Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a commission when you click on them, but this is at no extra cost to you. Read our privacy policy for more information.
I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t love getting cash back. Cash back is essentially free money that you earn from your regular purchases.
And if you are going to shop no matter what, then you might as well earn cash back at the same time.
When it comes to shopping online or even in stores, if there is an opportunity for cash back then you should definitely jump on the chance.
There are several apps on the market that offer cash back for your everyday shopping. This review will focus on Pei, an app that lets you earn cash back in the form of cash or bitcoin when you shop at one of their partnered retailers.
In this review I’ll tell you about Pei, how to get started, how it works, how you can maximize your earning potential and whether or not I think the app is worth the download.
Continue reading below!
- Direct link to Pei (use promo xfaytz upon sign-up get a $5 bonus when linking your first card)
Table of Contents
About Pei
Pei’s goal is to simplify your finances and help you get the most out of the things you are buying. They do this by offering cashback opportunities with their thousands of retailers.
Pei launched in 2018 and since then they have gained quite the following. You won’t be hearing many people saying they hate the app. No can hate getting cashback, especially when Pei has made it so easy.
How Pei Works
The premise of Pei is simple. You link your debit or credit card (and it doesn’t matter the type of card), shop as usual at your favorite retailers, and earn up to 20% cashback in Bitcoin or cash.
Pei is the first app to give automatic cashback rewards in cryptocurrency.For those that don’t know, Bitcoin is a type of digital currency that operates independently of a central bank.
You can use Bitcoin as cash to complete transactions, or you can sell your Bitcoin to someone else for cash or exchange them to your local currency.
Pei is affiliated with over 60,000 locations nationwide and thousands of retailers, from Target to Trader Joe’s to Sephora, which gives you ample opportunities to earn cash back pretty much all the time, any time you shop.
By linking your card, you don’t have to worry about loading coupons, in-app purchases, or scanning receipts. You also don’t need to worry about buying a specific item, which can be the case for some cashback apps.
If you pick up some socks at Walmart or a latte at Starbucks you’ll earn cashback.
Pei takes care of everything for you and lets you earn your cash back in an easy and passive way. Pei basically turns your regular debit or credit card into a cashback card.
If you are concerned about security, keep in mind that Pei uses bank-level 256-bit encryption to keep your information secure. Your privacy is also protected by utilizing 2-factor authentication when linking your debit or credit card.
How to Get Started With Pei
Signing Up and Linking a Card
Getting started with Pei is easy and absolutely FREE. When you first download the application you will be asked to provide your email, phone number, name, and of course, link a credit or debit card.
You can link as many debit or credit cards as you want and Pei even encourages this so that you can maximize your earning potential. Plus, you can use your cashback credit cards with Pei and get double cashback opportunities.
You will need to put in your banking info and password when linking your debit or credit card. While this sounds scary, rest assured that Pei does not store any of your data and all the information shared is left securely with your bank.
Using the App
After setting up your account, the app is ready to use. The main page of the app will show you your total Pei points earned front and center, with your cash earned on the left and bitcoin on the right.
You can then move over to see a list of cashback opportunities available at local stores in your area. You may see the same store listed several times, but the address associated with the store will vary.
Next to the retailer you’ll either see a cashback percentage, ranging anywhere from 1%-20%, or you may see a deal like spend $20 at a store and earn $2.
Since the app finds you deals based on your location, you can even see store hours listed for the day and a phone number if you need to contact them.
The best part about the app is that you don’t need to click on any coupons or deals. Just take note of the stores offering cashback and go out and shop as usual. Since your debit or credit card are already linked, all the work is pretty much done.
One thing to note is that your location will need to be accessed in order for Pei to provide the most savings automatically. Offers and cashback deals will vary by location and at different times.
Earning Cash With Pei
As I mentioned before, Pei is really easy to get started with and earning cash is done in a totally passive way. Meaning you don’t need to check into the app every single day.
When you link your card, Pei will automatically reward you your cashback earnings directly into your Pei account. Additional steps aren’t required and most of the time your cash is earned instantly, though sometimes it can take 2-4 business days depending on the card used and the retailer.
All cashback is given to you in Pei points, which you can then cashout for Bitcoin or have cash directly deposited into your PayPal account. Each Pei point is worth $.01.
Shop As Usual
The main way to earn cash with Pei is to shop at one of the affiliated stores. Your morning latte at Starbucks could get you 1% cashback. Hitting up the drive thru at McDonalds could get you 2% cashback.
Even one of my local breweries has popped up on the app with a sweet 10% cashback opportunity. With Pei, your earning opportunities are endless.
The app has a section of categories, so you can see the top preferred cashback places in your area, what’s popular, or where you can get the highest cashback.
You can also also just browse categories like restaurants, retail, entertainment, fitness, gas, drugstore and grocery store. Again, what you see listed on your app will be different for everyone based on the city and state they live in.
Some of their top retailers include:
- Trader Joe’s (earn 1% cashback every time you grocery shop!)
