Earn money for walking - the best rewards available on exercise apps

We've heard it many times over - try to walk 10,000 steps a day to boost your health.

The number may be debatable, but the benefits of walking are proven: walking reduces the risk of cardiovascular issues and diabetes, strengthens bones and boosts mood, among many other advantages. Health experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, but even 10 minutes of brisk walking can improve health.

So if you're trying to increase your movement, you may as well make the most of it by tracking your steps with apps that pay you in treats, or even cash.

There are several businesses offering rewards for your hard work, although their motives for doing so may differ.

Vitality health insurance, for example, gives customers rewards as impressive as discounted Apple watches for hitting steps goals and it’s win-win - if you're healthier, you're less likely to claim. You pay £39-£169 upfront depending on which watch you choose, and then the more you move, the less you pay each month. If you hit 12,500 steps a day five times a week you pay nothing that month!

Sports equipment retailer Decathlon gives customers 150 points for every week they take part in 150 minutes of sport (tracked through a connected app like Strava or Garmin). Again, this makes sense because the more sport you do the more likely you are to need to buy equipment or clothing.

You can also earn points for shopping with the retailer and leaving reviews, with 2,000 points earning you a £3 Decathlon voucher, and £10 can be redeemed for 6,000 points.

Other businesses may be motivated to offer rewards in exchange for your data, so we've included what we know about why each app may be encouraging you to get out of the house, to help make the best choice for you.

Step count apps and data

The trade-off for users of many of these apps is their data. They may make money through adverts that are targeted based on where you walk and how often, or by getting a commission when you redeem a reward.

Others may collect anonymised data for companies that want to know things like what times of day people go to certain locations.

You might still be able to use some apps while reducing the location tracking to just while using the app. But this may interfere with tracking your step count, depending on the system.

Sweatcoin

Sweatcoin's mission is about improving health, so includes personalised statistics to keep you on track.

Sweatcoin converts steps into 'Sweatcoins', redeemable for Amazon discounts, trials and digital offers. There’s also an optional cryptocurrency version (SWEAT).

There are a huge range of offers available, but many rewards are trials or free goods, rather than hard cash.

The company earns money from brands that pay to be listed in the marketplace and from promoting its crypto token.

That means you might also see quite a few adverts (including for crypto). But you can actually boost your coins by watching more adverts.

It's easy to use and you don't need a step-counting watch. You just install, walk and spend coins in the marketplace.

Sweatcoin says clearly on its website it will not sell your location data, adding: "Your location data is completely anonymised and cryptographically protected. Sweatcoin fully complies with GDPR. Importantly, Sweatcoin does not make any user data available to any third party and only uses the data for the purposes of the Sweatcoin Step Verification Algorithm and targeting of offers available on Sweatcoin marketplace."

Reward examples: Amazon discounts, Audible free trial, 10% off Nike, HelloFresh deals.

Read more: We tried 3 budgeting apps to compare their free and paid versions

Paace

The exciting thing about Paace is it’s all about supporting local businesses.

Although currently mostly operating in London, Paace rewards users for hitting an 8,000-step daily target with discounted coffee, snacks and discounts from 200+ local vendors. It’s designed to encourage walking and boost footfall to independent shops.

Paace is tight-lipped about how many steps you need to get points, but on one Instagram reel (shared below) it showed a user saving a total of £5.80 on three drinks from different vendors after walking 90,000 steps. If it was evenly split (which we're not sure it is), that would mean you needed to walk 15,500 steps to get £1 off a drink.

You'll need to enable location tracking to confirm your steps, but Paace's business model is to charge partners who want to feature in the app, rather than selling data. It uses your aggregated step and location data to prove that being listed increases footfall. Even if you don't live in London, it could be useful to get your steps up now ready to spend in the city if you're going to be visiting.

Reward examples: Coffee, sandwiches, or even smoked salmon from independent cafés and shops.

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BetterPoints

BetterPoints operates in selected UK areas where councils are funding programmes - and these can change and update, so it's worth checking if your area is using it.

It rewards walking, cycling and public transport journeys with points redeemable for Amazon vouchers, high-street gift cards, or charity donations.

The catch is availability - it only works fully where local councils or employers fund programmes. That’s also how BetterPoints makes money: councils and organisations pay to run campaigns that encourage healthy, sustainable travel.

Once registered, the app tracks journeys automatically and logs activity for rewards.

User data on steps, cycling, and travel routes is aggregated and reported back to show impact. For users, this means your movements are logged not only for personal rewards but also to help councils monitor transport and health outcomes. However, you may feel this is a good use of your information as it genuinely helps local councils track public health and improve public transport.

