Need a quick buck, but it’s too cold on State Street for you to turn some tricks? Have no fear, Phewtick is here!

Phewtick is the latest smartphone craze on campus. Topping last semester’s popular GroupMe and SnapChat, Phewtick makes socializing a full-time job. It allows you to earn points by scanning a QR code from any other smartphone. Those points translate into cash via Paypal. And who doesn’t love money?

Don’t hang up your red boa just yet, though. All of your meet-ups and scanning will be for nothing if you don’t cash in those points. The point system varies from code to code. A rare code can result in almost 4,000 points, while a standard one can give you 58. At the extremely low end of the spectrum, all of your hard work might only get you seven.

Phewtick is yours free, for the low price of one soul. The app’s logo, an adorable kitten holding a bag of money in its mouth, will haunt you in your dreams. Gone are the days of “hello” and “nice to meet you.” You will now approach friends, lovers and strangers in the Nature Preserve with a manic glint in your eye and demand that they scan you. Your new greeting: “PHEWTICK?!”

“Phewtick is one of those games that really make you think twice before you download,” said Ruben Martinez, a senior majoring in economics. “Questions race through your head: What is this? Why am I getting free money? What’s with the cat? The app is so addicting, you don’t need to know. Phewtick has become an impulse among friends that connect with each other. I’ve noticed that whenever there’s a quiet moment and it seems like we need to pick up the energy, we’ll start a Phewtick train.”

Parmy Inc., the company behind the app, was founded in Japan in 2007. A trip to the Phewtick website explains the business model behind the app: “Phewtick displays a local shop advertisement at the appropriate time to the appropriate user … There are few shops with seating immediately available for six people, so if you were able to make a reservation with the app, it is easy to imagine its convenience.” The website is plastered with college students holding Solo cups (pun intended). Clearly, Parmy is targeting a demographic.

The Phewtick Facebook page may have over 14,000 likes, but it’s also overflowing with complaints about points and payouts.

Ross Pohling, a senior majoring in physics, appreciates the social aspect and financial perks Phewtick provides, despite the amount of work that goes into steering a profit.

“Don’t download this app thinking it’s an easy way to get rich. Phewticking takes skills,” he said. “You need to meet with lots of people and for long periods of time. Also, after the first $10.00 or so, the amount of points you get from Phewtick diminishes considerably.”

One of the caveats he noted was that Phewtick records your location every time you scan phones.

“A lot of people find this creepy, but it doesn’t really bother me,” he said. “There are so many other apps that communicate with your phone’s GPS, and at least Phewtick is very honest about its motives.”

So the next time the Binghamton weather gets in the way of your, ahem, side business, don’t hesitate to ask your clients if they have Phewtick. It’s a win/win situation. Trust us.