ShopandScan.com

I have been a member of shop and scan for just over four months I think . I joined by way of an unsolicited e.mail . I suppose once you start completing surveys and joining a few sites they just become aware of you . Whether they decide who to invite on statistics such as age etc or by assessing how trustworthy they think you are I have no idea . Well however they pick you out , that is the only way to join at the moment .

Initially I thought I would maybe only join for a little while . The initial invitation offers you £10 once you have uploaded your first scan so it would be easy to take the money and run . However I can see me sticking with this site as it is easy and very little hassle .So let's start at the beginning and assume you have hasd an e.maill offering you the chance to join shopandscan what happens next ?

HOW DO YOU JOIN SHOPANDSCAN ?

Following the e.mail link you are directed to TNS shopandscan site . Here you will fill in a few of the basic details all these sites seem to rquire these days . There are assuraces about respecting your privacy and I have no reason to doubt these .

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT ?

Within a week or two you will receive a medium sized siver coloured package through the post . This contains a welcome letter and a little information . There is also a set of four plastic cards wth various things printed on them and a small hand laser clicker . The clicker has a button on the top and a clear screen at one end . There is a space to connect a USB lead to your computer . The USB lead is also enclosed .

There are intructions about registering on line and beginning your weekly scans .

WHAT DO I DO THEN ?

Every time you buy something with a bar code on it you scan it . For example if you have bought four items from Tesco you will :

- Take the plastic cards .
- Turn to the first card where you will scan the name of whoever in your household bought the shopping .
- On the next card scan the shop , in this case Tesco .
- Onto the next card where you will click the range that has the total price which includes your shopping . If the shopping was £4.39 you would click the range £4 - £4.50.
- Finally you scan the bar code on each of your four items .

This routine is repeated each time you shop . You may find that hubby or whoever likes to do it which will save you . Once a week you connect this laser clicker to your computer via the USB and transmit your barcodes . This is simple to do and once they have your panellist number it only takes a few seconds. Your clicker will be reset by them and it's ready for use again . I usually try to transmit the same da of the week which is a Friday .

WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME

As soon as you transmit your first weeks scan your account will be credited with £10 .Each week you transmit your barcodes you receive £1. Not a lot , I hear you say but it is consistent and there sometimes are other offers .

So once you have done your first transmission you will receive a confirmation e.mail that you have £11 in your account . You can only cash in multiples of £10 but you can do it straight away . Payment is by way of gift vouchers from a variety of suppliers . These include - Virgin , Dixons , Argos , Odeon , Debenhams ,Tomas Cook , Next and more . I have found any vouchers claimed arrive fairly quickly , within a few days .

In the time I have been a member there was a short survey one week for which £1 was paid . One week I was asked to do a tranmission on a Monday as well as my ordinary Friday one . I was paid an extra 50p for this .

The site like so many has changed a little of late . It is still really easy to access but now has a newletter section . The newsletter arrives by way of e.mail telling you what's on offer etc . The most recent one included a competion which you log into the site to access . The prizes are good for these and it's just a general knowledge / pub quiz type of thing .

RECOMMENDATION

I really feel that if you are offerd this it is worth joining . You may feel it is a bit Big Brotherish analyzing all your shopping . However most of the sites we use to make a little money do this . Also it does not monitor erything , as any products you buy which do not have a barcode cannot be scanned . Mind you it is surprising what does have a barcode these days , items such as carrier bags and medication do . Of course fresh vegetables , fruit and meat from local suppliers usually have no barcodes .

So having said this I feel that shopandscan are not too intrusive on my life . The scanning takes such a little amount of time and you will be amazed how soon it becomes second nature . The reward , though not large , will give you £62 's worth of vouchers in your first year as a minimum , assuming you transmit each week .

Overall then a nice steady little earner which I fully recommend .

Thanks for reading
Copyright Eiley 2007

Please note some of the specific criteria required by Ciao does not really apply to this site .