Microsoft Rewards in Canada is a free points program for searching with Bing, using Edge, playing or shopping on Xbox, and completing the daily activities on the Rewards dashboard. It suits someone who already uses those products and will redeem a gift card a few times a year. It does not suit someone who wants cash for an hour of work. Microsoft’s regions article says offers and redemption catalogues vary by region, and it lists Canada among the countries where Rewards is available.
The wider low-effort set is beermoney apps. Shopping rebates are cashback apps. Game-offer apps are Mistplay vs Freecash. Figures below come from Microsoft’s Canada about page and regions article, opened October 6, 2026. The about page says not every feature shown is available in every market. After you join, the dashboard is the list that applies to your account.
Is Microsoft Rewards available in Canada?
Yes. Microsoft’s Rewards regions article lists Canada in the Americas section, alongside the United States and Mexico. The article says that if you travel to another country where Rewards is available, you can still earn points as long as you are not consistently earning in multiple markets.
The Canada about page says Rewards is free and that you need a Microsoft account. It also says the user country is defined from activity, that a change can require SMS or another check, and that changing countries changes the redemption options. Redeem in the region the account belongs to. The about page says a temporary trip does not by itself change the Rewards experience.
How do you earn Microsoft Rewards points in Canada?
The Canada about page describes these earning paths. Point caps and bonuses are the numbers printed there. Treat them as the published rules, then confirm the dashboard, because the footnote says earning and redemption vary by market and that point-earning limits apply.
| Level | How you get there, per the about page | Bing searches | Search points if each search is 5 points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Starting level | Up to 5 searches a day, shown as a 25-point daily search limit | 5 × 5 = 25 |
| Silver | More than 500 points in the calendar month | Up to 10 searches a day, shown as a 50-point daily search limit | 10 × 5 = 50 |
| Gold | More than 750 points in the month, plus 2 level-up activities | Up to 20 searches a day, shown as a 100-point daily search limit | 20 × 5 = 100 |
The about page says there is no difference between PC and mobile for the daily search cap. Searches count toward one daily limit. It says the default-search bonus needs Bing as the default search engine and searches on at least 14 days in the month, and that those searches have to come from the Bing box on a PC, not from a phone. Level-up activities for Gold vary by country. The page says completing one does not add a second pile of points on top of the task you already did. Read the activity list on your dashboard rather than a screenshot from another country.
Monthly bonuses on the same page, if you were active the previous month, are claimable and expire if you do not claim them within 30 days on rewards.bing.com:
- Default Search Bonus: 50 points (Member), 150 (Silver), or 350 (Gold), after at least 14 PC search days.
- Bing Star bonus: up to 500 (Member), 1,500 (Silver), or 3,500 (Gold). The page says this one depends on engagement and a behavioural score for genuine use.
- Level bonus: 100 (Member), 300 (Silver), or 700 (Gold), based on the level you held at the end of the previous month.
The monthly tier bonus is available at the start of the next month, within the first 5 days. Silver receives a 100-point coupon each month and Gold a 200-point coupon, and those coupons expire at the end of the month. A coupon is a discount on a redemption, not cash.
Xbox and Microsoft Store points are also on the page, with multipliers that differ by level, and a note that availability may vary by country. Qualifying Store purchases can earn up to 20,000 points a month. Subscriptions and gift-card purchases do not qualify, and a purchase only qualifies for one Rewards offer at a time.
What can you redeem in Canada?
The Canada FAQ says you redeem points for gift cards, sweepstakes entries, donations, and other rewards on the Redeem page, and that sweepstakes availability varies by market. The about page names gift cards from stores including Amazon and Roblox as examples, with the same market warning.
Microsoft and Xbox gift cards redeemed with points go to your Microsoft account balance. The Canada FAQ says that balance is promotional and can expire under the promotion’s terms. Other gift cards produce a code or a link in Order History. If a denomination is out of stock, Microsoft’s support pages say to check Redeem again. They do not publish a restock date.
This guide does not state how many points a Canadian gift card costs. That price is on the Redeem page for your account, and it can differ from a US screenshot.
Illustrative example
Assumed point price, not a Microsoft rate. Suppose the Redeem page in your account shows a gift card at 6,500 points. That 6,500 is an assumption so the calendar is visible. It is not a price Microsoft printed on the about page. At the Gold search cap of 100 points a day, search points alone would take 6,500 ÷ 100 = 65 days to reach that card, before quizzes, monthly bonuses, or a missed day. Member search points at 25 a day would take 6,500 ÷ 25 = 260 days for the same assumed card. Monthly bonuses, if you claim them, shorten that. A week you forget to claim an expiring bonus lengthens it. The sketch is not a promise that a 6,500-point card exists in Canada.
