9 Apps Like Swagbucks – Earn Cash from Your Phone
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We all have those small pockets of time that feel too short to use productively or we’re in a situation where we can’t do anything. Situations like the drive-thru line to get your morning latte, the last few minutes of your lunch break, waiting for your child’s sports practice to finish up. Smartphones have given us ways to use these little time slots, but what if you could use them to earn money?
Survey websites have been around for years now, and most have now created apps. It’s easier than ever to earn $1 while Sara’s in dance class or $0.50 while waiting to pick up your grocery order. We’ve rounded up some of the best apps like Swagbucks which allow you to do small tasks for points that can be redeemed for cash or gift cards.
In this article
Overview of the money-making apps like Swagbucks
Money-Making App | Best For |
Rakuten | Online shoppers |
Survey Junkie | Sharing your opinion |
InboxDollars | Earning cash back from grocery shopping |
MyPoints | Earning bonus points |
PrizeRebel | International users |
LifePoints | 16- to 17-year-olds |
Pinecone Research | Product testing opportunities |
instaGC | Low cash-out minimum |
Opinion Outpost | Surveys |
Earn Real Money Fast by Filling Out Surveys!
- Sign up for FREE & complete your profile
- Earn points for taking surveys
- Redeem your points for cash or gift cards
- $55k+ Paid to Survey Junkie members daily
- Complete 3+ surveys a day, earn up to $100/mo.
Money-making apps like Swagbucks
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie allows its 10 million members to earn points, which can be converted into gift cards, by taking surveys. Unlike sites like Swagbucks and MyPoints, there are no other ways to earn points, which can make earning points slow for some.
Signing up for Survey Junkie is easy, takes just a few minutes, and nets you 25 points, or $0.25. You need a minimum of 500 points (or $5) to request a payout which can be in the form of PayPal cash or gift cards.
After signing up, you will be shown a series of point-earning surveys on topics such as your household, shopping, health, travel, and interests. Installing the browser extension earns you a lump sum of points when you download it. For each month, up to the first 12, if you keep the browser on your computer, you’ll earn more points.
You will need to complete all of the informational surveys before you’re shown higher-value surveys. This is to better ensure they offer you the most relevant surveys. On average you’ll qualify for one out of every survey that you attempt. It’s a good way to fill in those spare minutes when you’re between tasks or waiting in a line. Plus you get to impact and influence brands for which you’re taking surveys.
Rakuten
Formerly known as Ebates, and a pioneer in the cash-back space, Rakuten allows users to get cash back from online and in-store purchases. After creating an account, all you need to do is log in and search for the store you want to buy from. You’ll be shown the amount of cashback, which is usually a percentage, but in some cases may be a flat dollar amount.
When you’re going to shop in-store, just open the app and link your credit or debit cards to the offer. Complete your purchase as usual, and the app will pull in the data from your purchase. This isn’t always instantaneous, and glitches can occur so I suggest checking back 24 to 48 hours later to make sure you received credit for your purchase.
It’s easy to report “missing cash back” if the transaction did, in fact, not get picked up by Rakuten. You fill out and submit a simple form with details including your transaction number and the date. Processing this takes a few days, so during times like Christmas when I’m doing a lot of shopping, I check the app weekly to make sure I’m being credited for my purchases.
The biggest downside of Rakuten is that they only issue payments every three months. I personally don’t mind because it’s a nice surprise to open my email and discover a notice from PayPal saying that funds have been received.
InboxDollars
As its name suggests, you can get paid for reading emails that are sent to your mailbox within the InboxDollars app. Signing up takes less than five minutes and you’re rewarded with your first $5. This is generous, but it’s important to note that you need to accumulate $30 before you can cash out your rewards.
I was offered a 16-minute survey that paid $1 but was apparently disqualified after entering our household job industries. While I didn’t get any money, the attempt earned me progress towards the Scratch & Win game. Signing up for a free newsletter netted me $0.25.
InboxDollars has a variety of ways to earn points. Watching videos and taking advantage of free offers like reading emails or subscribing to marketing emails. This is why it’s important to not use your personal or work email to sign up for these apps; you don’t need extra digital clutter mixed in with important communications.