If you’re in a participating UK area, BetterPoints can deliver meaningful vouchers, but you are giving away anonymised location and travel data in exchange.

Reward examples: Amazon, Argos, New Look vouchers, or donate to charities like Air Ambulances UK and Cancer Research UK.

WeWard

WeWard turns your steps into ‘Wards’, a digital currency that can be exchanged for a wide range of rewards.

Unlike some competitors that mainly offer promotional freebies or trials, WeWard stands out because users can redeem their steps for cash via PayPal, donate to charity, or access gift cards for popular UK retailers.

This makes it feel more versatile and practical than other step-tracking apps that focus heavily on advertising offers.

The app tracks your daily activity directly through your smartphone, so you don’t need a smartwatch or fitness tracker to take part.

Once downloaded, you allow WeWard to access your step count, and every 1,500 steps earns you one Ward.

Accumulated Wards can then be cashed in or swapped for discounts at partner brands. There’s also a social element, as you can set up challenges with friends, join walking groups, and explore suggested local walking routes.

For people who want rewards that go beyond digital freebies, WeWard offers one of the clearest routes to genuine cash and tangible perks. While it won’t make you rich - most people earn small amounts unless they walk a lot - it can provide a steady trickle of value and help good causes too.

Because WeWard encourages walking and tracks location (with user permission), it can provide anonymised insights about mobility and foot traffic. These insights are valuable for businesses and local councils interested in consumer behaviour.

WeWard has said it does not sell personal data, but aggregated, anonymised information is part of the value proposition.

Reward examples: Cash via PayPal, giftcards for Amazon, Nike, Decathlon and more. You can also donate to charities directly in the app.

Macadam

Macadam is a newer UK walking app that positions itself as privacy-first.

Like others, it rewards steps with digital coins that can be converted into cash or vouchers once enough are accumulated. Its key selling point is that it doesn’t use GPS tracking or sell movement data - instead, it simply counts your steps via your phone’s pedometer. The benefit to users is clearer transparency: you get small payouts for walking without heavy advertising or intrusive location requests.

Macadam makes its money through occasional advertising partnerships and affiliate deals, but it avoids the extensive brand marketplace model of Sweatcoin or BetterPoints.

As a result, rewards are usually slower to build and more modest. The trade-off is between earning less but knowing your walking data isn’t being widely shared with third parties.

Reward examples: PayPal, gift cards, or cashback

Cashwalk

Cashwalk is a simple app where UK users earn 'coins' for steps, which can be redeemed for vouchers, typically around £5 once you’ve walked enough.

The threshold is lower than some rivals, making it more practical for small rewards. Cashwalk makes money through in-app advertising - banners and videos are shown as you use the app, and partners fund the vouchers you receive.

The company collects step data and basic user information to target ads more effectively, but it’s less focused on location tracking than apps like Paace or BetterPoints.

The main trade-off is watching ads in exchange for rewards, with a relatively light data footprint compared to apps that map your movements.

Reward examples: Vouchers for Amazon, Tesco.

WinWalk

WinWalk rewards UK users with one coin per 100 steps, which can eventually be exchanged for gift cards.

Payouts are slow - you need around 21,000 coins (2.1 million steps! Or seven months of 10,000 steps a day) for a £10 voucher - but it’s steady if you walk daily.

The app makes money primarily through advertising; users see pop-up ads and offers while tracking steps, and partner brands pay to appear in the reward shop.

It doesn’t rely heavily on location data, instead focusing on pedometer counts, which reduces privacy concerns.

For users, the trade-off is more about time and patience - you’ll be exposed to frequent ads, and it takes significant walking to cash out, but your personal location data isn’t as central to the business model. If you’re a long-distance runner, this could be the one for you!

Reward examples: Amazon, Costa, Deliveroo, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, Primark, Argos, Tesco.

Biscuit

Biscuit is a UK app aimed at dog owners. You log walks with your dog, complete wellbeing tasks, and earn points redeemable for vouchers at places like Tesco or Nando’s.

It’s been popular among UK pet owners who see it as a fun way to combine dog care with small perks, however it can take time to accumulate points.

We mentioned it here in this useful article for pet owners: Pet costs: 9 ways to save money on your pet

Biscuit makes money through partnerships with pet-related and high-street brands, which pay to be featured in the reward system, and through data on pet-owner activity.

The app uses your walking and lifestyle data (including pet ownership habits) to tailor offers and demonstrate value to sponsors.

The trade-off is sharing information about both your walking patterns and pet routines. In return, you get vouchers with broad appeal, making it one of the more practical everyday apps in this space.

Reward examples: Nando’s, Tesco, Amazon, John Lewis, and M&S

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