My KickFurther haul of 2018: 40,544 points, miles and $821.66

Kickfurther was a significant way I earned points and miles in 2018. For those who are unfamiliar with Kickfurther, it’s a crowdfunding platform where people can contribute funds via inventory purchases (co-ops). The companies then sell the inventory to retailers and usally give their contributors a 5 – 12%  return on their investments. 

I was looking for ways to earn points and miles from home and Kickfurther fit the bill. It  was much more convenient and easier than churning Visa gift cards, which I didn’t have much time for.

In total, I earned 40,544  points and miles plus $2,442.86 on $37,416.50 worth of contributions. Minus the $1,023.31 loss and Kickfurther’s 1.5% withdrawal fee, my total profit came to $821.66.

Kickfurther review

Kickfurther Co-op Risk

Kickfurther is a riskier option that gift card churning. There is always the possibility that a co-op won’t be repaid or that the company goes under. In my case, I lost $1,023.31 on one such co-op, though I ultimately came out ahead.

While the company has some safeguards in place in case of a default, nothing is guaranteed. You could very well be out every single penny you contribute. Three years ago I invested $500 in the Nephew’s Kickfurther co-op and all they managed to recoup was $144.25 when the company defaulted on their payments.

Don’t contribute more than you can afford to lose. Earning points and miles should be secondary to not losing money.

My Total Kickfurther Earnings for 2018

Below is a break-down of my earnings from last year’s Kickfurther co-ops:

Total Invested: $37,416.50

Total Repaid: $39,859.36

Withdrawal Fee (1.5%): $597.89

Profit: $821.66

  • Breakdown: $2,442.86 – $1,023.31 past due from Sogo Industries – $597.89 withdrawal fee

Rewards earned = 40,544 + $35.47

  • 15,504 Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • 9,187  Membership Rewards
  • 8,292 Alaska miles
  • 3,193 Citi ThankYou points
  • 2,500 Marriott points
  • 1,868 Korean SkyPass miles
  • $35.47 cash back

Alps & Meters Kickfurther co-op

I invested a little over $2,762.80 in the Alps & Meters co-op and earned a $290.16 profit and a total of 2762 points. 

Cards used: Amex Platinum and Citi Prestige

Invested: $2,762.80

Repaid: $3,052.95

Profit: $290.16

Points earned: 1381 Membership Rewards and 1381 Citi ThankYou

Erbaviva Kickfurther co-op

Erbaviva proved itself reliable, so I went big and invested $7,191.32 across five credit cards. In return, I earned a $691.20 profit along with 6,836 points and miles. 

Cards used: Amex Platinum, Chase Freedom Unlimited, Citi Prestige, Alaska Visa Signature Card, Fidelity Rewards Card

Invested: $7,191.32

Repaid: $7,855.39

Profit: $664.07 + $27.13 cash back = $691.20

Points earned: 

  • 2,866 Membership Rewards points
  • 3,009 Ultimate Rewards points
  • 260 Citi ThankYou points
  • 701 Alaska miles

Glamour Dolls Makeup Kickfurther co-op

I got just a $45.72 return on my $1,061.68 investment in the Glamour Dolls co-op. I also earned 1,015 Citi ThankYou points. A small profit but every bit counts.

Cards used: Citi Prestige

Invested: $1,015.96 

Repaid: $1,061.68

Profit: $45.72

Points earned: 1,015 Citi ThankYou points

Goodwipes Kickfurther co-op

I changed the $1,967.60 investment in the Goowipes co-op to my Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card. In return, I earned a $203.60 profit and 1,967 Alaska miles.

Cards used: Alaska Airlines Visa Signature

Invested: $1,967.60

Repaid: $2171.20

Profit: $203.60

Points earned: 1,967 Alaska miles

Hidrate co-op

Using the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards, I put $2,860.80 towards the Hidrate Inc. Kickfurther co-op. I earned 1,430 Alaska miles, 2,145 Chase Ultimate Rewards and $216 profit. 

Cards used: Alaska Airlines Visa Signature, Chase Freedom Unlimited

Invested: $2,860.80

Repaid: $3,076.80

Profit: $216

Points earned: 1,430 Alaska miles, 2,145 Chase Ultimate Rewards

Kokopelli Outdoors co-op

Kokopelli had me worried for a minute because they seemed to be running behind on a scheduled payment. They were great about communicating their progress and ultimately repaid everyone. I managed to earn $585.06 cash and 7,512 points and miles across four credit cards.

