How to Earn Money with Swagbucks

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Interested in learning how to get the most out of your Swagbucks account? Read this.
Updated Dec. 7, 2023
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How to Earn Money with Swagbucks

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If you enjoy shopping online and surfing the web, then you’re really going to like what we’re about to tell you: There’s a company that pays you to do those two things. Swagbucks is an online rewards program that gives people gift cards and cash for the stuff they do online.

There are a lot of ways to earn with Swagbucks, most notably by taking online surveys and daily polls, playing trivia games, shopping, or watching video playlists through its portal. You can also earn Swagbucks by using the company’s search engine or participating in exclusive online product offerings or deals.

Here’s how Swagbucks works and how to get the most out of the platform.

Quick Summary

Get Paid To Go Online

  • Get a $5 bonus when you earn 2,500 Swagbucks in the first 60 days of opening your account
  • Earn gift cards for surfing the web and taking fun surveys
  • Over $200,000,000 paid out to members so far! That's 7,000 gift cards each day
In this Swagbucks review

What is Swagbucks?

Swagbucks is a subsidiary and the flagship product of Prodege LLC, which was founded in 2005. Prodege is a leading internet and media company that specializes in customer engagement, which is essentially what Swagbucks does, too. By offering a variety of ways to interact with various products and brands, Swagbucks rewards its users with a series of points that can be redeemed for Amazon gift cards and more.

Prodege also owns other customer engagement brands like Shoply and MyGiftCardsPlus. Between all of these enterprises, it has 100M registered users and collaborates with 5,000 unique retailers and brands. Swagbucks has over 20 million active users, gives out 7,000 gift cards per day, and — as of April 14, 2022 — has rewarded $703,026,861 in cash and gift cards.

How does Swagbucks work?

Swagbucks allows people to earn free gift cards from retailers such as Amazon, Starbucks, and Walmart and cash rewards for taking basic actions such as online shopping, signing up for exclusive deals, participating in surveys, watching videos, or even playing games. Most of these things happen through the company’s online portal, but you can also earn Swagbucks (known as SB or SB points) through its mobile app, by installing its SwagButton Chrome browser extension, or by using the company’s search engine.

After signing up with Swagbucks, you’ll be able to choose how you earn by logging onto its website. From there, you can view suggested videos or surveys, peruse new deals, or even shop and buy gift cards from your favorite brands directly through its portal. The company’s gift card system works by offering a varying rate of cash back for gift cards from different brands, which then turns into Swagbucks and can be redeemed for other gift cards later on.

As for other ways to earn with Swagbucks, these activities can vary quite a bit — both in how long they may take and how much they allow you to earn. For example, you might earn 500 SB for taking a 20-minute survey or 2,800 SB for signing up with Hulu. You can also redeem Swag Codes, which are released daily, for a few SB. Swagbucks also offers referral codes, so you can earn SB from encouraging your friends to sign up. 

The earning potential associated with various activities is constantly changing, which is why it’s best to figure out early how you’d like to earn Swagbucks and then check back often for new opportunities.

Another cool feature of Swagbucks is that many of these activities can be completed on the go using the company’s mobile app. Available for both Android and iOS, the app allows you to take surveys, watch videos, and shop your favorite brands — all while earning Swagbucks.

It’s important to note that some of these activities, like taking surveys or making purchases, are closely monitored by the company. You’ll want to make sure to read the instructions and requirements of each activity before signing up; otherwise, you may not be able to collect your rewards later on.

Because Swagbucks values honest feedback, it cautions users against doing anything dishonest (like speeding through a survey without reading questions) just to earn more points. This practice may even result in user disqualification. 

Who can use Swagbucks?

Before you’re able to earn any rewards with Swagbucks, you’ll first need to sign up as a Swagbucks member. Registering with Swagbucks is free, and anyone over the age of 13 with a valid email address can do it.

Although almost anyone can sign up for Swagbucks, this side hustle is probably best for someone with ample downtime to complete the activities. Since many of these tasks (like taking surveys and watching videos) also require plenty of attention, you’ll want to make sure you have the space to focus. Because the company offers most of these earning activities in its mobile app, this would be a great side hustle for anyone with a long commute on public transportation or a few hours of downtime in the middle of their day.

How much can you earn with Swagbucks?

Because of the wide variety of ways to earn with Swagbucks, actual earning potential varies quite a bit. And as we mentioned above, different activities mean different rewards. You might earn 100 SB for a survey, five SB for purchasing a gift card, or several hundred or even a thousand Swagbucks for signing up for a special offer — just keep in mind that some special offers may require you to spend money to get them.

