Macadam and CashWalk both make you open the app before the day ends, but they lead to different rewards. Macadam offers eligible users a route to real money and prepaid cards, wrapped in status levels and cashout controls. CashWalk offers a simpler coin-to-gift-card loop. The right choice starts with where you live and whether you value flexible cash enough to accept a more demanding withdrawal process.
The verdict
Macadam is better for cash. In supported markets, users can request a bank transfer or an alternative regional payment route. It also has much broader documented country coverage. Pick it if spend-anywhere money matters more than simplicity and you are comfortable providing identity and payment details at withdrawal.
CashWalk is better for a straightforward gift card. It suits US and Canadian users who find a useful retailer in their catalogue and prefer not to submit bank details for a basic redemption. Its weakness is that changing gift-card thresholds make coin value difficult to predict.
Neither is passive. Macadam requires step validation before midnight. CashWalk requires treasure-box collection before reset. Neither should be treated as meaningful income from walking.
Macadam vs CashWalk at a glance
| Feature | Macadam | CashWalk |
|---|---|---|
| Step model | Validated daily milestones | 1 coin per 100 steps |
| Daily ceiling | Validate up to 20,000 steps; some milestones depend on status | Website/Android: up to 20,000; iOS listing: 10,000 |
| Main payout | Money transfer, prepaid cards, regional offers | Retailer gift cards |
| Daily action | Validate before midnight | Collect treasure-box coins before reset |
| Availability | 55 countries on official list | Safest current label: US and Canada |
| Withdrawal checks | Identity and bank details for bank transfer | No bank details needed for ordinary gift cards |
| Main catch | Status, timed offers and processing delay | Variable card thresholds and coin expiry |
Checked against official guidance on July 27, 2026. Reward menus, conversion rates and eligibility can change by country, Crown status and account.
How steps turn into coins
Macadam uses milestones. Open the app and validate the day's steps before midnight local time. The highest milestone reached determines the day's walking reward. If you validate at 2,500 steps and later reach 6,000, the app adds only the difference for the higher milestone. It does not pay both milestones in full.
Macadam says everyone can validate up to 20,000 daily steps, but some reward milestones are available only at higher Crown levels. Coins are the spendable reward currency. Crowns determine Bronze, Silver or Gold status, which can affect conversion, processing speed and offer access.
CashWalk uses a flat published rate. One coin is generated for each 100 steps. Its website and Android listing advertise rewards on up to 20,000 steps daily, while the current iPhone listing says 10,000. Treat the ceiling as platform, region or account-dependent and use the amount displayed in your app. Walking coins are not safely banked until you open the app and touch the treasure box. Leave them uncollected at reset and they disappear.
Macadam is more game-like and variable. CashWalk is easier to understand while earning, but not necessarily while redeeming. In both cases, calculate value from your account's current reward screen, not the number of coins shown in isolation.
Cash versus gift cards: how payout works
Macadam's June 2026 help guidance says residents in Europe and the UK primarily receive withdrawals by bank transfer using an IBAN. PayPal is not available in the EEA or UK. Outside Europe, Macadam proposes PayPal cashouts instead. Prepaid cards and other account-specific rewards can also appear.
A sufficient coin balance does not guarantee immediate withdrawal. You must select an eligible offer based on location, balance and Crown status, then open it at the designated date and time. Bank transfers require correct IBAN and BIC details, identity information and a picture of ID. Macadam says processing can take up to 15 working days, with status affecting speed.
CashWalk avoids that bank-transfer process because it focuses on digital retailer cards. Its website highlights Amazon, Walmart and Starbucks, although brands and coin prices vary. Redeemed cards cannot be exchanged or refunded. Collected coins expire one year after collection, so a slow balance can lose older coins before reaching a rising threshold.
The decision is practical: Macadam offers the more flexible end reward, but the more restrictive withdrawal path. CashWalk offers less flexible retailer credit, but a simpler redemption with less financial information.
Which one pays more?
There is no supportable universal number. Macadam coin conversion changes with reward, country and Crown status. CashWalk card thresholds vary by market and account. A dollar estimate taken from one user's screen can be wrong for another user before either person takes a step.
Macadam has more non-walking routes to coins, including games, surveys, shopping cashback, adverts, map coins and referrals. CashWalk also offers bonus boxes, games, referrals and advertising. These can accelerate redemption, but they are not payment for walking. Compare time, purchases and data requested before treating an offer as worthwhile.
