Swagbucks is legit, and it is worth your time if you want gift cards or PayPal cash for surveys, shopping and games you would do anyway. Skip it if you need money fast, because most surveys pay $0.25 to $5 and rewards start at $5. It has paid members since 2008, and its own site puts the total at more than $706 million.
Better options if you want cash faster
Swagbucks pays slowly. If you want cash sooner, try one of these three first. All three are free to join.
Start with Bigcash. It pays you for finishing offers and playing games, with over 3,000 offers live at once and cash out through PayPal or gift cards. It shows a $15 bonus, so read how the $15 works before you start, because it isn’t an instant credit. Use it on Android or iPhone.
Freecash pays for surveys, app testing and game offers, and new members get a $10 bonus. You can cash out through PayPal, gift cards or crypto, and it can take just minutes. The first withdrawal needs $5 to $20 depending on your region, plus an ID check.
Testerup pays you to test mobile games and finish surveys, with a $10 welcome bonus straight after sign up. One goal in some games pays over $200, and payout requests are approved within hours. The big payouts take time, so it suits people who will finish a few offers.
Swagbucks at a glance
Gift cards and PayPal cashSwagbucks pays you in points called SB for surveys, cash back shopping, games, offers and grocery receipts. Every 100 SB is worth $1, and you trade them for gift cards or PayPal cash.
Good to knowThe $10 bonus is not paid for signing up. You activate it in your account, then spend $25 or more at a store in the Swagbucks shop within 30 days.
Join Swagbucks freeWe checked every Swagbucks number in this review against Swagbucks’ own site, help center, terms and app store listings for this update. Still deciding where to spend your spare minutes? Start with our list of the best money making apps.
Is Swagbucks legit?
Yes. Swagbucks is a real rewards program, not a scam. It is free to join, and it is owned and operated by Prodege, LLC, a California company that also runs InboxDollars, MyPoints, Upromise and ySense.
The payout record is the strongest evidence. The counter on Swagbucks’ homepage showed $706,529,620 paid to members when we checked, and the site says members redeem more than 7,000 gift cards a day. The app ratings point the same way.
| Where | Rating | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Apple App Store | 4.4 out of 5 | 148K ratings |
| Google Play | 4.2 out of 5 | 451K reviews and 10 million+ downloads |
| Trustpilot | 4.0 out of 5, rated Great | 43,350 reviews |
Ratings as shown on each listing when we checked for this update. They move over time.
Legit does not mean lucrative. Three catches come up again and again, and Swagbucks is open about all of them.
- Time per dollar. Swagbucks says most paid surveys are worth $0.25 to $5.
- Disqualifications. A survey can end partway through if you are not the person it is looking for. Swagbucks says not everyone gets credit for every survey they take.
- The cash out minimum. The popular gift cards and PayPal start at $5, so your first reward takes a while to reach.
If those trade-offs sound fine, Swagbucks takes a Google or Apple login or an email address to join. If they sound like a dealbreaker, try Freecash, where you can cash out in minutes.
Is Swagbucks safe?
Signing up takes an email address or a Google or Apple login, and nothing on the form asks for payment details. Expect two checks later. You may have to verify a real mobile number before you can redeem, and Swagbucks’ terms let it ask for a photo ID to confirm who you are. It also asks for tax information once you redeem $600 or more in gift cards in a calendar year.
What is Swagbucks and how does it work?
Swagbucks is a rewards website and app. It connects you with market research companies that need survey answers, and with stores, games and apps that want new customers. You are paid in points called SB.
- Join. It is free, with a Google or Apple login or an email address.
- Earn SB. Answer surveys, shop through Swagbucks, play games, try offers or upload receipts.
- Redeem. Every 100 SB is worth $1. Gift cards start at 500 SB and PayPal cash at 530 SB.
The Swagbucks app
Swagbucks runs on its website and in its app. The app is free on the App Store, where it is listed as Swagbucks: Earn Real Rewards with a 13+ age rating, and on Google Play, where it has more than 10 million downloads. Swagbucks recommends the app for receipts, because you photograph them with your phone.
Ways to earn on Swagbucks
Swagbucks’ help center lists six main ways to earn, with the Daily Poll filed under surveys. Here is what each one involves and what Swagbucks itself says it pays.
| Way to earn | What you do | What Swagbucks says it pays |
|---|---|---|
| Surveys | Answer surveys matched to your profile | Most pay $0.25 to $5, or about 25 to 500 SB. Some pay $20 or more |
| Shop and earn | Start a shopping trip at Swagbucks, then buy as usual | A percentage back that varies by store. SB arrive 32 to 75 days after you buy |
| Games | Play featured mobile games and reach set goals | Varies by game and by the goal you reach |
| Discover offers | Try an app, a trial or a service | Varies by offer |
| Magic Receipts | Buy listed grocery items, then upload the receipt | Set per item. Swagbucks’ own example is 175 SB for one item |
| Search | Use the Swagbucks search engine | Occasional SB wins |
| Daily Poll | Answer one question a day | 1 SB |
One account covers all of them. Start with the surveys on your dashboard, since they need no purchase.
