Swagbucks is a gimmick that will put change in your pocket, but only change. With Swagbucks, you’ll be doing menial tasks in exchange for pennies. Literally pennies. Each SwagBuck is worth about 1 US cent.
Also, be aware that Swagbucks collects information on every member. Many of the surveys members are expected to fill out to earn a SwagBuck is actually gathering personal information about them. Swagbucks then sells this information to other companies.
How to Really Make Money Online and Never Get Scammed.
A Thumbnail Look at Swagbucks.
Name: Swagbucks
Website: swagbucks.com
Price: Free
Owners: Josef Gorowitz, Scott Dudelson, Ron Leshem, Eron Zehavi
Rating: Not Recommended.
Opinion. Legitimate. (Very limited earning potential)
Is Swagbucks a Scam or What?
Based in El Segundo, California, Swagbucks.com is an internet search and marketing engine that permits members to earn a virtual currency called Swag Bucks by conducting specific online activity like searching, shopping, filling out surveys, playing games or finding content. Swagbucks collects information on every member.
The Swagbucks members earn are redeemable for retail gift cards, PayPal cash or other rewards. As of March 2015, Prodege, the company that owns Swagbucks.com, claimed to have more than 12 million members and to have awarded over $100 million in retail gift card to its members. Swagbucks.com is limited to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Essentially, Swagbucks is a gimmick that will put change in your pocket, but only change. It is a legitimate money maker, but the earnings are modest at best. For most people, it’s a waste of time.
Is Swagbucks a Scam?
No, Swagbucks is not a scam, but there is some risk involved because Swagbucks collects information on its members and then sells that information to other companies.
For most people, Swagbucks is a waste of time, if not a blatant invasion of their privacy. It would be a lot smarter for someone to invest their time in building a legitimate online business that earns income for years instead of chasing after pennies.
Honestly, if you knew how to really make money online, would you be spending your time earning pocket change?
I’ll write more about how to build a legitimate online business in a moment, for now, let me tell you what I know about Swagbucks. You need to know this.
The Pros and Cons of Swagbucks.
Pros:
-It’s free to sign up and use.
-You earn 30 Swagbucks just for becoming a member. (That’s equal to 30 cents).
-You can possibly earn money for things you are already doing online.
-There are multiple ways to spend the Swagbucks that are earned.
-SwagBucks is compatible with mobile devices.
-There is nothing to download. It’s all online.
Cons:
-Swagbucks is not a business. You don’t own it. You work for it.
-You won’t learn any new skills.
-Earning Swagbucks is very time-consuming
-It takes a long time to earn a decent amount of Swagbucks.
-The number of gifts cards you can earn is limited to just 5 of any specific type.
-Swagbucks exploits people’s boredom to gather information about them.
-The Swagbucks system can be fickle and block you so you don’t earn anything after doing the tasks.
-There are numerous complaints about the pathetically low earnings, poor customer service and offers that disappear.
Who could benefit from Swagbucks?
If you don’t have a life or if you’re just killing time on the internet, Swagbucks is a way to earn a little something in the process. I know of a retiree who enjoys Swagbucks as a means of earning some spending money. I think he has a lot of time on his hands.
Does Swagbucks require special tools or training?
Swagbucks has made it simple to join and start earning rewards. Several videos on the Swagbucks website clearly explain the process, but really, it’s a no-brainer. There is nothing to download. You just have to be a member and it’s free to join.
What about support and community?
Customer service is available through email. The Swagbucks community is quite large and active in forums, Facebook and Twitter. You’ll find thousands of people on SwagBucks.com every day, which makes me very worried about the future of our species.
My Final Thoughts on Swagbucks.
At first, Swagbucks might be entertaining, but for me, it quickly became a stupefying distraction. I could hear my brain cells screaming in agony as they died. Visions of the Zombie Apocalypse flashed before my eyes.
However, I know of a young mother who earns money with Swagbucks to buy her two children clothes, birthday gifts and Christmas presents. Personally, I think my head would cave in before I earned enough to buy a soda.
One of the things about Swagbucks that drives me crazy is the endless barrage of advertisements. Some of them can be terribly annoying. Also, it takes forever to actually earn a respectable amount of rewards. And, then, you are limited to only $25 of each type of gift card.
