Those looking into the best ways to make money online have probably heard about people who get paid to take surveys.
As companies search for market research online, they have turned to survey sites to get valuable feedback from consumers.
These sites will pay for the time it takes to give this feedback, though it helps to know how the sites work, and how much you can realistically expect to make.
Swagbucks is one of the biggest online survey sites, offering a wide range of surveys and other simple tasks to accomplish online.
For your time, they reward points that can be redeemed for gift cards and other prizes.
In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive Swagbucks review.
We’ll show how the site works, and explain how it pays people for taking surveys.
We’ll also dive into whether or not Swagbucks is a viable way to make money as well as answer some frequently asked questions about the service.
What Is Swagbucks?
Swagbucks.com is a huge online survey site.
They encourage users to take online surveys, watch videos, or participate in polls.
People who complete these tasks will earn Swagbucks points, which can then be redeemed for Swagbucks rewards.
Swagbucks makes its money from companies that are looking to conduct market research, or advertisers looking to put their product in front of a lot of people.
If you participate in the site, you may be asked one day to provide feedback about what you’re looking for in a mobile phone.
The next day you may watch a video advertising a video game, then offer your feedback on how effective the advertisement was.
For companies looking to reach a wide range of consumers, Swagbucks lets them quickly gather feedback from lots of people online.
Different Types of Surveys on Swagbucks
Swagbucks won’t always ask you to fill out a survey.
They may also request that you:
- Watch videos
- Play games
- Take a daily poll
- Share links on social media
Swagbucks isn’t really a survey site.
It’s more of an online audience connection site, that just so happens to have a bunch of surveys.
Swagbucks’ business model works by finding an online audience for their clients, whatever audience the client wants. If the client wants users to take a survey, Swagbucks can deliver that.
If the client wants a bunch of people to download and test out a new mobile game, Swagbucks will offer rewards for its users to do just that.
Finding Surveys to Take
If you sign up for Swagbucks, there will never be a shortage of surveys to take or tasks to accomplish.
Swagbucks has built its user experience around getting people to check in every day.
If you check off daily tasks, you can earn extra rewards.
Complete multiple days in a row, and you can earn more rewards on top of that.
It’s built sort of like a video game, where you are rewarded for consistent work put in.
Each day, Swagbucks offers seven opportunities to earn Swagbucks, or SB Points.
(Thanks to Reddit for this guide.)
- Daily Poll: A poll that rewards you with 1 SB Point
- Daily Crave: A simple question about whether you like a product or not, for 1 SB Point
- Daily Search: Learn more about using the Swagbucks search engine to earn points
- Daily Watch: Watch a video playlist, can earn 1-3 SB Points
- Daily Discover: Sign up for an online service that partners with Swagbucks, SB Points vary
- Daily Answer: Take a survey for at least 1 SB Point
- Deal of the Day: Changes Daily
Taking all seven of these will result in a daily bonus.
Take them several days in a row and you can earn more.
It can be addicting, which is the point — Swagbucks is trying to reward consistent users and incentivize people logging in and using the site a lot.
How Swagbucks Pays for Surveys
Swagbucks offers its payout in Swagbucks Rewards points or SB Points.
These points can be redeemed for:
- Visa gift cards
- Walmart gift cards
- Target gift cards
- Starbucks gift cards
- Amazon gift cards
- PayPal cash (you’ll need to create a PayPal account)
- Gift cards to tons of other retailers
You can review all of the offers at the Swagbucks Rewards Store.
Swagbucks Review: Is It Worth It?
If you give a quick glance at the Swagbucks Rewards Store, you’ll see very quickly that a lot of these rewards require a lot of SB Points.
For example, a $50 gift card to Best Buy requires 4,875 SB Points.
If you look above at the daily rewards, you’ll see that most of the tasks described will earn you just 1 SB Point.
It takes a long time to accumulate enough points to get anything of value on Swagbucks — don’t count on it as a full-time job.
It’s also worth noting that many of these surveys take time.
A lot of time.
That said, if you’re looking for ways to make money online, we have a comprehensive guide to side gigs as well as a helpful primer on generating passive income streams.
Swagbucks and other sites can be a nice way to earn a little extra in your spare time, or as a quick task to do in the morning as you’re getting settled in at your desk.
If you collect the daily tasks in your free time, SB points can accumulate and can get you gift cards, which you can use for your online shopping.
Our bottom-line Swagbucks review: It’s never going to be a full-time job or a catch-all personal finance solution.
If you like shopping online, however, Swagbucks can be a good way to temper your spending (some users say they limit spending to when they save up enough points for a gift card).
Or it can be a fun way to save up points and then splurge on Christmas presents for friends and family.
Concerns About Scams
People looking to join Swagbucks may be asking: Is Swagbucks legit?
When it comes to Swagbucks, you can rest easy, knowing that they won’t scam you out of your money.
Swagbucks’ parent company, Prodege LLC, has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 2010.
Swagbucks classifies its users as participants who are rewarded, rather than employees, so they don’t have to guarantee users minimum wage.
This isn’t “work” technically, it’s simply you offering your opinion on things and being rewarded with points for it.
If you look at a Swagbucks review or two, you’ll find that some users have complained that they feel “scammed” into believing that they are working for Swagbucks.
But the site makes clear that you never have to participate and what you’re doing doesn’t count as work.
It’s important to understand that before taking part in Swagbucks.
When it comes to other online survey sites, it’s best to exercise caution and do your research.
Some are well known and honest — eBates and TrustPilot are two rewards program competitors that won’t rip you off.
Others, not so much.
Never provide any site with your banking passwords or credit card information, and if a survey site asks you to wire them money, walk away immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve covered Swagbucks, how the business works, how it pays out its users, and whether or not it’s worth it to take part in the site.
Now let’s get to some FAQs.
1. Is there a Swagbucks mobile app?
Yep.
The Swagbucks app keeps you up to date on news and lets you discover Swagbucks offers on the go.
It’s available on Android devices and iPhone.
2. What are Swag Codes?
Swag Codes are hidden bits of texts and messages that appear throughout the Swagbucks site and, if identified, can be redeemed for SB Points.
If this sounds like a video game, that’s because it’s exactly like a video game.
Swagbucks has built a user experience out of getting people to hang out on the site as much as possible, and borrowed ideas from video games to do just that.
3. Can I participate in Swagbucks if I don’t live in the United States?
Yes.
Swagbucks offers surveys for people who live in Australia, Ireland, Canada, India, USA, and the EU.
4. What is the Swag Button?
The Swag Button is an internet browser extension, which automatically gives you a heads-up on sales, cash back deals, and more whenever you are browsing a retailer’s website.
You don’t need to work with Swagbucks to get access to the Swag
Button — anyone can install it.
Making Extra Money With Swagbucks
Swagbucks surveys can be a decent way to bring in a few extra bucks or earn money toward free gift cards — if you’re consistently using it and don’t mind taking the time to answer surveys.
While it certainly doesn’t make sense as a full-time job (or even a part-time job), this Swagbucks review has shown how it can be a fun, somewhat mindless way to redeem points and save on your spending by earning gift cards.
