Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Pepper?

Pepper is one of many rewards platforms that gives you cash back for purchasing gift cards from them.  Rewards are based on the specific brand and generally start at 2X (2%) and go up from there. 

There are often daily promotions, as well, that boost your rewards up to 20% or more

How Do I Get Cash Back?

Cash is returned in the form of Pepper Coins.  For every $1 you spend, you get 20 coins in return.  Yes, it’s a very stupid and convoluted way of doing this but, in the end, it’s still the same amount of money. Currently, there is no method for getting real cash back from Pepper.  You must spend the coins on other GC purchases.

How Do Pepper Daily Promotions Work?

Pepper often offers elevated cashbacks on a set of brands. For example, they may offer Uber at 20X. This means you’ll eventually get 20% back for each Uber purchase.  Generally, the way this works is that you’ll get the normal rate of cashback now and the rest later on a date defined in the TOS of the deal.  

The way to figure what’s normal and the deferred bonus is as follows.

From the main screen, look up the brand that’s being offered and it will show you what the normal rate is.  Uber, for example, may show as 3X but if the current promo is 20X, this means that you will get 3X now and the remaining 17X on the date they specify in the promo.

Also, the number of coins shown at checkout is only what you can expect today (3X in this example), not the total. It is highly advised to take screenshots of your current coins and promos, before purchasing, to have some sort of digital record. 

Remember that you’ll earn 20 coins for every dollar spent.  In this example, if you were purchasing a $200 Uber GC,  you would get 12,000 coins now ($200 x 20 x 3) and 68,000 on the deferred date.

Lastly, keep in mind that new users (accounts < 16 days old) may not be shown the same rates as everyone else.

Are There Any Spending Limits?

Most new accounts have a $5500/day purchasing limit.  Older accounts may have increased limits.  This limit is on a rolling 23ish-24 hour basis.

Best Buy
* $500/day
* $2,000/month
* $5000/yearly

All purchases, including ones used with earned points count toward your daily limit.

 

How Do I Use Pepper?

The primary intended use for Pepper is to be able to purchase a Gift Card (GC) for the exact amount you want through the app, while at the cashier or shopping online.  You then show the generated QR code to the cashier (or enter it online) and your GC amount is applied to your order.  You then get the designated “cash” back in your account to use for your next GC purchases.

You may also purchase GCs in advance to have for yourself, gift to someone else, or resell.

When Do I Get Coins Back?

Upon purchase, you will get the the base rate back immediately.  The base rate is shown on each merchant screen or at the purchase point.
The bonus points are currently paid on an 18-day delay but can change at any time.
Example:
If there is a promotion to get Macy’s at 20X (20%) you will get 2X back in coins now (the current base rate) and another 18X (18% back in coins) in 18 days.
So, if you bought a $100 GC, you would get 6,000 points back immediately and 34,000 points back in 18 days.
Remember that each dollar you spend is 2,000 points earned.

How Do I Get Pepper Support?

There are four known ways:

    • Email: help@gopepper.com
    • Phone: 888.416.6161 (7 days / 9-9 EST supposedly)
    • Website: https://gopepper.com/contact/
    • App: Profile > Transaction History > Choose the transaction > View Gift Card > “Get Help” (near bottom) (not reliable)
  • Most people get responses by email or phone.

What's The Best Card to Use with Pepper?

Currently, the best card is the Amex Business Gold as it earns you 4X (4 Membership Rewards) per dollar spent.
Another good card is the Amex Blue Cash which earns 3% back in cash.
Note that there are spending limits for the various earning categories on each card.