Kudos is a new mobile app and browser extension that aims to enhance your existing credit card rewards when shopping. It does this by tracking all your rewards credit cards and recommending the best one to use, recommending new credit cards (that’s how they make money), and doubling your credit card rewards when shopping (replacing a shopping portal).
That’s their pitch. It sounded a bit complicated and I was going to pass. But right now they have a special promo until 6/17 for a 5X boost on their rewards, including 25X at Lowes.com. 5X promo details here. Plus a $20 referral bonus. Plus a bunch of random points for setting up a new account and linking new things. Oh, and our 20 year old dryer just broke. With 3 kids. Swimming twice a day and shedding clothes like dog hair. We have towels and swimsuits hanging everywhere.
To celebrate the dads and new graduates in your lives, we’re not just doubling your rewards at our Boost-partnered stores – we’re multiplying them by an amazing 5X (for up to 25X in earnings) at these top retailers now through June 17, 2024:
Cycle Gear
Lowe’s
Viator, a Trip Advisor Company
Office Depot
Stubhub
Groupon
Sephora
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Perry Ellis
Sharper ImageSo, if you buy a $1000 road bike at Cycle Gear and usually earn 3% with your credit card, you’ll earn a whopping 15%, or $150 back when you check out with our free browser extension or mobile app.
So let’s try this out. These shopping things can be finicky, so I wanted to be extra careful.
Step-by-step instructions.
- Visit my Kudos referral link (I used Chrome Browser) and install their extension. Make sure the promo code JONATHAN_KUDOS_209109 is filled in when applicable to get the 2000 point ($20) referral bonus.
- Add at least one rewards credit card and number. I used my Discover it card since it has 5% back on Home Improvement this quarter.
- After doing these various things, I already accumulated 500 Kudos points (worth $5). However, to unlock the $20 referral bonus for myself, I need to make a purchase from a Boost merchant. My target is Lowes.com.
- Make sure to turn off any potentially conflicting extensions, like the Capital One 360 Shopping plugin.
- Chrome extension installed. Check. Card number saved. Check. Visited Boost Merchant from the Kudos site. Check.
- During the Purchase process, look to the bottom right corner and click on the yellow dog. You should be presented with and click on the “Activate Boost” button. It should say “Boost Activated”.
- During the Checkout process, I let Kudos fill in the card information.
- When finished, the extension should confirm your rewards exactly. Screenshot below.
- This 5X promotion last until June 17th.
When Kudos says you’ll get “double your rewards”, that means your existing credit card rewards is 1X, and then will also match 1X. When Kudos says you’ll get 5X rewards, that means your existing credit card is 1X and they’ll add 4X. Like other shopping portals, the points will be pending for 60-90 days because it takes a while for them to get paid from Lowe’s internally, and also to make sure that you don’t return the item.
My total Lowe’s purchase was approximately ~$1,000. So my Discover card will get me ~$50 back, and Kudos will add ~$200. Plus the other random small bonuses and the $20 referral bonus, which add up to another ~$28. Not bad.
By the way, next-day delivery by Lowe’s. Yes.