Surveys
Surveys are the core of Swagbucks, and you can pick them by length and payout. Swagbucks says the highest paying ones are usually the long ones, 40 minutes or more, or the ones looking for a very specific audience.
You will not qualify for every survey. Each one is looking for a certain type of person, and if your answers do not match, the survey ends. Answer consistently too. Some surveys ask the same question twice, and conflicting answers get you disqualified.
Cash back shopping
Shop and earn works like any cash back portal. You start at Swagbucks, click through to the store and buy as usual. The homepage says it covers more than 1,500 retailers, and it showed up to 10% back at Amazon and up to 2% at Walmart when we checked. Rates change often.
The wait is the catch. A purchase usually shows as pending within 7 business days, and the SB are released 32 to 75 days after you buy. Before a big purchase, compare the rate with the one in our Rakuten review. Swagbucks also has its own browser add-on, the SwagButton, which sits alongside other shopping browser extensions.
Games, offers and receipts
Games and Discover offers are where the larger single payouts are, and where you need the most patience. A game offer pays when you reach the goal it sets, so read the goal and the terms before you install anything. Some Discover offers are free trials of paid services, so cancel any trial you do not want to keep.
Swagbucks also runs Daily Trivia, a quiz game with SB prizes, which we cover in our review of the Swagbucks trivia game. Magic Receipts pays SB for buying specific grocery and household items at specific stores. Check the store, size and flavor in the offer’s fine print first, because a receipt from the wrong store earns nothing.
One thing older reviews mention is missing. Watching videos is not on the help center’s current list of ways to earn, so do not plan around it.
How the Swagbucks $10 sign up bonus works
New members see a $10 bonus on the sign-up page. It is real, but it is a shopping bonus, not cash for creating an account. This is the condition as Swagbucks states it.
- Activate the bonus in the Swag Ups section of your account.
- Spend at least $25 in a single purchase at a store featured in the Swagbucks shop, within 30 days of registering.
- That purchase has to earn at least 25 SB on its own.
- You then receive 1,000 SB, which is worth $10.
Swagbucks’ help center adds the exclusions. Purchases at Amazon, eBay, The Home Depot and MyGiftCardsPlus do not count, and neither do flat-rate cash back offers or travel. The purchase typically credits within 32 days, and the bonus follows a couple of days later.
So the bonus is worth having if you were going to spend $25 online anyway. If not, ignore it and stick to the surveys and offers. If you want a bonus with no shopping condition, Testerup pays its $10 welcome bonus straight after sign up.
How Swagbucks pays you
Every 100 SB is worth $1. Swagbucks’ rewards store listed 133 rewards when we checked. These are the ones most people want.
| Reward | Smallest amount | SB needed |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon gift card | $5 | 500 SB |
| Walmart gift card | $5 | 500 SB |
| Target gift card | $5 | 500 SB |
| Virtual Prepaid Mastercard | $5 | 500 SB |
| Starbucks gift card | $5 | 500 SB |
| PayPal cash | $5 | 530 SB |
Swagbucks asks you to allow up to 10 business days for a gift card or a PayPal transfer. It says a first payment can take about a week, and that PayPal money usually arrives within a couple of days once your PayPal account is connected.
Gift cards arrive by email, and the link inside is valid for 24 hours. If you miss it, request a new email from the My Gift Cards section of your account. For more places to earn them, see our guide on how to get free gift cards, or these ways to earn free PayPal money if you would rather have cash.
Two rules are worth knowing. Swagbucks can close an account that has no login, redemption or new earnings for 12 months, so cash out before you drift away. And once you redeem $600 or more in gift cards in a calendar year, it asks for tax information before you can redeem again. PayPal redemptions do not count toward that $600.
How much can you make on Swagbucks?
We are not going to invent an hourly rate. It depends on which surveys you qualify for and which offers you finish. These are Swagbucks’ own numbers.
- Most paid surveys are worth $0.25 to $5, or about 25 to 500 SB.
- Some surveys pay $20 or more, and in-home product tests can pay $100 or more.
- Motivated members can make $100 or more a month, and Swagbucks says that takes half an hour or more every day.
Swagbucks also tells its own members they are unlikely to get rich taking surveys. That is the right way to see it: gift card money for spare minutes, not income. For a wider look at the trade-off, read our take on whether paid surveys really work.
Swagbucks pros and cons
- Free to join, with more than $706 million paid to members
- Six ways to earn from one account, not surveys alone
- Gift cards and PayPal cash from $5
- Open in 11 countries, from age 13
- Rated 4.4 on the App Store and 4.2 on Google Play
- Most surveys pay $0.25 to $5
- You will be screened out of some surveys
- The $10 bonus needs a $25 purchase first
- Shopping SB take 32 to 75 days to arrive
- PayPal costs 30 SB more than a gift card
Use it if you shop online anyway, like answering surveys in spare minutes and are happy to be paid in gift cards or PayPal. In that case, Swagbucks works as a slow, steady side account.
