What are Expense Budgets?

Expense Budgets are predetermined budgets allocated by Helpers specifically for purchasing Shopping Orders for Brikmo Customers. For the security of the Customers, these budgets are used by the Helpers to procure all items on the Customer’s Shopping Order list, and when the item is successfully delivered, the Expense Budget is instantly reimbursed into the user’s account. Expense Budget funds will be available for use after the completion of the Shopping Order, in order for the Helper to have maximum use of their Expense Budget throughout their entire Brikmo Helper work shift.

What if Customer Cancels/Requests a Refund for the order after I used my Expense Budget?

If a Customer happens to cancel an order after the items are paid for, most retailers will accept returns of all items, especially when recently purchased. So, returning the item(s) would be the very first step. Once the return is complete, your Expense Budget will likely be instantly deposited back into your original funding account for future use. For the protection of all our Helpers, once items have been purchased, and if the order is cancelled, the Helper will be compensated half their delivery fee for work performed. This way, our Helpers aren’t hung out to dry for their legitimate work.

How do I determine my Expense Budget?

Expense Budgets are generally based on the type of orders you as a Helper are capable of fulfilling. If you would like to provide larger orders, or orders which include more expensive items, then naturally, it would require a higher Expense Budget. A larger or more expensive order would likely constitute for a higher delivery fee, which is always up to the Helper. The marketplace and your area are guaranteed to tell you what level of returns you can expect as your Expense Budget or order type changes, but it is commonly expected that the more effort required in an order, the likelihood of a larger payment for those efforts. As a note: Brikmo does not determine delivery prices; we leave delivery prices up to those performing the deliveries. On that premise, the open market changes, and your Expense Budget may change. Brikmo allows our Helpers to make those changes at any point throughout the use of the app.

Best Practices

Since Helper Budgets are Expensed by the Helper and reimbursed after the delivery by the Customer, there needs to be a proven system in place to allow for the Helper to perform his/her work both successfully and effectively. One way to perform Helper tasks that require an Expense Budget is by setting aside the Helper’s specified amount of funds in a debit card or physically in cash (using your debit/credit card is highly recommended) to be used daily. Once funds are reimbursed, you can replenish the set-aside funds to continue your Helper services. Our most popular way to operate as a Helper with a Helper Expense Budget is found below. You can also earn great rewards, and build your credit score:

• Use your personal reward-earning credit card specifically for Brikmo Shopping orders - Yes, you can earn credit card rewards without spending any of your own money. As a Helper, you will be responsible for reimbursable work expenses. So, it makes perfect sense to take advantage of the opportunity to not only get paid for your delivery services, but also redeem and earn travel rewards for free flights, cash back, or any other assortment of benefits your credit card provides.

  Here are some great tips provided by mybanktracker.com:

• Choose the Right Card - Brikmo tip: Make sure to set this card aside solely for Brikmo Helper services in order to truly benefit from this recommended process and earn rewards without spending any of your own money.

  In order to maximize the rewards that you can earn, you have to make sure that you choose the right credit card.

  Different credit cards have different rewards structures. Some offer rewards in the form of cash back. Others offer airline miles. Others give you rewards points that can be redeemed for a variety of rewards. The type of rewards that your credit card gives you matters less than their value to you, as your goal is to maximize the value of the rewards that you earn. On top of the different types of rewards, different cards pay different amounts of rewards. There are some cards that aim to keep it simple, giving you a flat rate for all kinds of spending. Others give you a bonus for certain types of spending, such as spending at gas stations or travel spending. Some cards even have bonus categories that rotate. If you’re using your card to pay for work expenses, there are a few spending categories that will be more common than they would be in your personal life. Look for cards that offer bonus rewards for categories such as:

  • travel
  • gas
  • dining
  • car rentals
  • office supplies
  • mobile services

These are the cards that are most likely to help you earn plenty of rewards.

• Pay your Credit Card Balance Immediately - Immediately following the delivery transaction, earnings are updated in the Helper’s dashboard. The Helper has the option to withdraw funds instantly, or wait the standard 5-business days for the funds to be automatically deposited into the Helper’s preferred bank account. In some cases, and depending on the bank and/or credit card service being used, transactions and deposits into your account may vary in time. The standard billable cycle for credit cards is 30-days, and generally, deposits will be made within the 30-day payment cycle. Once your funds have been deposited, you must pay the current balance as soon as possible to avoid interest fees and/or late charges.
• Track Your Rewards - Equally important to tracking your payments is tracking your rewards. You have to know what you’re earning, and how much the rewards that you earn are worth, in order to use them effectively. You can use a number of different tools to track your rewards. A spreadsheet is one of the most basic tools available to you, but each rewards program should offer its own tracking option. If you’d rather, you can also use a third-party reward tracking service, like AwardWallet. These tools automatically track and update your rewards balances, letting you get a quick view of how much you’ve earned across all of your cards. More importantly, some of these tools can help you redeem those rewards. If, for example, you want to go on a vacation to Hawaii, these tools may be able to help you identify the best way to use your points to make the trip happen.
• Consistency Is Key - As you continue to use your assigned personal credit card to perform work tasks and pay for expenses, you will accumulate rewards with the Brikmo Customer’s money. If done as recommended, you will not be responsible for any interest fees or late fees. Depending on the card you select, there may be an annual credit card fee you are responsible for, but in many cases, the rewards you will likely earn could far out-value the one-time annual fee.

The best part of this is not just the fact that you can receive huge benefits and rewards without using your money, it is the fact that as you continue to pay off your balance on-time, your credit score will naturally grow, and as it builds, you will reap long-term financial benefits with your higher credit score.

We at Brikmo believe in the notion that those who help others and give will receive in the long-term. As the Helpers in the Brikmo community are performing their delivery tasks, we recommend the process above, as it not only allows Helpers to perform Shopping orders with ease, but it will provide long-term benefits for the essential work performed by the Helper community.

Will Expense Budgets be the only way Helpers can fulfill Shopping Orders?

No, not in the long-run. We have a lot on the way regarding our community of users and how they interact with the Brikmo app. Specifically, we look to expand the ways our Helpers would fulfill orders, provide exceptional service, and grow their income potential. We plan to roll out new features and services as often as possible, and what we can tell you now, is that we anticipate providing first-in-line access to all our new features to our higher-rated users on the app. This way we reward those who do a great job representing the Brikmo community, as well as entice our users to keep quality service and general human-kindness a top priority while using the app.