Microsoft tempts users with rewards to stay on Edge instead of switching to Google Chrome

Microsoft is taking a new approach to stop users from abandoning its Edge browser in favour of Google Chrome — by offering them reward points. A report from Windows Latest reveals that users searching for “Chrome” on Bing are now seeing a promotional banner promising 1,300 Microsoft Rewards points if they continue using Edge instead of downloading Google’s browser.

The offer reads, “Earn 1,300 Microsoft Rewards points by trying Edge,” and adds that users can redeem these points for gift cards or donate them to one of over two million non-profit organisations. Essentially, Microsoft is using its loyalty programme to incentivise people to stay with its browser rather than defect to its biggest rival.

Interestingly, this promotion appears to trigger only when users search for “Chrome.” Searches for competing browsers such as Opera, Brave, or newer entrants like Perplexity’s Comet and OpenAI’s Atlas do not show any such incentive. The move highlights how seriously Microsoft takes the long-standing behaviour of users downloading Chrome the moment they boot up a new Windows PC.

When tested independently, the “Chrome” search on Bing did not always display the rewards offer, suggesting that Microsoft may be running it as a limited A/B experiment. In some cases, users instead saw a promotional message highlighting Edge’s advantages, such as its built-in VPN, AI personalisation, and rewards system. The banner read, “All you need is right here. Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with the added trust of Microsoft.”