Skip it if you need money this week or you hate being screened out of surveys. A game testing app or a cash offers app will suit you better, and three of them are at the top of this page.
Who can join, and what gets an account closed
Swagbucks is open to residents of 11 countries: the United States and its territories, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and India. You must be at least 13, and anyone under 18 needs a parent’s or guardian’s approval.
Accounts are deactivated for a short list of reasons, and most are easy to avoid.
- More than one account. Everyone in a household can have their own, but only one each.
- Hiding who or where you are. VPNs, proxies and throwaway phone numbers are against the terms.
- Bots and unnatural clicking. Any software built to game searches, clicks or offers.
- Going quiet. No login, redemption or new earnings for 12 months.
You may also be asked to verify a mobile number. One number can verify one account, and internet phone numbers such as Google Voice are not accepted.
How Swagbucks compares with other apps
Swagbucks is the all-rounder. It does a bit of everything and has a long payout record, but the money comes slowly. If you want bigger single payouts or cash instead of points, these are the three we would look at. All three are free to join.
Bigcash
Offers and games for cashBigcash pays you for finishing offers and playing games on your phone. Offers on the site usually take 5 to 10 minutes, and 250 coins equal $1.
Good to knowRead how the $15 bonus works before you start. It isn’t an instant credit.
Try Bigcash
Freecash
Cash or crypto payoutsFreecash pays for playing games, trying new apps and taking surveys, and you withdraw in cash or crypto instead of points.
Good to knowIts own site calls the earnings “not life-changing money, but real.” The offers that pay best ask for more than a tap.
Try Freecash
Testerup
Bigger payouts from gamesTesterup pays you to test mobile games and complete surveys. You cash out by PayPal, gift card or bank transfer, and it is rated 4.2 on Trustpilot.
Good to knowIt suits people who will finish a few offers.
Try TesterupPrefer to stick with surveys? Our reviews of InboxDollars, Survey Junkie, Branded Surveys and PrizeRebel go through each one, and our Testerup review and Freecash review cover the game side.
How to get started with Swagbucks
- Join. Use Google, Apple or your email on the Swagbucks sign-up page.
- Tell it about yourself. Your profile answers decide which surveys you are invited to.
- Activate the bonus if you will use it. Find it under Swag Ups, then make a $25 store purchase within 30 days.
- Take surveys and check the offers. Swagbucks adds new surveys every day.
- Cash out at 500 SB. That is a $5 gift card. Connect PayPal first if you want cash.
Swagbucks FAQs
Yes. Swagbucks is a real rewards program owned by Prodege, the company behind InboxDollars and MyPoints, and it has been paying members since 2008. Its site says it has paid out more than $706 million, and the app is rated 4.4 on the App Store and 4.2 on Google Play. The catch is the pace, because most surveys pay $0.25 to $5.
Yes. You can redeem SB for PayPal cash from $5, which costs 530 SB, or for gift cards from $5, which cost 500 SB. Swagbucks asks you to allow up to 10 business days and says PayPal money usually arrives within a couple of days.
Every 100 SB is worth $1. So 500 SB is a $5 gift card, 1,000 SB is $10 and 1,500 SB is $15. PayPal costs slightly more, at 530 SB for $5.
The bonus is 1,000 SB, worth $10, and it is tied to shopping. You activate it under Swag Ups, then spend at least $25 in one purchase at a store in the Swagbucks shop within 30 days of registering. Amazon, eBay, The Home Depot, MyGiftCardsPlus and travel purchases do not count.
No. Swagbucks says most surveys pay $0.25 to $5, and that motivated members can make $100 or more a month by putting in half an hour or more every day. If you want bigger single payouts, Testerup pays for reaching goals in mobile games, and one goal can pay over $200.
Swagbucks is free, and signing up takes only an email address or a Google or Apple login. You may be asked to verify a mobile number before you redeem, and after $600 in gift card redemptions in a calendar year it asks for tax information.
Residents of the United States and its territories, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and India. You must be at least 13, and under 18 you need a parent’s or guardian’s approval. Each person can have one account.
They are run by the same company, Prodege. Swagbucks is open in 11 countries, pays in points and lets you cash out from $5. InboxDollars is US only, shows your balance in dollars, shows a $5 bonus when you join and needs $15 for a first cash out. Neither is built for fast money, so if that is what you want, try Bigcash or Freecash first.
Our verdict on Swagbucks
Swagbucks is the real thing. It has paid out more than $706 million, the apps are well rated, and you can cash out from $5. Go in expecting gift card money, not a paycheck. Activate the bonus only if a $25 purchase was already on your list, and cash out as soon as you reach 500 SB.
If that sounds like a fair deal, Swagbucks is free to join, so give the surveys a week before you decide. If you would rather get paid sooner, start with Bigcash or Freecash.
Advertiser disclosure: We may receive compensation from some of the companies listed on this page. This does not influence how we rank them. Rewards, bonuses and minimums change. Confirm the current terms on each company’s site before you sign up.
