Bits Of Stock App Review – Earn Fractional Shares For Shopping!

These days, if you're not earning some form of cash back or reward for your shopping, you're missing out on free money!

There are so many different reward apps out there that pay you cash-back rewards for your everyday shopping.

But, while most reward apps pay you with things like PayPal cash or free gift cards, one company is paying out a different type of rewards: fractional stocks.

The Bits of Stock app is a newer reward app that's trying to let consumers earn stocks at the companies they shop at.

This is definitely a cool vision, and if you want to see if this app is legit and worth your time or not, our Bits of Stock review is for you.

What Is Bits Of Stock?

Bits of Stock is a mobile rewards app that began in 2016.

The app is owned by Emcee Invest, and the app is currently available for users in the Netherlands and the United States.

Bits of Stock is different from most reward apps because it's goal is to let users earn fractional shares at the companies they shop at.

In my opinion, this is much better than just getting free money or gift cards since fractional shares can appreciate in value, earn dividend income, and help you grow your wealth.

However, Bits of Stock is a newer, smaller company in the rewards space, so this app has a while to go before it's the same size as apps like Dosh or Drop.

With that in mind, let's jump into how to sign up for this app, how you can earn fractional shares, and some of the ups and downs of this growing rewards app.

How Does Bits Of Stock Work?

If you want to earn fractional shares using the Bits of Stock app, the process works in six simple steps:

1. Sign up
2. Link your bank account
3. Earn by shopping online & in-store
4. Complete Bits Offers
5. Create a Bits of Stock brokerage account
6. Claim or sell stocks

Let's cover each section in a little more detail!

1. Sign Up

Bits of Stock is available for free for Android and iOS.

To sign up for the app, download Bits of Stock and create an account with an email and password.

You don't need to provide more information than this at the get go, so you can get started with Bits of Stock pretty quickly.

2. Link Your Bank Account

Many reward apps require linking your bank account to the app so the app can track when you spend money at eligible companies to pay you rewards.

This is very standard in the world of reward apps, and Drop and plenty of other apps do this.

So, to use Bits of Stock, you have to link your bank account to the app.

Bits of Stock lets you link to hundreds of banks, including

• Bank of America
• Chase Bank
• City Bank
• Rabobank

In a nutshell, if you bank with a decently sized bank or major bank, you won't have any trouble linking to Bits of Stock.

Bits of Stock states it uses “256-bit encryption and never stores your log-in details.”

The company also states it doesn't sell your data or store your credit card or banking information.

I suggest reading Bits of Stocks' legal documents. Specifically, always read the terms of service and privacy policy of any reward app you use to see if you're comfortable with the data that's being collected.

3. Earn With Active Brands

Bits of Stocks' main goal is to let you earn fractional shares by shopping in-store and online at their brand partners.

On paper, this is pretty cool: you simply link your bank account, shop at Bits of Stock partners, and you should see fractional shares appear in your account within 24 hours.

Now, since Bits of Stock is a smaller app in the space, it's historically had around a dozen or so brand partners you can earn rewards from.

Some examples of partners include:

• Chevron
• Finish Line
• McDonald's
• US Polo
• Samsung
• Lowe's
• Advance Auto Parts

Again, this is fewer partners than you'll find with other reward platforms like the Pei app or Bumped, which also pays you in fractional shares for shopping.

Typically, Bits of Stock partners with brands that pay 0.50% back in the form of fractional shares.

However, it's important to note that brands can change, so you shouldn't expect the same company to stick around in the app forever.

Rates are also subject to change, so keep this in mind!

4. Complete Bits Offers

A recent change with Bits of Stock is the introduction of Bits Offers, which are essentially one-time purchases you can make from sponsored brands to earn bonus fractional shares.

This is the same concept shopping browser extensions like Rakuten use to let you shop at various brands to earn cash-back rewards.

However, one major downside and recent change with Bits of Stock is that new users to the app can only earn fractional shares with this method, at least according to recent Reddit threads.

In this thread, user MadyJustForFun says: “For those who have recently gotten off the Bits of Stock waitlist or are hoping to soon, I have some unfortunate news. The app now only has click-through offers to earn stock with and no longer offers in-store methods of earning for new users.”

Now, this user was told that the earn with active brands option may return in the future for new app users.

But, for now, it seems like this option is only available for legacy Bits of Stock users.

Fingers crossed it can come back in the future so users can earn passive income in the form of stocks for their shopping.

5. Create A Bits Of Stock Brokerage Account

When you earn rewards with Bits of Stock, it's different than just earning PayPal cash or gift cards since you're earning fractional shares at real companies.

So, when you earn at least $0.20 in rewards, you have to open a brokerage account with Emcee Invest to access your stock.

This is free, and the app walks you through the steps to open a brokerage account.

6. Claim & Sell Stock

 As you earn rewards with Bits of Stock, you can see your fractional shares balance at various companies on the app's main dashboard.

But, you don't actually own any stock until you claim the stock within the app.

Various companies have different claimable amounts. For example, you might not be able to claim McDonald's fractional shares until you earn at least $5 in your balance.

When you can actually claim stocks for a company, that company turns green in your account overview tab.

This might sound a bit confusing, but Bits of Stock has a great, short video that explains how to claim and sell stocks.

Once you claim fractional shares, it can take up to two business days for the order to process.

Afterwards, you're free to sell your fractional shares for cash or hold them to let them potentially appreciate in value.

How Much Money Can You Make?

It's difficult to say how much money you can earn with Bits of Stock since this largely depends on how much you shop.

But, a lot of brands pay around 0.50% cash back in the form of fractional shares, so this is the best way to conceptualize the initial earning potential.

