Buddies Rewards Program

Official Terms and Conditions

Effective: July 13, 2023 

PLEASE SEE THIS IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE BUDDIES PROGRAM: https://bluebuffalo.com/buddies/migration/

WELCOME TO BUDDIES BY BLUE BUFFALO! THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS EXPLAIN HOW PET PARENTS LIKE YOU CAN EARN POINTS THROUGH THE BUDDIES REWARDS PROGRAM. 

By joining Buddies by Blue Buffalo (the “Buddies App”), you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions (“Terms”). General Mills reserves the right to update, modify, cancel or terminate the Buddies Rewards Program, and/or any feature at any time (including Points) and these Terms without any notice or further obligation to you. 

1. ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The Buddies Rewards Program (“Program”) is a loyalty program offered by General Mills, Inc. and its affiliates (“General Mills”, “Sponsor”, “we” or “us”) where registered users like you (“Participant” or “you”) can earn points (“Points”) by purchasing participating Blue Buffalo pet food, treats, and any partner products (the “Participating Products”, as listed in the Buddies App) or participating in various eligible activities (the “Activities”), and submitting the applicable codes and information in the Buddies App, as described below. You can redeem Points for rewards (“Rewards”) through the Blue Buffalo Rewards gallery (the “Rewards Gallery”, available in the Buddies App) and receive other benefits (collectively, “Program Benefits”). For more information about the Program, including a list of the Participating Products and eligible Activities, please review our FAQ, available in the Buddies App. 

To participate in the Program, you must create an account ("Account"). You can enroll in the Program and create an Account using the Buddies App, available on your mobile device. 

2. ELIGIBILITY

You must be 13 years or older and a legal resident of the United States (including D.C.) (“Jurisdiction”) to participate in the Program. If you want to be a Buddies Family Account Owner (as described below), you must be 18 years of age or older. By creating an Account, you agree that you meet the eligibility criteria and that you will be bound by these Terms. 

Groups, clubs, organizations, businesses, and commercial and non-commercial entities cannot participate in the Program and are not eligible to create an Account or accrue Points. 

3. YOUR ACCOUNT

There is a limit of one Account per Participant. If we discover that you created multiple Accounts, all Accounts and respective Points may be void at the Sponsor's sole discretion. By registering, you agree to maintain the confidentiality of your password and Account, and that you are fully responsible for all activities that occur under your password or Account. 

Buddies Family Accounts. Buddies Family Accounts (“Buddies Family Accounts” or “Family Account”) is a program where Participants who care for the same pet or pets can join their respective Accounts together. A Buddies Family Account must consist of at least two Participants. The first Participant in the Account will be designated the “Account Owner”. Each Family Account will have only one Account Owner. An Account Owner may invite up to five additional Participants via the Buddies App to join the Program under the Account Owner’s Buddies Family Account. These additional Participants will be known as “Family Members”. When a Family Member joins a Buddies Family Account, that Family Member’s Points balance will be added to the Buddies Family Account Balance (as defined below). Each Family Account can add an unlimited number of pets, but only Activities related to pets #1-#6 will accrue Points. If new pets are added to a Buddies Family Account that already has six eligible pets that accrue points, then the new pets will not be designated as one of the six pets that accrues Points. The Account Owner may contact Pet Parent Care if the Account Owner wants to change which six pets are eligible to accrue Points. All Purchase Transactions (as defined in Section 4) are eligible to earn Points in accordance with these Terms, regardless of which pet consumes the product from a Purchase Transaction. 

Family Members cannot add or invite other Participants to join a Buddies Family Account. However, Family Members can remove themselves from a Buddies Family Account or be removed by the Account Owner. If a Family Member is removed from a Buddies Family Account, the Family Member will forfeit any accrued Points and those Points will remain with the Buddies Family Account Balance. If all Family Members are removed from a Buddies Family Account, any accrued Points will remain with the Account Owner. The process of being removed from a Buddies Family Account may take several days. While the process is being completed, the removed Family Member cannot join or create a new Buddies Family Account. If a Family Member is removed from a Buddies Family Account, the Buddies Family Account’s pet information will not be deleted from the removed Family Member’s account. If the removed Family Member wants to remove a pet from their Account, the removed Family Member will have to do so manually. 

