When it comes to GPT (Get-Paid-To) sites, Swagbucks is one of the most well-known brands. Being a famous survey platform, though, is not necessarily a symbol of success.
Is Swagbucks a scam or a legitimate and worthwhile way to earn money online?
Let me state right away that it is legitimate and one of the most dependable survey sites available.
However, it is not a place for everybody, and in this Swagbucks summary, I will go over what there is to know about the site, including what it offers, what to expect, and what to be mindful of, so you can determine if it is right for you.
Swagbucks Quick Review
What makes Swagbucks shine?
- Easy to use
- Registration is completely free
- Offer sign up bonus
- Low payout threshold
- Gives users birthday present
- Swagbucks Chrome Extension
- A plethora of earning opportunities
- Mobile app to make money on the go
- Multiple ways to redeem rewards
- Excellent customer support service
Swagbucks Overview
What is Swagbucks & How Does It Work?
Swagbucks is not a stand-alone survey platform. It is operated by Prodege LLC.
Prodege LLC is an online American marketing company that was first launched in 2005 and since then, it has continued to grow, and deliver value.
Apart from Swagbucks, Prodege has other consumer loyalty reward and polling programs it runs; MyPoints, ShopAtHome, CotterWeb, and ProdegeMR.
Prodege has recorded several awards in its name:
- It has an A+ rating on BBB – a credible sign of legitimacy.
- For the 5th time in 2018, Prodege was recognized by Prestigious Inc. as one of the fast-growing private businesses in the US.
- For the 4th time again in 2018, Los Angeles Business Journal Survey and Best Companies Award program recognized Prodege LLC as one of the ‘Best Places to work in Los Angeles’.
These things add to the credibility that Prodege is a company you can trust.
Prodege LLC launched Swagbucks in 2008, and they’ve since been rewarding their loyal users with millions of dollars.
It now has over 20 million registered users, making it one of the largest and most popular rewards sites available. The platform has paid out over $490 million in cash and gifts.
Swagbucks Membership Levels
Swagbucks has added membership levels, which is a relatively recent feature. You will level up simply by using the platform.
When you register with the platform, you’ll be able to apply once you’ve made your first 250 SB (more about what SB stands for later) or more.
It’s called a membership recognition program, and it’s a way for them to thank you for being an active member for a long time.
There are ten membership tiers, beginning with Pearl and progressing to Diamond.
With each stage, you gain access to additional benefits such as free points, increased survey incentives, rebates on rewards, and more.
You will get some pretty cool rewards if you reach the top rank.
For example, you’ll get double rewards for the next three surveys, a $250 one-time bonus, and some other perks.
This stage requires you to make a total of 2,000,000 SB, so getting there can take a while.
However, the first few levels are relatively straightforward to achieve, and with consistent work, you can progress to the highest level, which requires little additional effort beyond just using Swagbucks,
So it is, in my mind, a fantastic additional reward for your loyalty.
Even though Swagbucks is available in more nations, this Membership Recognition Program is only available in the United States, Canada, England, and Australia.
Swagbucks Payment Process
Any time you complete a task, you are compensated in SB (the self-adopted currency the platform uses instead of a point).
SB can then be redeemed for a number of gift cards, cash through PayPal, or entry into sweepstakes.
Typically, 100 SB is equivalent to $1. However, there are periods that gift cards are available with coupons, such as when you only need to pay 1900 SB to get a $25 gift card.
If you want to withdraw with PayPal, the payout threshold varies by region, but it is mostly about $5/€5 based on where you live, so it is a good low threshold.
However, you can exchange your SB for a variety of other prizes, and in certain countries, you can get gift cards as soon as you win 100 SB.
Swagbucks has a large range of gift cards compared to many other survey platforms. You can receive gift cards for Amazon, Walmart, iTunes, Target, eBay, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, airlines, restaurants, and a variety of other retailers.
As a result, finding a way to use your earned SB on something that you want should not be complicated.
Sweepstakes (also known as Swagstakes) is another way to redeem your SB.
You can buy entries into various sweepstakes for a limited number of points and thereby increase the chances of winning a larger prize.
Others are time-limited, while some have a very limited number of entries, so keep an eye on the sweepstakes section for some great opportunities to win extra prizes.
What Does Swagbucks Offer?
Swagbucks offers a variety of ways to make money, so let’s take a closer look and see which one is right for you.
