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As someone who was always on the lookout for ways to earn extra money online, I was intrigued when I discovered more about Swagbucks.
With promises of earning money for completing surveys, completing simple tasks and shopping online, I decided to give it a try and see for myself!
There is certainly a lot of hype around Swagbucks and using it to make extra cash, but the real question is, is it actually worth the time and effort? Is it as easy as they say? How much can you actually earn and how long does it take?
I’ll answer all those questions and more in this post. I will also share my personal experiences and answer everyone’s burning questions, particularly: is Swagbucks worth your time and effort?
PIN OR BOOKMARK THIS PAGE: I’ll be updating this post to stay up-to-date with Swagbucks and their changes throughout the years. Be sure to save this post to your relevant Pinterest boards so you can always come back to learn exactly how to make money with Swagbucks!
How To Earn Free Money and Gift Cards
If you follow my blog, you’ll know I mention survey sites and money making apps a lot!
I can’t shut up about them because they have been one of my favorite ways to earn free cash and gift cards to spend on whatever I like!
But, will taking surveys and earning cash rewards replace your day job? No it won’t. But that’s not what they’re there for. I like to use survey sites to pay for small items like Starbucks Drinks, gifts for friends, treating myself, or to knock off some dollars from larger purchases.
Being able to redeem gift cards for $20, $50 and $100 to popular retail stores like Amazon, Target, Starbucks and Walmart is such an awesome way for anyone to earn extra money on the side.
What is Swagbucks all About?
So, what is it exactly?
Swagbucks is a FREE rewards program that pays you for completing fun tasks online. Tasks like taking surveys, playing games, shopping online and more.
They have a Trustpilot rating of 4.2/5 stars with over 34,000 reviews, making them one of the highest and most trustworthy survey sites out there.
Swagbucks is owned by American company – Prodege, LLC, a reputable internet and media company that began in 2005. They also own the following popular brands:
- MyPoints
- ShopAtHome
- InboxDollars
- CouponCause
- Ysense
- Upromise
Here’s how Swagbucks works:
For each task you complete, you earn points, called Swagbucks, or SB for short. You can then redeem the SB for gift cards to popular retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target or cash via PayPal.
To get started with Swagbucks, all you do is sign up for a free account and start completing tasks. The more tasks you complete, the more SB you earn and the more rewards you can redeem. Swagbucks also offers bonuses and promotions from time to time, such as extra SB for completing a certain number of tasks or for referring friends to the program.
So, that’s Swagbucks in a nutshell.
Stay tuned though because I’m going to let you in on the secret tips, tricks and hacks that I’ve discovered to help you get the MOST out of Swagbucks. But first, I’ll answer a few more questions so you can see how it works and what to expect.
Is Swagbucks Legit and Safe To Use?
One of the biggest concerns people have when it comes to earning money online is whether or not it’s safe and legitimate. Like you, I also wondered if Swagbucks was a safe and legitimate company I should be signing up to.
In the case of Swagbucks, after signing up myself and using Swagbucks monthly and receiving my first gift card, the answer is 100% yes. Swagbucks is a legitimate company that has paid out over $600 million in rewards to its users. It’s also a member of the Better Business Bureau and has a B+ rating.
As for safety, Swagbucks takes security seriously and uses SSL encryption to protect your personal information. They also have a strict privacy policy and will never share your information with third parties without your consent.
Swagbucks Review: User Experiences and Reviews
While my personal experience with Swagbucks has been positive overall, I wanted to see what other users had to say.
After reading through numerous reviews and forum posts, the consensus seems to be that Swagbucks is a fun and reliable way to earn extra money online. However, like with any of these member sites, some users have reported issues with account deactivations, surveys being screened out and slow payouts.
So, it’s important to keep in mind that no rewards program is perfect, and there will always be some users who have negative experiences.
That being said, the majority of Swagbucks users seem to be satisfied with the program and the rewards it offers – myself included. I don’t expect absolute perfection because no company or brand is perfect, hiccups happen. On the whole, I feel there are way more pros than cons when using Swagbucks.
