Yes. Shopkick stopped working on March 27, 2026, and its own website now says the company filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy on May 29, 2026 in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. You can no longer earn or redeem kicks, and unredeemed kicks are gone; only gift cards you'd already moved into a retailer account still work.
If you've been trying to work out how Shopkick works and why the app won't do anything, the answer is that it doesn't work any more. Shopkick closed without warning, and it's a hard lesson for anyone sitting on a balance in a rewards app. Here's what happened, what you can still save, and what to learn from it.
What happened to Shopkick
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| March 26, 2026 | Hip2Save reported it couldn't connect to Shopkick's servers that morning |
| March 27, 2026 | Wikipedia lists Shopkick as defunct; word spread on social media, with employees told in the hours before and users given no warning |
| May 29, 2026 | Shopkick, Inc. filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware |
Chapter 7 is the liquidation route in US bankruptcy, not a restructuring. Shopkick's website points people to the court's docket at Case No. 26-10877 for details, and at the time of the shutdown, another US deals site reported that the company hadn't released an official statement.
How Shopkick used to work
For anyone who never used it: Shopkick was a Denver-based company founded in 2009. Its app gave you points called kicks for walking into partner stores, scanning products, making purchases and submitting receipts, and you swapped kicks for gift cards at shops such as Target, Walmart and Starbucks, or donated them to charities such as Feeding America. It detected store visits with an inaudible audio signal broadcast inside each store, later adding Bluetooth beacons. SK Planet, part of SK Telecom, bought it in 2014, and Trax acquired it in 2019.
What you can and can't recover
- Unredeemed kicks: gone. Hip2Save and another US deals site both report there's no way to earn or redeem kicks.
- Rewards shown in the app: Hip2Save says previously earned rewards no longer appear, even if you can still log in.
- Gift cards already moved to a retailer: still usable. If you'd added a gift card to your account at that retailer, it's safe.
- Gift cards you hadn't claimed or saved: no longer accessible.
If you can still open the app and see any gift card code, copy it down immediately and add it to the retailer's account, in case it still works there. For anything else, the bankruptcy docket is the only official route, and Shopkick's website gives the case number above.
Why nobody was warned
This is the part that upset Shopkick users most. Wikipedia notes that employees were told in the hours before the shutdown while users got no warning at all, and Hip2Save's own first assumption, when the app wouldn't connect on the morning of March 26, 2026, was that it was a technical glitch. Readers in its comments described losing kick balances they'd been saving up, some for a family trip or a large gift card they hadn't yet claimed. Nothing in the app signalled the end beforehand, which is why waiting for a warning is no protection.
It's also why the bankruptcy notice matters. A chapter 7 filing means the business is being wound up rather than rescued, so there's no reason to expect the app to come back or for old kick balances to be restored.
The lesson for every rewards app
Shopkick's closure caught people mid-saving: some were building up kicks for a big gift card or a holiday. A rewards balance isn't money in a bank account, and when an app shuts down, there's often no protection for it. Here's how I'd protect yourself on any earning or cash back app:
- Cash out as soon as you reach the minimum, rather than saving up for a bigger reward.
- Move gift cards into the retailer's own account straight away, or save the codes somewhere safe.
- Keep screenshots of your balance and any pending rewards.
- Spread your effort across a couple of apps instead of relying on one.
- Watch for warning signs such as slower payouts or fewer offers, and redeem if you see them.
Alternatives if you used Shopkick for receipts
If what you liked about Shopkick was earning on everyday shopping, receipt and cash back apps are the closest replacements, though none uses in-store walk-in rewards the same way. Whichever you choose, apply the lesson above and cash out regularly. For other everyday earning ideas, see my guide to apps that pay you to drive and my guide to legitimate ways to make money online.
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My verdict
Shopkick is gone for good: the app closed on March 27, 2026 and the company filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy on May 29, 2026. Don't spend time trying to get it working, and be wary of any site or social media account offering to recover kicks for a fee, because the only official route is the court process. Save any gift card codes you can still see, then take the lesson into every other app you use: redeem early, redeem often.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shopkick still working?
No. Shopkick shut down on March 27, 2026, and there's no way to earn or redeem kicks.
Did Shopkick file for bankruptcy?
Yes. Shopkick's website says Shopkick, Inc. filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy on May 29, 2026 in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, Case No. 26-10877.
Can I get my Shopkick kicks back?
Unredeemed kicks are no longer redeemable. Gift cards you'd already added to a retailer account can still be used.
How did Shopkick work?
Shopkick gave kicks for walking into partner stores, scanning products, buying items and submitting receipts, which you exchanged for gift cards.
Who owned Shopkick?
Trax acquired Shopkick in 2019, after SK Planet, part of SK Telecom, bought it in 2014.
