Is Swagbucks Legit? – An Honest Review [UPDATED]

Looking for Swagbucks Reviews?, ever wondered or had that question "Is Swagbucks Legit?" spinning around your head? 

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Well, straight up, I'll tell you Swagbucks is legit!. 

The real questions are - Are they a good fit for you and how much can you really earn with them?.

But, before I get started I congratulate you for being very smart and doing your research - this is how you stay safe online, avoid scams and find the best way of making money. 

So, let's get down to it and find out all you need to know about Swagbucks!.

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Read to the very end to find 16 ways to maximize your Swagbucks earnings!. 

Swagbucks was founded in 2008 by Scott Dudelson And Josef Gorowitz and is one of the most popular and best known "get paid to sites" where you are paid for performing certain tasks such as taking (and completing!) surveys, surfing the internet and a number of other tasks including watching videos. 

The business model used is the well known CPA - Cost Per Acquisition model. 

The functionality is very easy to understand. They get paid for you to complete the tasks and then they share some of that revenue with you.  

Totally legit and all above board. 

Swagbucks, or rather their parent company Prodege has history prior to the inception of the Swagbucks site. 

Their first product was Privately Labeled Search Engines with charities being their customer base.

Those search engines helped the charities to raise funds when their supporters used them to perform searches.

Later they branched into branded rewards program for celebrities, sports teams and brands to engage their fans by offering "swag" and hence the birth of Swagbucks. 

They are certainly no small company or a "two bob website" TVC - Technology Venture Crossover invested US$60M in Swagbucks parent company.

Also worthy of note Swagbucks Generates US$53M per year in revenue. 

Similar sites to Swagbucks Include: 

• FOA
• Unique Rewards
• Validately
• Grabpoints
• Fusion Cash
• Microsoft Rewards
• InstaGC
• EarnHoney
• InboxDollars (Now Owned by Swagbucks).

As you can see there is no shortage of similar sites to Swagbucks. 

Firstly and foremost you need to signup with Swagbucks to get started, this is super easy, as it is with any site all you need to do is to join using your email address and then think of a password.

Then create a security question and answer. You can also sign up directly using your Facebook Account. 

Swagbucks and how it works we have already discussed above, you get paid to perform certain tasks. 

Currently Swagbucks pays you in points called Swagbucks where 1 Swagbuck (SB for short) is worth US$0.01 - 1 point = 1 cent. or 100 points US$1.00.

Let's outline what you can do to make Swagbucks work for you. 

16 Ways To Maximize Your Swagbucks Earnings

Let's talk about Swagbucks and what you can do to maximize your earning potential. 

• 1. Set Swagbucks To Be Your Default Search Engine

I have absolutely no doubts about this, setting Swagbucks to be your default search engine is the easiest, and the most effort less way to start earning money. 

Making Swagbucks your default search engine is super easy. In fact, so easy a single click can do it!.  (I'll show you how to do that in a second!)

How To Set Your Default Search Engine To Swagbucks On Firefox

Lets do this Step by step! 

1. Visit the Firefox Browser's search area
2. Click the drop down menu that is next to the icon that identifies the search engine that you are using now (likely Google, bing or yahoo)
3.  From this dropdown if or when you see the option of swagbucks from the list that appears click it and your default search engine will be changed to Swagbucks. 
4. If the Swagbucks search engine does not appear, visit Swagbucks.com then repeat the 2nd and 3rd steps above. 

How To Set Your Default Search Engine To Swagbucks On Internet Explorer

Setting your default search engine to Swagbucks using Internet Explorer is super easy! There are just 6 steps to the process. 

1. At the top of your browser window click the icon that look like a gear wheel. 
2. From what appears choose Manage add on's
3. Now keep an eye out for the "search providers" tab. 
4. From the list of search providers choose Swagbucks
5. Click the option "Set as default"
6. Now click close. 

How To Set Your Default Search Engine To Swagbucks On Google Chrome

Setting your Search engine to Swagbucks is again very easy to do here, just 5 steps is all it takes - if you are already using chrome this you can do in a single click - literally!. 

1. move the cursor to the address bar
2. right click on the address bar and at the bottom choose edit search engines
3.  Under other search engines option keep scrolling until you see Swagbucks and then hover over it 
4. Click make default
5. single click the done option

You can do this in a single click by visiting here when you see the "default now" option click it and your default search engine in google chrome will be swagbucks.  

Now that Swagbucks is your default search engine you can earn by doing what you would be doing anyway - searching the internet. 

If you worried about crappy low quality search results - don't! the Swagbucks search engine is powered by Yahoo!. 

