Macadam is an app that claims you can earn money simply by walking.
It definitely makes an interesting claim, but the question is, is Macadam legit, or is it a scam?
In this Macadam review, I will not only verify the legitimacy of the app, but I will also take a closer look at everything the app has to offer. That way, you’ll know exactly what to expect from it before you even install it.
Then, you can decide if this is an app worth using or not. So let’s go ahead and check out what Macadam is all about, shall we?
What is Macadam, and what does it offer?
Macadam is essentially a step counter app that will reward you for walking. It is a legit app since you can really earn rewards from it. However, there are a few things you need to know about it before you install it.
Now, if you want to figure out if Macadam is worth it, the first step you need to take is to understand how it works. And the best way to do that is to examine the earning opportunities it offers so you will have a clear idea of how much time and effort is required to earn from it.
The video below gives you an inside look and shows exactly how Macadam works. You can also read the full details below the video.
Recommended: Check Out the Best Walk and Earn Apps
Option 1 – Walking
As mentioned above, you’ll be able to earn rewards by walking. This is, in fact, the primary way to earn rewards from Macadam. All you have to do is connect the app to your Google Fit (or any fitness app) so that it can count the steps you took.
Then, as shown in the photo above, you’ll be able to claim a certain number of coins according to the number of steps you have taken. The first reward you can collect will be 25 coins, and you will be able to do so once you’ve taken at least 2,500 steps.
Once you’ve claimed all the rewards for the steps you’ve made, the next step is to validate the steps you’ve taken by clicking the “Convert My Steps” button. Upon doing this, you’ll be asked to watch a video ad. Just wait for the ad to finish to complete the validation.
The most important thing you need to keep in mind is that you must validate your steps before midnight. If you fail to do so, the steps you’ve taken for the day will not be counted in Macadam’s step counter, and therefore, you will not progress towards collecting the rewards.
That’s why if you want to keep earning coins from Macadam, you must validate your steps before the end of every day. This opportunity is relatively straightforward, but it is also a bit tricky. You must not forget to validate your steps every day if you want to consistently earn rewards from it, which is a bit strange, in my opinion, and it is not something I have seen in other similar apps I have tested.
Option 2 – Playing Mobile Games
Another way to earn rewards from Macadam is to download and play the mobile games it features. This opportunity is relatively straightforward as well.
Just pick any of the featured games inside the app and install it. Then, you have to open the game from the Macadam app to allow Macadam to determine how long you’ve been playing the game. You need to do this because this opportunity will reward you for every minute you are playing the featured mobile game.
The only problem is that you will earn fewer and fewer coins the longer you keep playing a featured game. This system is designed to push you to try out different games because that’s how Macadam earns. If you just keep playing one featured game, then Macadam won’t really earn a lot from you.
There are a decent number of featured games, but the problem is that it doesn’t pay you well. In fact, Macadam offers lower rewards compared to other apps that offer the same kind of earning opportunity, so you won’t be earning efficiently through this opportunity.
Option 3 – Referral Program
Lastly, you will be able to earn additional rewards through its referral program. The app doesn’t tell you exactly how their referral program works, but you will be able to get the instructions once you’ve installed the app.
But based on my experience, referral programs usually work like this. You share your referral link/code with the person you want to invite, and when they click the link and install the app (or input your code during sign-up), they will become your referral.
Then, usually, they will have to meet a certain requirement (like earning a certain number of coins) for you to receive your referral reward. Once this happens, you will receive 500 coins as a reward. It’s a simple way to earn additional rewards, in my opinion, but this app is not something I would refer to my friends (more on this later).
Recommended: Check Out the Best Walk and Earn Apps
How do you get paid?
As explained above, you will earn coins from the earning opportunities Macadam offers. But what can you do with the coins you’ve earned exactly? Well, the app’s website says you can use it to redeem various rewards like gift cards.
However, when I tested the app, there was no cashout/payout option available. The only available option was to donate to charity. However, that option was “sold out”.
I have, however, talked to some people who used the app, and they did say that they had a cashout option and that you’ll be able to cash out once you’ve earned at least $15, so I’m not sure why mine doesn’t have one.
This, in my opinion, is one of the biggest issues of the app. It’s not very transparent with how the app pays. Normally, rewards apps that I have tested (at least those that are worth your time) are usually transparent with their payment method.
Plus, its conversion rate is also quite confusing, so it’s a bit hard to determine the value of the coins you’ve earned. That’s why I would say the payment system of Macadam is not that good and a bit confusing.
I would suggest you check out the top sites that pay via PayPal instead if you are looking for apps/sites that offer a simple and more convenient payment system.
How much money can you make?
Another issue that I noticed about Macadam is that it doesn’t pay well. As mentioned earlier, it offers lower rewards for playing featured mobile games compared to other apps that offer the same earning opportunities, so you might as well use those apps if you want to earn by playing.
As for earning while walking, you will literally have to take tens of thousands of steps before you are able to earn enough coins to redeem a reward, provided, of course, the cashout option is enabled in the app when you use it.
