AU: The sign-up process requires you to download a “Bing bar”, which only works in Internet Explorer (predictably). Fortunately, this is a US-only thing, so we don’t have to worry. -EH
The easiest reward to get is Microsoft points, which you can use for Xbox Live or Zune. For signing up and installing the Bing bar (compatible with IE and maaaaybe Firefox), you get 250 points. 100 Bing points translates into 100 Microsoft points, which in turn translates into $US1.25.
Beyond the 250 points upfront, you can do more searches to get more points. You can get 8 points for searching 16 times per day, plus they have daily pre-programmed searches to hand out 6 points each. Keep doing this and you’ll rack up enough points for video games, Bing merchandise, random knick-knacks and gift cards.
The bad part about those Microsoft points is that they’re going to send those to you in the mail instead of giving you a download code to enter into your Xbox account. Why they’re doing it this way – because the card just has a damn download code on it, anyway – is beyond me. [Bing Rewards via Kotaku]
mbryant
Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 9:13 AMOnly open to U.S. residents.
Bazinga
Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 8:08 PMThis bit:
…they’re going to send those to you in the mail instead of giving you a download code to enter into your Xbox account. Why they’re doing it this way – because the card just has a damn download code on it, anyway – is beyond me.
Probably a legal thing, but I wouldnt be surprised if this was an actual management decision?
Microsoft have this curse where everything they do has to be fundamentally flawed in some way. Kinda a King Midas thing but with turd instead of gold.
Osiris
Monday, September 27, 2010 at 10:46 AMI don’t necessarily think it’s a bad decision to do the mailing thing (they’ve probably got a corp contract to send as much mail as they want based on fixed yearly charge). Hence, sending these out is a similar concept to store gift cards, many never actually get used. People loose them, forget about them, accidently throw them in bin etc. The company saves the money, as the voucher is never used.
Kalem
Monday, September 27, 2010 at 2:28 PMActually, I believe it is because of what happened when they offered 1 month free through the internet.
All you had to do was use a quick fake email, get the code and then change the IP on your modem so you could do it again. Thanks to this little trick a lot of people like myself now have an Xbox Gold account free for the next 5 years.
So, mailing it out would help with profits and the reuse of the free customers.