Introduction to Swagbucks

In addition to credit cards and cashback portals that can help us earn and save some money, there are also websites for making money online. Swagbucks is one of the better-known ones. Today I’ll introduce how to use Swagbucks to earn a little extra cash.

Swagbucks is a site where you complete tasks online in exchange for a bit of money. For example, you can earn a certain number of SB (the site’s currency) by completing online surveys, viewing ads, using its search engine, or buying certain designated products. SB can be redeemed for various gift cards, such as Amazon, eBay, Walmart, PayPal Credit, and more. On top of that, the site also functions as a shopping portal, meaning you can earn a certain percentage of SB by clicking through its links to shop with other merchants. More recently, they also added the gift card sales site mygiftcardsplus, where buying gift cards can also earn SB rewards.

This site is probably the largest and most reputable online money-making site out there. The returns are relatively good, customer service is solid, and there are often especially good deals available. So overall, it’s one of my personal favorite sites.

Sign-Up and Sign-Up Bonus

If you sign up for Swagbucks through our link now, you can get an extra bonus, though the monthly bonus varies slightly.

Ways to Earn SB

There are many ways to earn SB, but they mainly fall into two categories: earning by clicking around and earning by shopping. The first category does not require you to spend anything. As long as you are willing to spend some time, clicking ads, doing surveys, or searching for things can earn you some SB. Although each action only earns a small amount, if you do it whenever you have free time, it adds up and you can still accumulate quite a few SB points. The second category can earn a lot of SB at once, but it requires some spending on your part. For example, you can earn a large amount of SB by using the Swagbucks shopping portal to buy things you already need, by purchasing gift cards from its affiliated gift card site, or by buying products or services it recommends.

Earn SB by Clicking Around

  • Earn by watching ads: You can earn some SB by clicking on ads provided on the site. Once opened, just mute the sound and let them run in the background. They won’t affect normal computer use anyway. Each ad is worth about 1-5SB. It’s not much, but it adds up. One small trick is to watch ads on multiple devices at the same time, such as a computer, iPad, and phone. That way, you can hit the daily limit quickly. Some people even buy lots of cheap phones just to run ads.
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  • Earn by answering surveys: Compared with watching ads, this method can earn a much larger amount of SB, usually anywhere from dozens to hundreds. However, surveys take a long time. Even if you just click through casually, they can still take quite a while, but they are worth doing if you have some free time each day. The daily poll is just one question and earns 1SB, so don’t forget to do it every day. There are no special tricks for surveys; just estimate the time required and the SB payout, and start with the ones that offer the best return. One thing to note is that sometimes you may not qualify for a survey. If the system determines that you are not eligible, it will directly give you 1SB as a consolation prize.
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  • Earn by searching: You can also earn some SB by using the site’s built-in search engine. I personally have not used it much, since I’m used to Google and do not really want to change my habits just for this.
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Earn SB by Shopping

  • Swagbucks shopping portal: Most people who shop online are already familiar with using shopping portals to earn extra cashback. Swagbucks has its own shopping portal as well. Before shopping, go through the Swagbucks portal, then click through to the merchant where you want to buy something and complete your purchase. The portal will then give you SB based on a percentage of your spending. When shopping, it may be worth checking the SB portal, comparing the rate, and then deciding whether to use it. Right now, eBay offers 2SB in rewards, which is quite a bit better than the roughly 1% offered by typical cashback portals.sb4
  • Earn SB through Discover: As the name suggests, this method involves trying services recommended by Swagbucks, such as signing up for accounts on certain websites, buying a designated product, or purchasing certain memberships. In return, you can earn a large amount of SB. One useful trick is that sometimes the SB you earn is worth more than what you paid for the product, so you effectively come out ahead while still getting the product. Just remember to cancel any related services if needed.
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  • Earn by playing games: Personally, I do not recommend playing games to earn SB, especially online gambling-type games. However, sometimes the SB earned can be worth more than the money spent buying in-game coins, so if you have good self-control, it can still be worth trying. Just remember that gaming can be addictive, and it would not be good to lose more than you gain.
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Earn by Buying Gift Cards:

You can also earn a certain percentage of SB back by buying merchant gift cards through Swagbucks’ newer gift card site, MyGiftCardsPlus. If you were already planning to buy gift cards, this site is worth considering so you can earn some SB on top of your credit card rewards. For example, eBay gift cards come with 2% back plus an extra 100SB, which is pretty decent.