Cards used: Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card, Chase Freedom Unlimited, American Express Platinum, Korean SkyPass card

Invested: $6,284.30

Repaid: $6,869.36

Profit: $585.06

Points earned: 7,512 points

  • 1,925 Alaska miles
  • 4,212 Ultimate Rewards
  • 1,375 Membership Rewards

KZ Gear co-op

I only put $417 into the KZ Gear co-op and got $27.60 in return, plus $8.34 cash back through the Fidelity Rewards card.

Cards used: Fidelity card

Invested: $417

Repaid: $444.60

Profit: $27.60 + 8.34 cash back rewards= $35.94

Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press co-op

I contributed $537.36 towards the Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press co-op, using the Citi Prestige Card. I earned $44.40 cash and 537 ThankYou points, which I realize is not much. However, it’s a welcome trade-off from churning Visa gift cards.

Cards used: Citi Prestige

Invested: $537.36 

Repaid: $581.76

Profit: $44.40

Points earned: 537 ThankYou points

New Wave Wholesale Nail Supply co-op

New Wave Wholesale Nail Supply ran several co-ops last year that I decide to contribute to. In total, I earned 2,397 points and $218 in return for a $2,398.48 contribution across three credit cards.

Cards used: Chase Ink Plus, Korean SkyPass, American Express Platinum Card

Invested: $2,398.48

Repaid: $2,616.48

Profit: $218

Points earned: 2,397 points

  • 1,181 Ultimate Rewards points
  • 708 Korean SkyPass miles
  • 508 Membership Rewards points

Paul Evans LLC co-op

Through the Paul Evans co-op, I earned a total of 2,782 points and $417.24 in return for a $2,782.26 contribution.

Cards used: American Express Platinum Card, Alaska Airlines Visa

Invested: $2,782.26

Repaid: $3,199.50

Profit: $417.24

Points earned: 2,782 points

  • 1,391 Membership Rewards points
  • 1,391 Alaska miles

Phat Scooters co-op

The Phat Scooters Kickfurther co-op earned me just $42.61 and 643 Membership Rewards on a $643.55 contribution. At this point, it wasn’t so much about earning lots of cash or miles, but rather doing so with minimal effort.

Cards used: Amex Platinum

Invested: $643.55

Repaid: $686.16

Profit: $42.61

Points earned: 643 Membership Rewards

Safe Ride 4 Kids co-op

Using my Alaska Airlines Visa, I charged $878.90 to the Safe Ride 4 Kids campaign. In return, I earned 878 Alaska miles and $79.10

Cards used: Alaska Airlines Visa

Invested: $878.90

Repaid: $958

Profit: $79.10

Points earned: 878 Alaska miles

Solar Pool Technologies co-op

I’m not sure why I charged this co-op to the Amex Marriott Bonvoy card. I must have maxed out my other credit cards with GiftCardMall purchases. Nevertheless, my $1,250.45 contribution to the Solar Pool Technologies Kickfurther co-op got me 2,500 Marriott points and $83.15 cash back.

Cards used: Amex Marriott Bonvoy

Invested: $1,250.45

Repaid: $1,333.60

Profit: $83.15

Points earned: 2,500 Marriott points

SpaceMaster co-op

Looking through all of my earnings, I’m kicking myself for not using the Chase Freedom Unlimited more often. My $1,277.77 contribution to the SpaceMaster Kickfurther co-op earned me 1,1916 Ultimate Rewards points and $108.47.

Cards used: Chase Freedom Unlimited

Invested: $1,277.77

Repaid: $1,386.24

Profit: $108.47

Points earned: 1916 Ultimate Rewards points

Ubuyrite co-op

The Ubuyrite co-op was a small one. Using the Chase Freedom Unlimited card, I contributed $849.38 and got back $103.74 plus 1,274 Ultimate Rewards points. I should have gone bigger. Hindsight…

Cards used: Chase Freedom Unlimited

Invested: $849.38

Repaid: $953.12

Profit: $103.74

Points earned: 1,274 Ultimate Rewards points

United Spirit of America co-op

Contributing $1,454.96 towards the United Spirit of America co-op got me a nice payout of $154.96 and 2,182 Ultimate Rewards points. Maybe they’ll do another co-op in the future, with an equally high return rate.

