I Tried Walking For Money With The Macadam App – It Didn’t Go Too Well

I've been testing out different apps that pay you for walking for years at this point. So when I heard about Macadam – Walk And Earn, I was certainly eager to test out the app to see how much it pays.

The app even claims that top members earn hundreds of dollars per year. But as I quickly found out, I couldn't even sign up for the app or use it for very long without it crashing. And I was plagued with technical difficulties before I could even earn.

For me, the Macadam app is a total flop. But some of the team at WebMonkey were able to sign up and use the app. So in this review, I'll talk about our collective experiences. I'll also share some other reviews from users online too so you can decide if this app is right for you.

My Key Takeaways:

• Macadam connects to your device's pedometer to track your steps
• You earn coins for the steps you take every day
• You can cash in your coins for real money or to buy products from partnering businesses
• Macadam also lets you earn by answering surveys, watching videos, and playing games
• The app keeps crashing for me and doesn't work, but some of the WebMonkey team were able to use the app
• Overall, don't expect more than a few dollars per month at most with this app, and that's if you're quite active

What Is Macadam & How Does It Work?

The Macadam app lets you walk and earn “coins” (the app’s digital currency) for every step you take whether you’re walking, running, or hiking on a trail. It's super similar to apps like Sweatcoin or WeWard, and the idea is to earn passive income by being active.

The app is free to download and you don’t need to enter any banking information to get started. It works by connecting to your phone’s built-in health settings through either Google Fit or Apple Health. You can also sync the app with your Apple or android watch. After you download the app, you have to go into your settings to allow your phone to share your step information with Macadam.

From there, Macadam starts paying you with coins as you walk. All you have to do is start walking or running, and at the end of every day, you simply go to the home screen and convert your steps into coins.

This step is especially important because the step counter resets every 24 hours. If you don’t convert your steps before midnight each day, they disappear. This can be frustrating for some users, but the app will send notifications to remind you. In general, you can expect to earn around 100 coins for every 10,000 steps you take, though this ratio can fluctuate.

Note that in my testing of Macadam, the app kept crashing after I signed up. I even tried deleting it and re-downloading it, but the issue persisted. So for me, Macadam has been a total waste of time. My Android isn't even that old, so I'm not 100% sure why I'm having this issue right now.

In any case, walking and running are the main ways to earn coins with Macadam. So if the app works for you, it's basically a way to earn money while working out, which does sound neat.

Other Ways To Earn Coins

If you’re not satisfied with the amount of coins you’re earning just from your steps, there are other ways to boost your earnings:

• Referring Friends: When you refer a friend to Macadam and they use your referral code within 48 hours of receiving it, they instantly receive 1,000 coins. And, once your friend earns at least 2,500 coins on their own, you’ll receive a reward of 1,000 coins.
• GPT Offers: Macadam also lets you earn coins by answering paid surveys or playing cash games. There's an option to watch ads for coins as well, but this is pretty low-paying and takes a long time.
• Challenges: Lastly, there are also frequent challenges that you can take part in that ask you to reach a certain number of steps on a given day to earn more coins than normal.

Challenges seem the most fun since you can earn bonuses for reaching milestones like 10,000 steps in a day. But if you want to maximize earnings, focusing on surveys and gaming offers is your best bet.

Crown Level Program

There’s also something called the Crown Level Program where you can work your way up the ranks from bronze to silver to gold status by collecting crowns.

You can get crowns by playing games, referring friends, completing surveys, or making purchases from partner retailers. With each level you reach, you'll be eligible for special deals like faster cash outs and earning more coins for every step. 

Is Macadam Legit?

Macadam is a legitimate app that receives favorable reviews on Trustpilot, the App Store, and Google Play. Out of the 1,401 reviews on Trustpilot, the app receives an average of 4.1 stars. On the App Store it’s earned an average of 4.8 stars and Google Play users have given it 4.6 stars from over 120,000 reviews.

Although it can take a while to accrue enough steps to actually start earning cash, on the whole users say that the app’s interface is intuitive and easy to use and there are a variety of rewards to choose from. Yet, some users report issues and delays getting paid or that they don’t feel their steps are accurately counted.

For me, I couldn't even test out Macadam properly due to all the bugs. But I'm glad other people are finding success with the app, and reviews are generally positive.

In my opinion, this app is ideal for anyone who wants to increase their physical activity and could use a little encouragement, or someone who already walks a lot and wants to earn small rewards for their effort. However, it's far from the highest paying app out there.

Cashing Out & Earning Potential

To cash out your coins for real money you have to have a European bank account, but users in the U.S. can convert their coins into cash via PayPal. In most countries, you need $15 worth of coins to cash out as well.

How many coins this equals depends on your status level, so converting coins to dollars can be a bit confusing. You can also use your earnings to purchase gift certificates that you can then use to buy products from Macadam’s partner websites. Bank transfers and gift card purchases can take up to 15 days to complete.

Overall, there’s not a ton of earning potential when using the Macadam app. For example, even if you walked 10,000 steps a day (roughly five miles), it would take an entire month to earn $15. That said, if you actively take part in surveys, challenges, or referrals you can increase this amount considerably. However, it still won’t be a lot each month and shouldn’t be depended upon as an income stream, and rather as extra beermoney.

How Much Are Macadam Coins Worth?

Although the website doesn’t say how much their coins are worth, one reviewer reported that they were able to convert 30,000 coins into $15. The conversion rate for coins can fluctuate day to day, and will improve the higher your status.

For instance, if you’re at the bronze level, you’ll receive the standard conversion rate while users at gold level will get the highest amount of cash for their coins. 

Is Macadam A Scam?

No, Macadam is not a scam, and the app gets plenty of positive reviews across platforms. Although you’re not going to earn a ton of money using it, if you’re going to be walking or running on a regular basis anyway, you might as well make it a little more fun and earn some cash while doing it.

However for me, the app was pretty disappointing. I've had more success with apps like CashWalk or StepBet since I didn't have the same technical difficulties I faced with Macadam.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• App is free to use and there aren't hidden fees
• You can earn coins in a variety of ways
• Encourages you to be active and move everyday
• Wide variety of rewards
• Available on Android and iOS and in several countries

Cons:

• The app can be glitchy and not work, as I experienced
• Low earning potential
• You need to redeem your steps for coins everyday or they vanish

Is There Customer Support?

Yes, there is customer support that can be reached by submitting an online request though the website. There is no contact number or email address listed. 

Who Can Sign Up?

Anyone over the age of 15 can download the app and start earning. The app is also available to people all over the globe, meaning you can continue to use it even when you’re traveling abroad. 

Is Macadam Worth It?

Personally, I uninstalled Macadam about 2 minutes after downloading it. The app just doesn't work on my device no matter what I try. However, I don't want to write this app off completely.

The online reviews are, for the most part, positive. People seem to like Macadam and treat it as a passive earning app. Reward variety is decent too. And if you're seriously active, you might earn a few bucks to $10 a month with this app.

Overall, Macadam is worth it if you want a fun, easy passive earner. But this app isn't worth it if you don't want to share your location data or want to make a lot of money.

Want even more fitness hustles? Checkout:

• HealthyWage Review – Is It Worth It?
• The Best Apps Like Sweatcoin To Use.
• Rover Review – Make Money Walking Dogs?