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How to use it:

  • Register an account at Mygiftcardplus: sign-up link (it is recommended to use the same email as your SB account)
  • Buy gift cards at Mygiftcardplus, and during the process you can link your SB account
  • The SB earned from your gift card purchase will be deposited into your SB account (the SB will appear after the gift card order is confirmed)
  • Official explanation: How it works

Other Ways

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  • Enter codes: Sometimes certain sites share free SWAG CODEs. By entering the code, you can directly get some SB. If there are free CODEs available, I will update them promptly.
  • Daily Goal: Earning a certain amount of SB each day lets you complete the Daily Goal and earn extra SB
  • Refer: You can earn 10% of the SB earned by the person you referred

Redeeming SB and Its Value

There are two ways to redeem SB. One is to save up to a certain amount and directly redeem for gift cards, which is the option I usually choose. The other is to enter sweepstakes, where you only need a small number of points for a chance at a big prize. I have never been particularly interested in luck-based drawings and have never won anything, but if you think you are lucky, you can try it. Below, I will mainly analyze gift card redemptions.

Gift Card Redemption Analysis

Use SB to redeem rewards. At a minimum, 100SB can be redeemed for a $1 gift card. For example:

  • Amazon gift card $5=500SB
  • PayPal $25 PayPal cash=2500SB
  • Visa Virtual gift card $5=500SB
  • eBay gift card $3=300SB

So SB is worth at least 1 cent, or 1SB=$0.01. As for which gift cards you should redeem, if you do not have any special needs, PayPal cash and Visa gift cards are the best options. PayPal cash can be withdrawn directly from PayPal to your bank account, while Visa Virtual gift cards can be spent online at any merchant that accepts Visa. The reason not to choose other gift cards is that they can often be bought at a discount, for example Amazon gift cards through MPX, or at around 5% off through Earn By MS. That said, if you do not want the hassle, redeeming gift cards like Amazon, eBay, or Walmart is also a good option.

Discounted gift card redemptions

Besides the standard redemption rates, one of the best things about SB is that some gift cards can be redeemed at a discount. Common examples include:

  • Visa Virtual gift cards with denominations of $25 or more only require 99% of the usual SB ($100=9900SB)
  • $25 gift cards for many merchants such as eBay, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy only require 88% SB ($25=2200SB)
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  • All Nike gift cards only require 88% SB ($10=880SB)

So if you do not mind saving up more SB before redeeming, waiting until you reach 2200SB gives you the best value.

The value of SB

There are two reasons to think about the value of SB:

  • When doing a money-maker Deal, you need to compare how much you spend versus the value of the SB you earn
  • When using a shopping portal, you need to compare whether earning SB is better than using a standard cashback portal

Based on the redemptions above, the floor value of 1SB is $0.01, and the highest value is about $0.013 (when redeeming discounted $25 gift cards). So in general, I suggest valuing SB at $0.01. From an SB perspective, spending $25 and getting 3000SB back is a money-maker. From a cashback perspective, 2SB/$ is better than 1% cashback.

Membership program

Swagbucks now has a membership tier program, and your tier depends on the lifetime Swagbucks earned in your account. Each tier comes with different rewards and perks. For example, the top two tiers can receive bonuses of 150,000/200,000 ($150/$200), while other tiers get extra rewards for activities such as taking surveys, shopping through the portal, and redeeming gift cards. Overall, it is nice to get a few extra rewards from the membership program. What tier is everyone at?

Best ways to use it

After all that, here is a quick summary of the best ways to use it:

  • If you only have a little free time, do tasks and watch ads; if you have more time, do surveys; games generally are not worth much
  • If you come across a money-maker shopping offer or membership signup, you can jump on it without overthinking
  • For eBay shopping or Deals, Swagbucks' shopping portal can be your main option (2SB/$)
  • When redeeming, wait until you have 2200SB and then redeem discounted gift cards

Current best Swagbucks Deals roundup

Swagbucks Deal

Deal Overview Current Offer Quick Take
Nature Conservancy 2500/3500 You can even get money back on a donation—why not?
Hulu 2500SB Money-maker deal + essentially a free Hulu membership. Nice.
Home Chef 2000SB Free dinner ingredients are always welcome.
Game Fly 2500SB Money-maker deal + free game rental
Dr. Pepper Expired You could even come out ahead buying soda.
Godaddy domain None currently Free one-year domain + money-maker deal
Dollar Shave Club 2100SB Stack with AEMX for a creative money-maker deal + free shaving supplies
Schwan's 4000SB Free groceries + money-maker deal
Blue Apron 2000SB 6 nearly free dinners
2 MIN club 1000SB A skincare set worth $75
Honest company 2500 SB A health or household essentials bundle worth $35.95
WCS donation 6500 SB A good cause + up to 6500 SB + a feel-good bonus
foodstirs 1500 SB Baking kit + 1500 SB
Gillette 1250 SB Swagbucks + Gillette = free razor + 1250 SB posted instantly