The most important thing to remember when signing up for a Swagbucks activity is the value of each Swagbuck, which equals 1% cash back (a value of one cent). This means you’d need to earn 100 SB to get $1 in rewards. Users typically earn anywhere from $0.05 and $2.50 for completing a survey, and although it seems to be less common, the company mentions some can even earn $25 to $35.

Here’s a breakdown of some sample earnings with Swagbucks:

Activity Swagbucks earning Dollar value
Purchasing a gift card 1% to 20% cash back $0.01 to $0.20
Signing up for a deal Two to 15,000 SB $0.02 to $150
Taking a survey 40 to 200 SB $0.04 to $2.00

Redeeming Swagbucks for gift cards is relatively straightforward, with one important caveat: Rewards are offered by the company on a first-come, first-served basis, and if you redeem for a reward that’s sold out, the company may send you a different reward (of equal value) instead. Although this likely isn’t a problem for most people, it’s important to note that you may receive different rewards from the ones you originally selected if something like this occurs.

Redeemed rewards are delivered via email or U.S. postal address with varying processing times. Although most are gift cards for stores, it’s also possible to redeem your Swagbucks for cash (in increments of $25) via PayPal. PayPal account transfers may take between 10 to 14 business days.

A few other important points about Swagbucks rewards:

  • Rewards are non-transferable and can’t be traded or sold between users.
  • Points expire after two years (even in active accounts), and accounts that have been inactive for more than a year may be closed by the company.

How to maximize your earnings with Swagbucks

Since deals and their associated earning potential are constantly changing, it’s hard to concretely determine the best way to earn rewards with Swagbucks. But here are a few tips to get you started:

  • Start by finding out what works best for you.
  • Determine when and where you’ll be earning Swagbucks. Consider things like how much time you’ll have, how much attention you’ll be able to devote to it, and how stable of an internet connection you might need (especially if completing activities in the app).
  • Earn more by doing activities you actually enjoy. If you know in advance that completing surveys isn’t your thing, focus instead on racking up points by scouring the site for new deals or watching videos.
  • Download Swagbucks mobile apps from the Google Play or Apple App stores so earning is convenient. For example, Swagbucks LIVE is a live trivia game show you can play using the Swagbucks LIVE app.  
  • Make Swagbucks your default search engine so you can earn SB while you search. 
  • Activate the daily goal option to earn bonus Swagbucks. 

Common questions about Swagbucks

Is it safe to use Swagbucks?

Swagbucks is generally safe to use. However, the company also states in its privacy policy that it “cannot ensure or warrant the security of any Personal Information you transmit,” and due to the nature of unsecured internet connections and communications platforms, “any transmission is done at your own risk.” But don’t be scared off! After some digging, we found that Prodege LLC has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau — making it pretty unlikely that users have experienced safety issues.

Is the Swagbucks app free?

The Swagbucks app is free to download.

How much are 50 Swagbucks worth?

Fifty Swagbucks is equivalent to $0.50.

What type of rewards can you earn with Swagbucks points?

Swagbucks users are primarily awarded gift cards, but they can also opt to receive cash rewards paid via PayPal.

How to sign up for Swagbucks

Signing up for Swagbucks is easy, and anyone over the age of 13 with a valid email address can do so. Simply visit the Swagbucks site and register by linking your Facebook account or email. After you’ve signed up, you'll need to complete your Swagbucks profile with your demographic information so it knows which surveys you might be eligible for. 

You can start earning rewards by taking surveys, shopping online, playing games, or even just watching a few videos. Once you’ve earned enough points to afford a Swagbucks reward, you can cash in to start reaping the benefits of your work.

Other side hustles to consider

Although Swagbucks offers a fun way to earn a bit of extra cash, users tend to agree that earnings aren’t significant if you’re serious about how to make money more consistently. If this is the case, you might consider something a bit more lucrative, like embracing a side hustle, taking other, better-paid surveys, or getting a part-time job. Using a budgeting app can also help you work on how to save money every month.

Swagbucks Benefits

  • Get a $5 bonus when you earn 2,500 Swagbucks in the first 60 days of opening your account
  • Earn gift cards for surfing the web and taking fun surveys
  • Over $200,000,000 paid out to members so far! That's 7,000 gift cards each day
  • Earn free gift cards to your favorite stores - Amazon, Target, Walmart, and more

Author Details

Larissa Runkle Larissa writes for FinanceBuzz and divides her time between a cabin in the San Juan Mountains and traveling in a van. She enjoys writing about travel, debt relief, personal loans, and mortgages. Her work has been featured on MagnifyMoney, LendingTree, and Realtor.com. Outside of finance and real estate writing, she’s also at work on several fiction projects. When away from the computer, you’ll find her reading, exploring local trails, and climbing rocks.

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