Another annoying thing is that Swagbucks promises really big payouts like sweepstakes, but as far as I can tell, it’s just hype to keep you playing.
Swagbucks might make sense if you want to earn a little money in your spare time. But, honestly, for the effort it takes to earn rewards you could be building a business that makes a full-time income, boosts your confidence and dramatically improves your life.
You Deserve Better than SwagBucks.
If you want to make a full-time income online, you’ll have to start an honest to goodness business. That will take a bit longer than toying about with Swagbucks, but the potential payoff is real and quite substantial. Plus, with a genuine online business, you’ll learn valuable skills and business insights.
Your time is precious, don’t waste it doing mindless tasks for pennies. Instead invest your time building an honest to goodness online business that pays you month after month and year after year. I’ll show you how, but first you need to know how to avoid all the scams out there.
Here’s what I suggest, read this article I wrote about how to really make money online and never get scammed. Once you know how to spot a scam a mile away, you’ll be directed to a community I belong to that teaches and supports people who want to build a successful online business. It’s easier than you might think.
All the best…
THIS IS THE BIGGEST SCAM GOING THEY PAY YOU FOR THR 1ST COUPLE THEN THATS IT YOUR CODES DONT WORK YOU CAN DO A SURVEY FOR 20 MINS THEN AT THE END THEY SAY YOU WERE NOT SUITABLE ALSO THEY DONT WANT YOU TELLING THE TRUTH BACAUSE IF THERES SOMTHING YOUU DONT WATCH OR USE THEY TELL YOU TO CHOOSE AN ANASWER LIARS ANSD SCAMMERS
Swagbuck’s money earning philosophy explained in realistic terms:
Hey! Since everyone already needs to get out of their cars and walk to the entrance of (store name here) on a regular basis.
Why not stare at the ground searching for loose change, while you make your regular treck across the parking lot!?
For something you would already be doing anyway, why not turn that into a easy cash earning scheme, with truly unlimited profit potential!?
Sure, you could forgo your original plan of entering (store name), and instead choose to scour that parking lot for hours on end, in mind numbing fashion to increase the probability of striking it rich, but thats what Merica is all about!
I took a look at your review because I had actually heard of Swagbucks, but didn’t really know anything about it. There sure are a lot of gimmicks out there aren’t there? Is that a fact that they have millions of members? Why do so many people get involved when the potential is so limited? What really scares me is all the personal information that you mention. With all the internet hacking that you hear of, I don’t want any more of my personal info out there than is absolutely necessary. Good information that you have here, thanks.
Hi, Jim!
I can’t understand why SwagBucks has so many members either. It might be that some people think of it as entertainment or a diversion. Either way, as you mentioned, you risk your privacy.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
Swagbbucks may not be a scam, but I personally didn’t get much out of using it. Personally, I don’t like how most of the surveys I apply for I’m not eligible for, so in between that and signing up for a bunch of things that just flood my email inbox I feel like it was just a waste of my time. But many other people get a lot out of it so I’d still recommend it to help a lot of other people.
Hi, Jaylin!
I don’t think SwagBucks is a scam, but it’s a lousy way to try and make money. It’s mostly about gathering information. Either way, most people will lose if they try SwagBucks.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
Hey Gary,
I loved your review because it is not only about the chance of making money online but HOW…
Its important to make a difference between considering smth as a scam and others, which are no scam but still not reasonable and “a waste of time”.
I am on my way to build up my own online business but would like to know if you have some more tips/ gimmicks for making money online without “wasting time” ..and brain 😉
Lots of greets,
Eva
Hi, Eva!
I’m glad you see that sites like SwagBucks are a waste of time that will never earn a meaningful income. It’s great that you’re building an online business. That is the only way to make substantial money online.
You asked if I had some tips or gimmicks for making money online. Tips, yes. Gimmicks not so much. In fact, I would caution you against gimmicks, tricks or shortcuts.
Building an online business is very similar to building an offline business. So much depends on trust and reputation. As the search engines get smarter, the businesses that use tricks and gimmicks will be weeded out. You don’t want to be one of them.