How do you start Microsoft Rewards in Canada?
Step 1: Use the Microsoft account you already have
Join from the Canada Rewards pages while you are in Canada. The regions article is the availability check. The dashboard after sign-in is the earning check.
Step 2: Set a search habit you will actually keep
The daily cap is small. Five to twenty qualifying searches, depending on level, is the published ceiling. Extra searches past the cap do not become extra points. Bing has to be the search you use for those queries if you also want the default-search bonus, and that bonus is a PC rule.
Step 3: Move toward Silver only if the points are real
Silver is more than 500 points in the calendar month. Gold is more than 750 plus two level-up activities. Chasing searches you do not need, or searches that look automated, fights the Bing Star description, which rewards genuine use. Microsoft can limit accounts that break the program rules. Read the Microsoft Services Agreement if a redemption is refused.
Step 4: Redeem before points or coupons expire
Claim monthly bonuses within 30 days. Use the level coupon before month-end. If you are saving for a specific card and it is out of stock, the support guidance is to pick another available reward rather than assume a restock date. Promotional Microsoft balance can expire under its own terms, so read the order details when you redeem.
Step 5: Keep Rewards in the “already using Microsoft” box
If you do not use Bing, Edge, or Xbox, the points are a new chore. Paid studies are a better hour. Start with survey sites or Prolific. A phone-only map is phone side hustles.
What mistakes do Canadians make with Microsoft Rewards?
- Copying a US point chart. The about page says the dashboard is the market-specific list. A US gift-card price is not your Redeem page.
- Searching past the cap and calling it work. The daily search limit is the point.
- Leaving claimable points unclaimed. They expire. The balance you can see is not the balance you failed to claim.
- Redeeming while the account’s region and your location disagree. Earn and redeem in the region the account belongs to. A VPN that makes you look like another market is the failure mode the travel and country answers are written to prevent.
- Treating points as self-employment revenue before a gift card exists. Points are a balance inside Microsoft’s program. The taxable question, if any, starts when you receive value. That discussion is below.
Which tax rules apply to Microsoft Rewards in Canada?
Microsoft Rewards points for personal searches are not the same thing as being paid to complete a client’s task. This guide does not call them business income, and it does not call them tax-free. The CRA pages that sort survey pay, loyalty points, and bonuses are collected in are rewards and bonuses taxable. If you redeem points in a business (for example, a gift card that pays a business expense), keep the order record with your other receipts and see how to report side hustle income. Business income, when you have it from other work, still goes on Form T2125.
This is not tax, legal, or insurance advice.
Which guides sit next to Microsoft Rewards in Canada?
Beermoney apps and cashback apps are the neighbouring habits. Mistplay vs Freecash covers game offers that ask for more of your evening. US-only apps is the list of programs that do not open a Canadian account. Bank promotions, which are cash with conditions rather than points, are bank account sign-up bonuses.
What are the common questions?
Is Microsoft Rewards available in Canada?
Yes. Microsoft's Rewards regions article lists Canada. Offers and the redemption catalogue vary by market, so the dashboard after you join is the list that applies to your account.
How many Bing points can you earn per day in Canada?
The Canada about page says each qualifying search earns 5 points, up to 5 searches a day at Member, 10 at Silver, and 20 at Gold. PC and mobile share one daily cap. Confirm the cap on your dashboard, because the page says earning limits vary by market.
What can Canadians redeem Microsoft Rewards points for?
The Canada pages say gift cards, sweepstakes entries, donations, and other rewards on the Redeem page. Microsoft and Xbox gift cards go to your Microsoft account as promotional balance that can expire. The point cost of a card is on your Redeem page, not in a US screenshot.
Do Microsoft Rewards points expire?
Monthly bonus points on the Canada about page must be claimed within 30 days or they expire. Level coupons expire at the end of the month. Promotional balance from a Microsoft or Xbox gift card can expire under that promotion's terms.
Is Microsoft Rewards a side hustle in Canada?
It is a points program on products you may already use. The published search caps are small. It is a weak plan if you do not already use Bing, Edge, or Xbox. Paid studies pay more per sitting when you qualify.
Which sources support this guide?
The rules, rates, and platform requirements in this guide are checked against these primary sources. Retail price ranges are labelled as ranges to verify locally, and they are not quotes.
- Microsoft Rewards regions — Microsoft
- About Microsoft Rewards (Canada) — Microsoft
- Learn about Microsoft Rewards — Microsoft
- Form T2125, Statement of Business or Professional Activities — Canada Revenue Agency