Looking for free gift card apps? It’s true, there are legit apps out there that pay you in free gift cards, reward points, and even free money online in 2021!
When you officially make that leap into adulthood, it comes with a long list of responsibilities — financial ones included. That’s life, and we all learn to cope and keep moving forward. But every so often, there’s a small hiccup and — be it emotional, physical or otherwise — we run into a wall.
Expenses like car repairs force you to spend rent money or utility money. You know you’re going to be short, so you’re pulling crazy overtime to make up the difference. Or, maybe you have to give up some recreational activities to make way for more responsible ones.
These things happen, and when they do, it’s nice to have a little cash or free gift cards handy to lighten the stress load. You could always flip some of your stuff, true, but no one likes doing that. You could also ask your family for money, but that’s no good, either. And taking out a cash advance is an even worse strategy.
Why not try out one of these free gift card apps? That’s right: There are apps that give you free stuff that can net you some extra funds for whatever, whenever you want.
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Here are our top apps that pay you free gift cards or legit cash.
24 Apps That Give You Free Stuff
1. Nielsen App
Nielsen Mobile and Desktop Consumer Panel
Nielsen offers an app and desktop service that allows you to register and earn rewards just for browsing the Internet. Yes, it’s a legitimate opportunity, but you should be mindful of what that means.
Once you’ve installed the application, the company will be collecting information about your usage habits, activities and the websites you visit. You don’t have to do anything else, and the service works automatically in the background.
If that’s worth it to you, you can earn $50 to $100 passively throughout a year’s time.
Platforms: mobile, desktop | Price: free
2. Vindale Research Surveys
Vindale’s app is straightforward. When you first log in, it will ask personal questions, so it can build an accurate profile of your preferences. You’ll then begin receiving exclusive surveys, which can pay anywhere from a few cents up to $75. You’ll even earn $2 right away just for signing up.
If you check in daily and complete the surveys they offer, you’ll have earned a nice chunk of cash before you know it.
Platforms: mobile, web, desktop | Price: free
3. Ibotta
Ibotta is a mobile app — available for both iOS and Android — that helps you save money by scanning your grocery receipts. It also works with other apps and services on your device, such as Uber. For example, every time you use Uber and order a ride, you can earn $1 back through Ibotta. You can then transfer the funds to your authorized PayPal account for personal use.
You won’t make hundreds of dollars overnight, but you certainly can earn that much eventually, if you continue to use the app regularly. It’s great for building up emergency funds!
Platforms: iOS and Android | Price: free
4. InboxDollars 
Do you ever spend a few minutes on your lunch break or at home watching videos online? This app or service is right up your alley. It’s available on mobile and desktop and requires you to watch “fun” videos and then take surveys about them.
If you invest just five to 10 minutes per day, you can earn up to $50 extra per month. That’s not bad, especially if you stick with it, because you can continue to earn more. You’ll get a $5 bonus just for signing up, which is quick and free.
Platforms: desktop, iOS and Android | Price: free
5. ShopTracker
ShopTracker is similar to services like Nielsen in that it monitors certain activities and history. This app, however, specifically tracks your Amazon purchase history. After installing the desktop — only app — sorry, mobile users — you won’t have to do anything else on your end. It will continue to collect your order details and purchase history through your linked Amazon account.
Signup is quick and painless, and you’ll get a $3 bonus just for creating an account. If you remain active, you may also receive a bonus — up to $3 — each month, on top of whatever else you earn.
Platform: desktop | Price: free
More Apps That Will Earn Free Gift Cards
While you’ll find the most lucrative free gift card apps listed above, there are plenty of other opportunities available. Here are some alternatives apps that pay in free gift cards:
6. Survey Junkie — iOS, Android and desktop
Complete surveys for market research and earn money. They actually ranked as one of the highest paying survey sites for 2021 (see our full list here).
7. Rakuten Cash Back — iOS, Android and desktop
Earn cash back for items you’re going to buy anyway. It mostly works for online shopping and allows you to earn money you can transfer directly to a linked PayPal account.