And, as I mentioned, I think earning fractional shares is better than PayPal cash or gift cards since you can potentially earn dividend income and benefit from your shares appreciating in value.

Ultimately, this app still won't make you rich, but like other reward apps, you might be able to earn an extra $50 to $200+ per year depending on how much you shop.

Extra Reading – Lolli Extension Review – Earn Free Bitcoin For Shopping Online.

Other Bits Of Stock Reviews

I don't think it would be a fair Bits of Stock app review without covering what some active and former users have to say about the app.

For starters, Bits of Stock has a 3.8 out of 5 star rating on the Google Play Store.

Granted, the app only has around 60 reviews and 5,000+ downloads; this is a smaller beermoney app like I mentioned.

However, if we look at another Reddit thread, it definitely seems like users are a little frustrated with the removal of active brands for new Bits of Stock users.

Here's what a few users had to say about their experience with Bits of Stock:

• ThunderPantsGo says: “I think a lot (if not most) have lost faith. I know I have. It took so long to roll out brokerage accounts that I lost interest in it. I still have my account and log on once in a while, but I'm not actively using it.”
• Minamhere says: “They used to have great brands, but over the past few months, they removed all of them and replaced them with garbage stores that you’ll never shop at. Honestly, I would sign up, just in case they ever add brands back, but I wouldn’t expect to actually earn any stock rewards. And certainly not enough to actually get to an amount that you could claim and sell the stock. A waste of time at this point.”
• amysteriousperson001 says: “I feel like they are making some progress, albeit slowly. If they are successful in adding more brands like they say, I think it'll vastly improve.”

I think this last point drives home the overarching theme about Bits of Stock.

This app is a newer, smaller player in the world of reward apps.

So, it's unfair to expect this app to have thousands of brands and to have perfect customer service…but, at the same time, this is a downside to Bits of Stock the company needs to work on.

Extra Reading – Best Apps Like Fetch Rewards.

Pros & Cons

If you're wondering if Bits of Stock is worth using or not, consider the following advantages and disadvantages of this app.

The Pros:

• Earn fractional shares that can appreciate in value
• Completely free to use
• Android and iOS compatible
• Some popular companies like McDonald's and Lowe's have been on the app

The Cons:

• Fewer brand partners than larger reward apps
• Many offers only pay out 0.50%
• New users can't earn passive fractional shares currently

Ultimately, I think Bits of Stock has a very cool vision, but there's definitely room for growth for this app that will hopefully see more brands join the platform!

Apps Like Bits Of Stock

If you like the idea of earning rewards for shopping and want to try some Bits of Stock alternatives, you actually have a lot of options.

As mentioned, various shopping browser extensions like Capital One Shopping and Rakuten are effective ways to save money while shopping online.

Additionally, there are plenty of other reward apps where you can earn cash or gift cards for shopping, including:

• Acorns – Passively invest your spare change and earn bonus cash-back for shopping at partner brands.
• Drop – My favorite rewards app that lets you earn free gift cards for shopping at hundreds of partners.
• Bumped – Earn fractional shares like Bits of Stock for shopping in-store and online at your favorite stores.
• Pei – Earn free Bitcoin or cash for shopping at Pei partners.
• Dosh – Passively earn cash-back rewards at hundreds of partners.
• Fetch Rewards – Scan grocery receipts with Fetch Rewards and earn free gift cards.
• Receipt Hog – Scan everyday receipts and cash out with Amazon gift cards or PayPal cash.

If you want the closest Bits of Stock alternative, Bumped is your best bet.

Similarly, if growing your investments and learning the basics of stocks is what you want, you can sign up for Acorns and begin investing your spare change.

Finally, I also suggest looking into the other reward apps I've mentioned and to also consider cash-back credit card rewards!

Many Bits of Stock rewards pay around 0.50%, but you can likely earn 1% to 3% more by using a decent cash-back credit card, so keep this in mind!

Extra Reading – 20 Best Passive Income Apps.

Note: Capital One Shopping compensates us when you sign up with the provided links.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who Can Use Bits Of Stock?

You can use the Bits of Stock app if you live in the United States or the Netherlands are are the legal age to open a brokerage account.

The app is free for Android and iOS and doesn't have any other requirements.

2. Do Rewards Stack?

Unfortunately, Bits of Stock rewards don't stack with things like credit card rewards.

Again, this might mean using a cash-back credit card that pays around 2% cash back is a more effective way to save more money.

3. Is Bits Of Stock Legit?

In my opinion and from the positive reviews I've seen, Bits of Stock is a legit company that does let you earn fractional shares for your spending.

However, this is a smaller app, so there's fewer brands and room for growth compared to more established apps.

Ultimately, I think the future is bright for Bits of Stock, but keep the current limitations in mind when setting your expectations.

Who Should Use Bits Of Stock?

In my opinion, the ideal Bits of Stock user is already very familiar with reward apps and wants a way to earn fractional shares for their spending.

If you're brand new to these sorts of apps, I'd suggest starting with more popular apps like Drop, Rakuten, and ones that have hundreds or thousands of partners.

There's no harm in signing up for Bits of Stock to see how the app grows, but again, don't be afraid to explore your options to maximize your earnings!

Extra Reading – Rakuten vs Honey – Which Shopping Extension Is Best?

Final Thoughts

I hope our Bits of Stock review helps you decide if this reward app is right for you.

I think this is an awesome mission, and I love the idea of earning fractional shares instead of your regular PayPal and gift card rewards.

I think Bits of Stock still has some growing pains to go through, but I think there's some potential here that you can explore after trying other reward apps like Bumped and Drop.

That's all for this one! Thanks for reading!

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