I’ll go through them all below, so you can get a clear idea of what’s going on. Just keep in mind that not all of them are available in every country, but you’ll get to understand later.
1. Sign Up Bonus
Swagbucks typically may not give a cash welcome bonus.
However, the $5 welcome bonus is only open to residents of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Australia, Ireland, or Spain, since these are the nations with the most Swagbucks opportunities.
And the shopping incentive is generally exclusive to the United Kingdom and the United States.
See also: Best Survey Sites With Sign Up Bonuses To Make More Money
2. Paid Surveys
Paid polls, in my view, are a perfect way to earn some spare cash while still having your voice heard, and Swagbucks has many of them.
Since Swagbucks has so many users, it’s also a common forum for businesses looking for survey respondents, which means there will be plenty of survey opportunities.
When you first log on to the platform, it might not be obvious where to look for the surveys.
Swagbucks does not have a segment called “surveys” like most other sites that offer paid surveys. Instead of “surveys,” the section where the surveys are located is named “Answer.”
You can also find the daily poll in this section. It’s a quick question that only takes a few seconds to answer, and you’ll be compensated for your time.
You must be mindful, as with most other survey sites, that you will not be eligible to participate in all available surveys. That is how survey sites work.
There will undoubtedly be many that you’re eligible for, and after some time has passed, you will have figured out which survey you most often qualify for, and you will then concentrate on searching for such.
You get to see the reward for each survey straight away, as well as the average time it’ll take to complete it, making it simple to schedule your time efficiently.
Keep in mind that you can unlock some rewards and get a certain amount of bonuses for taking surveys for a certain period of time.
These are important to keep an eye on because they will significantly increase your earnings.
3. Watch Videos
Swagbucks allows you to make money by watching short videos. Let me start by saying that there isn’t much money to be made here.
The topic, the total duration of the playlist, and the reward you will get will be shown, so you know what you’re getting into.
There’s also a fair chance you’ll come across any cool footage. For example, you can find videos in sports, entertainment, fitness, food, politics, fashion, technology, pest, and other categories.
But, if you’re going to watch videos anyway, why not make a little money doing it?
See also: Discover Ways to Get Paid to Watch Netflix
4. Searching The Web
Swagbucks has an online search section where you can earn SB by surfing the internet. It’s also available as a Chrome browser plugin (more about that later).
If you use this, you will have the opportunity to receive prizes every time you conduct a search. You can win 1 to 1000 SB, and the winners are chosen at random.
It doesn’t mention how likely you are to win, but Swagbucks makes it clear that they will not sell or gather personal information based on your search results.
So, if you’re surfing the internet anyway (as we all are), it might be worth a shot.
See also: How to Get Paid to Search the Web
5. Playing Games
By playing games, you can earn yourself some SB in a few different ways.
One choice is to play one of Swagbucks’ free games, and the other is to play a game on a third-party website.
Swagbucks has a few games on their platform that you can play to earn up to 10 SB. It may be a memory game or other related fun little games.
The games on third-party platforms are usually free, but you can still opt to play for real money. It includes games such as slots, the wheel of fortune, Angry Birds, Poker among others.
However, you can only get SB if you make in-game transactions while playing. As a result, you’ll get a cashback offer here.
If you like playing these games in the first place, it may be a fantastic way to save money on games you might have purchased normally.
See also: How to Get Paid to Test Games
6. Swagbucks Offers/Deals
Swagbucks has a range of deals/offers that you can take advantage of. They’re in the “Discover” section of the website.
It is a type of deal in which you are rewarded with SB for completing a specific task.
Signing up for a certain website or service, visiting a website, downloading an app, signing up for a free product preview, signing up for a newsletter, and so forth are all examples.
Typically, you’ll come across what’s known as bid walls, which are available on a variety of similar websites.
You’ll certainly find some decent deals here, but Swagbucks promises even more.
It has a lot of offers that are only available via Swagbucks. And if you keep an eye on them, you can find some incredible bargains and make some fast cash.
Another fantastic deal I discovered was this charity to which you may donate. If you contribute $20 to the charity, you will get a bonus of $25 in your Swagbucks account.
So, by making a good impact and contributing to a cause, you effectively win $5. That, in my mind, is a significant amount.
Be mindful that new deals appear and disappear on a regular basis.
