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Fitness apps that reward users for being active are becoming increasingly popular, reflecting a global interest in health and passive income. One standout in this trend is Macadam, especially popular in Europe, which promises to pay users for walking. Created by former fintech entrepreneurs, Macadam mixes fitness, passive earnings, and gamification to motivate users. But how does it work, and can you really earn money or prizes by walking?

This blog post takes a detailed look at Macadam—covering its features, user experience, rewards system, pros and cons, and recent user feedback. We draw on official information, app store data, and independent reviews to help you decide if Macadam is worth your time and steps.

Overview of the Macadam Website and App Basics

Macadam’s goal is simple: pay you for every step you take—whether you’re walking for yourself, for charity, or doing in-app challenges. The app is available on both iOS and Android in over 50 countries and supports multiple languages.

Macadam tracks your steps using your phone’s step counter (Google Fit, Apple Health, or your device’s hardware). As you walk and reach certain milestones, your steps are converted into “coins,” the app’s virtual currency. You can exchange these coins for rewards like cash, gift cards, or even donations to causes like tree planting.

Getting started is easy: download the app, create a free account (no bank details needed), connect your step counter, and get a welcome bonus of coins to begin.

Key Functional Overview:

• Walk & Earn: Accumulate coins for each verified step.
• Play Games: Additional rewards for time spent on partner mobile games.
• Surveys & Quizzes: Complete surveys from partner networks for extra coins.
• Watch Ads: Optional daily ad viewing for small coin rewards.
• Challenges and The Adventure: Complete step goals and virtual journeys across cities and countries for badges and bonus coins.
• Referral Program: Invite friends and receive bonus coins when they engage with the app.
• Redemption: Cash out coins for cash (via bank transfer or PayPal in some regions), gift cards, or charitable donations.

Macadam’s vibrant graphics and game-like interface aim to infuse fitness tracking with the excitement of a mobile game, further enhanced by leaderboards, competitions, and collectible badges.

Features and Functionality

Walking & Coin Conversion

Step tracking is core to Macadam:

• Step Milestones: Coins are awarded at progressive milestones—typically 25 coins at 2,500 steps, scaling up to 200 coins at 20,000 steps daily. The standard exchange rate averages 100 coins per 10,000 steps.
• Daily Validation Needed: Critically, steps must be converted to coins manually by swiping in the app before midnight each day. Failure to do so means you lose your daily steps, a rule that sets Macadam apart (and occasionally frustrates users).
• Bonus Milestones: Higher status users (Silver/Gold) unlock additional coin rewards for higher daily steps, up to 45,000 steps per day.

Macadam’s system encourages both routine activity and high-volume walking, making it rewarding for casual users and enthusiasts alike—as long as they remember the daily validation requirement.

Alternative Earning Methods

The app offers more than just simple pedometer rewards:

• Games:
  • Download and play featured partner games directly from within the app.
  • Rewards scale with playing time but diminish with time spent on a single game, nudging users to try new offers.
  • Rewards are generally modest compared to other earning apps of this type.
• Surveys:
  • In partnership with firms like inBrain and CPX Research, users can complete surveys for additional coins.
  • Profile matching is required; not all users will qualify for all surveys.
  • Disqualification mid-survey may award partial compensation.
• Watching Ads:
  • Daily ad slots allow quick coin boosts, though the payout is small.
• Challenges/The Macadam Adventure:
  • The “Macadam Adventure” gamifies walking by sending users on virtual journeys (e.g., exploring European cities).
  • Each destination has five challenges, and completing a continent yields badges, stickers, and lump coin bonuses.
  • Only Europe is currently unlocked, but more expansions are planned.

Referral Program

Macadam’s referral system is a standout for those with active social networks:

• Share a unique code with friends.
• Invitees receive 1,000 coins upon joining and entering the code within 48 hours.
• When a referred user reaches 2,500 coins, the referrer receives 1,000 coins.

Only one code is eligible per friend, to be used within 48 hours of signup.

Table: Key Features, Earning Methods, and Payout Options

Feature	Description	Maximum Earnings	Notes/Limitations
Step Tracking	25–200 coins per milestone (up to 45,000 steps)	~100 coins per 10,000 steps	Must validate steps daily
Play Mobile Games	Coins per minute played	Variable; decreasing over time	Better if rotating different games
Surveys	Complete third-party surveys	Varies by survey	Sometimes partial payout for screening out
Watch Ads	Optional video ads for coins	~5–10 coins/day	Limited daily slots
Referral Program	Invite friends for bonuses	1,000 coins each (user & friend)	Referral must be entered within 48h
Challenges/Adventure	Themed step-&-activity missions	Coin and badge bonuses	Badges/stickers/leaderboards, limits on progress
Status Levels	Bronze, silver, and Gold, with increasing conversion rates	Gold gets up to 2x conversion	Earn crowns to upgrade; resets after 3 months
Payout	Bank Transfer, PayPal, Gift Cards, Donations	Minimum 30,000 coins for €15/£15/$15	Options and rates vary by region/status

Each line in this table represents a primary or secondary earning mechanism, summarized alongside its payout rate, special requirements, and known limitations. For example, while referrals can be lucrative, they are only rewarded after genuine engagement from new users. Surveys provide a non-walking earning avenue but may not be consistently available to everyone, and playing games offers additional coins.

Payment and Payout Options

Cashing out rewards is the ultimate motivation for many Macadam users, but the process is not without complexity and controversy:

• Payout Threshold: The minimum to cash out is typically 30,000 coins (generally equivalent to €15/£15/$15). Higher thresholds for larger payouts (e.g., €30, €60) are also available.
• Redemption Methods:
  • Bank Transfer: Accepted in European regions, it requires IBAN and identity verification. Processing time averages up to 15 business days.
  • PayPal: Available in some countries/regions (not everywhere).
  • Gift Cards: Wide selection (Amazon, Nike, etc.), delivered as redemption codes by email or in-app (up to 15 business days).
  • Donations: Coins can be used to fund trees or support charitable partners.
  • Physical Goods: Occasionally, there are offers like refurbished AirPods if you save significant coins, but these are rare and require extreme coin accumulation.
• Status Impact on Payout: Upgrading from Bronze to Silver or Gold status unlocks better conversion rates (up to 2x), faster payment processing, priority cashout access, and exclusive store deals.
• Verification Requirement: For bank payouts, expect to provide an ID photo and banking proof. Bank payouts are only to accounts matching user identity and for users of legal age.
• Processing Issues: If a payment fails due to data mismatch or technical error, coins are refunded. Users can contact support if funds are not returned within 14 days.
• Not all users see the cashout option: In some reported cases, only charitable donations or gift cards are available.

Final Thoughts: Should You Download Macadam?

Macadam is a legitimate and innovative walk-and-earn app—offering real rewards, strong motivation to stay active, and one of the broadest international supports among fitness reward platforms as of 2025.

If you are the kind of person who already walks 10,000+ steps per day, enjoys mini-games and digital badges, and wants to make a little extra cash or rewards for a habit you already enjoy, Macadam is a fun, low-risk addition to your routine. If you crave a side hustle with robust, reliable payouts or passive earnings without daily engagement, Macadam may frustrate you—especially considering its recent growing pains as it navigates scaling and sustainability in the competitive health-tech space. Ultimately, Macadam is best used as a motivational tool: an app that makes healthy habits a little more fun and rewarding, with the potential for small but tangible returns