If you are a regular user of Yahoo - get switching as Yahoo won't be paying you to search but Swagbucks will!. 

Earnings are not exactly magical but you can get in the region of 10 to 20 Swagbucks (SB for short) for 10 to 20 searches per day. 

How much you earn is dependent on what you search for and the search terms used. There are certain search terms that pay more than others.

With daily searches you can expect to pull in $300 in 6 months - not bad for just searching the net and doing a bit of mindless surfing!. 

• 2. Download Some Apps To Your Tablet Or Smartphone

How much you can earn for simply downloading a simple app, installing it and playing around with it a bit all depends on which app - some pay 15 to 50 Swagbucks, others 150 SB and up, particularly if it is a premium app. 

If you download a premium app don't do it just for the Swagbuck points. 

The point is to make make money not spend it!. 

• 3. Take Surveys

Taking and completing surveys is the quickest way to earn Swagbucks (SB). As a warning though, the amount that you can earn is low when you compare them to other survey sites such as Survey Junkie, or Univox Community. 

Every so often you will be a bit lucky and see a survey paying out 100 SB's - US$1.00 for a 5 minute survey, quite often surveys are less than this amount. 

As it is with most survey sites it is quite probable that you find yourself disqualified from a lot of the available surveys for demographic reasons. 

• 4. Watch Videos

As crazy as this sounds you really can get paid to watch videos. Again, don't expect to earn huge bucks for this. 

The videos are probably sent to Swagbucks by SEO agencies and YouTubers seeking traction on video platforms for their videos which increases their rankings and potential of going viral. 

i.e "Fake views!". 

The type of videos can vary a lot from news clips to adverts to something you find really interesting or about as amusing as watching paint dry!. 

You can be a bit cheeky here though and just have the video playing in the background, sound off and in another tab while you go about doing something else - like searching the internet using the swagbucks browser!. 

Pay out here is limited to 150SB per day and a half hour video will only pull you in 3SB! 

• 5. Complete Offers

This is where you need to be sharp. So pay attention!.

When you join Swagbucks do it with an email address that is specific and only for Swagbucks. Even go as far as making a new email address specifically for this very purpose. 

The reason being quite often you can earn a good amount of money by completing offers and get a bunch of freebies that you get to keep. 

As the task suggests you need to "complete the offer" which can be a free trial of a certain product be it shampoo or a magazine subscription. 

Some of which you will need to enter your credit card details for and cancel before the free trail expires or you will be charged the full amount. 

Some offers will require you to enter your phone number - you will have to be adamant and strong to the "no" when the sales folks call you.

For this purpose I do advise getting a secondary phone number and and after their first call just block!. 

Expect an avalanche or spam email too - hence my advice to use a specific Swagbucks only Email address. 

Pro Tip: Use google calendar and set a reminder two or 3 days before the trail ends and cancel before you get charged. 

• 6. Go Shopping And Earn Cashback 

I'm not being a "tight wad here" or a typical Scotsman but spending money does not make you money. 

Only use this facility of Swagbucks if you are going to buy something anyway and enjoy the cashback. 

If you are curious as how this works as a business it is affiliate marketing, which it is, and the company are giving you a kick back for using their service. 

This is exactly how they work! and there are a few!. 

Before you go shopping online or make a purchase check if they participate in the swagbucks program. 

Some companies they do work with include Ticketmaster, Hotels.com, First Choice, Bodyshop and many more. 

You will earn 3 SB's for every US$1.00 that you spend or in layman's terms 3% cashback. 

Being one that loves to save a bit of cash I suggest you  Download this chrome extension and have it work in the background and automatically save you money when you shop online!. 

(save you time finding out if a merchant is working with the swagbucks program or not). 

Other similar cashback apps/programs that do the job equally as good or better include: 

• PariBus 
• Dosh Cash App  
• TopCashBack
• BeFrugal
• Shop Smarter
• Ebates
  

• 7. Playing Games!

A fun and pretty cool way of earning some Swagbucks is by playing certain games inside the platform. 

There are quite a lot of games that you can play but for one reason or another are like slot machines. You can earn 18 SB's as a reward for every US$1.00 you spend on in game purchases - remember you are not earning money when you spend it. 

It is Spend 100 swagbucks and get 18 back or Spend a dollar and get 18 cents back..you are not exactly earning here. 

You can actually earn SB's though without spending in the games area but you need to play Swagbucks own games. 

It is a cool way of earning but it really is pennies. Typically you can earn 4SB's for playing a couple of games!. 

