If you’ve read MrsJanuary.com for any length of time, you’ve probably seen me mention Swagbucks at some point. Some of you may not know what that is, so let me explain:
Swagbucks is an online portal dedicated to helping you earn digital dollars called “Swag Bucks”. These bucks can be redeemed for things like gift cards, downloads and products in the Swag Store.
Does it actually work?
Yes – it really does!
In the last year, I have earned over $600 in gift cards by using Swagbucks. I was able to purchase many books and kitchen items that we needed with the Amazon.ca gift cards that I redeemed my bucks for.
How do I sign up?
If you’re interested in signing up to Swagbucks, visit the Swagbucks website and register. You will earn 30 free Swag Bucks just for signing up.
Please note that you are only allowed to have one account per individual (not per household).
How do I earn Swag Bucks?
There are actually many ways that you can earn Swag Bucks other than just using the search engine.
I don’t recommend trying to do all 15 of these things because it will probably be overwhelming and take up an incredible amount of time, but these are all ways to earn Swag Bucks that I feel are worth mentioning.
1. Search The Web
The most popular way to earn Swag Bucks is to search the web. Just visit the Swagbucks homepage and every time you search for something using their search engine, you will have the chance to earn Swag Bucks.
You will only earn bucks periodically as you search, so don’t try searching for things over and over again – it won’t work.
2. Watch Videos
Find some great content that you are interested in, and fill your Swag Bucks meter as you watch. Once the meter is full, you’ll have a chance to win Swag Bucks.
All you have to do is watch videos that interest you and at the end of each video you can earn anywhere from 1-5 Swag Bucks. Keep in mind that you won’t win every time you watch a video.
I like to run these videos when I am doing something in the office, such as cleaning or organizing paperwork. That way I am nearby to click to the next video. I don’t do this very often, but when I do, I usually earn about 4 Swag Bucks for every “winning” video.
3. Play Games
If you enjoy computer games, check out the free ones offered by Swagbucks and you can earn 1-5 bonus Swag Bucks just for playing.
If you want to play against other Swagbucks members, you can buy into a tournament (these are limited time or limited player tournaments) and have a chance to win as much as 2000 Swag Bucks or more.
I haven’t had much luck with these games, but I know a few people that claim to earn quite a few Swag Bucks by playing games a few times per day.
4. Take Surveys
Visit the “Trusted Survey” dashboard every day for great survey opportunities. When you give your opinion, you will be awarded with Swag Bucks.
You will only earn Swag Bucks when you qualify and I have found that I don’t qualify for many. However, it may be worth your time to check and see if you do qualify.
5. Complete Time Sensitive Offers
There are quite a few offers that you can complete to earn bonus Swag Bucks, and many of them don’t require payment of any kind.
You can earn quite a few Swag Bucks by completing these offers, but be sure to only complete the ones you are sincerely interested in to avoid spam mail.
6. View No Obligation Special Offers
Visit the “NOSO” page to view special offers with no obligation necessary to earn Swag Bucks. You can look at all of the offers and not even sign up to one of them and earn 2 Swag Bucks per day.
However, if there is an offer that interests you, be sure to sign up for it to earn even more bonus Swag Bucks.
7. Recycle Products
Swagbucks has a recycling program where you can earn Swag Bucks for handing over your old cell phone, books and game systems.
All you have to do is look up the product that you’d like to trade in, print the pre-paid label and trade-in receipt, stick the package in the mail and collect your Swag Bucks (once your item has been received and processed).
Personally, I don’t think the bucks that you get for these items is very much, but if these are itms that are just sitting around your home collecting dust, it may be worth it for you to trade them for some Swag Bucks.
8. Answer Polls
There is a new poll every day on the Swagbucks website. Every time you vote in the current daily poll, you will earn 1 bonu Swag Buck.
This is such a simple way to earn around 30 Swag Bucks every month. It only takes a few seconds to do. It is usually the first thing I do in the morning when I log on to the computer.
9. Referrals
Once you see how easy it is to earn great prizes through Swagbucks, you will want to tell all of your friends so that they can start earning prizes too.
