Is Swagbucks Safe or a Scam? All You Need to Know!

Are you interested in making some side earnings while you’re wondering what to do at home or looking for ways to make money online?

If you want to generate an additional passive income in your house, opening a Swagbucks account might give you excellent chances to earn cash or win rewards.

You should all know that this website will not make you rich overnight and probably won’t replace your full time income. It’s important not to get blinded by dreams of easy money and to stay careful about online activities that seem too good to be true.

Is Swagbucks Legit?

Legit or a scam? That’s a question many people ask when they learn about a new way to make extra money without doing any serious job. Based on our tests, the program was safe to use.

The Swagbucks website is secure and legitimate, so you should feel comfortable using it. It’s also a good idea to check the company’s Better Business Bureau profile to ensure they abide by customer review standards, among other practices.

The company allegedly has paid more than $760,000,000 in rewards, gift cards, and cash. Many sources (including us) could give a positive answer to the question, “Is Swagbucks legit?”

What is Swagbucks?

Swagbucks was created in 2008 in California and is a prevalent platform. It is among the global leaders in digital reward platforms, enabling consumers, brands, and favorite retailers worldwide to celebrate their passions. The company rewards millions of members for online shopping, watching videos, playing games, answering surveys, and trying new products.

The platform connects customers and brands, and it makes money by being a large-scale affiliate marketer earning money by providing companies with qualified leads (Swagbucks’ customers).

It is a win-win situation for everyone. Customers enjoy gift cards, save money on purchases, and even make money online, while brands get extra exposure and new leads. And since it is a middleman, Swagbucks receives commissions. This is the same way Monetha works, too, though it is far more straightforward compared to Swagbucks.

How Does It Work?

Before you join Swagbucks, you should tick two boxes: first, you should be aged 13 or more, and second, you should have an email address. 

The system is pretty basic and is centered around points called SB. 1 Swagbuck (SB) is worth 1 cent, so for each 100SB, you generate $1 in value. Currently, 578 unique benefits in the US include brands like Amazon, Apple, Overstock, Walmart, and other gift cards from popular chains. This is, in a nutshell, how Swagbucks works.

You have to sign up by entering your email address. Membership is free; all you have to do is start participating in different online activities.

Ways to Earn Rewards with the App

Swagbucks gives you various opportunities to make money online, most of which are easy as a breeze. Let’s find out the most popular ways to earn as a Swagbucks member:

Invite friends

One of the best ways to make money with Swagbucks is to refer your friends and family members. Once they sign up with your affiliate link, they will receive a generous $10 welcome bonus.

You, on the other hand, will receive 10% of your earnings for a lifetime! So, if you’re an influencer who can bring many devoted people with a link, you could earn cash in a legitimate way without lifting your finger. 

Shop online through Swagbucks

Swagbucks will help you earn money when you shop online. The possibilities are endless, with a plethora of gift vouchers, cash payouts, and a large selection of merchandise from brands like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Nike, Expedia, and Sephora.

You can receive cash back or discounts by shopping online through their website. Different campaigns might be even more lucrative. Still, Swagbucks is not an online rewards program by nature, and it is not designed to be the best fit for such activities. If you’re looking for that, check out Monetha and its program.

If you look for loyalty programs, you might look elsewhere, as plenty of platforms specialize in providing unique ways to save money as you spend (more about that at the end of this article).

Participate in paid surveys

Polls and surveys are a fantastic opportunity for their customers, as they can be a great source of stable points. Remember: the more you share your opinion, the easier it will be to perform well in future polls.

However, not all polls are created equal. Some of them bring more SB points than others and take different times to complete. So, before taking surveys, it’s always a good idea to evaluate the time you’ll spend and weigh it against the benefits. In some cases, you might be better off taking two 5-minute surveys, each worth 15SB, instead of a 10-minute survey worth 20SB.

Watch videos

It is pretty straightforward – you can earn gift cards by watching videos. Not that bad, is it? Of course, do not expect a hefty paycheck for your efforts.

Use their browser

If you use Swagbuck’s own search engine, you can generate a good income, too. You can get some striking deals, as well. You can get the most value if you make it a default search and lurk for good opportunities.

While you earn points when you search the web with their browser (which is powered by Yahoo!), we are concerned that it may be selling your personal data. If you want your personal data to be truly safe, look into cash back systems like Monetha, where every morsel of personal data is encrypted and safe.

Swagbucks Play

Is it a miracle, or can you really make money or earn points by playing games? That’s not a lie. You can earn some cash by playing selected games that have bonuses or if you spend on games.

While it is an amazing option on paper, it isn’t that good in real life, at least from our experience. Some levels seemed impossible to reach within the time frame granting free gift cards or any other prize they had.

SwagButton

You can add the SwagButton browser extension to your computer to earn more money for doing things you already do.

It will help you find cash back from relevant coupon codes, alert you to unique savings opportunities, and notify you of earning possibilities with just one click.

How Much Do They Pay?

Many sources claim you could make lots of money using Swagbucks. However, you can’t trust everything you read on the internet because there are plenty of fake reviews, too. That’s why it’s best to see if something is stated on the official website on how to earn money on Swagbucks and how much of it.

Fortunately, Swagbucks is pretty transparent when stating how much monthly money you can make. According to them, it is possible (whether it’s probable or not is an entirely different story) to make $100 per day.

From our experience, it was possible to make between $2 and $3 per day, but making $5-10 is also possible if you spend a lot of time on the website. However, we don’t recommend spending 4 hours daily using the Swagbucks search engine, filling out surveys, and gaming for an extra $2-3.

