Swagbucks Review — Easy Rewards Just for Being Online
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Swagbucks won’t make you rich, but it can be a good cost-saving tool to add to your toolkit.
7.5/10
Cost
9/10
Features
7.5/10
Ease of use
8/10
Services
9/10
I don’t know many people who don’t kill time here or there by watching videos or taking surveys. I'm fully guilty, myself! Fortunately, these activities can come with perks like earning real money you can spend at your favorite stores. Read our Swagbucks review to find out more.
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What is Swagbucks?
Swagbucks is a leading rewards program website that allows members to earn points redeemed for gift cards and PayPal cash. The company was launched in 2008 and is a subsidiary brand of Prodege, LLC, an internet and media company that operates consumer engagement brands.
How does Swagbucks work?
Swagbucks works by offering its users reward points for online activities, many of which users are probably already doing. You can get points for searching the web, watching videos, and completing surveys. Reward points are distributed in Swagbucks points (SBs) and can be redeemed for gift cards or cash, making it a popular app for making money online.
Use InboxDollars To Make Real Money!
- Cashback rewards club that pays out real cash.
- Play games like Solitaire and Mahjong for a chance to win money.
- Watch videos and fill paid surveys to earn today.
- Includes a first-class referral program
Signing up for Swagbucks is easy. When you visit the Swagbucks website, you’ll see a sign-up form at the top of the page. If you have a referral code, you can enter it, but you don’t need a code to sign up. Referral codes may earn you a sign-up bonus (with strings attached, of course)
After you create your Swagbucks account, you’ll need to verify your account by clicking the link in the email.
If you’re anything like me, you might want to explore the website before verifying your account. Swagbucks requires you to verify your account before you can start earning, so it’s important not to skip this step! You’ll also be required to answer a questionnaire before you can continue to explore the website.
The questionnaire is pretty basic. It asks for your basic demographic information, including your date of birth and household income. You can decline to answer some of the questions if you prefer. The questionnaire only takes a few minutes to complete; after completing it, you can move on to other surveys and opportunities.
Use InboxDollars To Make Real Money!
- Cashback rewards club that pays out real cash.
- Play games like Solitaire and Mahjong for a chance to win money.
- Watch videos and fill paid surveys to earn today.
- Includes a first-class referral program
How much does Swagbucks cost?
Signing up for Swagbucks is entirely free. The amount you can earn depends on your time using it. In most cases, 100 SB Points are worth $1. It isn’t a way to “get rich quick” by any means, but it can help you earn rewards for simply going about your regular activities or killing some time by completing a survey.
Swagbucks features
Swagbucks offers a few features that you can use to earn more points, which translates into more earnings.
Paid surveys
The most popular way to make money using Swagbucks is by taking online surveys. These surveys ask you questions about various topics that you answer by giving your honest opinion. You can think of it as market research. Often, these surveys ask you about your familiarity with certain brands, how much you’re willing to spend on types of makeup and skincare, and other related questions. Each online survey has some points assigned; you receive those points after completing the survey.
Use InboxDollars To Make Real Money!
- Cashback rewards club that pays out real cash.
- Play games like Solitaire and Mahjong for a chance to win money.
- Watch videos and fill paid surveys to earn today.
- Includes a first-class referral program
Daily polls
Swagbucks has a daily poll for members to participate in. It is a one-question poll that takes just a few seconds to answer. The daily survey can be a good way to help you remember to engage with the rewards site every day.
Trial offers
When you sign up for Swagbucks, you’ll automatically earn some SBs just for activating your account. You can also earn SBs by taking advantage of other offers through Swagbucks. Some offers include points for signing up for Credit Karma, joining PINCHme, and partnering with Uber Eats.
Playing games
Swagbucks Play allows you to earn gift cards by playing games online. You don’t need to win the game to make money — as long as you’re using your gaming account within Swagbucks, you’ll earn the same amount of SB points no matter your score. You can play games through Swagbucks, Trivial Pursuit, Solitaire Rush, Scrabble Cubes, and Super Plinko.
Swagbucks shopping
Swagbucks also offers SBs for shopping with its partners. Through the Swagbucks website, you can earn cashback on your online shopping purchases. You can shop from stores like Old Navy, Petco, and Groupon.
Swagbucks also offers in-store cashback. To do this, you must add a credit card to your Swagbucks profile and link in-store cashback offers from Swagbucks to your card. Then, when you shop at stores that participate in the offer with your linked card, you’ll automatically earn cashback on all your qualifying purchases.
Use InboxDollars To Make Real Money!
- Cashback rewards club that pays out real cash.
- Play games like Solitaire and Mahjong for a chance to win money.
- Watch videos and fill paid surveys to earn today.
- Includes a first-class referral program
Watching videos
Ever wondered if you could get paid to watch videos? Swagbucks has a Swagbucks Watch app that allows you to earn SBs by watching videos on your phone. Videos can include Movie and game trailers, interviews, and comedy clips.
Browser extension
The SwagButton lets you stay informed about sales, coupons, and cashback offers. When you install this browser extension, you’ll automatically earn a few SBs. Then, when you’re on a site that offers cashback or coupon codes, the SwagButton will let you know. You can also set Swagbucks as your default search engine to stay in the know.
Swag Codes
Swag Codes are promotional codes that you can redeem to earn additional Swagbucks. You can find Swag Codes using the SwagButton and the Swagbucks mobile app, following Swagbucks on social media, and playing the Swagbucks LIVE trivia game.
Use InboxDollars To Make Real Money!
- Cashback rewards club that pays out real cash.
- Play games like Solitaire and Mahjong for a chance to win money.
- Watch videos and fill paid surveys to earn today.
- Includes a first-class referral program
Who is Swagbucks best for?
