Swagbucks Review: Is Swagbucks Worth It?

Swagbucks is legit. It is free to join, it pays in gift cards and PayPal cash, and it has been paying members since 2008. Whether it is worth your time depends on how you use it: it pays best as a cash back portal for shopping you already do, and only a few dollars an hour if you rely on surveys alone.

This Swagbucks review covers how it works, what it really pays, how cashing out works, the pros and cons, and who should skip it.

What is Swagbucks?

Swagbucks is an online rewards program run by Prodege, the same company behind InboxDollars and MyPoints. You earn points called SB for everyday online activity like answering surveys, shopping through its portal, playing games and trying offers. You then trade those points for gift cards or PayPal cash.

We have reviewed dozens of survey and rewards sites (see the full list of paid survey sites), and Swagbucks stands out for the number of ways to earn, not for what any single survey pays.

Is Swagbucks a Scam?

Bottom line: No, Swagbucks is not a scam. It never asks for payment to join, it has been operating since 2008, and the company says it has paid members hundreds of millions of dollars in gift cards and cash.

The complaints you will see are mostly about three things: surveys that screen you out, offers that fail to credit, and rewards that are held for verification. Those are real annoyances, and they are covered below, but they are not signs of a scam. The honest criticism of Swagbucks is that most tasks pay very little for the time they take.

How Swagbucks Works?

You earn SB for completing tasks, and 100 SB equals $1. Your balance builds in your account until you redeem it in the rewards store.

The process is the same on the website and in the mobile app:

1. Create a free account and confirm your email address.
2. Fill out your profile so surveys can be matched to you.
3. Pick a way to earn: surveys, shopping, games, offers, search or videos.
4. Watch your SB balance grow, then redeem it for a gift card or PayPal cash.

How to Sign Up for Swagbucks

Signing up takes a couple of minutes. Head to Swagbucks, enter your email address and a password, then confirm your email when the message arrives. You have to confirm the address before your account is fully active.

Swagbucks bonus: New members can earn 1,000 SB, worth $10. It is not paid just for signing up. You need to spend at least $25 on a qualifying purchase through the Swagbucks shopping portal within 30 days of joining. If you have no purchase planned, skip the bonus and do not spend money to get it. Our page on the Swagbucks sign up code walks through the bonus terms.

After confirming your account, you can pick up a few easy SB by filling out your profile and installing the SwagButton browser extension, which reminds you to activate cash back when you shop.

Making Money With Swagbucks

Swagbucks will not replace a paycheck. It is beer money, and the amount depends heavily on which features you use. Here is what each one really pays.

• Surveys. Swagbucks says its surveys pay from 25 to 500 SB, with most paying 100 to 300 SB. That is $1 to $3 per survey. If a 200 SB survey takes you 20 minutes, you are earning $6 an hour, and less once you count the surveys you do not qualify for.
• Shopping cash back. You earn SB as a percentage of what you spend at stores in the portal. This is where I get the most value, about $20 to $40 a month on purchases I was already making. It is one of the best cash back apps for that reason.
• Games and offers. These carry the largest single payouts, but many require a purchase, a deposit or reaching a set level in a game. Read the terms before you start one.
• Search, videos and daily tasks. Most of the simple free tasks earn between 1 and 15 SB, which is $0.01 to $0.15 each. Treat them as filler.
• New member bonus. 1,000 SB ($10) after a qualifying $25 portal purchase in your first 30 days.

If surveys are the main reason you are here, compare Swagbucks against the other highest paying survey sites first. Several of them pay about the same per survey with fewer distractions.

Swagbucks Hacks: How to Make Money?

There are no secret tricks, but a few habits make a clear difference to what you earn per hour.

• Start every online order from the portal or the SwagButton. Cash back on spending you already planned is the best return on Swagbucks.
• Work out pay per minute before you take a survey. Check the SB on offer and the estimated length, and skip the long ones with low pay.
• Keep your profile complete and consistent. It cuts down on screenouts.
• Take a screenshot when you start an offer. If it does not credit, you will need proof for support.
• Avoid offers that need a deposit or subscription unless you wanted the product anyway.
• Redeem regularly. Do not let a large balance sit in the account.

How Swagbucks Cashout Works

You redeem SB in the rewards store. Gift cards start at about $3 (300 SB) and cover retailers like Amazon, Target and Walmart. PayPal cash is also available in set amounts, so check the lowest one in the rewards store before you plan around it.

A few rules matter here:

• Swagbucks says electronic gift cards and PayPal rewards can take up to 10 business days to process.
• For PayPal, the name and email on your Swagbucks account must match your PayPal account.
• You have to verify a reward order within 7 days, or it is refunded and the SB go back to your balance.
• SB do not expire while your account is active. An account that is not logged into for 12 months is deactivated and its SB are lost.

If waiting up to 10 business days does not work for you, look at the other apps that pay you real money, where some pay out the same day.

Swagbucks Pros/Cons

Here is what to weigh when you ask whether Swagbucks is worth it for you.

Pros

• Free to join, and it never asks for payment information to sign up.
• Many ways to earn, so you are not stuck waiting on surveys.
• Cash back on shopping you already do.
• Gift cards from about $3, plus a PayPal option.
• Open to members 13 and older.

Cons

• Low pay per hour on surveys, searches and videos.
• The $10 bonus requires a $25 purchase.
• Rewards can take up to 10 business days to arrive.
• Survey screenouts and offers that fail to credit are the usual complaints.
• The dashboard is busy, and it is easy to spend time on tasks that pay pennies.

Is Swagbucks Worth Your Time?

Swagbucks is worth it if you shop online regularly and want cash back, or if you like having several small ways to earn in one account. Used that way, it pays for things you would be doing anyway.

Skip Swagbucks if:

• You need money this week. Payouts are small and can take up to 10 business days.
• You only want to take surveys and nothing else.
• You would have to make a purchase you did not plan just to unlock the bonus.
• You get frustrated by being screened out of surveys.

If you only want surveys, a dedicated panel is a better fit. Our Survey Junkie review covers the one we use most.

For everyone else, Swagbucks is free to try, and there is nothing to lose by opening an account and running your next online order through it.

Swagbucks FAQs

Here is a list of the most frequently asked Swagbucks questions and answers.