An Account Owner may only transfer to another Buddies Family Account if there are no Family Members in the Buddies Family Account that the Account Owner is leaving. If an Account Owner transfers to another Buddies Family Account, then all of the Points from the previous Buddies Family Account will transfer to the new Buddies Family Account. If an Account Owner transfers to another Buddies Family Account, the Account Owner will be designated as a Family Member in the new Buddies Family Account. Participants are not permitted to join multiple Buddies Family Accounts. Any attempt by a Participant to register to more than one Buddies Family Account by using the same or multiple/different email addresses, identities, registrations, logins, and/or any other method(s), as determined in Sponsor’s sole discretion, may void all Points that have been awarded or are scheduled to be awarded to that Participant, and that Participant may be disqualified from participating in any Buddies Family Account and/or the Program, at Sponsor’s sole discretion. If you have questions about a Buddies Family Account, please contact Pet Parent Care. 

Terminating Your Account. You may terminate your Account and your enrollment in the Program at any time by deleting your Account in the Buddies App or by contacting Pet Parent Care. If you terminate your Account, all of your accrued Points will be forfeited (except as described below) and all of your Program Benefits will be terminated. 

If you are an Account Owner and you terminate your Account, all of your accrued Points (whether accrued by you or a Family Member in a Buddies Family Account) will be forfeited immediately unless you designate another eligible Family Member as the Account Owner. In addition, all of your Program Benefits will be terminated. If you designate another eligible Family Member as the Buddies Family Account Owner, all Points in your Account will transfer to the new Account Owner. If you are an Account Owner with no other Family Members and you terminate your Account, you will forfeit all of the Points in your Account upon termination or deletion. 

If you are a Family Member and you terminate your Account, the Account Owner will retain all of the Points you have accrued and you will lose all of your Program Benefits. Participation in the Program is a privilege, and as such can be suspended, revoked, or terminated at any time by the Sponsor for any reason. 

If an Account Owner is terminated by the Sponsor, the Sponsor shall decide in its sole discretion whether all Points and Program Benefits will be forfeited or if the Points and Program Benefits can be transferred to another eligible Family Member. If the Sponsor determines that the Points and Program Benefits can be transferred to another eligible Family Member, the second Family Member to join the Buddies Family Account, if eligible, automatically will become the Account Owner. 

If a Family Member is terminated by the Sponsor, the Sponsor shall decide, in its sole discretion, whether Points earned by that Family Member will be forfeited. The Family Member will lose all Program Benefits. If any Participant is terminated due to fraudulent activity or noncompliance with these Terms, the Participant cannot participate in or rejoin the Program and all Points accrued by that Participant will be forfeited in the Sponsor’s sole discretion. Sponsor also may terminate, in its sole discretion, any of the Account Owners or Family Members associated with the Account or Participant that was terminated due to fraudulent activity or noncompliance. 

4. EARNING AND REDEEMING POINTS

When you participate in an eligible Activity, you will earn Points. You also can earn Points by purchasing a Participating Product, and then scanning the Program’s QR code included with the Participating Product (each a “Product Code”) using the mobile application (“Purchase Transaction”). 

Only Product Codes from purchases made within the Jurisdiction are eligible for the Program. Points will typically be added to your Account within three days but may take longer in some circumstances. Points earned by Participants in a Buddies Family Account will be pooled into an account balance which includes the Points earned by all of the members of that Buddies Family Account (the “Buddies Family Account Balance”). Any Participant in the Buddies Family Account may redeem Points in the Buddies Family Account Balance without the permission of the Account Owner or any other Family Member. 

Product Code Limits. Each Product Code can be validated only once. Subsequent attempts to scan a previously validated Product Code will be void and ineligible to earn Points.  Accounts are limited to 10 Product Code scans per day.  

Neither Sponsor nor its agents will be liable for any unaccredited or misdirected Points. Sponsor reserves the right to invalidate Points if it determines, in its sole discretion, that Points were improperly credited or obtained fraudulently, or in a manner not described herein. 

Except as provided for in these Terms, Points earned in the Program are not assignable for any reason, and are not transferable between separate Accounts or separate Buddies Family Accounts, without the express written consent of Sponsor. The sale of Product Codes or Points is prohibited and may result in the forfeiture of your Points as well as termination of your Account. 

Point Value. Points do not have any cash value and no credit or cash will be provided for unused Points. Points are only a measurement of a Participant’s eligible purchases and activities in the Program, and are not considered the property of the owner. Points are not redeemable for cash, check, or any other form of credit, and cannot be used to make a donation (except for eligible redemptions listed in the Rewards Gallery), pay for taxes, tips, or shipping and handling. 

