Amazon wants to pay consumers for data on purchases at other retailers

At present, this opt-in, invitation-only programme is available to a limited number of Amazon customers in the US only.

San Francisco: Amazon has launched a programme where participants can earn monthly rewards by sharing receipts from purchases made outside of Amazon.com and by completing short surveys.

At present, this opt-in, invitation-only programme is available to a limited number of Amazon customers in the US only.

---

Customers receiving an invitation to join the panel can download the app from either the App Store or the Google Play Store.

They need to submit 10 or more eligible receipts in a month to earn $10 towards either an Amazon Balance or a charitable donation.

Users can then earn additional rewards each month for every survey they complete, TechCrunch reported on Tuesday, the receipts of the purchases need to be from non-Amazon retailers, including grocery stores, department stores, drug stores and entertainment outlets (if open), like movie theaters, theme parks and restaurants.

If one earns $10 towards Amazon Balance, the next time you make a purchase on Amazon.com, your Amazon Balance will automatically be applied at checkout.

One will also have the option to save your Amazon Balance to use on later purchases.

Amazon said that the participation will help brands offer better products and make ads more relevant on Amazon.

Participation in the Amazon Shopper Panel is voluntary and panelists can stop using the app, sharing receipts, or answering survey questions at any time, Amazon said.

Amazon only receives information that panelists explicitly choose to share via the Shopper Panel, such as the information extracted from any uploaded receipts — including product or retailer names — or survey responses.

The company said that it deletes any sensitive information, such as prescription information from drug store receipts.

Participating customers also have the option to delete previously uploaded receipts at any time.

However, Amazon said that it “securely” stores panelists’ personal information and handles it in accordance with Amazon’s Privacy Notice.

The move comes amid allegations that Amazon leveraged third-party seller data to push its own private label business.