Want a small reward for picking the corner shop over the big box? The Bloomington Port Authority is promoting Hennepin Rewards, a shop-local program that launches on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28. Residents who shop at participating local businesses get 5% back on every dollar they spend, the Port Authority said. The program covers Bloomington and other communities across Hennepin County.
It runs through the Open Rewards app. You download it, shop at participating businesses, and the rewards you earn can be spent anywhere in the network. The Port Authority said the goal is to support local businesses and to keep residents' money in the community.
Before you plan a big shopping day around it, read the fine print. The county caps rewards at $10 per transaction and $300 per calendar year. Rewards expire 3 months after you earn them, so this is money to spend at the next coffee shop, not to save until spring. Alcohol, lottery tickets, money services, gift card and prepaid card loads, and purchases over $3,000 don't earn rewards.
The program is free for shoppers and for businesses. Hennepin County pays for it, and the app is run by Open Rewards, a public-benefit corporation. Businesses in the county are enrolled automatically, the county said. Owners can check that they're listed, or add themselves, on the Open Rewards website.
Not every business qualifies. It has to be an independently owned storefront in Hennepin County that serves customers in person, with fewer than 250 employees and fewer than 10 locations in the county. That covers restaurants, retail shops, salons, auto repair shops, theaters, museums and farmers market vendors. National chains, online-only and home-based businesses, professional services, medical and dental offices, hotels, gas stations, cannabis businesses and adult entertainment venues are left out. In other words, your Mall of America chain-store haul probably won't count, but lunch at a local spot down the street should.
This is the latest local effort to steer spending toward small businesses. Earlier this year, Hatch Bloomington's Loves Local program awarded $124,000 to 5 local businesses.
You can download the app and find more details on the county's Hennepin Rewards page. If you have questions, call the Port Authority at 952-563-8873 or email [email protected].
