Balance Rewards API Updates
We want to let you know about some healthy changes we have now implemented for the Balance Rewards API.
New General Exercise Activity Type:
We have added the ability for you to post activities like:
- Weight Lifting
- Push-Ups
- Sit-Ups
- Cross-Fit
- Jump-Rope
- Rowing
- Yoga
- etc...
All you need to do is send the activity type as:
"type": "general_exercise"
Along with the duration of the activity in seconds:
"value": {
"duration": 1200,
"type": "cross-fit"
}
"duration": 1200,
"type": "cross-fit"
}
This will reward your users once a day for 20 points*
New Points Total Endpoint:
We have opened up a new endpoint, and we think it will really reward your integrations. The new Balance Rewards points endpoint:
/api/steps/brpoints/v1
Gives your app the ability to use the oAuth tokens you already have for your users to get the total number of Balance Rewards points a user has!
Sample Request:
POST: /api/steps/brpoints/v1?apiKey=YOUR_API_KEY {
"access_token": "ACCESS_TOKEN",
"affiliate_id": "AFFILIATE_ID",
"transaction_id": "1234567890123456",
"act":"getBRPoints"
}
Sample Response:
{
"healthy_choice_points": 10940,
"total_rewards_points": 10940,
"transaction_id": "1234567890123456"
}
POST: /api/steps/brpoints/v1?apiKey=YOUR_API_KEY {
"access_token": "ACCESS_TOKEN",
"affiliate_id": "AFFILIATE_ID",
"transaction_id": "1234567890123456",
"act":"getBRPoints"
}
Sample Response:
{
"healthy_choice_points": 10940,
"total_rewards_points": 10940,
"transaction_id": "1234567890123456"
}
Upcoming Rate Limiting Changes:
We going to be adding in some rate limiting on March 26th, 2015 at 12:00 AM CST.
So what does this mean?
| Endpoint | Requests Per Minute (RPM) |
|---|---|
| /api/steps/brpoints/v1 | 500 RPM |
| /api/steps/activity/v1 | 500 RPM |
| /api/oauthtoken/delete/v1 | 500 RPM |
| /api/oauthtoken/v1 | 500 RPM |
The Rate limiting amount was based upon the highest activity we had seen from a review done of the current integrations.
Let us know if you have any concerns via a quick message to our email address below.
*Disclaimer: Daily limit of 20 points for general exercise fitness activities (one award per day).
Coming Soon: Walgreens Cards for Google Now!
Walgreens has partnered with Google to create an even more convenient shopping experience with Now cards in the Google app. When you have the Walgreens app installed, your Balance® Rewards barcode will automatically appear when you enter a Walgreens store, so you’re ready to check out before you even start shopping. For this Now card and many more, just tap the Google app icon on your Android device.
Sample Card Below:
Balance Rewards Challenge: Healthy Results for the Healthy API
On October 6, Walgreens announced our newest API program, the Balance Rewards API. Along with the announcement, a multi-month challenge was created for any developer, to build an app integration leveraging our latest API service.
Overall, we had a great turnout with the contest with over 100+ participants and, many keyboard taps and mouse clicks later, the contest ended on December 1st, 2014. We were very happy to see all the hard work and effort that people put into the contest with some very innovative applications and integrations.
Here is a little bit of info about the finalist app submissions:
(Winner) OneCare:
OneCare was the winner of the Walgreens Best Overall App Integration Award. The main features of OneCare are it allows you to track important health info about yourself, schedule tasks for your health, connect with friends and family about your health, and setup notifications to remind you to make healthy choices. By integrating with devices from all of the top health device manufactures, OneCare can provide a single location to view all of your health information. In addition to being able to view all of the health data you can setup alerts and notifications of when health events occur.
(Winner) Jivayu BP Coach:
Jivayu BP Coach was the winner of the Henry Ford Health System Patient Engagement Award. The main features of Jivayu BP Coach are a creative character named Jivayu which coaches you about Blood Pressure Management. It keeps track of activities like: sleep, medication, and measurements automatically via various wearables and apps. The Expert System Tool and Doctor’s Digest allows you to get the information about your health exactly when you need it, it’s like having a small doctor in your pocket!
Check it out today: Google Play Store
(Winner) SitLess
SitLess was the winner of the Peoples Choice for Best App Integration Award. The main features of SitLess are that it allows the ability to monitor the health of your employee’s in a corporate environment by motivating them to get healthier and stay fit by sitting less! The SitLess Android app tracks your employees training data and workouts, while the admin dashboard site allows you to monitor the results and work with your employee to create healthier choices and a more healthy team!
Check it out today: Google Play Store
The other finalist submissions were:
Teen Diabeties Tracker: A tracker for teens to manage their Blood Glucose by recording their readings pre/post their meals everyday. Check it out today: Apple App Store
No15 (No Freshman 15): A tracker for college students to record their steps and sleep and other activities to help maintain the Freshman 15. Check it out today: Apple App Store
Pillable: A medication review and rating application which allows for recording of your vitals like Weight, Blood Pressure, and Blood Glucose. Apple App Store
Beast Mode Life: An app that allows recording of healthy choices like Steps, Cycling, Weight, Blood Pressure, Blood Glucose. Check it out today: Windows Phone Store
AlternaMeal: A unique tool designed to help your take small steps toward a healthy lifestyle by recording your weight and managing what you eat. Check it out today: Google Play Store
Introducing Qardio: A new Balance Rewards API Integration
We don’t want to get your heart racing too fast, but Walgreens is very happy to announce the latest integration of our Balance Rewards API with Qardio!
Qardio allows for a smarter and more powerful way to monitor your heart health. Their clinically validated smart blood pressure monitor, QardioArm, is available in a variety of glorious colors and works wirelessly with your iOS or Android device. The free Qardio App stores all your blood pressure readings, helps you set measurement reminders, encourages you to keep your blood pressure in check and share your progress with others.
“We are very excited to work with Walgreens Balance Rewards to encourage users to become more actively involved in their health and wellness,” said Rosario Iannella, CTO of Qardio. “Qardio’s mission has always been to empower people to take more active role in their health monitoring and prevention by designing modern, exciting devices that people actually want to use. Walgreens Balance Rewards builds on this by further engaging and incentivizing the user to become an active participant in their heart health.”
Start checking and monitoring your blood pressure by checking out our integration with Qardio today!
Introducing Sqord: A new Balance Rewards API Integration
Walgreens is happy to announce a new integration with the Balance Rewards API and the Sqord application on their website.
The Sqord Booster device can be worn on any child or adults wrist and grabs the step activity throughout the day and syncs to the Sqord application. The Sqord website then allows parents or group leaders to view all the daily healthy choices made by everyone in the family / group and then syncs to the Balance Rewards API to potentially reward points.
"At Sqord, we want to be able to provide our kids fun ways to engage in active play while also finding unique ways to add value for our parents. This made integrating with the Walgreens Balance Rewards program a no-brainer for us. Walgreens represents a brand that is recognizable to kids and parents alike and the Balance Rewards program has been hugely successful." said Coleman Greene, CEO of Sqord. He continued with, “The integration went incredibly well for us with easy-to-access tools and resources and a development team that was responsive to our needs for getting the project completed in a timeframe that worked for our team."
Get your whole family making healthier choices today, check out Sqord on their website sqord.com.