For a fair walking comparison, record the coins generated only by your normal step total for seven days. Divide the coins required for a reward by that daily average. The result is an approximate number of days, not an income promise. Reward prices can still change before you arrive.
The catches that matter in daily use
Missed steps cannot be repaired. Macadam says unvalidated steps cannot be converted after midnight. An Ice Cream or Streak Repair may preserve a streak, but it does not recover the missed walking coins. CashWalk's uncollected treasure-box coins also disappear when the daily counter resets.
Both are attention businesses. Notifications, adverts, games, surveys and reward prompts exist to bring users back. That can reinforce a walking habit, but it can also turn a very small reward into daily admin.
Macadam has more redemption gates. Crown status, designated opening times, identity verification and processing time sit between coin balance and cash. CashWalk's central uncertainty is different: a simple earning rule leads to a card catalogue whose thresholds can move.
Country availability
Macadam's official help centre lists 55 countries. Coverage includes the UK, US, Canada, Australia, much of Europe, and selected markets such as Brazil, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. This is materially broader documented reach than CashWalk.
For CashWalk, use the safer current label of United States and Canada. It has iPhone and Android versions, but neither a visible download nor an old review proves that a useful catalogue exists in another region. For both apps, check the local app store and reward screen. Macadam's payout method also changes between European and non-European accounts.
Privacy, activity access and identity checks
Both services need activity data to count steps. CashWalk points iPhone users to Motion & Fitness and Android users to Physical activity permission. Macadam's store material says ordinary step tracking does not require GPS and can use the phone step counter or supported fitness integration.
Macadam collects more sensitive information when cash is requested. A bank transfer can require legal identity details, bank information, a live camera permission and an ID image. This can be proportionate for payment verification and fraud prevention, but it is still a meaningful increase from basic pedometer data. Submit it only through the official in-app process.
Macadam's May 2026 privacy policy describes purposes, service providers, international-transfer safeguards and separate processing for features such as automatic cashback. CashWalk users should inspect the current platform privacy label for data used in advertising, analytics and app functionality. Optional games, surveys and cashback services can introduce additional companies, so read their terms separately and avoid granting permissions unrelated to the feature you want.
Which should you download?
Choose Macadam if:
- You want money rather than retailer-only credit.
- You live in one of its 55 listed countries.
- You accept daily validation, status rules, ID checks and timed cashout offers.
Choose CashWalk if:
- You are in the US or Canada.
- Your catalogue contains a gift card you already use.
- You prefer a simpler reward and will remember to collect the treasure box.
If you want to compare country-specific cash, gift-card and partner-reward options beyond these two, use the global apps that pay you to walk guide.
Disclosure: Fitcoin publishes this article and Fitcoin is our product. We mention it because Macadam and CashWalk are primarily step-led, while Fitcoin is designed to recognise compatible recorded workouts too. Fitcoin does not provide a fixed cash conversion for activity.
Frequently asked questions
Is Macadam or CashWalk better?
Macadam is better for an eligible cash route and wider country coverage. CashWalk is better for a simpler US or Canadian gift-card goal.
Does Macadam pay cash while CashWalk pays gift cards?
Yes, as a broad distinction. Macadam supports money transfers and prepaid cards by region. CashWalk's core catalogue is retailer gift cards.
Do both require a daily claim?
Yes. Validate Macadam steps before midnight and collect CashWalk coins before reset. Missing the deadline means losing that day's unbanked walking reward.
Where are the apps available?
Macadam officially lists 55 countries. The safest confirmed label for CashWalk is the US and Canada. The actual reward catalogue still varies by account and location.
Can Macadam and CashWalk run together?
Usually yes where both are officially supported. They can read authorised activity independently, but you must maintain both daily routines.
Continue with our full Macadam review and CashWalk review, compare CashWalk vs WeWard, or see the highest-paying walking apps and walking apps with PayPal.
Method and sources: We checked Macadam's official step-validation guide, cashout guidance, country list and privacy policy, plus the official CashWalk website and FAQ and current store listings on July 27, 2026. We did not use variable account screenshots to claim a universal earning rate.
About the author: Harris Khan is the founder of Fitcoin. He studied at Loughborough University and has more than 15 years of personal experience across strength training, bodybuilding, Muay Thai, and general fitness.