Points Defined. There are two types of Points included in the Buddies Rewards Program: Activity Points and Perk Points. “Activity Points” are defined as Points earned as a direct result of an action by the Participant. This includes Points earned from participating in activities within the app, scanning QR codes, posting to timeline, and others. “Perk Points” are defined as Points awarded by the Sponsor, not as a direct result of Participant activity. These Perk Points include, but are not limited to, surprise and delight and pet birthday Points awards. 

Point Expiration. Points will remain available for redemption for 12 months from the date the Points were earned, unless otherwise noted. Points that are not redeemed within 12 months will expire on the first day of the month following the end of the 12-month validity period. For example, Points earned on 2/15/24 will expire on 3/1/25, unless redeemed before the expiration date. Additionally, all Points in the Account’s Points balance will expire on the date the Account is no longer considered to be “Active.” 

Active and Inactive Accounts. An Account is considered to be Active on a given date (the “Measurement Date”) if and only if the Program remains open AND at least one of the following is true: (a) Activity Points have been earned within the previous 366 days (i.e., the one-year period concluding on the Measurement Date); or (b) Points have been used within the previous 366 days (i.e., the one-year period concluding on the Measurement Date).  As soon as a Measurement Date occurs on which an Account is no longer Active (“Inactive”), all Points in the Account (i.e., both Activity Points and Perk Points) shall expire and will be forfeited as of such Measurement Date. Sponsor reserves the right to impose or revise expiration periods or dates on Points that remain unused as it determines in its sole discretion. 

Redeeming Points for Rewards. Any Participant can redeem their Points (and any Participant in a Buddies Family Account can redeem Points in the Buddies Family Account Balance) for Rewards listed in the Rewards Gallery, available in the Buddies App. The Rewards Gallery may change periodically and without notice, so be sure to check the Buddies App often to see what Rewards are currently available. Rewards are offered while supplies last and are not guaranteed to be available throughout the entire Program. All redemptions are subject to these Terms and any other limitations stated in the Rewards Gallery. Once your order has been submitted, the Points will be immediately deducted from your Points balance or your Family Point Balance in the order the Points were earned, with the earliest accrued Points being deducted first. Points will not be refunded or placed back into an Account or Buddies Family Account after an order has been placed. You are responsible for all federal, state, provincial/territorial and local taxes (including income and withholding taxes), if any, as well as any other costs or expenses associated with the acceptance and use of any Rewards. 

Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a Reward with one of comparable or greater value for any reason and to change the Point value of any associated Reward at any time. 

5. QUESTIONS ABOUT POINTS BALANCE AND VERIFICATION

When logged into the Program, Participants will be able to view their registration information in their Account profile, as well as their Points balance. If you are a member of a Buddies Family Account, you will be able to see your Buddies Family Account Balance and the Account profiles for the Primary Participant and all Family Members. 

You are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of your Account. If you believe your Account, Points balance, or Buddies Family Account Balance is not accurate; a Product Code, Activity, Point redemption, was incorrectly applied to your Account or your Buddies Family Account; or another correction needs to be made, please contact Pet Parent Care. Requests and inquiries must be received by Pet Parent Care within ninety (90) days of the questioned Purchase Transaction or Activity. We may ask you to provide documentation to prove that you should have earned Points. For this reason, we recommend that you keep all Product Codes and receipts from a Purchase Transaction or Activity until Points have been credited to your Account. If you are not able to provide the requested documentation, you may not be awarded any Points for your Purchase Transaction or Activity. All decisions regarding Point balances, redemptions, and forfeitures, and the identity of the individual accessing an Account, are within Sponsor’s sole discretion and are final and binding. 

All Purchase Transactions, Product Codes, Activities, and Participants are subject to verification at any time and for any reason. The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to require proof of purchase, identity and/or eligibility and/or the original Product Code. Failure to provide such proof to the complete satisfaction of the Sponsor within the timeline specified by the Sponsor, may result in disqualification in the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor. Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, determine the validity of any purchase, Product Code, or Activity and/or the eligibility of any Participant. 

6. CHANGES

We reserve the right to modify or terminate the Program or feature of the Program or these Terms at any time, without any notice or obligation to you. Terms for the Program will be posted in the Buddies App and online at https://bluebuffalo.com/terms-of-use/. Your continued participation in the Program, including your use of your Account or Points, indicates your acceptance of these Terms. It is your responsibility to check the Terms to see if they have changed (and when we have done so, we will adjust the effective date). 

Our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy apply to this Program and your Account. In the event of any conflict between any details contained in these Terms and details contained in other materials, the details of the Program as set forth in these Terms shall prevail.