• 8. Refer Others To Swagbucks

Swagbucks does have a pretty good referral program where you can earn 500 SB's for every referral that you get plus 10% of their earnings for life!. 

This is a pretty good way of stacking up points quickly and on an ongoing basis and on a very passive manner. 

Click Here To Join Swagbucks!.

• 9. Answer The Daily Poll

Every single day there is a poll posted by Swagbucks, answering it just takes a second and you will pick up 1 SB - just a penny! but it only took a second to do!. 

Do this daily and you are looking at US$3.65 a year for about 6 minutes work. 

• 10. Keep An Eye Out For those Swag Codes

The easiest way to keep a watchful eye out for Swag Codes is to Install The Swagbucks Browser Extension. 

The Browser Extension will keep you notified of codes when they are available and will direct you to the page where you can get the code., which can vary from the swagbucks blog, to Facebook page to Twitter. 

Once you have located and found the code you then enter it in the appropriate area on the Swagbucks account when you are logged in.

You can download the Swagbucks Browser E​​xtension here. 

• 11. Set Daily Goals And Complete Them

On the top of the screen slightly to the right hand side you will see daily goal button, set a daily goal and complete it habitually. 

By completing your daily goal you are earning points for the tasks that you complete, you will get a bonus for completing your daily goal. 

It is fairly easy to set a daily goal of 200 SB's fairly easy to achieve and in a year you will have earned US$730 + bonuses!. 

• 12. Print Out Coupons And Use Them!

There are quite literally hundreds of different coupons available for your grocery shopping. 

The offer vary from product to product and brand to brand. Save money with your printed out coupon and get some cash back in the form of Swagbucks back also!. 

• 13. Take Part In Sweepstakes

You can "earn" extra Swagbucks if you want to take part in the Sweepstakes. Taking part will cost you 2 SB's, but you have the chance to win 50 SB's. 

I said "earn" because it is not exactly earning, it is more like gambling and winning. 

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• 14. Watch Videos On Their Mobile App

Watching videos on your Swagbucks app, android or iOS, pays at a higher rate than watching via desktop or laptop as you can earn 50 SB more on a daily basis for watching the videos on a mobile device. 

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That adds up to US$182.50 per year more just for using your smartphone for watching videos. 

• 15. Install The Swag Button

I touched on this earlier, the S​​wag Button (AKA Swag Browser Extension). Download the button and keep it installed will earn you a 1SB per day, 365 SB per year (US$3.65) just for having the button installed. 

• 16. Swagbucks Discovery

This a pretty awesome way to get extra Swagbucks, a little math and an watchful eye on costs - including shipping and handling will need to be done.

Some inside the swag community call this the "money maker" You need to keep and eye on how many points are offered and when the number of points on offer exceeds the cost of the item you are "in the money". 

I got a hands on a pretty cool razor for US$5 and got 2,000 SB as a bonus - effectively I spent US$5 and got US$20 back. 

Nice!. 

If you are anything like myself you will be the kind of person that researches companies and checks out how well they are seen by consumer organisations and groups as an indication of how much we can trust them. 

Who better to judge a companies reputation than a consumer advocacy group? 

Prodege LLC, the parent company of Swagbucks, is fully accredited and hold a perfect A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. 

Absolutely Legit. 

Swagbucks is, as you can see from above fully accredited by the Better Business Bureau and hold an A+ rating. 

The site is actually (at the time of writing) sponsored by major corporations like Google and Ask. Also, they work in conjunction with major retailers like Amazon, Wallmart, target, Primark to name a few!. 

They have a database of over 100m users and generate close on to US$5m per month and have been established since 2008, all of this, in my opinion makes Swagbucks a very legit company. 

No company, organisation or opportunity is without it's and drawbacks and detractors. 

• Low Earnings

This is something that I won't deny, even though I actually do like Swagbucks. It is not aimed at earning you a full time job replacing income. 

There is just not enough hours in the day for you to earn that amount - or close to it. 

It is actually a pretty nice and easy passive income, particularly when and if you are good at promoting swagbucks and getting others to join. 

As I pointed out - US$1,000 - US$1,200 per year is fairly possible, definitely paid a bill or two or afford you to crank up the heating in the winter or air con in the summer!. 

• Limited Availability

It is true that Swagbucks is not functional worldwide, however, the list of countries in which you can use Swagbucks in is growing all the time.

Swagbucks is available in the following countries:

• Australia
• Canada
• United States
• Ireland
• New Zealand
• United Kingdom
• Spain
• Portugal
• France
• Germany
• India

Do check the Swagbucks website for details as it does appear that the list of available countries is growing all the time. 

