Earning gift cards and extra cash is pretty simple with Swagbucks. In fact, it's one of the most popular cash back sites out there. By completing tasks and doing everyday things – like surfing the net, playing games, shopping online, etc. – you can earn gift cards, PayPal cash, and other sweet prizes.
But you can't make a living with Swagbucks – you definitely won't be hitting the jackpot or getting rich by any stretch of the imagination. Whether or not it's worth your time to sift through the sometimes overly-lengthy videos and surveys is up to you.
Swagbucks features
Take a look at Swagbucks' list of features.
Why You Want It
Earn free gift cards for shopping online + Also earn for web searches and games.
Eligibility
- Age 13+
Provinces
ALL
Features
Monthly Fee
N/A
Mobile App
Available Retailers Estimate
1,500
Pay Via Cheque?
Pay Via PayPal?
Pay Via Amazon?
Pay Via Gift Cards?
Pay Via Electronic Fund Transfer?
Minimum Balance To Cash Out
$1
Pay Frequency
Whenever you want
Limited Payment Wait
N/A
Welcome Bonus
$10
Welcome Bonus End Date
N/A
Refer A Friend Offer
$3
Swagbucks product rating: 2.7 stars
It's obvious how Swagbucks has earned its 2.7 Genius Rating – there's very low minimum cash out amount of $3 (300 points), no caps on what you can earn, and plenty of ways to earn. It's not a perfect system, but it essentially offers users money for very little effort so…we're impressed.
Rating methodology
To calculate our Genius Ratings, we compare the features of the account or product in question with other similar products in Canada. We give each feature a score out of 5 based on that comparison. Once we’ve rated all the features, we run them through our proprietary algorithm to produce a final rating out of 5.
Learn more about our rating methodology.
The pros of Swagbucks
Here are a few of the things you'll love about Swagbucks.
Pros
A surprisingly long list of ways to earn
You might be surprised to learn that it's not just a survey site. You can earn cash back by shopping at popular retailers via Swagbucks' links, downloading mobile apps and games, signing up for featured services, accepting free brand samples, and more…plus, yes, by responding to polls and surveys.
Opportunities for bonuses
New Swagbucks users get a $10 bonus when they spend $25 (in one transaction) on any item from an eligible merchant in an eligible category. Plus, each user who refers a new user earns 10% of the referral's earnings – and a 300-point bonus if the referred user earns 300 points within their first 30 days. AND users earn another 100-point bonus if they use their Swagbutton to refer someone and the referral also installs the Swagbutton.
Impressive list of gift card options
When Swagbucks says they have gift cards, they're not joking. Some of the gift cards available to use when cashing out include cards from Indigo, Walmart, Amazon, Esso, Tim Hortons, Bass Pro Shops, Best Buy, and Nintendo. At the time of writing, there were 32 pages of gift cards to choose from, in varying denominations.
Handy browser extension
By adding the Swagbutton to your browser, users receive notifications whenever they're on a site with participating sales, coupons, and/or cash back offers from Swagbucks. This saves a significant amount of time and effort looking for deals.
The cons of Swagbucks
The grass isn't always greener, though. Here are some areas where Swagbucks could do better.
Cons
No cheque or e-Transfer options for cash-out
Yes, there are a lot of gift card options, and yes, cashing out with PayPal is pretty handy. But really, isn't an Interac e-Transfer the height of convenience? And some people just want a cheque, which is a pretty simple concept. It seems an oversight that Swagbucks doesn't offer these.
Harder, longer tasks sometimes have small payouts
There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the number of points attached to any given Swagbucks offer. Some surveys that take forever and ask extremely detailed questions reward you with a pittance, but you might be showered with points for responding to a poll that took next to no time at all.
Limited global availability
Maybe we're reaching here, but you'd think that a cash back site this popular and profitable would have more of a global presence. As it is, Swagbucks is only available in 11 countries, including Canada and the U.S. You could always bypass these restrictions by using a VPN.
Swagbucks alternatives
You can see here how Swagbucks stacks up against the competition.
 |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account | Swagbucks | GeniusCash | Rakuten | Great Canadian Rebates |
| Genius Rating | ||||
| Why You Want It | Earn free gift cards for shopping online + Also earn for web searches and games. | Earn up to $250 in bonus cash back + Level up your money & rewards. | Earn cash back with over 750 retail partners + $5 sign up bonus. | Get a $3 sign up bonus + Refer a friend and earn 25% of their rewards. |
| Monthly Fee | N/A | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Mobile App | | | | |
| Available Retailers Estimate | 1,500 | 20 | 750 | 900 |
| Pay Via Cheque? | | | | |
| Pay Via PayPal? | | | | |
Show More | ||||
| Apply Now See more Swagbucks products Compare | Apply Now See more GeniusCash products Compare | Learn More See more Rakuten products Compare | Learn More See more Great Canadian Rebates products Compare |
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FAQ
What is Swagbucks?
Swagbucks is a cash back site that offers users various opportunities to earn. You'll earn points for filling out surveys, responding to polls, shopping through their online links, and more. The options for cashing out include PayPal cash and a variety of gift cards.
Is Swagbucks legit?
Yes, Swagbucks is a legitimate online service that truly does provide cash back in various forms to its users. It's been around since 2008 and has evolved in many ways since its early days. You can read more about its features here.
Can I use Swagbucks in Canada?
Yes, Swagbucks is available in Canada as well as a variety of other countries. It's also available in the U.S., parts of the U.K., and various other countries across the globe.
Editorial Disclaimer: The content here reflects the author's opinion alone, and is not endorsed or sponsored by a bank, credit card issuer, rewards program or other entity. For complete and updated product information please visit the product issuer's website.
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