Cashing Out: How do You Get Paid?

You can spend your points in many different ways. Here are a few options:

Gift Cards

Gift cards are one of the most popular ways to spend your points. They can be used for shopping at some of the most popular stores, like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and others. By the way, gift cards also have the most positive Swagbucks review.

PayPal

You can exchange your SB for PayPal cash if you have a PayPal account. You can currently choose between $5 and $25 on Swagbuck’s official website. For that purpose, you need to spend from 500 to 25000 Swagbucks points.

Charity Donations

Various charity organizations are waiting for your help, so if you are just using the website for fun, you can do a good deed and donate your Swagbucks points to a charity.

Pros and Cons

As with all similar programs and survey sites, this one has its big advantages and disadvantages. Here’s our honest Swagbucks review:

Pros

There are many things to like with Swagbucks. Let’s see them.

• It’s free – Many promising websites offer different programs, but they are freemium. Swagbucks has no “but” clause, and it’s completely free, so anyone aged 13+ might join the platform.

• It allows you to have a side income – If you’re looking for a side income, this website can make you around $50-100 per month if you have time to spare. There are many activities that you can do.

• There are great promotions on gift cards – they offer hot discounts on gift cards, and sometimes you can earn free gift cards, too. By default, 100SB is worth $1, but you can receive $25 gift cards for 20,000 or 22,000SB, which is even better.

• You can redeem points in many ways – Among the best things about Swagbucks is that you have plenty of ways to get your points. If you want to earn cash, then you can use PayPal. If you want a gift card for a popular chain, then so be it

Cons

Swagbucks may seem incredible at first sight, but it is far from ideal. Let’s see some things that will make you think twice before signing up.

• Small payouts – While there are many ways to earn with Swagbucks, it doesn’t mean you will actually make that much. On their official website, it looks like you can make up to $100 daily. From our experience, you should be happy if you achieve this within a month.

• Too much time investment – To generate a decent income, you might need to spend a lot of time doing different activities. If you have some spare time, it’s okay, but if you have a profession, you will make much more money practicing it in a full- or part-time job and even as a freelancer.

• Not eligible for many surveys – When you sign up, you will encounter a lot of polls in which you can participate. However, it’s not exactly like that. You won’t be eligible for many of them, so your choice to complete surveys becomes quite limited.

Best Tips to Maximize Your Income from the Website

As with everything in life, some people generate more than others. It’s no different in Swagbucks. There are individuals who have amassed $10,000+ while others struggle to withdraw $100. Let’s see some tips and tricks to maximize your profits from the platform.

• Dedicate enough time – if you spend no time on the platform, there is no need to sign up at all, and you can always start with free trials that do not require you to commit. Unlike platforms that award shopping activities, this one is more oriented towards people who spend more time.

• Use their search engine – to get the best value. You should utilize their search engine, which will generate more points. It will also give you access to more exclusive deals and make the most value out of each situation. Also, to get the latest deals, you should follow the Swagbucks Discover page.

• Promote the app heavily – since you will earn 10% of your invited friends’ lifetime value, the best way to utilize this function is to spam your friends. But don’t target them very aggressively, as the last few you want are to annoy your best buds over a platform that won’t even make you millions.

• Join Reddit threads and Facebook Groups – every platform has its “moments” when users can grab exclusive deals for a limited time. To ensure you will always have access to the latest news in Swagbucks world, you should join Swagbucks Watch groups and threads where you can monitor the most profitable deals on that specific day.

Conclusion: Is Swagbucks Worth It?

Is Swagbucks worth it completely depends on your goals. If you’re a teenager or a university student who has lots of spare time and wants to make a small side income. It’s completely legit, and making around $50-100 will be an outstanding option. In some places around the world, 50 to 100 bucks are still considered a decent side income.

However, it turns out that your time investment is far too huge for Swagbucks to be a reliable way to earn online. Many activities that are available on the web are too time-consuming, and if you calculate the profit against the time spent, it turns out there are much better ways to make a living and plenty more other online activities, too.

Swagbucks Alternatives

Swagbucks isn’t the only app that awards your efforts with money. Many alternatives are similar to or even better than those offered by California-based companies.

• Monetha – Monetha is one of the best cash back programs available on the market. It is simple yet very straightforward. It enables you to receive real money as you shop, and there are almost 500 stores available. The more you spend, the more you’ll save.

• Survey Junkie – this is a dedicated survey portal. It gives you a great opportunity to make some extra money by filling out online. In fact, you can earn up to $3 on most surveys, and you can generate a high income with it. Basically, the more you answer surveys, the more you get.

• InboxDollars – InboxDollars, as you can see from the name, allows you to earn by reading emails, spending time playing games, completing surveys, and browsing online. Unlike Swagbucks, you don’t start earning points. Instead, you get paid in real currency.

• MindsPay – MindsPay promises large payouts. But how does that resonate in numbers? Up to $50 per customer review or survey and up to 50 cents per email. While we haven’t personally tested this service, many complaints about it could make you think twice before joining it.

• Toluna – Toluna is one of the largest market research companies in the world, with many survey participants. It has internal social media, too, so members can interact with other users and discuss their experiences with various products (read our Toluna review here).

• Rakuten – like Monetha, Rakuten is an amazing program. The platform, formerly known as Ebates, is an online shopping portal where consumers can find the best deals on everything from mobile devices to auto parts to clothing and more.