My knowledge of Apps was very limited until I came across Task Spotting, a Dubai-based tech startup that launched a smartphone app that pays people to give feedback.

The revolutionary smartphone app pays people in exchange for their feedback, leverages the concept of crowdsourcing, and helps businesses get retail information by connecting them with smartphone users who are willing to provide it.

The idea is simple; its network of app users (‘Spotters’) accept and complete ‘Missions’ at the places they go to everyday, like malls, retailers and restaurants, in exchange for cash rewards. I downloaded it during my trip to Fujairah and I was surprised it offered me a mission in Fujairah so the missions are not limited to just one Emirate.

These missions, which could range from mystery shopping to retail audits, typically only take a few minutes and can earn a Spotter anywhere from AED 10 to AED 75. Spotters can payout their rewards to their PayPal account, redeem them in cash at over 200 payment points in the UAE or donate them to a local charity.

According to Karim Aly, CEO and co-founder of Task Spotting, “Anyone can sign up to make some extra cash for something as simple as taking a picture of a supermarket shelf, and businesses on the other hand get a chance to see their retail environment through the eyes of their customers in real-time”.

Task Spotting is the first app of its kind in the Middle East. On why opting to launch the startup in the UAE, Walid Sherif, Head of Operations and co-founder says “There are the two things that are absolutely ubiquitous in the UAE; shopping and smartphones. Task Spotting aims to bridge them and unlock enormous value for both sides of the market. With the highest smart phone penetration in the world, the UAE was a natural choice”.

The company has already secured a number of anchor clients to pilot the platform and as of today, there are 300 missions available across the UAE.

The Task Spotting app is free to download and is available for both iPhone: http://goo.gl/4wx1bf and Android: http://goo.gl/XPpsc8.