8. Paribus — iOS and desktop
Get refunds for items you’ve recently purchased that reduced in price or value. This is one of the best apps to make money fast.
Paribus compensates us when you sign up for Paribus using the links we provided.
9. Survey Voices — Desktop and mobile web
As kind of an aggregator for online surveys and market researchers, Survey Voices will offer you a variety of polls and questionnaires to complete for money.
10. Shopkick — iOS and Android
Earn points for shopping, period. You can get points for just walking in the door of some stores, for completing various offers or buying popular products. You can also earn rewards for referrals.
11. Wizard of Oz Casino Slots — Android only
Wizard of Oz Slots is the best way to play Vegas slot machines with settings and characters straight from The Wizard of Oz.
12. Swagbucks — iOS, Android and desktop
Earn a special currency called Swagbucks for completing offers, answering surveys and logging online activity. You can redeem the currency for gift cards or cash rewards once you’ve accumulated enough. This is one of the best apps that pays you through paypal.
13. Swagbucks Live — iOS, Android and desktop
Earn money for answering questions on your phone during a live trivia show. This is a great (and fun) iPhone or Android app that pays you money for your smarts.
14. Boodle — Android
This app lets you earn money for a variety of things, from trying out new apps to taking surveys and online polls.
15. Willy Wonka Slots — Android only
Willy Wonka Slots is your lucky ticket to free authentic, casino-style slot machine games, and the iconic cast of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
16. PanelPlace — iOS, Android and desktop
Take a variety of user surveys, polls and questionnaires and earn cash.
17. Mistplay — Android only
Earn rewards by trying out new apps and playing mobile games. After completing various offers, you’ll earn points you can redeem for a Visa gift card or other gift cards.
18. Solitaire Cube — iOS only
Solitaire Cube is an addicting game where you can play Solitaire on your phone for gift cards or cash. It’s available on the Apple Store only, sorry Android users.
19. MyPoints — iOS and Android
MyPoints is a smorgasbord of earning opportunities, including premium offers, video, and ad views, surveys and more. It also offers one of the most lucrative opportunities for watching videos on the go and earning daily points which you can redeem for gift cards.
20. AppStation — Android only
Earn rewards and free gift cards for installing, playing and using mobile apps.
21. Blackout Blitz — iOS
You can earn real money with this skill-based bingo app and compete for cash prizes. This is a really addicting game that has over 13K+ positive reviews in the App Store. It’s legit.
22. Lucktastic — iOS only
At Lucktastic you can play with 100% free scratch cards. Just pick your theme, swipe to scratch, and test your luck. The scratch cards are updated daily with new themes including Diggin’ for Gold, Lucky 777 and more. You can win prizes daily just by playing.
23. Game of Throne Casino Slots — Android only
If you are a fan of Game of Thrones than this slot game is a must. Gorgeous graphics with music taken right from the show including the theme song. Each slot features different music form the show.
24. Cube Cube — iOS only
It’s a simple puzzle game but to the game’s credit, it does require deep strategy. You can fill the board, clear the board and score points and win. It is kind of similar to Tetris with no gravity. In order to earn cash prizes, you’ll have to enter head-to-head competitions in time games where every move matters
Enjoy The Best Free Gift Cards Apps
There you have it. If you’ve finished the list, you’ve just made at least $50 fast through these apps that pay you in free gift cards.
We wish you the best of luck on your money-making journey! Just remember, with most of these free gift card apps, consistency is key, so be diligent about completing your daily check-in and continue to use the apps to get free gift cards. These are honestly probably the highest paying apps if you want to earn more lucrative amounts of cash or gift cards. While there are no free gift card app hacks, these are the best app substitute to earn gift cards on iOS and Android phones.
It’s always better to use these opportunities as additional cash for smaller purchases, rather than to rely on them for a steady income.
Do you know of any free gift card apps that we may have missed?
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