My friends and family have also used Swagbucks for years to earn gift cards, and have never had any issues cashing out their rewards. Plus, I hear a lot more positive than negative reviews about Swagbucks, like this one from Trustpilot here:
As well as that, there are numerous positive reviews from BBB which you can see below:
Swagbucks Rewards and How Much They Are Worth
One of the most important factors to consider when deciding whether or not Swagbucks is worth your time and effort is the value of the rewards. Which begs the question, how much are Swagbucks worth?
The value of Swagbucks varies depending on the reward you choose. For example, a $5 Amazon gift card costs 500 SB, while a $25 PayPal cash payout costs 2,500 SB. This means that each SB is worth approximately $0.01.
Now I know you may be thinking, come on Liz, that doesn’t seem like much at all! And I get that it doesn’t look like much at first glance. But keep in mind that they do add up quickly. You can actually earn an extra $50 to $200 a month using Swagbucks. Even an extra $50 a month isn’t bad, you could have an extra $600 to spend on anything you want by the end of the year!
Is Swagbucks Free?
In case you missed it, yes! Swagbucks is 100% free to sign up and use. You can create your free account today and even grab a $10 sign-up bonus!
👉 Remember to verify your email with Swagbucks and ‘activate’ your bonus in the Swag Ups section of your account so you don’t miss out! Grab your $10 bonus before it goes!
To get your $10 bonus, go to the Swag Up page in your account, then make a purchase of $25 or more from one of the merchants. You can easily knock off $10 from that Amazon purchase you’ve been eyeing 😉
Swagbucks App and Mobile Usage
If you’re like me and always on the go, you’ll be happy to know that Swagbucks has an app that you can use and earn SB straight from your phone or other device. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices and offers many of the same tasks as the desktop version of the website.
I found the best way to use the Swagbucks App as well as other survey site apps, is while I was waiting in line, sitting in my car, during my lunch break or having my hair done. Really, you can spend as little or as much time as you want earning SB and accumulating those points ready to redeem for gift cards.
Ways To Earn Money with Swagbucks – Surveys, Offers and More
One of the best things about Swagbucks is that there are multiple ways we can earn. Now, I’ll show you some of the best ways and smart hacks to start earning with Swagbucks!
You can use Swagbucks via the App or if you prefer you can use it on desktop, the choice is yours. I personally like to use Apps more than desktop because I can use them wherever I am and I love that I can easily make money straight from my smartphone!
1. TAKE PAID SURVEYS WITH SWAGBUCKS SURVEYS
You can start getting your SB points up by taking paid surveys with Swagbucks.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, taking surveys and earning cash rewards online is NOT enough to replace your full time job. It doesn’t even come close to that. The second you get told that you can quit your job and live off paid surveys for a living, know it’s a complete lie.
Now, taking paid surveys online when you’ve got some time to kill is a legitimate way to make some cash on the side. Especially when you’re bored and have the time.
For me, I like to take surveys when I’m killing time in the car like on road trips (when I’m not the driver, obvs), chilling out in my hammock at home or waiting for food to be delivered. You can make enough cash and rewards to go towards things like groceries, new laptop, your favorite drinks, gifts for people and more.
From what I’ve learnt and experienced, Swagbucks is one of the best sites you can sign up with and earn very decent rewards 🙂
Hot Tip
Now! Let me share with you the best way that I’ve found to complete surveys with Swagbucks and how you can get the most SB out of them.
I highly recommend you opt for surveys with higher time-to-SB (Swagbucks) ratio. Prioritize surveys that offer a higher payout relative to the time investment required. This means selecting surveys that offer more SB for a similar amount of time compared to lower paying surveys.
You also might like to answer a bunch of shorter surveys that pay less, rather than big long surveys that pay more but take a lot more time. This can be a better option because if you’re in the middle of a long survey but need to quit without finishing, you won’t be rewarded for your time. So, I personally like to complete lots more shorter surveys rather than a few long surveys.
Keep an eye out for surveys that provide bonuses or extra SB for completing certain tasks within the survey itself.
When you strategically choose surveys that offer a better return on your time, you can significantly boost your Swagbucks earnings and make the most out of both SB and time.