Make sure you get them to sign up under your referral link so that you can earn points for referring them. Swagbucks will match your referral’s points – up to 1,000 points. This means that if your friend earns 50 Swag Bucks one day, you do too.
10. Perform Tasks
When you do small “tasks” on the Swag Bucks website, you will be rewarded with bonus Swag Bucks. Small tasks include things such as testing online discounts and promotions, finding biographical information for celebrity actors, finding great things to do in a particular city, etc.
11. Use The Toolbar
Be sure to install the Swagbucks toolbar on your browser so that you can search for things on the web easily.
You can type all your searches into the toolbar instead of having to click on the homepage to do so. You are also awarded 1 bonus Swag Buck every a day, just for using the toolbar.
12. Follow Swagbucks on Facebook
Swagbucks will often post special codes and offers for their Facebook fans, so it’s a good idea to “Like” them on Facebook.
Check their page every day or so to see if there are any new promotions or special Swag Codes available.
13. Follow Swagbucks on Twitter
Just like Facebook, Swag Bucks rewards their Twitter followers will special offers and codes, so be sure to add them to your list.
14. Read The Swagbucks Blog
The blog is always updated with news and offers and is a great place for you to find special promotions.
Occasionally, Swagbucks will pick a random follower and reward them with 1 FREE Swag Buck! Look for blog posts from “The Swag Guy” (TSG) or “The Swag Girl” (TSGal) to find exclusive Swag Buck opportunities.
15. Make A Search Your Homepage
Most people say to make swagbucks.com your homepage, but I have a much better tip for you.
- Go to Swagbucks.com
- Search for something you search for a lot (maybe MrsJanuary.com?).
- When the search results come up – make the search results page your homepage.
- Now, every time you click the HOMEPAGE button (the little house) you will end up at that search page.
This means that every time you go to your homepage you will have a chance to win bucks – and you didn’t even have to manually search for anything.
After referrals, this is how I get the bulk of my Swag Bucks.
Swag Bucks is one of my favourite “money” making programs and I recommend it 100% to anyone who spends time online.
For very little effort you can enjoy free gift cards and other prizes for doing something as simple as surfing the web.
What are you waiting for? Click here to sign up for Swagbucks.
Whats the difference between Amazon.ca and Amazon.com gifts cards other than the obvious geography. Which card is better to redeem for?
Caroline: I just did some research on this, and it looks like they have changed it so that now you are allowed one account per person, not household. Yay! http://blog.swagbucks.com/2011/07/an-important-policy-change-for-swagbucks.html
Where can I find the rule about 1 per household? I can’t seem to find it anywhere on the website. I did see something about 1 per person though. My husband and I both have accounts because I didn’t know about that rule so I want to confirm and if it’s not allowed, I will cancel one account. Thanks.
AMANDA: Thank you for wanting to sign up under me, I appreciate it! You can click on any of the “Swagbucks” links at the top of the post.
I want to sign up but where is a referral link posted so you get the points as well? thanks
when it come to the zip code issue, what I did was I just type in any USA zip code and try to register, once I registered I went in to my profile folder and change the info (which you can go in and add your address and change the country back to Canada)
hope this help.
I wanted to say thank you SO much for posting about swag bucks. I had heard of it before but didn’t really understand what it was until I read about it on your site. Both me and my boyfriend got swagbuck accounts less than a month ago and already collectively we have $50 in amazon gift cards. We’re totally addicted to swag bucks now lol – it’s so EASY to earn free gift cards, it’s amazing!! It’s so exciting to get things for free!!
Thank you so so much for posting about swag bucks!!
Beatrix: There should be a spot for “postal code” when you are signing up.
I’m trying to sign up but it won’t accept my postal code. Is there a different sign up page for Canadians?
Thanks for all the infromation you post! I just joined swagbucks its very cool!
Christine: Did you select Canada? I was able to enter a postal code.
trying to sign up for swagbucks but its asking for a zipcode..do i just enter any zipcode??
You can!
Can you use multiple gift cards to pay for one transaction on amazon.ca? Or would each card have to be on a separate purchase?
