The premise behind Swagbucks (No Autocorrect, it’s not “swaybacks”) is that you earn points that are redeemable as gift cards by filling out surveys, playing games, watching videos, deal hunting, or actually shopping and other creative ways. I know.. there are a lot of “rewards programs” out there that are scams.
Swagbucks is a 100% legitimate loyalty rewards program, that does multiple millions of dollars in business, and partners with many major brands. They began around 2008 from a fund raising concept where a few cents was donated to charity each time users performed searches through a special search engine.
As a “Swaggernaut” you can earn an internal currency called “Swagbucks” (SB) by taking surveys, playing games, watching videos, searching for deals using the Swagbucks search engine, or shopping online. Each SB is is approximately equal to one cent. Your earned Swagbucks are redeemable for cash deposited to your PayPal account or as gift cards. The gift cards often have a higher value than if you took a cash payment.
A great way to earn a little money on the side or raise funds for a cause you care about. Sort of like a cash back program on steroids!
Target Audience
- Stay at home parents.
- Disabled persons who cannot work an ordinary job.
- Retired folks or students looking for some extra income.
- Those who use gift cards and want to make the most of them.
- People who enjoy shopping.
- .. watching videos.
- .. taking surveys.
- .. playing games.
- .. hunting for bargains.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Very easy way to earn some extra income.
- Can be redeemed as gift cards for greater “cash” value.
- You can earn a little by just doing things online you normally do everyday.
- Earn credits on purchases you normally make.
- A great way to raise a little money to get started in a an online business.
Cons
- Can be very time consuming for a relatively small payoff.
- Not everybody enjoys jumping through hoops for “carrot on the stick” type rewards.
Support
There is a very large Swagbucks community online. There are sites and bulletin boards that actively monitor where you can find special “Swag codes” and other promotions good for extra SB credits.
They also have iOS and Android apps to make it easy to earn rewards from your smartphone.
Price Points
Swagbucks is completely free to join! They collect marketing data, and spread brand awareness as you use their search engine and do tasks above to earn your Swagbucks.
My Verdict – Totally legit!
A fun but time consuming way to earn extra money. Perfect for anyone who has a lot of spare time. But it can generate a little income on things you do everyday, like internet searches and hunting for a good deal.
Swagbucks can be a handy way to raise a little starter income which can be rolled into building a real online business. On this site, I dive into ways to earn income in affiliate marketing, which can be a very lucrative, and much better, return on your time investment. We show you how to get started building your own website into a real business that can pay off big in the long run!
Let’s Get Started!
I hope this little dive into Swagbucks is helpful! Please do feel free to share your thoughts and questions in the comments below! What are your experiences with Swagbucks?
Thank you for your review! I found it very informative and I might even try out this site now that you have mentioned it. It is becoming increasingly harder to find site that are not scams and I am happy that you have identified that this one is legit.
Are there any other sites like this that you recommend? I am going to go try this one out but I wonder if there are other ways to make easy money like this as well.
Hi Hailey, I am glad you found this informative. Swagbucks is great when you need raise a little money quickly. I don’t really know of any other “paid to shop” rewards programs that are as generous as Swagbucks. There are a lot of scams online, so you gotta tread carefully! I’ll keep an eye out and will be writing up articles as I find new programs.
My own favorite way to make “easy money” is building websites and leveraging affiliate programs. It takes a lot of work at first, and you need proper training. Wealthy Affiliate is the best training I’ve found!
Cheers, and best to you!
Hello and thanks for sharing, this is a great way for persons who are not working for what ever reason, the key is once you have the time you can give a shot and earn some cash. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Norman, my pleasure and thank you for responding!
Yes, this is great for those situations when you have the time and need some immediate income. Being out of work for example. You can start earning fairly quickly. Other approaches that are more lucrative in the long run, take some time to become profitable. Swagbucks can be a good way to bridge that gap.
Cheers!
– Oren
Yep, I’m completely agree with your review. SwagBucks is a legit site, but like you said, it is real just for pocket money, we can’t expect to earn big income from here.
Hi Deraj, thanks for your response! Yep, Swagbucks is not an ideal full-time income source unless you get creative and have the time for it! That’s why I prefer building my own WordPress website and monetizing it in ways that work best for me.
Best to you!
– Oren
Hey there, Oren!
This was a nice, quick review of Swagbucks. I agree with your assessment that it’s a legitimate company. They do pay out and I’ve never missed a payment by them. The only issue I have with them is how long it takes to earn SB on your own. Really, the best way to earn with Swagbucks is trying to bring in referrals that have no issue with the earning opportunities from SB.
Do you have reviews of other companies like Swagbucks that might pay out more?
Thanks for the post,
-Nigel
Hi Nigel, Yep, pretty much a quick review as Swagbucks is a rather simple program – and yes, it is very time consuming if you want to earn anything substantial! Good point on their referral program. I have been researching additional companies like this one and will post reviews soon. Stay tuned!
Thanks for dropping in!
– Oren
Hi, Oren. I discovered Swagbucks a few months ago. I don’t use it as much as I used to at first. I used to spend a lot of time taking surveys, but they can be really time consuming, and many times I spend what seems like an eternity answering questions only to discover that they were just screening questions, so I get told I don’t qualify and only get 1 swagbuck. But I still do them occasionally now. All in all, I’d agree that it’s a legit site.
Hi Andy, thanks for sharing your experience! I agree, these rewards programs can be like “pennies at your feet” for all of the time spent. That’s why I really prefer building your own website and monetizing through affiliate programs. The risk is low and the rewards can be big if you do it right and stick with it.
Best to you!
– Oren
Hi Oren,
I have been looking for reviews on how to make money online and I came across your site. I have heard of swag bucks and was curious about it. Your review has helped me very much and I will continue to look into your other reviews of online income choices.
Hello and thanks for chiming in! Glad you found this useful. Swagbucks is a very easy way to generate a little side income. Feel free to check out my “11 Targeted Internet Marketing Niche Ideas” article for some additional ideas on income sources.
All the best to you in your ventures!
– Oren