Shop-to-Earn: Collect Crypto Every Time You Check Out
Loyalty points stay locked in one brand’s app. Crypto rewards move like cash you can swap, stake, or HODL. That’s why 65% of young consumers actively hunt for card-linked offers.
A separate survey shows 76% of Gen Z wants to own crypto, and nearly half would join a loyalty program that pays it
What “shop-to-earn” means
Install a browser plug-in or mobile app. Buy as usual. The service tracks your payment and drops crypto straight into your wallet—no trading screens required.
Moso shows the concept works at checkout
Moso raised a $2 million seed round and already plugs into 2,000-plus retailers, including Walmart and eBay. Pick the coin you want and see it arrive right after you pay.
Lolli proves it scales
Lolli partners with 25,000-plus stores and gives up to 30% back in Bitcoin. The same Series B funding is taking those rewards straight into banks and neobanks next.
Why Gen Z likes crypto cash-back
- Portable – move or trade it anywhere, unlike closed-loop points.
- Upside – if the market climbs, yesterday’s cash-back grows.
- Identity – rewards land in the same wallets Gen Z already uses for payments and NFTs.
Heads-ups before you dive in
- Volatility – rewards shrink if the market tanks.
- Program risk – Web3 perks can vanish; Starbucks shut down its NFT-based Odyssey program after just 15 months.
- Taxes – most places count crypto rewards as ordinary income.
How to try it today
- Install a shop-to-earn extension (Moso, Lolli, etc.).
- Connect a self-custody wallet so the crypto lands with you, not a custodian.
- Buy something you needed anyway—never overspend chasing the rebate.
Shop-to-earn won’t make you a whale, but stacking sats or tokens on everyday buys beats letting value languish in someone else’s walled-garden points system.