The internet is not an ATM. It is your entrance to the world stage. If you are a scammer on this stage, you will be found out. If you are genuine, that will be discovered too. And if you honestly help people, you can make a fortune.
I often write how the rarest and most precious commodity on the internet is trust. If you are trustworthy in your dealings online your business will continually grow. Remember to create value for the people who visit your website. You create value when you help your visitor solve a problem or fulfill a desire.
Beyond a foundation of trust and generosity, I encourage you to be a student of the internet. The technology is changing by the minute and everyday there are countless opportunities online to create wealth. Become a student of the internet. Here is an article I wrote about a great place to start.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
Hi, this is a great review.
I am also using Swagbucks but in all honesty, It’s not going to make anybody rich.
Sure it’s fairly easy to earn points which are converted into cash.
If you are an internet monster who is constantly searching online it could be of more benefit to you.
Ryan
Hi, Ryan!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with SwagBucks.
All the best,
Gary
Thank you for the well-written review, Gary!
Swagbucks is a legit product as you wrote in your review, however, it’s not the ideal way to earn an income online!
I’ve seen some people who are having fun with SwagBuck while they earn a few dollars each month! Do you agree that it’s more of an entertainment service rather than an income source?
Hi, Albert!
Your notion that SwagBucks might actually be for entertainment purposes is an interesting one. You make a good point.
However, on the SwagBucks website there is no obvious mention of entertainment. There are however, claims of earning money and getting paid. To that I say, it’s a lousy way to make money.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
I agree with this review. Although Swagbucks is a legitimate operation, it doesn’t fully maximize one’s time. It has very slow earnings potential and can be really boring. I tried it before and immediately signed out because you do the same tasks over and over again for little compensation. It just doesn’t make you any richer or smarter at all.
Hi, Dredd De Jesus!
Yes, I could feel my IQ falling as I worked on SwagBucks. Hopefully, the damage can be reversed.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
Thanks man for the review. I know not to waste my time with this one . There was another one I forget the name of it but I tried it . It did not seem worth it to me. Too much time reading ads and stuff. I was like… ughhh I was trying to make some side money but this is not it.
I love your site by the way. You made me laugh with one of your Pros: You get 30 Swagbucks for signing up. ( That ‘s 30 cents by the way) Lol . That ‘s a pro. If that is a pro than what the heck is a con. Lol.
Have you seen anything worst than Swagbucks?
Hi, Vertical!
Unfortunately, SwagBucks is not the worse I’ve seen. There are far worse. Most so-called survey companies online are not survey companies at all. They are marketing companies that trick people into thinking they are reviewing a product when actually they must first buy the product.
My advise is to stay away from surveys of any kind. Even the best ones are a waste of time.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
I wish I’d seen this review sooner! I’ve come across swagbucks in the past, and signed up. Spent a few hours trying to earn some “bucks” but as you say, ended up with pennies instead. I didn’t have the patience to keep going, and looked at other opportunities instead. I’d hoped something like this would be able to replace a full time job, but it’s far too time consuming, and make far less for the period of time involved. Thank you for the excellent review.
Hi, Jason!
Thanks for sharing your experience with SwagBucks. It really isn’t a money maker. The best way I know of to make money online is to build an authority website about something you like. There’s more to it, but that’s a proven strategy. You can learn more about it here.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
I love websites that review whether other sites are legit or a scam. I think they are super helpful. On your site I like how spell it all out. Pro vs Cons is always a good illustration and the whole blog was easy and fast to ready. You really make your point by putting the image of the clown with the cash.
Thank you for your service to this country.
Hi!
Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your comment and letting me know my message is getting through. I wish more people would understand that it is possible to earn money online, just not with the clowns at Swagbucks or others like them.
All the best,
Gary
Hi, Darren!
Thanks for sharing your experience with SwagBucks. You’re right, you don’t actually get paid with money and their rewards have been in decline for the past two years.
Someone’s time is better spent learning how to build a legitimate business.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
Love your review, because I agree with it wholeheartedly. Swagbucks isn’t a scam, but there are some many ways to use your time more effectively then to go through the crappiest flash games I’ve ever played and having to go through surveys only to be denied at the last second.
The other amazing thing about Swagbucks is that you don’t really get cash I think. They give you gift cards which are not really the same thing.