2. USE SWAG CODES WITH SWAGBUCKS
As well as completing paid surveys with Swagbucks to earn SB, you can also search for Swag Codes online. These are codes that Swagbucks occasionally releases through their various platforms that you can redeem for SB on your account.
But, keep in mind the expiry date of these codes. It’s a bit like a race, finding the codes and redeeming them before they expire!
The Swag Codes are a fun way for Swagbucks to reward users with extra Swagbucks for being an active and engaged user.
The best way to find these codes quickly is by installing the SwagButton Browser Extension. Once you’ve installed it, click on “Check for Swag Code” at any time and it will let you know if there are any codes available. If there are, it’ll tell you exactly where to find the codes. Eg. Facebook, website etc.
3. SEARCHING THE WEB WITH SWAGBUCKS
We’re always searching for things online and doing our research on the internet, more than likely on a daily basis. So why not get paid for doing what you already do?
You can get rewarded just for using Swagbucks’ search engine, which is powered by Yahoo!. This was one of the ways I easily earned points by searching for things like the news, weather, Amazon store and Target, to name a few. When I’m using my laptop, it’s easy to use the Swagbucks’ search engine just like you use the Google search engine. It’s effortless and easy and quietly accrues SB in the background, totally passive!
4. UPLOADING GROCERY RECEIPTS
We all need to buy groceries don’t we. So why not get cash back on our daily purchases just by uploading receipts to Swagbucks?
You do this in a similar way to uploading receipts to Fetch Rewards (a cash back app I mention often on my blog). Swagbucks will reward you with SB when you upload your grocery receipts. All you need to do is select items that you bought from their list and upload a photo of your receipt. Swagbucks will then verify the purchase and credit the relevant amount of SB points into your account. Super easy!
It’ll depend on what you buy and from which store you purchased from that’ll determine how many SB you earn. For small grocery items you can expect a dollar or two back, which may not seem like much. But when you do it on a regular basis, the money adds up quickly and it’s basically free money you’re getting back.
5. SWAGBUCKS DISCOVER
Swagbucks partners with a variety of companies to offer special deals and promotions. These can include things like signing up for a free trial, making a purchase, taking a survey and downloading apps. In the ‘Discover’ section in Swagbucks, you can find many different ways to earn SB by completing these types of tasks.
An example here could be where you complete a survey and earn 100 SB while also going into the draw to win $1,000 Target store vouchers. Another example could be installing a game on your phone to play as a new user, reaching a certain level and earning 12,555 SB for reaching the events in the game that are required.
Discover has deals for online retailers, credit cards, grocery stores and more. The best part is that there is always something new so you can discover exciting new deals every day.
6. PLAY VIDEO GAMES
If you’re someone who loves to play video games in your spare time, or even just to unwind and escape into another world, then you can rack up those SB points while doing something you really enjoy.
You can choose from heaps of different games on Swagbucks, some free and some paid. For the paid ones, you’ll need to pay for them to earn the SB. But there are plenty of free ones you can play. Some popular games include Monopoly Go, Triple Tile, Daily Word Search, Swagasaurus Run, Bejeweled 2, Bingo, Solitaire, Wheel of Fortune, Memory and so many more!
💡You can start playing games for cash and rewards online with Swagbucks. Remember, you can claim your sign-up bonus when you join for FREE and start using Swagbucks.
Here is a screenshot of what the Games section looks like in my account, showing some of the most popular games and some that can earn you a lot of points!
Tips and Tricks For Maximizing Your Earnings on Swagbucks
Here are my tips and tricks to get the MOST out of your Swagbucks experience.
Follow these tips and tricks that helped maximize my earnings:
- Complete the daily to-do list: Swagbucks offers a daily to-do list where you complete simple tasks that only take a few minutes or less. By completing all of the tasks on the list, you can earn bonus SB.
- Refer friends: Swagbucks offers a referral program that allows you to earn 10% of your friend’s earnings for life. This can add up quickly if you have a big network of friends who are interested in earning extra money online just like you. So grab your mates and get them to sign up too!