Cards used: Chase Freedom Unlimited

Invested: $1,454.96

Repaid: $1,609.92

Profit: $154.96

Points earned: 2,182 Ultimate Rewards points

Wetsox co-op

Wetsox offered over 10% return on investment. I earned $109.66 profit and 1,160 Korean Skypass miles in exchange for $1,160.70. Considering how valuable those miles are, I’m happy with the outcome.

Cards used: Korean SkyPass Card

Invested: $1,160.70

Repaid: $1,270.40

Profit: $109.66

Points earned: 1,160 Korean Skypass miles

Saga Outerwear co-op

I only put $659.60 towards the Saga Outerwear Kickfurther co-op and earned a $72.60 profit and 989 points with the Chase Freedom Unlimited. You gotta love this card for its 1.5 point earning rate.

Cards used: Chase Freedom Unlimited

Invested: $659.60 

Repaid: $732.20

Profit: $72.60

Points earned: 989 Ultimate Rewards points

Sogo Industries co-op

Sogo Industries fell behind on their payment, so I still haven’t received anything in return for my $1,023.31 investment. After months of radio silence and a rejected proposal to settle for a lower repayment, Kickfurther finally provided the following message on July 4:

“SOGO is with the agency and marked active. They have not yet made direct contact with the owner.”

While this sucks, the profits from the other co-ops ultimately help cover this $1,000+ loss. 

Cards used: American Express Platinum Card

Invested: $1,023.31

Repaid: $0

Loss: -$1,023.31

Points earned: 1,023 Membership Rewards

Using Kickfurther in the Future

There were a couple of moments when a payment was late and no-confidence votes had begun. Those were not fun moments. But there were also several companies that paid out early and I ultimately profited from my contributions. 

What I will say is that I’ll never contribute to a clothing co-op again, since those tend to run into trouble often. Also, just because a company has had successful co-ops in the past, that is no indication that you’ll get your money back the second or third time around. Keep these things in mind.

I’ve only put about $3,200 into Kickfurther co-ops this year and roughly $1600 has been repaid so far. I’ll provide an update in a couple of months about the rest.

For now, I’m taking a break from Kickfurther. I’ll use the service to complete minimum spending requirements, but don’t think I’ll put $40,000+ into it like I did last year. 

If you’re interested in checking out Kickfurther, consider using my referral link to sign up.

Have you used Kickfurther to earn points and miles? How has it worked out for you so far?

23 thoughts on “My KickFurther haul of 2018: 40,544 points, miles and $821.66”

    1. I think the profit gets reported, though Kickfurther doesn’t send you any tax documents. I haven’t heard back from my tax guy on this, but I’ll find out for sure when I file next year.

    1. A few factors, including payout timeline, payout rate, and past performance. On principle, I won’t invest in clothing companies anymore. Those tend to run into trouble more often.

  1. Your profit of $821.66 on $37,416.50 turns out to be 2.20% per year which is OK but not impressive. Now I am not counting the miles that you earned as different people value them differently. This can be a very useful alternative to manufactured spending specially if you have a minimum spend to meet.

    Why are you taking a break from Kickfurther this year? Any way appreciate you, sharing your experience so candidly in an open forum like this.

  2. SherriBerri

    you advise: Don’t contribute more than you can afford to lose, yet you spend 37K+ on this venue. Of course it might be so that you can afford to lose 37K+ but I wonder if there is some underlying strategy/info that you don’t discuss in this blog that makes this investment at least a break even thing (plus points)

  3. Hmmm, was just looking at some investments I had this year and several were up 30% year on year. I think I will leave the cold hard cash just where it is. I do not want to float some startup. 40K at 30% is about $6K over 6 months. That is much better in my opinion. There are much less risky MS opportunities

  4. Very interested in what your tax person advises and what that $821.66 becomes. Do you plan to do a followup post next year?

        1. Ashley J Young

          Thanks for your informative post! I’m trying to earn a Southwest companion pass so have 6k worth of minimum spend and this seems like a better option than paying my property taxes with 2.5% fee. I’ll take your advice to avoid clothing and try to invest smaller amounts in multiple companies to lower my risk.

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