I am generally suspicious about “free” things, and the same was true for Swagbucks when I was first introduced to it. However, after using Swagbucks for the past 4 or 5 months I can attest that it is indeed legitimate, and fairly easy to do. Mind you, I am a very casual with my efforts, but I average about one $5 Amazon gift card a month. So far I have $25 (now $35 total as of June 3rd) in gift cards accrued, and am saving them for a Kindle/Kindle books. In this post I will explain more about what Swagbucks are, how the system works, and how you can start getting free stuff for something that you probably do anyway.
What is a Swagbuck and why do I want them?
Swagbucks are digital dollars you accumulate through searching the web using the Swagbuck search engine. They come anywhere from 1 Swagbuck, to 1,000 Swagbucks. Typically, I’ll get anywhere from 5 – 35 on any given search, and generally average around 25 a day. With the Swagbucks you accumulate, you can “buy” things from the Swagstore.
What can I get for my Swagbucks?
In my opinion, the biggest thing with redeeming Swagbucks is finding the best deal. I have found that one of the best values for your Swagbucks are the $5 Amazon gift cards which run 450 Swagbucks a piece. For example, if you wanted to get “cash” in form of money in your PayPal account, $5 is 700sb. Now, they also offer an Amazon gift card for $25 for 3,150sb, but that’s not a good deal either. If you do the math, that’s 630sb per $5, so you’re better off with getting $5 gift cards as you go.
Before you redeem any prizes, make sure that you do the math and make sure you’re getting the most for your swagbucks. Going for a Barnes & Noble or iTunes gift card is not going to be as good of a deal as some of the smaller “unknowns” out there like, say… redenvelope.com for example – which has a $5 gift card for 140sb.
In addition to gift cards, there are also other prizes in there, even things like an iPhone, video games, tshirts, etc.
How do the Amazon gift cards work? Do they expire?
After you order your gift card, it will send you an email confirmation that you will need to click so that your order continues to process. Then usually within two weeks or so my e-gift card shows up under my account. Each card will have a redeem code that you input on the website of choice, in this case, Amazon. With Amazon, you can enter as many codes as you want and then you will have a balance that you can apply to future purchases.
To add a gift card to your balance, go to My Account on Amazon’s website. Under the Payment section you should see Gift Cards with a list of options. To add you e-gift cards from Swagbucks, choose the second option called Apply a Gift Certificate/Card to Your Account.
Amazon gift cards, to my knowledge, do not expire. I see no expiration date on them.
How can I get Swagbucks?
The primary way to obtain Swagbucks is by using their search engine. You can download a plugin for your browser that adds Swagbucks to the top-right hand search bar in your browser, like so:
The search engine compiles results from Google and Ask.com. You will notice that the results are different from both search engines though, so I am not exactly sure what their recipe is. Sometimes I don’t always find what I am looking for, and the Image search seems particularly limited. I have found that I sometimes have to go outside of the Swagbucks search to find what I’m looking for in a real search… but I always use Swagbucks first in hopes of getting some for my efforts, and then switch over to Google.
You can also make the Swagbucks website as your home page, and download their toolbar. However, if you’re like me, you don’t cluttering up your browsing space with a clunky toolbar. It’s simply my preference not to use that, however, if it doesn’t bother you, you have potential to earn more Swagbucks with it.
There are also other ways to earn Swagbucks, but this is the easiest and the least painful way to do it. Otherwise, you can complete offers to obtain Swagbucks, which is along the vein of complete X offers, and refer X people to complete X offers, and you get an iPod. While it is legit, I personally find it more hassle than it is worth and steer clear of that nonsense. You can also earn by shopping through Swagbuck’s affiliates on their website. With this method, you earn 1 Swagbuck for every $1 you spend. Some of the affiliates offer free shipping, coupons, etc, so there is also potential to save money there too.
What are Swagcodes?
Swagcodes are another way to earn Swagbucks. You can find them on your toolbar if you have that installed, or by going to the Swagbucks facebook, twitter, website & blog on a regular basis. Swagcodes expire after a certain time, so you have to check often and put them in before they are over.
A Word of Caution
They are very strict with their ethics, so please read their do’s and don’ts just to make sure that you’re following the terms of service. One biggie is that only one account is allowed per household. If they find out you have more than one account for a household, they WILL close your account. Also, sharing swagcodes is a big no-no. So just make sure you play by the rules and you should be fine.
What about referrals?
Actually, if you can get referrals, that is the BEST way to earn Swagbucks. Once you have a friend who signs up under you, you will earn a Swagbuck for every Swagbuck they earn, up to 1,000sb. So make sure that you let everyone you know about Swagbucks, and promote it as much as you can (ethically of course) to sow some seeds and hopefully earn some referral Swagbucks.
How do I sign up?
That said, if you found this article helpful, please consider using my referral link to sign up. New members start with a bonus of 30 Swagbucks. Just use the following url:
http://swagbucks.com/refer/fairfull
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