Shopkick Shut Down: Cannabis Rewards Alternative

Here’s the gist: Shopkick shut down suddenly on March 27, 2026 — its owner, Trax Retail, pulled it from app stores, shut down its website, and scrubbed it from their own site with no warning to users. If you had unredeemed “kicks,” they’re gone. And even before the shutdown, Shopkick never covered dispensary purchases anyway, since cannabis is federally illegal and can’t run through mainstream retail partner networks. Here’s what actually works now.

What Happened to Shopkick?

Shopkick was a 16-year-old in-store rewards app where you earned points (“kicks”) for walking into partner stores, scanning products, and making purchases. On March 27, 2026, Trax Retail shut it down abruptly — no advance notice to users, and no way to redeem points that hadn’t already been cashed out. If you were using it, your best move now is to move on to an app that’s actually still running.

Why Shopkick Never Worked for Cannabis Purchases Anyway

Even while it was active, Shopkick’s kicks only worked at its list of partner retailers, detected through in-store beacons or app check-ins that dispensaries were never part of. Its receipt-scanning feature was tied to recognizing purchases from that same retail partner list, which never included cannabis products — a gap that had nothing to do with the shutdown and everything to do with federal restrictions on cannabis payments.

The Rewards App Built for Cannabis: HighRewards

HighRewards is a 21+ marketplace app built specifically to reward dispensary shopping. Instead of relying on partner-retailer check-ins the way Shopkick did, HighRewards partners directly with dispensaries and brands, so you earn points for visiting, shopping, and uploading receipts at the stores you already go to — and unlike Shopkick, there’s no risk of your points disappearing overnight.

Quick facts

Earn points for dispensary visits, purchases, and receipt uploads
Bonus points from games, videos, and referrals
Redeem points for gift cards from Amazon, Walmart, Chipotle, and more
21+ marketplace, built for cannabis consumers specifically

Frequently asked questions

Is Shopkick still available?

No. Shopkick shut down on March 27, 2026, and was removed from app stores. Any unredeemed kicks were lost.

Did Shopkick ever work for dispensary purchases?

No. Shopkick’s partner network never included dispensaries, since federal restrictions on cannabis payments kept it outside mainstream retail rewards networks even while the app was active.

Is there a cannabis version of a rewards app?

Yes — HighRewards is built specifically for cannabis shoppers, rewarding dispensary visits and purchases the way in-store rewards apps like Shopkick used to reward retail shopping.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.

Turn your dispensary runs into gift cards

Earn gift cards by earning rewards at any dispensary — and even liquor stores! Every purchase earns points you can redeem for gift cards to Amazon, Starbucks and more with the HighRewards app.