How much money you can earn with Swagbucks is subjective and depends on your level of effort and dedication. 

I will be crystal clear here 

Swagbucks is not going to replace your job or produce a full time income for you - unless you are particularly gifted at promoting it and earning referral based earnings, and a large percentage remain users for a prolonged period of time and take advantage of the 10% lifetime commissions. 

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Here is an easy and realistic scenario: 

1. Switch your browser to swagbucks one (powered by Yahoo!) 10 SB a day 3,650 SB or US$365
2. Answer the daily poll - SB360 - US$3.65
3. Complete two Surveys daily - 100 SB - US$365
4. Refer 1 friend per month for a whole year SB 6,000 - US$60. 
5. 100 Swagcodes per month for a whole year SB 2,400 US$24
6. Watch Videos On your computer Earn a day in the back ground for a whole year SB 3,650 - US$36.50
7. Watch Videos on your Smartphone for a whole year SB 18,250 US$182.50
8. Play 2 quick games daily for a whole year earn SB 730 - US$7.30

This totals up to US$1,043.95 per year - working out at about $20 a week free and easy for doing a few tasks. 

Not calculated into that is bonuses and any earnings from your referrals 10% recurring that you might get. Those could very well push earnings to the $1,200 mark or US$100 per month. 

Now, this is not exactly a huge amount but it can certainly pay you gas bill or electricity, or get you a brand new laptop or a snazzy new smartphone or two!.

You have a few options when it comes to cashing out your Swagbucks. you can redeem your Swagbucks for giftcards at the following companies:

• Walmart
• Amazon
• eBay
• iTunes

minimum payout threshold for giftcards is 300 SB (US$3.00) and 50,000SB (US$500.00) max. 

Swagbucks can also cash out to your Paypal account when minimum payout threshold of SB 2,500 is met (US$25). There is also the option of having your earnings donated to any charity that you wish. 

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There are a lot of plus points to Swagbucks that I did like. 

• Highly Regarded And Rated By The BBB

The parent company are highly regarded and perfectly rated with the Better Business Bureau as well as being fully accredited. 

• It's A Legitimate Way To Earn Passive Or Semi-Passive Income From Home

Self explanatory, despite not being a huge amount of money earned, every penny counts. Your earning could be that nice extra holiday spending money.  

Nothing is ever perfect and there are some things that I did n't like about Swagbucks, 

• Low Income Potential

As I have said a few times already the income potential is low. But that extra $100 a month - Get your Tweenage kids to earn their pocket money!!

• Payout Threshold

personally I felt that the minimum cash payout threshold is high at US$25 for Paypal transfer. 

• Disqualified From Surveys

You will probably find yourself disqualified from a lot of the higher paying surveys for demographic reasons. 

I have absolutely no doubt that you can and will make money with Swagbucks. I can't say how much, as this depends on a number of factors including your effort and dedication to it and how much the tasks that you perform pay out. 

What I will tell you though is not to expect to earn a full time income with Swagbucks.

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Swagbucks is NOT a scam. This is something I can tell you will 100% confidence. I can also tell you as clear as the day is long that Swagbuck is a legitimate company, business and a way to earn some extra money by getting paid to perform certain tasks. 

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There is in my opinion and the best of knowledge absolutely no way that Swagbucks is a scam. This is a completely legitimate opportunity to earn that extra bit of cash from the comfort of your home. 

You can expect to earn US$80-US$100 if you put in the effort and dedication on a consistent basis. 

It is not way for you to earn a full time income from, not even a part time income, for that you will need to seek out alternatives. 

Affiliate Marketing is my Number 1 recommended way for making money in the digital world both for those just starting out and those that are semi experienced. 

The reasons are pretty simple:

• No huge startup costs!
  
• No Selling face to face!
• No Stock to keep or manage!
• No huge investment involved - (Get started for $19!)
• No networking or recruiting required. 
• You can operate in any market you wish! - even your hobbies & passion!​
• Earn a full time income & more!. No limit to your earning potential!. 
  

In fact...

I have created and built a regular mid 4 figure passive monthly income and fully enjoy a life of travel to where I want and when I want. With no boss to answer to and zero annoying co-workers I completely enjoy life and work when I choose to.

This is all thanks to Affiliate Marketing!

To emulate what I have achieved, real freedom and a passive income stream, click that red button below..and watch the video that I have prepared for you. 

Because MORE MONEY IS Waiting For You. The Question Is: WILL YOU TAKE IT?!?