Fetch: Over $1 Billion in Rewards

In a TV commercial that aired during the World Series, Fetch, an app that allows users to earn free gift cards for scanning receipts and making certain online purchases, celebrated a milestone.

“Since we started Fetch, America’s rewards app, we’ve helped people earn over a billion dollars in rewards,” Fetch’s founder and CEO Wes Schroll boasts in the ad, which shows him handing out gift cards to people on the street.

“Our next mission? To help you earn another billion dollars in rewards as fast as we can.”

But before Fetch moves on to its next mission, it might want to make sure it’s completed the current one.

First, it’s worth taking a moment to explain how Fetch works.

In order to earn any rewards, users need to rack up Fetch points, the in-app currency. They can do this in a variety of ways, from scanning receipts to purchasing something from one of Fetch’s partner brands, to referring others to the app and playing mobile games. The exchange rate of points to rewards dollars is roughly 1,000 to 1 but points can only be redeemed for rewards at certain thresholds.

This is important because TINA.org found that the touted milestone of $1 billion in rewards is not based on the actual cumulative rewards received by users but on the total number of Fetch points accumulated by users.

In response to a request for comment, Fetch, which launched in 2017, told TINA.org that as of today Fetch users have amassed more than 1.2 trillion Fetch points.

“In determining the one billion dollars in rewards, we take the gift card value eligible to be redeemed by the total points earned, which translates to just under 1.2 billion dollars,” the company said in an email.

But just because a certain amount of Fetch points corresponds to a certain amount of dollars in rewards doesn’t mean that’s what happened in reality. Have Fetch users actually redeemed their points for more than a billion dollars in rewards? That’s what the ad claims but the company’s response doesn’t answer.

Fetch also imposes restrictions on redeeming points (which aren’t disclosed anywhere in the ad above) that may result in hundreds to thousands of points not turning into reward dollars. This includes requiring that the first redemption be a $10 (10,000 points), $25 (25,000 points) or $50 (50,000 points) reward.

And while Fetch claims that users earn “at least” 25 points on every store, restaurant or gas station receipt they scan, some consumers have complained in Trustpilot reviews about not being able to get anything more than 25 points on receipts.

(Interestingly, TINA.org also asked Fetch how long it takes the typical user to reach 10,000 Fetch points – the lowest initial threshold for reward redemption – but the company would not provide an answer.)

Another thing consumers need to watch out for that isn’t disclosed anywhere in the TV ad? You can lose all your points if you do not earn any points or redeem any points for a reward for 90 days, according to Fetch’s terms of service.

The bottom line

We’re all for celebrating milestones, so long as the celebrated occasions are accurate and not misleading. Companies should not base advertising claims about results on theoretical outcomes and should always clearly and conspicuously disclose important information in their ads.

Before consumers download an app, even a free one like Fetch, they should do a little research so that they’re not wasting their time and giving up their personal information trying to achieve something that may not be within reach.

Find more of our coverage on mobile apps here.