There are lots of sites out there that offer you ways to make money online. It isn’t always obvious which ones are legitimate and which ones you should avoid. In this review I look at Swagbucks, and investigate whether Swagbucks is a scam or legit opportunity, and I answer the question “is Swagbucks worth it?”
Keep reading, and I’ll let you know all about Swagbucks, how much you can earn, and whether it’s a legitimate opportunity.
What is Swagbucks and how does it work?
Website: https://www.swagbucks.com
Swagbucks is a California based site that offers a rewards program and gives you free gift cards and cash for everyday things you already do online. It is a combination site that allows you to earn points when you shop at various retailers, watch videos, search the web, answer surveys and find deals. Points are then converted to gift cards or cash back.
Signing up to Swagbucks
To get started with Swagbucks, login to their homepage by inputting your name and email address, and creating a password. It’s straightforward and will only take you a couple of minutes. There are some things you can do right away to help get your account set up, so give yourself a bit of time to answer some introductory questions about yourself. This is to ensure that any surveys are relevant to you.
Ways to earn with Swagbucks
Cash back from online shopping
You can receive cash back from shopping at over 1,500 retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Starbucks. Earn Swagbucks points (known as SB) when you spend, and get access to special deals and coupons to some of your favourite retailers:
Answer surveys
With Swagbucks, you can share your opinions through surveys to earn Swagbucks points. Here are some examples of how long it will take you to complete surveys, and how many Swagbucks points you will receive:
It is worth keeping in mind that 100 SB is equivalent to $1.
Watch videos
Watching videos on playlists that are put together for you will also earn you Swagbucks points. Here is a screenshot showing that watching approximately 20 minutes of videos will earn you 3 Swagbucks points:
Offers
You can check out exclusive deals and offers from well-known brands. You will earn Swagbucks points when you sign up for new services, and check out free samples.
Search the web
Searching the web using the Swagbucks search engine will earn you Swagbucks points. If you set your default search engine to Swagbucks, you will earn points.
Play games
You can earn Swagbucks points when you make in-game purchases through their partners at GSN, or play their original free games and earn randomly. Beware though! Games can be a time trap so play games at your own risk. If you’re there to make consistent cash then it’s probably best to avoid the games altogether.
There is a Swagbucks app that allows you to shop, respond to surveys and watch videos when you’re on the go.
Payment from Swagbucks
You can redeem points for gift cards to retailers like Amazon and Walmart or get cash back from PayPal. Swagbucks has already paid out over $270,000,000 in cash and free gift cards. It is a simple and fun way for you to put some cash back in your wallet.
You can cash out your rewards for gift cards, starting at $3 (300 Swagbucks points). You can also donate your points to charity, or cash out through PayPal. The minimum payout amount from PayPal is 2,500 SB ($25 equivalent).
Making money through referral from Swagbucks
Swagbucks has a referral program. For every new person you refer to Swagbucks.com, you will earn 10% of the referrals earnings.
There are some referral banners you can download and share on social media, to be used in combination with your affiliate link, allowing you to get the benefits of the referral.
As some of you may know, making money through affiliate referrals is a wonderful way to earn money, as it is passive income. You are making money passively through the work of others. So if that’s your thing, sign up to Swagbucks and start sharing your affiliate links.
Is Swagbucks worth it?
If you’re already purchasing online, and your favourite retailers are available through Swagbucks, then absolutely yes it’s worth it. If you’ve got some free time and enjoy doing surveys, then yes it’s worth it, provided you don’t expect a big payout. If you play games and were going to make in-game purchases anyway, then you may as well do it through Swagbucks.
You will not make loads of money with Swagbucks. You will make some pocket money though.
What is the verdict? Is Swagbucks a scam or legit?
Swagbucks is most definitely not a scam. It is a legitimate website, that pays out your earnings when you’ve met the minimum threshold. Swagbucks has been around since 2008. If you’re looking to make some cash here and there, and test if the online model works, then Swagbucks is for you.
- Legitimate: Yes
- Cost to join: free
- Recommended: Yes – for some extra cash
If you’re ready to join, you can sign up via the link below:
There is a better way to make money from home
For a great way to make real money online, not just pocket money, my preferred method is through affiliate marketing. In my view, this is the best way to build a lucrative and consistent income from home.
I’ve made a short video, “How to make money with affiliate marketing for beginners”, here:
Please leave any comments or questions below and I’m always happy to help.
Hi,
Swagbucks sound like a cool way to earn some pocket money. Looks like they are legit based on your review. Great thinking to place a video on the end! Thank you. All the best,
Ivan
Hi Ivan, they certainly are legit. No one will make a fortune with Swagbucks, but some pocket money for sure. I think sites like these are a great way for people to test the model of making money online to see that it’s possible. From this, a bigger ideas can grow!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts here Ivan. All the very best to you.
Cheers
Melissa
Thanks for the in depth review. I used to read email for money when I was in college and it was darn near impossible to make any amount worthwhile.
So it looks like if you want to pursue SwagBucks all the money is in actually getting a referral system running. At 1 dollar per 25 minutes of active time spent that’s a pretty lousy pay out.
However it sounds like if you instead were able to get a significant referral pipeline running you could make a few extra dollars, or like you said if you focus on buying from places you already buy from…
I suppose it looks like you could use Wealthy Affiliate to build a site to refer people to Swag Bucks if you wanted to, right?
Hi Craig, I agree that if you were using it as a money making tool, then referrals would be your best bet. The cash back component I think is a helpful one, if you are already going to be making purchases i.e. why not also get earn some Swagbucks that you can cash in?
And yes you’re right, you could use Wealthy Affiliate to build up your own site to refer this program and others. That said, you don’t need a website to do that but you certainly could.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts here.
Cheers
Melissa
Interesting post. So many options out there, with so little pay out. The second option seems like the more legit program to roll with.
Hi travel and treatz, you’re right, the payout is not big. It’s pocket money at best. Affiliate marketing is certainly a more lucrative (and long term) option.
Cheers
Melissa