AppTrailers

The next app that I'd like to review is one of the more simple video/ad apps out there. It is called AppTrailers and, as the name suggests, it rewards users for watching trailers for apps. More specifically, it rewards users for watching ads between app trailers. The number of points awarded per video varies with the number of videos previously watched on a given day. The points typically start at 7 or 8 points per video and quickly reduce to 3 points per video.

Each point is worth 1/10th of a cent. So, 1000 points equals $1. The payout options include transferring points to a user's Perk account at a 1-to-1 ratio (not sure why you'd do this but it is an option), gift cards and a payout to PayPal. The PayPal payout threshold is $0.50 which is very low and relatively easy to achieve in a day with 1 device. Also, there is no fee for the PayPal payout (unlike some apps). The interesting thing about this PayPal payouts is that it pays to the nearest 1 cent instead of whole dollar amounts. For example, if you have 530 points, the app will send 53 cents to your PayPal account (typically in about 1 business day).

A few drawbacks to this app include the following:

• It asks you "Are you still watching" every so often which requires you to click "yes" to continue. This limits the users' earning potential and makes earning less passive (technically passive earning is against the ToS).
• Sometimes, the app will get stuck on a full page ad that won't automatically move to the next video. This further limits the users' earning potential and makes the app even less passive.
• It was purchased by Perk relatively recently (hence the option for Perk points). It hasn't been fully absorbed into Perk. But when it does, it will likely lose the direct PayPal payout option. This would be unfortunate because the conversion rate is much more generous on AppTrailers than it is on Perk.
• It has a 7 device limit for the lifetime of the user's account. This means that every device used with a given user's account takes away from the limit and it cannot be undone. Also, a user is only allowed 1 account.
• It doesn't seem to work with virtual machines. I have only casually tested this, though.

Verdict:

AppTrailers is definitely worth it while it remains semi-separate from Perk. It isn't the best app for multiple devices (see drawbacks above), but it is good to use on your phone while you aren't actively using it. Also, the app's payout threshold is very low and it pays out regularly (I've earned about $3 in the couple of weeks I've had it). That is about as much as you can ask for from an app like this.

Perk Apps Introduction

No discussion of passive or active mobile earnings/rewards apps would be complete without an in-depth discussion of the Perk apps. Trying to get by in the mobile rewards world without Perk is like sewing with one hand tied behind your back. It can be done, but it is difficult. Perk is one of the most popular mobile rewards systems. This is largely due to the sheer number available earning opportunities. Below is a nearly complete list of apps owned by Perk. Each of them offers a different way to earn Perk points; some more passive than others. I will add a review of each of the apps listed below to this site (in addition to others). But for this post, I’ll just discuss the Perk apps as a whole. 

Perk App List (click for link to full list of apps):

·         Perk
·         Perk Scratch & Win
·         Perk Wallet
·         PerkTV
·         Perk TV LIVE
·         Viggle
·         ViggleTV (web browser)
·         Perk Scratch & Win
·         Perk Pop Quiz
·         Unlock & Win (daily unlock max of 5000 perk points)
·         Word Search
·         Rewards Reader
·         AppTrailers (recent Perk acquisition)

Rewards: Perk has a large variety of reward options. These range from store gift cards to PayPal to a reloadable debit card. Each app rewards the user with Perk Points. Depending on the chosen reward, 1000 Perk points is roughly equal to $1. This is more accurate when it comes to gift cards to the myriad available stores. Another option is Perk’s Perk Plastik reloadable debit card. The card is a reloadable Discover debit card that can be reloaded directly from the Perk Wallet app at the rate of 1100 Perk points per dollar. While it is not the best exchange rate, it isn’t too bad. The Perk Plastic card is my favorite payout option because it is nearly instantaneous. The last available option that I’ll discuss is the PayPal option. This option is one of the least attractive on Perk. The exchange rate varies depending on the amount transferred to PayPal, but for $10 it’ll cost you 15000 Perk Points. So the cost per dollar is 36% higher than using the Perk Plastik debit card option. Both are basically cash equivalents. Also, you can always transfer money off of a debit card to PayPal using a PayPal money request (for 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction).  Use Referral Code 07828855 for a bonus during sign-up!

Reliability:

Generally, the Perk apps are pretty reliable earners. The earning rates have decreased steadily over time. But, there is still money to be made. Each app has its pros and cons. Typically, passivity and reliability does not go hand in hand with high earnings. The more active apps generally can pay out more but they require active participation on the part of the user. Some examples of the more passive apps that pay consistently but slowly include: PerkTV, Perk TV Live, Viggle, AppTrailers, and Perk Pop Quiz (I’ll explain when I review that app). The other apps are much more active.

Limits:

Perk is notorious for not explaining their device, account & app limits in clear terms. This is likely on purpose. They can basically ban you whenever they see fit. But, conventional wisdom is to run no more than 5 devices at once and to earn no more than 15000 points per day. It is unclear whether the device limit applies to each app or all apps running at once. The best thing to do to keep from being banned is to play it safe and keep your earnings somewhat modest.

Lastly, I’ll mention that each person is really only allowed one account. If Perk detects more than one account associated with one person, they will likely ban all of the accounts. This would be an unfortunate event for the user as there is really no way to reverse this.

Passive Earning:

One thing to note is that pure passive earning on Perk is against the terms of service (ToS). This is the case with most rewards apps. So, if you plan to earn passively, try to keep within the other limits (device, account, point earnings etc.) to avoid being banned by Perk.

Some people run multiple devices with more passive perk apps. They will purchase multiple cheap phones from Amazon or Walmart and run the apps. If you earn enough, the cheap phones will pay for themselves eventually. Another option is to run virtual android phones via MeMu or Nox. This is definitely against the ToS. But it is cheaper than the aforementioned option. Either option could get you banned if you don’t keep the earnings etc. in check.

Verdict:

Perk is definitely worth your while if you are patient and diligent. It isn’t something to make a living off of. But you can make a little extra money each month in your spare time. As discussed, passive earning is technically against the rules. So, if you intend to try it, be careful and work to keep earnings modest to keep from getting banned.

There aren’t many other earning options and apps that have so many earning options under one roof. This is advantageous because all points combine together and can be spent for the same rewards. Other apps may pay better individually, but they don’t offer nearly the options that Perk does.