There’s been a lot of hubbub about some site called Swagbucks that’s apparently been paying people free gift cards to goof around on the internet. 

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…riiigghht. We’ll just see about that.

We created our Swag accounts, scoped out the site, and made sure to leave no stone unturned—We swaged it up, if you will. 

All in preparation to answer those nagging questions (is Swagbucks worth it, is Swagbucks legit, is it a scam?) 

And now we’re here to give you the lowdown. 

Is Swagbucks Legit?

Well… yeah… But only when you know how to use Swagbucks in the exact right way!

Otherwise, you’re just going to end up sitting on your computer for 3+ hours, diligently working to earn free money, only to find a measly $1.73 in your Swagbucks account… Let’s not do that.

Swag correctly! Follow the advice laid out in the article, and you’ll be cashin’ out free gift cards with little to no effort. (Kinda like this one.)

What is Swagbucks?

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Swagbucks is a free membership site that pays you in gift cards and cash for doing things you’re already doing online. They are best known for their “paid” surveys but they also give you free gift cards for searching the web, watching videos, playing games and shopping!

Related Post: How To Get Free Amazon Gift Cards: 25+ Lazy Ways 

What’s the Best Way to Use Swagbucks?

First things first, start out with a free $10 gift card pre-loaded in your account from the start when you sign up with our link.

After signing up, you’ll find their handy-dandy “Earn your SB” tool bar located on the homepage. 

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But to be frank, a few of these ‘money earning’ opportunities are bigger time thieves than cash cows. 

So to help you out, we’ve put together a list that shows exactly which SB earners you’ll want to use, and which ones you’d best avoid. (That way you can swag like a pro from the get go). Sound good? Start the count down! 

Swagbucks Hacks To Make It Worth It


6. DO NOT ‘Watch’

Watching videos on Swagbucks pays diddly squat! 1 penny—That’s all their willing to pay you to watch not just 1 video, but 12 videos. 12 mind-numbingly boring, advertisement packed, slow loading videos…

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For a single cent. 

Yea, that’s a hard pass. Don’t waste your time watching videos on this site for Swagbucks. 

5. DO NOT ‘Answer’

The promise of 5000 Swag Bucks ($50) is enticing, but do yourself a favor a steer clear of the Swagbucks’ surveys.  

For one, you’ll spend more time getting booted from surveys than actually taking them.  10 questions into the survey, you can still be categorized as an unsuitable candidate and get kicked out (No swag for you!).

From my personal experience, I’d be lucky to get admitted into 1 in every 10 surveys I attempted… giving me this devastatingly low earning profile: 

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Yeah, that says I only earn 2 cents per every 10 questions I answer! Thanks, but no thanks Swagbucks… There’s a million other things I’d rather do than earn $0.25/hour.

Do yourself a favor and avoid Swagbucks’ Surveys like the plague 

(If you are interested in making real money and free gift cards with surveys, check out this list of surveys that give you free amazon gift cards instead). 

4. Consider ‘PLAY’

Swagbucks has partnered with GSN’s online gaming website. That means if you love playing GSN’s online games, like Bejeweled 2, *AND* you spend money playing those games…

Swagbucks is willing to hook you up with a multitude of lucrative cashback deals 

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I’m talkin’ to all you GSN players out there! Your future Amazon, Walmart, or Starbucks gift cards are waiting right here to be redeemed by you! 

3. USE ‘Discover’

Do you buy Coffee-Mate coffee creamer? Swagbucks is willing to pay you $13 in free gift card money for purchasing this single tub.

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Be sure to use this ‘Discover’ money-saving tool! It’s chock-full of stuff you’re bound to buy from the grocery store, Walmart, or online at Amazon. But rather than pay full price, let Swagbucks load up your account with free gift cards for your favorite stores and restaurants. 

I mean, come on… you were just going to be buying this stuff anyways… 

2. USE ‘Shop’

Never pay full price for anything online! Before you embark on your next *online* shopping spree at Amazon, Walmart.com, Target.com, eBay, or any other online retailer’s website, head to the Swagbucks’ Shop first. 

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They’ve got exclusive cashback deals for all the major online retailers! So don’t be shopping online unless you know you’re getting free gift cards in return. 

Related Post: Is Ebates Legit? (get up to 40% cash back online shopping)

And if you’ve got a bad memory, like I do, you may want to consider the SwagButton. 

