As gross as many so-called "rewards" programs are[^1], they seem to be ubiquitous and here to stay. And crucially, businesses try to penalize or entice non-members to sign up in order to receive certain discounts or sales prices. So, many of us sign up to get the deal. Luckily, there's a simple way to sidestep some of the downsides here without losing out on the benefits. Simply create a "burner" email address (gmail is fine) and a Google Voice account, which includes a free phone number. You can then use this email and phone number to sign up to all the rewards programs you want. Turn off notifications for both of these accounts, and do not feel obligated to check them[^2], except when you're looking for something specific—like a free meal for your birthday, special "members only" coupons, or something else like that. #email #tech --- [^1]: While described as ways to "reward customers," these programs are primarily opt-in marketing and data tracking operations aimed at building detailed customer profiles for ad-targeting and and resale to other companies. Your contact info and detailed shopping history data is valuable enough to these companies that they;'re more than happy to toss you the occasional discount or freebie. [^2]: You'll need to log in occasionally to keep the accounts open, and either send or receive a text message or phone call using Google Voice every 3-4 months to keep the phone number you were assigned. I have a recurring tasks every three months to send a quick text to myself to keep my Google Voice number active. You can also pay some money to transfer out a Googel Voice number to another service if you'd like.