Swagbucks can benefit many people, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone. As with any side hustle or online gig, it's essential to keep your expectations in check.
- People who shop at participating stores. Swagbucks might be an asset if you’re looking for a way to boost your savings when going about your everyday life. You can find cashback opportunities for various stores, including Target, Walmart, and Whole Foods.
- People who want to earn gift cards. Some people like to earn gift cards to put toward gifts for family and friends. Others want to use gift cards to treat themselves to something nice. Either way, a gift card is always welcome in my book! An Amazon gift card is a popular reward from Swagbucks, but you can also trade in your points for gift cards to retailers, including Apple, Target, Walmart, Starbucks, and more. You can even trade your SBs in for PayPal cash or Visa Reward Cards to maximize your shopping options.
- People who like to take surveys. If you’re looking for an online survey in your spare time, you might as well earn something back! Swagbucks is great for people who want to answer surveys to make money online. You might not make a lot as a Swagbucks member, but Swagbucks can be used as a side hustle to bring in a little extra cash through online rewards.
Who shouldn’t use Swagbucks?
- People who are looking for a passive income stream. While Swagbucks can be a way to earn extra money online, that does not mean it’s a way to make passive income. Swagbucks does allow you to earn money through regular activities such as shopping, but it’s not necessarily a “set it and forget it” type of side hustle.
- People who are looking to make a lot of money online. Similarly, Swagbucks isn’t right for you if you’re looking for a way to replace your current income or significantly increase it. Swagbucks can help you earn extra money, but most average users typically make just a couple of dollars daily.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Swagbucks is free to sign up for and use.
- Swagbucks rewards can be redeemed for gift cards at several different retailers.
- You can earn Swagbucks points by taking small actions such as watching videos and taking surveys.
- Swagbucks can help you save on routine shopping at places you’re likely already spending money, such as Target and Walmart.
Cons
- Swagbucks is not a suitable way to earn a significant amount of money quickly.
- You need to commit to taking action or remember to enable features such as the SwagButton to earn points regularly.
- You may not qualify for all of the Swagbucks surveys, so your earning opportunities can vary.
Swagbucks vs. competitors
Site | Cost | How to earn rewards | Rewards |
Swagbucks | Free | Watching videos, taking surveys and polls, performing website searches, playing games, shopping online and in-stores | Gift cards or cashback with PayPal |
Survey Junkie | Free | Taking surveys and joining focus groups | Gift cards or cashback with PayPal |
InboxDollars | Free | Taking surveys, watching videos, reading emails, online shopping, playing games, and using coupons | Gift cards or cashback with PayPal |
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is one of the top survey sites on the market. With this site, you complete profiles to get matched with surveys that you qualify for. There’s also the opportunity to join focus groups, and you can earn more points by participating in these groups. Points can be redeemed instantly for PayPal cash or e-gift Cards to retailers, including Target and Starbucks.
Like Swagbucks, it’s free to sign up for Survey Junkie. One thing that sets Survey Junkie apart is that you can still earn some points for surveys, even if you don’t qualify. This is good because, with some survey sites, you’ll spend time on the demographic portion of a survey, only to find out that you’ve wasted your time. After all, you don’t qualify.
Use InboxDollars To Make Real Money!
- Cashback rewards club that pays out real cash.
- Play games like Solitaire and Mahjong for a chance to win money.
- Watch videos and fill paid surveys to earn today.
- Includes a first-class referral program
InboxDollars
InboxDollars is more similar to Swagbucks because it offers several ways to earn money. Like Swagbucks, you can make money from InboxDollars by watching videos, taking surveys, shopping online, and playing games. InboxDollars also allows you to earn money by reading emails. The emails include special offers and updates on new blog articles.
What sets InboxDollars apart is that you earn money from it instead of points. Some users may find Swagbucks confusing because you need to translate the SBs to dollars to determine how much you’ll earn. With InboxDollars, there’s no need to go through that process.
Use InboxDollars To Make Real Money!
- Cashback rewards club that pays out real cash.
- Play games like Solitaire and Mahjong for a chance to win money.
- Watch videos and fill paid surveys to earn today.
- Includes a first-class referral program
FAQs
Is Swagbucks worth it?
It depends. Swagbucks can be a good way to earn some extra money in your spare time. However, if you want to focus on more lucrative ways to make money, it might not be worth your time.
Is Swagbucks legit?
Yes, though some might think survey sites are a scam, Swagbucks is 100% legit. The company hands out over 7,000 gift cards each day, and has thus far paid members about $838 million.
How do Swagbucks payouts work?
You can redeem your SBs in the Swagbucks Swag Store. From there, you can review the available gift cards and payout options and select the one that you want.
Is Swagbucks legit?
Swagbucks won’t make you rich, but it can be a good cost-saving tool to add to your toolkit. There’s a little bit of something for everybody. If you’re looking for a browser extension to help you find and activate coupons and cashback rewards, Swagbucks can do that for you. You can also find some fun games to play or surveys to take and earn money while you’re doing it.
With Swagbucks, you’ll earn points for each opportunity you complete successfully. These points are assigned dollar amounts, and you can redeem your points for real gift cards to stores like Amazon and Target. You can also redeem your points as PayPal cash if you choose to.
Earning a significant amount through Swagbucks takes some serious dedication, and most people only use it to make a couple of extra dollars here and there. It’s free and safe to use, so there’s no harm in trying it to see what you can earn.
Use InboxDollars To Make Real Money!
- Cashback rewards club that pays out real cash.
- Play games like Solitaire and Mahjong for a chance to win money.
- Watch videos and fill paid surveys to earn today.
- Includes a first-class referral program
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Writer
Ashley Hart is a lead copywriter and digital marketing expert covering finance, law, real estate, music, entertainment, health and wellness.
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