Free Geekery

All that money you’ve spent achieving higher geekdom could actually be helping you in the long run, thanks to a myriad of reward programs. We’ve dug up all the best geek rewards programs out there to make it even easier for you to get free stuff, and feed your inner geek.

1. Think Geek — Not only does this store have just about everything a geek could ever need, they now have a rewards program. It’s called Geek Points and for every purchase you make, you can build up these points until you’re ready to cash them out. As a member, you’ll also be able to take advantage of free offers and an early heads-up when cool products are released.
2. Gizmos for Geeks — As rewards programs go, this is probably one of the easiest to tackle, but then again, you’re really only getting entered into a monthly drawing for cool stuff. All they ask is that you read articles and comment on them, for one geek point a piece. Then, after all that hard work pouring out your geeky soul, you “may” win a prize. Hey, it never hurts, right?
3. Tivo Rewards — You watch television, right? You want a chance to get free stuff too? Head on over to Tivo where they’re so desperate they’ll almost pay you to spread the word. All you have to do is refer some friends, or use the Tivo Platinum Mastercard and you could be well on your way to earning a shiny new Tivo or other prizes.
4. Airline Miles — Just remember, the next time ComicCon comes up four states away and you’re too broke to go, you could still make it if you had free airline miles running around. There are numerous cards that pay you back in air miles, including Blue Sky from American Express, the JetBlue Card, and several others.
5. Toys R US Visa Card — Just think — if you were a member of this rewards program, 4% of every single purchase you make at a Toys R US or Babies R US store could be coming right back to you. Points are handed out four to one dollar. Once you get to $1,000, you’ll also get a coupon for 10% off your next purchase.
6. Microsoft XBox Points — Microsoft recently rolled out their new XBox rewards program, where all you have to do to participate is play your favorite games, and play them well. The higher you score, the better the prizes are.
7. Amazon Rewards — Chase and Amazon have teamed up to offer a reward card that pays you three points for every dollar you spend at Amazon.com. Not a fan of Amazon? You can still earn one point for every dollar spent elsewhere. Once you get up to 25,000 points in your account, you’ll automatically be sent a $25 gift certificate.
8. E-Rewards — OK, so reading e-mail and getting paid for it sounds pretty stupid, but E-Rewards is actually pretty well respected and they have some decent rewards as well. Companies that participate include Blockbuster, Borders, eBags and several other well known entities. You spend half your life going through your e-mail anyway, you may as well get paid to do it.
9. Hbc Rewards — Canadian geeks will appreciate the rewards program with Hbc. The rewards cover several affiliated Hbc stores and you can double your points if you use the Hbc credit card. Rack up 80,000 points and get $10 back. Points may vary, depending on the store, but the average is 50 to 100 points for every single dollar you spend.
10. NestEggz — Even geeks need to retire sooner or later. The NestEggz program offers rewards for shopping with over 500 affiliated stores, including Staples.com, Old Navy, Pep Boys, and more. You can use your NestEggz card to earn up to 8% back on purchases, or 20% if you shop online.
11. Metacafe — Metacafe’s Producer Awards have already earned some people over $10,000 in cash. All you have to do is shoot a video, upload it and as people watch it, you start earning money. Hit 20,000 views, get a $100. If you don’t get quite that far, you’ll start earning $5 for every 1,000 views of your videos. Shoot more videos, earn even more money.
12. Rentacomputer — Any time you rent a computer, printer or other item from Rentacomputer, you’ll automatically start accruing points that can be used to get cash back on your next rental. Every dollar spent equals one reward point, so it’s pretty easy to start wracking up your points quickly.
13. Sun Microsystems Big Admin Bucks Program — Sun has done something truly unique with this reward program. All you have to do is submit quality technical tips or articles related to Sun’s products and you’ll get points for every submission. A simple link can earn you $1, while a long article can earn up to $40. Use the points to redeem some pretty cool merchandise from the Sun store.
14. Blue Cash — American Express’ Blue Cash program offers up to 5% back on all purchases and the ability to pay the balance back over time and in some markets. You can also get additional cash back for paying your phone or power bills with your card. Get more than one card for another family member and you’ll be earning double the points.
15. Starbucks Duetto Card — Face it, how much money have you spent in the past year at Starbucks? If you had their Duetto card, you’d actually be able to earn some of that cash back. Canadian users get $10 for signing up while Americans get $25. Every time you make a purchase, whether it’s at Starbucks or somewhere else, you can earn 1% back in Duetto Dollars that can be used at any Starbucks location.
16. Choice Hotels — Choice Hotels offers a reward program where you can earn points no matter where you stay in the world, as long as it’s a Choice hotel. There are over 3,000 qualifying hotels and you’ll be able to redeem points for a free stay, airline miles, and gift cards. After your second stay, you’ll even start earning triple the awards points that you’ll start with.
17. Shopper Discounts and Rewards from Webloyalty — This site offers automatic savings with over 500 retailers, and some of the savings are upfront. You can use up to $100 in points per claim, and up to $2,000 per year. They also offer fraud protection with their card and you’ll get extended warranties on tech products.
18. NewEgg — NewEgg will let you save 1.1% on all of your purchases instantly, just as long as you use their card. This card is made for shopping online and offers fraud protection, low interest and no annual fee.
19. Upfront Rewards — Who doesn’t want their reward upfront? This new card works a lot like a secured credit card, and you’ll need to transfer $5,000 over to qualify. Too broke? Request a cash advance and starting reaping the rewards right away.
20. Advanta Platinum Rewards — The Platinum Reward Program from Advanta offers you the ability to consolidate all of your card balances and earn one point for every dollar spent. Points are redeemed for either rewards or rebates on your purchases. If you prefer cash, or airline miles, Advanta has you covered there too.

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