This is why I would say the earning potential of Macadam is not good. You will have to wait a long time before you will be able to earn a decent amount from it. And when you finally reach the payout threshold, there might not even be cashout options available for you.
You might be able to speed up the earnings by inviting people to use the app. But as I’ve mentioned earlier, this app is not something I would recommend other people use, so you can say that its referral program is also practically useless, in my opinion.
Can you use it on a desktop?
Due to the nature of the primary earning opportunity Macadam offers, you will have to use a mobile device if you want to earn from it. The app is available for download on both Android and iOS devices, so compatibility won’t be an issue.
However, the app really doesn’t give a good user experience, in my opinion. As explained earlier, you will encounter video ads while using it. Plus, it’s also not very transparent with how its payment system works. These issues, in my opinion, can lead to a frustrating experience for the user.
Who can join Macadam?
Macadam is available in 27 countries (I counted when I signed up). If you want to know if the app is available in your country, you can search for it on your app store, and if it appears among the results, then that means it is available in your country.
To sign up, you must install the app first. Then, when you open the app for the first time, you’ll be taken to the registration step. Simply follow the instructions to complete the registration. As mentioned earlier, once you are done signing up, you’ll have to connect your Macadam account to a fitness app so that it will be able to register the steps you’ve taken.
Once you’ve done that, then you are ready to go.
Can you get support?
If you have any questions about the app, you can check out the FAQ section first. However, their FAQ section is terrible because it doesn’t offer any helpful information. That’s why you’ll have to contact support if you want your questions to be answered.
To do so, you will have to send your inquiries via email to contact@macadam.app. Even though the app provides a decent way for you to request assistance, I would still say it doesn’t provide decent support because, as I’ve mentioned earlier, it has a terrible FAQ section.
Plus, it’s not very transparent about most of the details, so you will most likely wind up having to contact support if you encounter any issues while using the app or if you have questions about your account.
Final Verdict
Macadam is a mobile app that will let you earn rewards for walking. It doesn’t have a lot of good features, only a few limitations you need to take into account.
Let me end this review by summarizing its pros and cons to give you an overview of what the app offers. Then, you can decide if you should push through with downloading and using it.
Pros:
- Offers an interesting way of earning rewards
Cons:
- Low rewards
- It doesn’t offer cashout options for everyone
- Not transparent with how payment system works
- Doesn’t have good support
In my opinion, using Macadam is purely a waste of time. Not everyone will be able to cash out from it, and even if you have the cashout option enabled when you sign up, it will still take quite a bit of time to earn a significant amount from it.
It simply doesn’t give good value for your time. You are better off investing your time on the best walk and earn apps instead.
Now, if your goal is just to earn extra cash and you are not picky about how to do it, then I suggest you check out the top survey and GPT sites in your country instead. The apps and sites on this list all have good earning potential, so you will be able to earn a decent amount in a short time. Plus, all of them are transparent with how you will be able to cash out.
If you have any comments, questions, or have any experience with Macadam yourself, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.
Just started using this app but it does not sync to my Fitbit app. The app only syncs to the health app on my iPhone, which this app takes my steps from, but the health app also does not sync to the Fitbit app. This means that I walk far more steps than I am unable to convert to coins.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
That’s because you have to connect it to Google just like it says, when you download the app.
It didn’t say it had to be connected to Google anywhere when I downloaded it.
If you do less than 2500, 5000 or you even go over 125000 it does not register those steps. A year later and I’m still trying to get to 30,000 coins
This article is actually pretty spot on, the only thing is is that I don’t know why you’re at doesn’t allow you to cash out to PayPal or another method, unless you’re not being up front, I don’t need to make tens of thousands of dollars, I need to walk anyway so if I get any type of bonus for that, I’m more than happy with it, I’m not dumb enough to think that I could make a living off of writing and completing surveys. The fact that you would sell people on that is despicable, money making apps are for a little bit of extra cash on the side. You remind me of a movie critic, you can criticize a film, but you sure as hell couldn’t make one.
Thanks for sharing your opinion. But I am very confused why you say I am claiming people can make a living from surveys. I have NEVER ever claimed that. In fact, in all my videos and articles I make it very clear that it is NOT something you can do for a living but just for some extra cash on the side.
I even have an article about how much you can earn with surveys here, if you want a specific article about it also.
Such a waste of time. I’ve spent months using it, walking, playing games, referring people, even defending it against people that warned me it was a scam. All that just to after almost an year be denied withdrawal with no justification and cut my points in half. I contacted support to witch they say I’m a really valuable customer but still keep half my points, and offer no explanation.
Worse of all, when I tried to withdraw the other half guess what happens… They half that too… It almost seems like a joke.
You’re a valuable customer, just keep earning points and inviting people, we keep paying you nothing for it, and instead of blocking you we just keep halfing your points so you believe you can keep using it…
Thanks for sharing your experiences.