The specific deals can vary for you, but as you can see, there are some excellent opportunities and simple ways to earn money by taking advantage of the offers.
7. Online Shopping
Swagbucks has a long list of partners with which you can get some SB while you buy online.
This extends to many of the online retailers, including Nike, Amazon, Gap, and Walmart, as well as cash back for programs and other local events, based on the location.
You can get cash back in the range of 1% to 50%. Fortunately, most businesses offer more than 1%, and you will get some decent deals this way.
So, if you enjoy shopping online, using the Swagbucks shopping platform to do so can be a fun and fast way to win prizes while still getting some reasonable deals.
Swagbucks has also launched an in-store cashback alternative in a number of countries.
This means that if you add a card to your Swagbucks account, you’ll get cashback every time you shop with that card at those shops.
There aren’t many platforms that deliver in-store cashback deals like this, and in my experience, it’s a perfect way to make a little extra money with little effort.
See also: Best Cashback Platforms to Earn Rewards for Shopping Online
8. Swagbucks Birthday Present
You will receive 55 SB for free via email on your birthday. If you redeem a reward within 30 days after your birthday, you will get this as a rebate.
So, in order to receive this birthday present, you must first click the link sent to you by email, and then redeem a reward within 30 days.
9. Daily Goal Bonus
You will get a boost for doing a specific task on Swagbucks. Immediately you sign in, you’ll be able to see what your regular earnings target is for the day.
If you do this for several days in a row, you will get a bonus based on how long your streak is.
This might be a cool little extra reward to aim for if you have spare time every day to complete these tasks.
10. Swagbucks Daily To-Do List Bonus
You can have the target bonus in addition to the regular daily goals bonus. Swagbucks also generates a regular to-do list for you.
You get an added bonus that day if you complete these tasks. Usually, the list consists of 8 tasks. You get a 4 SB bonus if you complete 6 of the task.
You’ll get an even better bonus if you complete all the tasks on the list.
11. Swagbucks Referral Program
Swagbuck referral program is another way to make money on the platform. You get a 10% commission when you invite your friends and family to join Swagbucks.
The commission you get is provided by Swagbucks and not the people you referred. So, they get their rightful earning while you get appreciated with a 10% of their earning.
See also: Best Ways to Get Referrals for Paid Surveys and GPT Sites
12. Swagcode Option
Occasionally, on the Swagbucks Facebook page and other social media platforms, codes and promotional deals are often shared.
Getting these codes is a great way to get free SB.
The codes will not earn you a big reward, but they will only take a few seconds to complete, so it might be worthwhile to increase your earnings with this option.
13. Contests and Swagstakes
Swagbucks holds contests on a daily basis. Some of them are announced on their blog, while others can be found after logging in.
Also, there are contests on Swagbucks that require you to use your SB to enter, these are known as Swagstakes. It might, for example, be a $250 contest with a 2 cent entry fee.
There are also competitions like this where you can win coffee machines, PayPal cash AirPods, and other prizes.
So, if you’re lucky enough, these competitions might provide you with a chance to win some fantastic prizes.
14. Upload receipts / in-store deals
Swagbucks also offers in-store deals and access to coupons, which is something I haven’t seen on many GPT pages. This means that you can get discounts that you can use in a variety of retailers.
You can get cashback into your Swagbucks account if you use them to purchase those products. You can also win by purchasing those goods in physical retailers and then uploading a receipt to Swagbucks to receive cashback incentives like this.
Some perks are very substantial, and new products are included on a regular basis.
These are items you’re likely to purchase anyway, such as Chocolate, Bread, Mayo, Books, Cereals, and a variety of other items.
And if you don’t purchase any of the things on the list, you can still win by submitting any receipt from a grocery store or fast food purchase.
Swagbucks Pros
1. Swagbucks Chrome Extension
Swagbucks also has the Swagbutton, which is a Chrome extension.
It can be very helpful if you want to save money while shopping online and have access to coupon codes that can help you save a lot of money.
Once you’ve activated the Swagbutton, you’ll get an instant notification in your Chrome window if a new Swagbucks coupon code or cashback deal becomes accessible.
You may also use the Swagbutton to quickly see if the platform you’re on has any discounts or sales. You can get a $10 bonus after you make your first order and get cash back via the Swagbutton.