- Use the SwagButton: Remember, the SwagButton is a browser extension that alerts you when you’re on a website that offers cash back through Swagbucks. It’s a great way to earn extra SB while shopping online.
DISCOUNTED GIFT CARDS ON SWAGBUCKS
Swagbucks offers a feature called “MyGiftCards” that allows you to redeem the Swagbucks points (SB) you earn for purchasing various discounted gift cards.
This can be a way to effectively save money on your purchases. Once you’ve accumulated enough SB, you can go to the “MyGiftCards” section of your Swagbucks account. You’ll find a variety of gift cards from different retailers and brands. Just choose the gift card you’re interested in and redeem your SB for it.
The best thing about using MyGiftCards is you can further maximize your savings by using your gift cards during sales, promotions and discounts at the retailers. This can lead to some pretty great savings on your purchases. A dollar saved is two dollars earned, right??
Alternatives To Swagbucks For Earning Money Online
While Swagbucks is an awesome way to earn extra money online, it’s not the only option out there. Here are some similar ways you can earn money online:
InboxDollars: InboxDollars is a rewards program that pays you for completing surveys, watching videos and shopping online. They offer cash payouts via PayPal or check. InboxDollars have many positive reviews and a 4.2/5 star rating on Trustpilot.
Survey Junkie: Survey Junkie is another popular market research company that pays you for completing surveys. They offer cash payouts via PayPal or gift cards to popular retailers. Survey Junkie has an ‘Excellent’ Trustpilot rating of 4.3/5 with a lot of happy users.
MyPoints: MyPoints is also a rewards program that pays you for completing surveys, watching videos and shopping online. They offer gift card rewards to popular retailers. They also have a very high rating on Trustpilot with an impressive 4.4/5 reviews.
How Much Money Can You Earn with Swagbucks?
There are Swagbucks members who put in a lot of effort to earn around $100 – $200 each month. That’s a pretty sweet way to earn extra money from a totally free resource!
Some people claim to make hundreds per month from Swagbucks but I’m wary of such claims. Either they are spending a LOT of time on Swagbucks, or spending a lot of money shopping online, which kind of defeats the purpose of saving money by using Swagbucks for rewards.
You’re not going to make thousands of dollars per month with Swagbucks, because like I said it’s not going to replace your full time job.
A more realistic amount of earnings on a per year basis, as a casual member, is anywhere from $300 to $1,000. Which is still a fantastic way to earn extra cash for the holiday season or whatever you’d like to use it for.
Of course, the amount of money you earn from Swagbucks will depend on a few things like:
- Your demographics which can determine your qualifications for surveys
- Taking the time to complete surveys
- Whether or not you enjoy trying new apps and playing games
- How many internet searches you can complete each day
- Whether you take advantage of using their MyGiftCards Plus for more rewards
- How often you shop online and what Swagbucks is offering as a deal at that time
Conclusion: Is Swagbucks Worth Your Time and Effort?
After using Swagbucks for several months, I can confidently say that YES, it was and is worth my time and effort to earn some extra money online. I’m a huge fan of gift cards so for me, I love Swagbucks and other survey sites to earn rewards.
While the value of Swagbucks may seem small, they add up quickly and the variety of tasks available means that you can easily earn SB in your spare time.
Pretty much anyone can benefit from signing up for a FREE account with Swagbucks today.
That being said, if you’re looking for a way to earn a full-time income online, you’ll need to explore other options. However, if you’re looking for a way to earn extra money on the side, Swagbucks is a great choice in my opinion.
So why not give Swagbucks a try and see how much you can earn. Who knows, you may be able to earn enough to pay for your next vacation or a few extra dinners out each month.
Again, using Swagbucks on a daily basis still won’t replace your income, but it really can help with spending and make your purchases more affordable.
I’m all about living that frugal lifestyle while still enjoying the things I love, so for me, this is a great way to do exactly that.
Do You Use Swagbucks?
Over to YOU! Did you enjoy learning all the different ways you can earn with Swagbucks? Do you have any secret tips and tricks you use to get the most out of Swagbucks? And do you already love taking surveys for gift cards and money? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you and whether Swagbucks has helped you!
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