Nielsen (the same company that does the TV ratings) is accepting a limited number of applications for their home scan program, and a land line is NO longer required!
Here’s how it works: Sign up here and if you are approved they send you a scanner. You scan all the purchases you bring into your house, groceries, healthy and beauty, clothes, etc. (This is a fun thing to let the kids do!) Once a week, you hook the scanner up to your computer or your phone and in about a minute it transmits the data back to Nielsen.
You earn points for each weekly submission (150 points but it goes up the longer you’ve been a member) and then you also complete a short survey on each store you shopped at that week (100 points per store). You can also get a lot of points just from doing the on-line surveys. They really help boost your totals and are super short. If you are going on vacation or just too busy to scan you can let them know and they’ll give you points even when you are not scanning.
The points can be exchanged for a variety of prizes such as toys, electronics, gift cards, purses, etc. Plus, every month 15 panel members win $1,000 and every quarter 2 panel members win $20,000. The program isn’t for everyone, and not everyone will be accepted, and there is usually a waiting period if you are. You can check it out HERE. Good Luck! 🙂
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I did this for a few months and it was not hard but it was definitely not something your kids or really anyone except the person who did the shopping could do if you use coupons. And it is definitely time consuming. They ask you to pick the store you shopped at, scan the item, enter the quantity, enter the price, enter wether it was a store sale, combined with store coupon or manufacturer coupon and what the value of the coupon was and at the end enter how much your total was. I used lots of coupons and so I’m the only one who know what I used. After a full day of work, then shopping, by the time I got home I did not have time to do all of that scanning.
Just an FYI so you guys/gals know what you are getting into. Also keep all the packaging because if you are inactive for a while they make you return everything.
This is NOT COOL! I did this, and it was VERY time consuming…especially with someone like me that “megashops”. Some stores, like walmart, I think…would require that you enter the price of EACH ITEM manually. That’s not hard if you bought four things, but try buying over 100 items, manually scan the barcode on each item, and having to sift through a receipt and manually enter prices of EACH item, and EACH coupon you used. Then, you must tell the little machine (like a calculator) if EACH item was on sale, if so, how much off, if you used a coupon for it, how you paid, etc. The problem was, you get NOTHING in return…for a LONG< LONG Time. I have a degree in psychology, and I know that when the rewards dwindle, people lose interest…kind of like a slot machine that doesn't pay. I did it for about six months, earned LOTS of points, and STILL got NOTHING in return. Thats just ot…they entice you with points…points for your anniversary, points for your birthday…but it takes a JILLION points to earn even the tiniest thing. No rewards, no gift cards…no prizes. The worst part was, it got to where I stopped shopping at the stores I loved, just because I didnt want to have to manually enter the prices/coupons/sale prices of hundreds of items! I got involved to "make a difference", and maybe earn the occasional reward. I spent probably HOURS on this…and got nothing. Really a waste of my time. I exited the program.
I’ve been scanning for a few years now and it is a little time consuming like the other poster noted. I only shop for two, so my trips may not be as large as those with a bigger family. So far I’ve been able to redeem my points for a very nice Coleman sleeping bag. The prizes are okay and they do have special sweepstakes every so often.
I actually really enjoy participating in this program! I don’t have to purchase a whole lot because I only shop for two as well so for me it’s pretty fun. Plus there is a bunch of cool stuff to redeem my points on. I recommend signing up!!