Thanks for stopping by to check out my Swagbucks review. One of the most common questions I get about making money online is about reward sites that pay you for things like shopping, playing games, and doing online surveys.

The first question is usually are they legit and safe? The second question is which sites do I recommend? I have to say… Swagbucks is at the top of my list and I’ll explain the reasons why below. We’ll also unpack the countless Swagbucks reviews to find the good things and the not-so good things people are saying.

Disclaimer:
Please note, I am not affiliated with Swagbucks. This review has been researched with information and testimonials that are available online in the public domain. Any conclusions drawn by myself are only opinions.
​

What is Swagbucks?

Swagbucks is an online rewards website that pays you for things like participating in paid surveys, watching videos, signing up for free trials and a dozen of other online activities.

Based out of El Segundo, California and owned by a company called Prodege LLC (who also owns MyPoints)… Swagbucks is one of the most popular reward sites online today.

How Does It Work?

Signing up is easy, and it’s also free. You can either join with your email (my preferred method) or by using your Facebook account.

Best known for their online surveys… they also offer a multitude of earning opportunities which really sets them apart from similar websites.   

It should be mentioned early in this review though that we’re not talking about big money. Most people report earnings of anywhere from $5 and $10 per month, to as much as $75 and $80.  

That might not sound like much, and it’s not… but if you spend your spare time accumulating rewards (called swagbucks) over several months or a year, it’ll give you a good head-start on things like Christmas shopping and summer vacations.

But before I get into the many ways you can earn, let’s deal with the most common question I get… is it a scam?

Is Swagbucks Surveys a Scam?

Earning online is still one of those mysterious things that people are aware of, but don't really understand. Telling someone you make money online is almost like telling them you've seen a UFO or Bigfoot. Of course a lot of people will think it’s a scam... or at the very least, question if it's safe.

When it comes to Swagbucks, the scam accusations are minimal… but there is one area where people get suspicious, which is...

Qualifying for the surveys.

There are a lot of great online opportunities out there, but it's a fact... there's also a ton of baloney. And with Swagbucks… we're not talking about a flat-out scam here (the kind that rips you off and you never hear from them again).

The issue here is that people end up wasting their time and sharing personal information while trying to qualify for surveys...  

The reason for qualifying is because market research companies are looking for specific demographics to target, and depending on your situation… it can be difficult to get accepted. 

If you don't qualify, you don't get paid for your time.

For example… if you’re single with no kids and rent a room in someone’s house… you simply won’t qualify for as many surveys as a parent with young kids, who owns two cars, a house, takes annual vacations and for good measure has a medical issue or two.

And it makes sense…  

But to qualify you must complete pre-qualifying surveys which often include a lot of personal questions. Since you don’t get paid for these, the suspicious person often wonders if the information they are sharing is being sold anyway.

That’s one reason some might accuse Swagbucks surveys of being a scam… but it’s usually just out of frustration of repeatedly trying but never qualifying.

As I write this review, Swagbucks is approaching 300 million dollars paid out to members. I’m not sure what your bank account looks like… but for me, hundreds of millions is a lot of money. 😀

There may be some complaints and unhappy members… but Swagbucks is definitely legitimate and safe.

Who is Swagbucks For?

Swagbucks is great for the first-time online income earner or the person who has spare time and is looking for a simple way to earn some gift cards.

If you’ve never made money online before… this is an easy way to get in and feel what it’s like. You won’t make a lot of money, and you definitely won’t be quitting your day job, but it’s a start. It can be a good gateway to bigger and better things.

Who It's Not For

If you’re serious about making money online and hate the 9 to 5 grind, Swagbucks is not for you.

Like many online opportunities, the time you spend making pennies with Swagbucks can prevent you from really taking advantage of the internet. The real power of the web is that it gives you an ability to produce something once and make money from it repeatedly… to build a passive income.

Earning swagbucks by doing small tasks gives you zero leverage. For all your efforts, you only get paid one time (unless you build a referral business which I’ll talk about more below).

I'm not sure what your financial goals are, but I like to do things once and earn passive income. 

What Is a ‘Swagbuck’ and How Do You Earn Them?

A swagbuck is basically a ‘point’. Most reward sites pay you in 'points'… Swagbucks cleverly calls them swagbucks.

