on the timeline for receiving a response.

But, in general, users seem to be happy about their experience with the app. It has 4.9 out of 5 stars in the Apple App Store and 4.6 out of 5 stars in the Google Play Store, both with thousands of reviewers.

Is It Worth It?

Pogo offers a way to get paid for sharing your data. If you are comfortable sharing your information, it’s a low-maintenance way to add some extra income to your life. The downside is that any income you earn will be minimal.  

If earning a few dollars here and there interests you, then Pogo could be worthwhile. But if you don’t want to fork over your data for a relatively low payout, then you might skip working with Pogo.

If you are interested in getting paid for your opinion in other ways, consider exploring our list of best paid survey sites.

Check out Pogo here>>