【2022.7 Update】POGO has recently been revamped, and you need to re-link several of your merchant accounts again using real credentials. For other changes in the revamp, log in to the app to check.

【2022.5 Update】Now the card-linked rewards for linking merchant accounts no longer lag when you tap them. Previously, because of the lag, tapping the cash back rewards for Amazon, Walmart, and Target was extremely frustrating. That now seems to be fixed, and the app feels much smoother to use.

【2021.3 Update】The current signup bonus is 250 points! This app is actually pretty decent. If your card spending volume is high enough, redeeming $3 a day should not be a problem.

【Original article below】

DOC mentioned a new Card-linked app yesterday. The concept behind this app is actually quite good, but the cash back rate is really a bit low. It may truly be just a tiny extra return. Still, the cash-out threshold is also quite low at just $3, so people with lots of Amazon, Walmart, and other spending may want to consider it.

POGO Signup

POGO's signup bonus is currently as high as 250 Points, worth $0.25.

You can also scan the QR code below to sign up.

Signup Notes

  • You need a real phone number; VOIP numbers such as Google Voice will not work.
  • POGO has no IP requirements for signup or use.

Cash Back Structure

POGO cash back is based on the Card-linked model. Like Drop, its transaction tracking is provided by the third party Plaid, so security is reasonably assured (though if you are concerned about that, you probably should not use it). Likewise, your purchase history and spending habits will be collected and then sold by these companies. After all, Drop has already sold that data once, so one more with POGO may not make much difference.

Card-linked Cash Back

POGO offers cash back on all spending from the past two weeks. Note that this really means any spending; if you link now, it can still track spending from the prior two weeks. There are two main models:

No merchant account linked cash back

  • Spending under $10: 2 points (not shown in the image below; tested by the author)
  • Spending $10-$50: 4 points
  • Spending $50-$100: 8 points
  • Spending $100+: 15 points

Cash back with merchant account linked (requires username and password)

  • Spending under $10: 10 points (not shown in the image below; tested by the author)
  • Spending $10-$50: 20 points
  • Spending $50-$100: 35 points
  • Spending $100+: 50 points
Cash back for linked merchant accounts is currently available from 8 merchants including Amazon, Walmart, Walgreen, and Kroger. If you do not have merchant accounts registered, that is apparently fine too. The author just entered a random email and guessed a password, and the account still linked successfully. After linking, each one gives 100 points. In any case, the author used made-up usernames and passwords throughout, though if you mind that, it is recommended to use real ones.

The cash back applies to any spending. For example, the author used a US credit card through Alipay and WeChat, funded a Wise account through SoFi debit, and even made credit card payments using a Debit card; all of those transactions were tracked. Interestingly, a small number of Pending transactions were also counted. However, you can no longer Double-Dip using both primary and authorized user cards, probably because Plaid fixed that Bug.

Other Rewards

POGO also offers survey rewards, Location Rewards, and Negotiate Bills rewards. If you are interested, just explore them in the app. Some surveys require your location to be in the US or Hong Kong.

Cashing Out

The minimum cash-out threshold is $3. Redemptions support PayPal or Venmo. You do not need to use the PayPal account associated with your account email; you can simply enter an email address temporarily to redeem. For example, the author entered LD's PayPal account.

Perhaps because the author entered LD's PayPal account, the cash-out arrived in about 30min. If you enter your own, it might get lost in transit.

Security

Everyone already understands how Card-linked apps work; it just depends on whether you are willing to sell your spending habits. If you have already been using Drop or Dosh, then this is not much different. If you are uncomfortable with POGO collecting your spending habits, then it is probably not worth considering.

My Take

The app's starting point is good, and it also provides reward options beyond just Card-linked offers. If there are shortcomings, they are probably these 3 points:

  • The signup bonus is a bit low (Dosh offers double that)
  • The cash back rate is a bit low (though the upside is that there is no cap)
  • Every reward has to be claimed manually (there is no one-click Claim option)

Other Card-linked Apps

The author's personal recommendations are Drop, Dosh, and Google Pay:

POGO Signup

POGO's signup bonus is currently as high as 250 Points, worth $0.25.

You can also scan the QR code below to sign up.