Most birthday freebies aren't hard to get. People miss them because they sign up the week of their birthday, and by then it's too late. Here's the setup I'd do today.
1. Make one email just for rewards
Make a free email you only use for rewards apps. Your real inbox stays clean, and in your birthday month you just open that one inbox and everything's there. This is my own tip, not a rule from any brand.
Keep it to one account per person. Programs shut down people who make extra accounts. Ibotta deactivates multiple accounts, and Sephora can revoke your membership if you resell gifts. One of each, in your own name, with your real birthday.
2. Sign up early. Some programs need days of notice.
- Tim Hortons: add your birthday at least 7 days before, and you need at least one scan in the last 12 months. The offer shows up at 8am two days before your birthday, and you have to activate it in Offers. Set your Reward Level to “Bank my points” so it doesn't spend points instead.
- Starbucks Canada: add your birthday and make at least one Star-earning purchase before it each year. The program relaunched in March 2026: Gold members get 7 days to redeem the treat, Reserve members get 30.
- Sephora Canada: one gift a year, any time in your birthday month or two weeks either side. No purchase in store. Online needs $25 before tax. In store you can take 250 points instead.
The rest are on the birthday list, with each one's sign-up rule written out.
3. Do it in one sitting
- Open the birthday list and filter to your region.
- Sign up for every one you'd actually use. Ten real ones beat forty you'll ignore.
- Add your birthday to each profile right away. Some lock it once it's set.
- Put a reminder in your calendar a week before your birthday: “open rewards inbox”.
Read the window. Some treats last the whole month and some only last a few days. The redemption deadline is on every card under “The catch”.