Microsoft pays people to use it for search

Microsoft has started a 'loyalty card' scheme offering points and prizes for people using its search engines.

But, though there appears to be no block on sign-ups from overseas IP addresses, the 'Share Perks' offer is only open to US users.

The company started a cash-back scheme back in May for US citizens who bought through adverts on its sites but during which time Google's share of the US market rose by 1.2 per cent to 63 per cent.

Users get 500 points (or tickets, as Microsoft calls them) just to sign up, and get a maximum 25 points a day at one point a search. They have to use Internet Explorer, and you have to manually enter your search terms – so scripts auto-generating searches are out.

Still, 25 searches a day for 21 days gets you five music tracks (525 tickets); and 136 days of searching gets you a cookbook (3400 tickets).

But if you have your eyes on an Xbox 360 Wireless Controller it seems you are already too late: it would take 220 days of diligent searching, or 200 days counting the 500 tickets you get for signing up. The offer ends next April 15, which is 196 days away.