- Starbucks (1% cashback)
- Domino’s Pizza (1.5% cashback)
- H&M (1.2% cashback)
- Great Clips (2% cashback)
- Target (1% cashback)
- Dunkin Donuts (1.5% cashback)
- Petco (1% cashback)
- Jiffy Lube (5% cashback)
- AMC (2% cashback)
- And usually 10% -20% cashback at specific popular places based on your location, like fancier restaurants or breweries
Cashback Boost
A cashback boost allows you to receive 1% cashback on all purchases made with a specific card for 48 hours. These purchases can be made anywhere and can include retailers not associated with Pei.
This option is only available in the app and within that 48 hours you can only accumulate a maximum of 500 points. To activate cashback boost, you will need to visit your transaction history and click the cashback boost button.
To unlock a cashback boost you will need to earn 20 boost points from app actions listed on the cashback boost page. Here are some types of actions you’ll need to do to unlock cashback boost:
- Link a new card to Pei (1 point)
- Invite a friend to Pei and have them link a card (2 points)
- Gift card cashout: choose a gift card option when redeeming your points (1 point)
- 5x Loyalty: Get a 5x loyalty bonus when you shop at a single retailer 5 times (1 point)
- Preferred merchant: shop at a Pei preferred merchant (preferred merchants are listed under categories) (2 points)
After meeting these actions, you’ll be given more actions to complete until you reach 20 points. It could take a while, but be well worth it when you know you will be doing a lot of shopping, like around Christmas time.
Unlock New Loyalty Levels
The longer you use Pei, the more points you will earn and the more rewards you will be offered. Pei will reward you for your loyalty.
For instance, unlocking new loyalty levels can get you to a point where you can earn “anywhere cashback” which literally means you will earn cash back even if it is from a store not associated with Pei.
The anywhere cashback limit grows as your loyalty level grows. You can increase your earning potential even more by becoming a Pei community influencer.
Hold On To Your Points
Pei has a lot of plans in the works for how to make the app better and to help their customers earn more cash back.
Pei points can be used to earn bigger discounts on your everyday purchases. Plus, the more Pei points you have in your account, the more loyalty levels you can unlock.
Refer Friends
You and a friend can earn 500 Pei points or $5 when your referred friend signs up with Pei and links a debit or credit card.
How To Get Your Cash With Pei
As with most apps, there is a minimum required before you can cash out. Pei’s minimum is $15 or 1500 Pei points.
You can cash out with PayPal, in Bitcoin or choose a gift card to a favorite retailer.
There are no charges to cashout in Bitcoin. Pei will transfer your Bitcoin withdrawal to your wallet. Pei supports SegWit and non-SegWit addresses, though SegWit addresses are preferred.
Pros and Cons of Pei
Pros
- Available for both IOS and Android users
- Quick cash payouts
- Earn cashback at several popular places, from Starbucks to your favorite local restaurants, breweries and bars
- Cash is earned immediately or at most, within 2-4 business days
- App is easy to use
- Customer service responds quickly
- Link as many cards as you like
- Multiple cashout options
- “Set it and forget it” kind of system; no need to click coupons or scan receipts
- Secure account and privacy protected
- Rewards add up quickly with regular shopping
- New retailers added often
Cons
- Location services stays on even when the app isn’t in use, resulting in a big battery drain
- If you choose to disable the location service, Pei will constantly send you a notification asking you to turn it back on
- Some retailers have a set daily or weekly cashback limit
Is Pei A Legit App or A Scam?
Even though Pei hasn’t been around long, it has proven to be a legitimate app. Users are earning real rewards every day from their regular purchases and don’t even really have to think about it.
Plus Pei’s fanbase is only continuing to grow and with this growth they are hoping to expand on ways to earn cashback.
Is Pei Worth The Download?
If you like getting free cash, then Pei is definitely worth the download. It’s easy to use and you don’t even really have to think about using the app. Simply link your debit or credit card and keep your life moving.
What I love most about the app is that it is associated with local businesses. I was pleasantly surprised to find some local only breweries on my app offering 10% cashback!
I have a favorite restaurant listed offering 18% cashback, which I took advantage of for a date night and earned $9 in cashback!
Pei has made going out and spending money a little more fun. Especially because I already use a cashback credit card and now can earn even more cashback.
While for some the $15 minimum cashout may seem high, I actually think it is fairly easy to reach if you shop regularly and remember to use your linked card.
And if you take advantage of their referral program or their in-app cashback boost, you can increase the rate of your earnings.
Similar Apps to Pay
If Pei has you intrigued then you may want to check out these similar apps that also let you earn cashback on your everyday purchases. The main difference with Pei is that you can cashout in Bitcoin.
- Dosh – Tracks your spending and rewards you with cashback when you shop with certain retailers. Full review here.
- Drop – Link your credit card and earn points that can be redeemed for cash. Full review here.
Bonus tip, for now you can use Dosh and Drop in conjunction with Pei and really maximize your earning potential.
Final Thoughts
So far I’m really liking the Pei app and the cashback opportunities it provides. I’ve found the app easy to use, the earnings available quickly and haven’t had any glitches so far with the interface.
Does the Pei app sound like something you want to try? Let me know in the comments below. If you do give it a go, tell me how it works out for you!
Thanks for reading and happy frugaling!