The $5 Amazon gift card is definitely the best value.
What is the best reward to cash out for? I wanted to do paypal for the cash but it’s 700 SW for 5$. I saw 5$ at Amazon is 450SW. Is this the best option? Love the website!
Anna: I know, I’m sorry! My hubby actually suggested we move to Quebec (for a job opportunity he had) and I was all “HELLZ NO! Don’t you know Quebec sucks for coupons and freebies?!”
You are welcome to come stay at my house. I need a shopping buddy anyway.
“Swagbucks is for Canadian’s as well (except Quebec). ”
Not again…:-( I swear Cassie I’m this close to moving out of this forsaken place and into your basement…lol
Andrea: Hmm, I had no problems installing it. If you are logged into your Swagbucks account and keep having issues, I would definetely suggest contacting them about it.
blessed: Yes, Swagbucks is for Canadian’s as well (except Quebec). Some of the stuff us US only though, like the coupons.
hello. is this swag thing applicable to those of us in Cda??? i signed up today.. but when i go to certain links like the coupons..its only US.. when i try to go to the link to view ads without obligation.. the questions are based on people living in the US as there is no where to enter a canadian address….i was actually looking forward to trying this but i guess like most things online, its only for the US
I started all over again and yay! Thanks very much.
I cannot register, I enter all the info and the page freezes when I click on submit.
Bummer!
Hello!
Does anyone else have issues downloading the toolbar? I keep getting a message saying I’m not authorized to download the toolbar, that I need to log out and log in as an admin…very weird since it’s my laptop, so I should be the admin.
If anyone can offer some suggestions on how to get past this, I’d greatly appreciate it.
LB: You can get .ca or .com Amazon gift cards. I always get the .ca ones.
MrsJ, thank you for reply! One more question, if you don’t mind
Are those Amazon gift cards valid on Amazon.ca? Or if not, I heard one has to pay duties and fees buying on Amazon.com… could you give an example how much it can be?? Thanks a lot 
LB – Some offers are for residents of the US only. As for your homepage, you earn “bucks” sporadically. You won’t earn them every time you open the page.
great website! signed up too! Today I was trying different methods of earning swagbucks as recommended and have a couple of questions.. When I try to subscribe for any offer and fill in the form, my postal code doesn’t fit?? Looks like it is availaible for american zip-code only??
And another thing, I made swagbucks.com my home page, and opened it a few times, but didn’t earn anything? How does it work? Thank you!
bummer – oh so many coupons!! We could get lots and lots of swagbucks using them. lol I wonder if we could suggest they add a Canada coupon link.
Laura – From what I’ve been told, they are US only.
Signed up for swagbucks also. Can you tell me if the coupon offers are they good in Canada? I’m assuming not.
Oh that is great to know that is what I am going to do then cause I have been cashing out to paypal but its 700SB to do that.
Mel – I always enter the codes into my account when I get them from Swagbucks and then save them up until I have enough to buy something. I just made a $100+ order a few weeks ago using $5 codes.
Oh that is great to know thanks for responding. I for some reason thought the amazon.ca codes expired. So that is what they give you a code? And can you use more then one code per order? So for example would you place like a big order come Christmas lets say and then enter all the codes and pay the difference? Thanks again for responding.
it’s bad that it don’t work for quebec resident
Heather – A $10 Starbucks card is 1300 Swag Bucks and a $5 Amazon.ca Gift card is 450 Swag Bucks.
Mel – I redeem for as many of the Amazon.ca $5 cards as I can in a month (limit 5), as they are the best value. Then I will usually get the $50 Amazon or $10 Starbucks, since they are the next best value (of things I want). The Amazon codes don’t expire.
I love swagbuck. I have earn 65$ since march, doing not much
Quick question. Do you let your SB add up to a large amount and then do a redemption all at once or do you do them as soon as you get to that level?? The reason I ask is if you order an amazon.ca gift card and you want to use it towards Christmas shopping can you do that or do they have an expiry date? Thanks
how many ‘bucks’ does it cost to get a book or a starbucks gift card?
Thanks, Steph!
Signing up right now. Will use your refferal link