Wellness apps that pay in Amazon or Target gift cards

How AHEALTH's Gift Shop works in the U.S.

AHEALTH is free to download. It's supported by in-app advertising and partner offers, which fund the rewards users earn. Here's the path from a habit to a gift card.

1. Earn points for daily habits. Your phone counts your steps, so no smartwatch is needed. You can also log your sleep, each glass of water up to a daily limit, your meals and medication doses, and do quick habits such as squats, stair climbing, brisk walks and breathing exercises.
2. Open the Gift Shop and pick a card. Every reward shows its price in points, so you know exactly what a card costs before you redeem.
3. Verify your phone number. Before your first redemption, you may be asked to verify your phone number.
4. Check your email. Gift cards are sent by email and usually arrive within 1 to 3 days. Some take longer.

Point amounts differ by habit and can change over time. See how AHEALTH rewards work for the full details.

Amazon, Target and the other brands

The U.S. Gift Shop offers email gift cards from more than 25 brands, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Starbucks, Dunkin', Chipotle, Nike, Sephora and Uber.

Amazon and Dunkin' cards start at $5, the smallest gift cards in the U.S. Gift Shop. Most other brands start at $10. Your Gift Shop shows the brands and amounts available to your account, and they can vary by account and change over time.

If you or someone in your family shops at Target every week, that's a good reason to save toward a Target card. The best gift card is one for a store you already use, so the reward turns into something you would have bought anyway.

Some newer U.S. accounts may also see cash-out options, but not every account has them. Brand names are trademarks of their respective owners, and the brands listed are not sponsors of AHEALTH rewards.

What to compare instead of redemption rates

A points-per-dollar number only tells part of the story. Two apps with the same rate can feel very different if one rewards habits you do every day and the other doesn't. These questions help you compare any gift card app:

• What earns points? Look for habits you already do or want to do, such as walking, sleep and water. Points for habits you'd skip anyway won't add up.
• What's the smallest card? A lower starting amount, such as a $5 Amazon card, means you reach your first reward sooner.
• Can you see the price before redeeming? In AHEALTH, every reward shows its price in points.
• How is it delivered, and how fast? In AHEALTH, email gift cards usually arrive within 1 to 3 days, and some take longer.
• How is the app funded? Free apps that pay rewards are usually funded by ads and partner offers. That's normal, and it also means rewards are modest.
• Does it need extra gear? AHEALTH uses your phone's own step count, so you don't need a smartwatch or fitness tracker.

However you compare them, treat gift cards as a small bonus for healthy habits, not as income. For a closer look at walking rewards, see how to get paid to walk.

Let the reward support the habit

Gift cards work best as a nudge toward habits that pay off on their own. The CDC says adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, such as 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, plus muscle-strengthening activity on 2 days. Brisk walking counts as moderate-intensity activity, and you can break it into shorter walks.

Regular activity helps you feel better, function better and sleep better, according to the CDC. Some benefits start right after a session of moderate-to-vigorous activity.

The CDC's advice for healthy changes also fits rewards apps well. Set specific short-term goals, such as a 15-minute evening walk, focus on two or three goals at a time and reward your efforts along the way. Rewards help keep you motivated. The CDC suggests non-food rewards, so if weight is one of your goals, a card for household items, clothes or gear may fit better than a food or coffee card.

If you have a health condition or haven't been active for a while, talk with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.

Tips for reaching your first gift card

1. Pick the card first. Decide on Amazon, Target or another brand you use, and check its price in points in the Gift Shop.
2. Keep your phone with you when you walk. AHEALTH uses your phone's step count. You earn points as you walk, up to a daily limit, plus random bonus points along the way.
3. Stack the quick logs. Logging sleep in the morning and water with each meal takes seconds and adds points every day. See how meal rewards work.
4. Check in once a day. Open the app, collect your points and see how close you are to your card.

Missing a day is fine. Start again with the next walk or the next glass of water.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Get paid to walkHow to get paid to walk with the phone you already have, what apps that pay you to walk really pay and how to tell a legit one from a waste of time.
• Apps that reward meal loggingHow meal-logging rewards work in AHEALTH, why logging often matters more than logging perfectly, and simple ways to keep the habit going.
• One app for five micro-habitsWhich micro-habits AHEALTH rewards and which it doesn't, how the rewards work, and how to stack small habits into one simple day.

All AHEALTH guides