If you do a lot of online shopping, having this Chrome extension enabled can be a fantastic way to save money.
This Chrome extension can also help you earn more Swagbucks by viewing movie trailers, short video clips, and other videos while browsing the web.
When you use the Swagbutton, you’ll even get special Swag Codes for free points. The Swagbutton is simple to set up and use.
It is free to download and install, and once you have done so, all you have to do is toggle the SwagButton in your browser to begin using it.
2. Make Money On the Go
If you want to use Swagbucks on the go, you can download the Swagbucks app after you’ve signed up. It’s compatible with Android, iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad/tablets. It works better on newer devices.
It’s a lot easier to raise money with a survey and GPT platform that has an interface so you can do it on the go.
It’s something you should do when standing in line, waiting for a mate, or if you have a few minutes to spare, for example.
Using the Swagbucks app also has the benefit of allowing you to see local sales and, in some ways, make some money while you eat or buy locally.
3. Excellent Customer Service
It is important for every GPT or survey platform to be able to offer good customer service. Hopefully, you won’t need it, but it is nice to know that it is available if you do.
Known for a prompt response, Swagbucks provides outstanding customer service in my opinion.
You may either reach out to their customer support team on the Facebook page or submit a help ticket on the website.
Swagbucks Cons
1. Has Limited Option In Some Countries
The Cons of using Swagbucks is that they are a US-based company, so residents outside the US might find themselves with limited options to earn rewards.
Also, most of their gift cards only work in the US.
Alternatives To Swagbucks
There are many other services like Swagbucks that lets you take surveys and perform various research tasks in order to make money in your spare time. These sites include:
- Clickworker
- iSurveyWorld
- SurveyLion
- ySense
- Valued Opinions
- SurveySavvy
- LiteGPT
- Mobrog
- E-Research
- Univox Community
FAQs
Who can join Swagbucks?
Swagbucks was only available in a few countries until recently. However, it has now become more or less free, and people from all over the world can now register.
However, it will also have very few choices in several nations.
To ensure that you have access to all the opportunities mentioned earlier in this review, you must reside in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Spain, or France.
You can register from India, the Philippines, Denmark, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Norway, Malaysia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, and a number of other nations.
However, the number of choices for earning in these countries is still very small.
Swagbucks accepts members as young as 13 years old, but this varies by region. If you are under the age of 18, you may require your guardian’s permission in certain countries.
How much money can you make?
Several important factors that determine how much you can make include your available time, how many opportunities you have, your location, and a variety of other factors.
However, one thing that can be said about survey sites like Swagbucks, in general, is that they are not going to make you wealthy.
As a result, you shouldn’t join with a mindset to get rich through the platform.
Swagbucks has a lot of other cool ways to earn rewards. Some of them are really simple to do, and it has a lot of great discounts and deals that will also help you boost your earnings.
So there’s a high chance of making some reasonable money if you put more effort every day.
Are there any complaints about Swagbucks?
So far, Swagbucks seems to be a decent way to earn some extra cash, right?
Swagbucks has been able to attract too many users for a cause, and people are most enthusiastic about it. There will still be some complaints about every survey or GPT platform.
A common criticism about survey sites is that people get annoyed because they don’t get to qualify for enough surveys.
However, you should not look forward to getting qualified for all surveys on any paid survey website. With time, you will find out what types of surveys you are most likely to qualify for, and you can then focus on those.
Can your points expire?
Yes, your Swagbucks points will expire.
A member’s account may be considered inactive if they have not claimed rewards or redeemed any points in six months. The SB points you receive will expire two years after they are earned.
Most people, I think, would like to cash out their earnings faster, but if you like earning as many points as possible before cashing out, keep in mind that they will expire if you delay too long.
Conclusion
Swagbucks has a lot of ways to make money and a lot of different prizes to pick from. Because of the many options, it will take some time to learn your way around the web at first, but it is not difficult.
The disadvantage is that it has restricted opportunities in some nations, but this has recently changed, and you can now enter from almost any nation, which is fantastic.
However, if you live in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Spain, or France, it is a fantastic platform to join.
If you do not live in any of these countries, you can check some of the alternatives provided above, as these sites can provide you with more choices in other countries.
Ready To Join and Receive Your Joining Bonus?
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With a tap on the button below, providing your email address or contact information on your Facebook will allow you to sign up on Swagbucks’ website.