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This convenient little button is your solution to *never* missing a hidden cash back opportunity. Before checking out online, this button will alert you of any Swagbucks cash-back available on your order. At that point, you just click the button, and you’re done. You’ll checkout like normal, have a more Swagbucks in your account, and be that much closer to redeeming your next free gift card.

1. USE ‘Search’ (Our #1 Way To Earn Money On Swagbucks)

Swagbucks’ Search is the *definition* of free money. Use the Swagbucks search engine in place of Google search, and you’ll stumble upon keywords that earn you free money!  

The average person earns about 15 Swagbucks a day from Swagbucks’ Search, or  $5 a month! 

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Swagbucks is legitimately willing to buy you a free Starbucks coffee every single month just for using their search engine. And it’s a good search engine. So… why not, right? 

Download Swagbucks (and grab that free $10), make their search engine your default search engine, and start making free money!

Bonus Hack to earn Swagbucks: Do the Daily Pole.

Answer their cutesy and fun daily poll question, and earn 1 SB. It takes a half second.

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Even More Ways to Earn Swagbucks With Their Apps

We aren’t done yet! Let’s get another countdown going. Swagbucks has 6 apps available on iOS, and, as to be expected, not all of them are worth your time… But a couple of them absolutely are! Which of these Swagbucks apps are legit? Let’s find out.

6. DO NOT download ‘Movie clips’

This app pays so little, it probably doesn’t even cover the energy it costs to run the app on your phone.

It’s official, watching videos for money is not legit on Swagbucks. 

5. DO NOT download Answer

Just like on Swagbucks’ main website, most survey’s kick you out 5-10 questions in. You spend more time trying to take a survey than actually taking a survey. What’s more,  their ‘estimated completion times’ are drastically underestimated.  A 10 minute survey is going to take you 30 minutes at least! 

4. DO NOT download Swagbucks’ Bowling: 

Finicky controls, cheesy elevator music, and 15 second add interruptions every 3 frames. It’s not worth the 1 SB per game.

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3. Consider Shop:

If you shop online from your cell phone, then you’ll definitely want to consider getting the shop app. It’s your convenient hub for all of your Swagbucks’ cash back opportunities right on your phone

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2. Get SwagIQ

How’s your random trivia knowledge? I hope it’s good because it’s about to earn you a lot of money! Compete against 3000 other people in Swagbucks’ *live* trivia game for a chance to win $1000+ every day! All you have to do? Answer 10 questions correctly. (The first 2 questions tend to be softballs.) 

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But even if you don’t answer all the questions correctly (and subsequently get disqualified from the grand prize), you’re still eligible to earn bonus Swagbucks! Just make sure you answer all the questions, stay till the end of the game, and you’ll cash out with a few extra Swag Bucks. And you’ll have a great time doing it. 

Pro tip: Do not rejoin the game! It’s a surefire way to lose your hard-earned Swag Bucks.  

1. Get Local:

Going out for dinner tonight? Get ‘Local’, and earn Swagbucks! 

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Swagbucks Local maps out all of the coffee shops, restaurants, and retailers in your area that are ready to pay you in free Swagbucks for trying them. What’s more, this app is extremely simple to use. 

  • Step 1) Link your credit or debt card to the app
  • Step 2) Use the app to find a place you’d like to eat, drink, or shop
  • Step 3) Pay with your linked card

Swagbucks FAQ

1. Is Swagbucks free to join?

Yes, Swagbucks is free! Just create an account (grab your free $10 gift card), and you’re ready to start earning free gift cards for goofing around on the internet.

2. Do you get paid real money with Swagbucks?

You know it! Each Swagbuck has a value of 1 cent. (100 SB = $1.00). This money can be redeemed in two ways: You can either transfer this money into your Paypal account (money in the bank!) or you can redeem it for a free gift card!

3. Is Swagbucks safe to use? 

Absolutely! They don’t need any of your personal information other than your email. After you earn a free gift card, they send the redemption code to your email for you to download. It’ll look a little something like this:

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4. What is the fastest way to earn money on Swagbucks?

Use Swagbucks Search. It’s no-brainer money that will have you walking out of Starbucks with a free Blond Vanilla Latte every month. For more information, scroll back up and read our countdown detailing the best ways to earn money on Swagbucks! 

Is Swagbucks Worth It? Final Swagbucks Review

When used the *right* way (see above) Swagbucks is a legit way to earn easy (free) money! 

From simply “testing” out the site I easily earned a $10 Starbucks Gift Card!

Grab your first (of many) $10 Gift Cards when you sign up for Swagbucks with our link

Alright, that is our final stance on “Is Swagbucks Legit”. 

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