Intuit’s Mint.com is kicking off 2014 with a sweepstakes that rewards consumers for setting up budget goals through their smartphones, tablets and desktops.

Mint.com is giving away eight $500 gift cards throughout the month of January. The goal of the campaign is not only to help consumers set up a personal budget for 2014, but also stick with it by logging in regularly to the company’s mobile and Web properties.

“The beginning of the year is naturally the time when people resolve to do all kinds of things, including getting their money in shape,” said Julie Miller, spokeswoman at Mint.com, Mountain View, CA.

“Those resolutions are difficult to stick to, so we are offering some incentive to get people started and also to drive trial for Mint,” she said.

Getting a fresh start
To enter the sweepstakes, consumers need to create an account and log-in through Mint.com’s mobile app or Web site.

Mint.com has a mobile app for iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows 8 devices.

Consumers then select “create a budget” to set up their financial goals for 2014. Tweaking a budget already in place also enters a consumer into the giveaway.

Mint.com claims to link in information from 20,000 different credit card, bank and investment accounts.

The app lets consumers enter checking, savings, investments and retirement account information to manage their finances.

Through the company’s apps, consumers can view further breakdowns of their finances through interactive charts and graphs.

The giveaway runs through Jan. 31, and Mint.com will award two $500 gift cards per week.

Mint.com’s multiscreen management

Building mobile presence
Mint.com’s campaign builds on the company’s mobile initiatives from the end of 2013.

In December, Mint.com rolled out a Windows and Windows Phone 8 app.

Additionally, in November, the company launched a new trends feature to its iOS and Android apps, which tracks a consumer’s spending, income and net worth.

The company claims that trends was its most requested feature (see story).

In 2012, Mint rolled out an Android app designed specifically for tablets (see story).

Now that the company has built up its mobile portfolio, acquisition and retention is a top goal.

“We’ve just had a huge push toward the end of 2013 to get our mobile app out to more people, to really ensure that all the robust features that customers are asking for are on the mobile apps,” Ms. Miller said. “Now we’re really focused in the New Year on driving downloads.

“Now is the time when people’s minds naturally turn to a New Year’s resolution to get their money in order, and Mint is going to be there on their mobile phone to help them get started with a little incentive for the first part of the year, and then really provide them ongoing guidance and support so that they can see where their money is going,” she said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York