Making money from online games is becoming increasingly popular. Swagbucks is one of several different platforms you can use, so here’s how it works.
What is Swagbucks?
Swagbucks is a rewards site that pays you for completing tasks such as filling in surveys, watching videos, or playing games. You don’t need any special skills to do this, and as you complete the various tasks you earn Swagbucks points, known as SB.
Each SB is worth around $0.01 and you can redeem these points for cash via PayPal or to buy gift cards for partner retailers such as Amazon, M&S, Tesco and Caffe Nero.
How does it work?
To get started, you’ll need to use Swagbucks on your phone. You can then:
Play games: Earn SB by playing Swagbucks’s online library of games or by downloading them and playing them on your smartphone. You can earn between 100 and 25,000 SB depending on the game.
Shop online: Earn SB points for every pound you spend at certain retailers, plus get access to exclusive deals and vouchers.
Watch videos: Earn points by watching videos through Swagbucks or its partners.
Complete surveys and polls: Earn SB by answering surveys and polls. Most surveys pay around 100 to 300 SB.
Search the web: You can earn points when you search the web using Swagbucks’s Yahoo powered search engine.
Tell your friends: Refer your friends to Swagbucks and you’ll earn 10% of their earnings for as long as they’re a member.
Scan receipts: When you buy specific items, scan your receipts through the app and earn cashback on your purchases.
Find Swag Codes: Download the SwagButton browser extension to receive notifications about Swag Codes. Your mission is to find these codes on Swagbucks’s social media pages, in the app and so on. You can earn around 2-3 SB per code.
When you want to redeem your points, the minimum threshold for cashing out to PayPal is 2,500 SB points ($25), while gift cards can start from 300 SB points ($3). It can take between 1-3 days or 7-10 days to receive your reward, depending on the reward type.
What to watch out for
The time and effort you need to put into earning SB points depends on the task, with some, such as gaming and completing surveys, taking longer than others, such as online shopping and searching the web.
You should also be aware that some users have complained of being disqualified for surveys and payout rates can be low. So don’t expect this to provide you with a regular, steady income – it won’t.
Is Swagbucks safe?
Swagbucks is a legitimate platform and, for added security, you can set up a security question on your account to confirm your identity. Swagbucks also says that if you want to complete surveys through the site or app, you don’t need to provide personally identifying data and all data is kept anonymous.
Our verdict: Is Swagbucks worth joining?
Swagbucks offers a quick and accessible way to earn a bit of extra income online. However, if you’re aiming for the higher payouts, you’ll need to commit more time – particularly to tasks like surveys, offers, and mobile games.
According to Swagbucks, you can earn around $50 to $250 (around £37 to £187) a month with moderate effort, or up to $350 (around £262) a month with significant effort. So you’ll need to consider how much time you’re prepared to dedicate to Swagbucks for fairly limited returns. If Swagbucks isn’t for you, there are alternative platforms where you can earn money by playing games and completing surveys. Freecash is a popular alternative for many users.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you won’t need to pay any joining fees to use Swagbucks.
As you complete tasks, you earn SB points that can then be redeemed for PayPal credit or to buy gift cards for partner retailers such as Amazon, M&S, Tesco and Caffe Nero.
Yes, you can download the Swagbucks app for free via the Apple App Store or Google Play.
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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by
Matt McKenna
as part of our
fact-checking process.
Rachel Wait is a freelance journalist and has been writing about personal finance for more than a decade, covering everything from insurance to mortgages. She has written for a range of personal finance websites and national newspapers, including The Observer, The Mail on Sunday, The Sun and the Evening Standard. Rachel is a keen baker in her spare time.
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