One swagbuck (or SB) is equal to one cent and they can be redeemed for dozens of different gift cards as well as PayPal cash.

So… how do you earn swagbucks?

For a complete guide and strategy, you can check out my article on how to earn money with Swagbucks. For the quick overview though… I’ll run through a bunch here.

Online Surveys - Simply answer questions and earn between 50 – 300 swagbucks. The challenge here is finding ones that you qualify for.

Watch Videos – Yes… you can earn swagbucks for simply watching videos such as Ads and movie trailers. On average you can make 2 - 3 SB per video with a daily max of 150 SB and you can also let them run in the background.

Shopping – Swagbucks is an affiliate partner to many popular brands and retailers such as Amazon, Macy’s, and Groupon and earns commissions when you shop. What’s unique though, is that they share their commissions with you (in the form of swagbucks). You can often earn between 2% to 5% (2 – 5 swagbucks per dollar spent).

Print and Redeem Coupons – You can earn up to 10 SB for each coupon you redeem. It’s not immediate though… it can take up to 12 weeks for them to show up in your Swagbucks account.

Play Games – Yes… it’s true. If you’ve ever wanted to get paid for playing games, this is your chance. It’s only about 10 SB for the free games (a little more for paid games) but it’s better than nothing.

Swagbuck Codes – To keep people active and engaged… they hide codes on their website and social media profiles that you can search for and enter on your account page to earn swagbucks.

Search The Web – If you’re like me, you’re always searching for things online. Swagbucks has their own search engine which is actually not bad… and if you set it as your default and use it daily, you can make cold-hard SB’s.

​
Special Offers and Free Trials – Sign up for free trials, and services such as bank accounts and Uber Eats to earn swagbucks. Depending on the deal… they pay between 25 SB all the way up to 5000 SB or more.

Daily Poll – It only pays a single swagbuck but for just two seconds of your time, you can vote and earn an SB once a day.

Swagbutton – Another way to earn a swagbuck per day is to simply download and install the Swagbutton which gives you updates on shopping offers and allows you to watch videos.

Referrals – This is probably the best way to make money with Swagbucks… You can make up to 10% of what your referrals earn for as long as they are active. Those who make real money (passive income) are doing it this way… but they also have knowledge of online marketing.

The list continues, and Swagbucks is known for being creative and adding new ways to make money. You can also earn by checking out no obligation offers, reaching daily goals, and if you like to gamble… sweepstakes.

Swagbucks Reviews and Complaints

Like most online companies, Swagbucks can stake their claim to both positive and negative reviews… but the good news is that the comments are overwhelmingly good (which is rare for sites like these).

Among the positive things people are saying…

• It’s relatively easy to earn $50 - $75 each month because Swagbucks offer so many ways to earn.
• It’s fun…
• Those who use it for shopping see it as a cash-back type website.
• Some people even claim to have given up on other similar sites and only use Swagbucks now, which is probably one of the best compliments you can give them.

Before you get too excited though, having read through hundreds of reviews, there are some common compliants that consistently come up…

• The surveys take longer to complete than advertised… and if you’re doing them often, all of those extra minutes add up.
• Not enough surveys and too difficult to qualify (a common complaint among most survey sites).
• And… unfortunately, there are some BBB complaints about people having their accounts closed for no reason or not getting credited for their rewards.
  
  

What I Like About Swagbucks

• You don’t see a lot issues with people not getting paid.
• Multiple ways to earn.
• No minimum payout.
• The ratio of good to bad Swagbucks reviews makes it clear that this is one of the more credible reward and survey sites you can join.
  
  

What I Don’t Like

• Aside from starting a Swagbucks referral business… there is no passive income potential. Each task only pays you once.
• The pay is low. It’s not suited for people who want to change their life, or replace their job income.
• Surveys often require you to share personal information.
  
  

Final Thoughts

In my opinion, making money doing small tasks and surveys is not the best use of your time. But that’s just me.  

If you've never made money online before, Swagbucks is a legitimate way you can get started. It’s also simple and fun which as mentioned, is great for someone to earn their first dollar (or two) online. 

Thanks for stopping by and reading… I hope my Swagbucks Review was helpful and if you have any comments or questions, please share in the comments section below.