I especially like the Magic Receipts part of the app. You can select offers like $1 for any brand of bread, $1 for a dozen eggs, and $0.02 for any item. After I buy bread, eggs, and one other item, I scan my receipt and I’ll be credited $2.02. Higher dollar amounts are available for specific brands like $10 for Keurig coffees, $2 for Ragu pasta sauce, and $2 for Softsoap. Check back frequently because offers vary from week to week.
MyPoints
While practically ancient in internet years, MyPoints has been rewarding its users with gift cards since 1996. It takes less than five minutes to create an account, and new users are eligible for a $10 sign-up bonus.
There are multiple ways to earn points, with the emails and daily surveys being among the easiest. Some emails simply require you to visit a website to earn points; with others, you need to make a purchase. The email shows what action is necessary to earn points, so you can decide if you’ll click the link or not.
You can get rewarded for both your online and offline shopping when you link your credit or debit card to the app (for offline purchases) or start your online shopping trip from MyPoints.
MyPoints has a neat feature where you can set a daily point goal and if you meet it, you’re rewarded with extra points. This could be a fun way to do daily bus or subway commutes, or while waiting for the kids’ soccer game to start.
Earn Real Money Fast by Filling Out Surveys!
- Sign up for FREE & complete your profile
- Earn points for taking surveys
- Redeem your points for cash or gift cards
- $55k+ Paid to Survey Junkie members daily
- Complete 3+ surveys a day, earn up to $100/mo.
PrizeRebel
For those who want multiple ways to earn, and spend points, PrizeRebel may be for you. At first glance, the website looks a bit overwhelming because there are so many point-earning opportunities.
Points are earned by completing surveys, offers, or winning a contest. The Offer Wall has lots of ways in which you can earn points by signing up for free samples or registering to be on the company's e-newsletter. Contests are won by earning the most points within a specific amount of time. You can enter raffles and contests in hopes of winning even more points. These are not free exactly; each raffle requires you to “pay” with your accumulated points.
Occasionally, you may be asked to be a part of product trails. You’ll receive an item (free of charge) and be asked to complete surveys pertaining to your experience using the product. After completing the surveys related to the product, you’ll be compensated with points.
Points that you earn on PrizeRebel can be redeemed starting at $2. This lower threshold is only available for gift cards, which include popular retailers like Amazon, iTunes, and Target. Once you accumulate $5 or more, you can redeem your points for cash via PayPal.
LifePoints
LifePoints offers a $5 sign-up bonus to new members after completing your profile. This is one of the few survey sites that requires you to give your mailing address. After you verify your email address, you’ll earn another 10 points, which equals $0.10.
Surveys on LifePoints take about 10 minutes to complete, which is short compared to what you’ll find in the other apps. Short surveys mean fewer points, but these are great for doing in your spare time.
Another cool thing about LifePoints is that it’s open to 16 and 17-year-olds. Most of these apps require users to be 18, so this is one of the best online jobs for teens.
I did find the LifePoints app a bit glitchy. I couldn’t always log in; other times it would freeze and close. On the computer, it was easy to use. My mobile phone is three years old, but I’ve not experienced any issues with other apps, which leads me to believe it’s an issue on their end.
Pinecone Research
Members of Pinecone Research love this app and eagerly take the surveys, which pay $3 each. The only problem is that they don’t often open up enrollment to new members. When they do, they may be looking for people who fit certain demographics, so even if you try to apply, you may not be selected. They say they keep your info on file for a while and will reach out if you are a good fit for future branded surveys.
Once you are in, however, you can expect to get emails for several available surveys a month. There are also focus groups and product testing that are available at times. Some users report getting to try popcorn and giving their honest feedback on it. Another took part in a 90-minute Zoom call about a product and earned $75 for their time and opinions.
Pinecone Research isn’t just open to residents of the United States. Residents of the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy can apply and earn points, too.
InstaGC
Signing up for InstaGC is easy. In less than five minutes you’ll have your first 10 points, or $0.10. You can earn additional points by linking your account to social media sites including Facebook and Twitter, as well as your Gmail account.
InstaGC offers several ways to earn points, starting with surveys. These take between 10 and 30 minutes to complete if you meet the pre-survey qualification questions. Watching videos and visiting websites are easy ways to earn points, and you can do them while watching tv or walking on your treadmill.
Other more involved point-earning opportunities include downloading and testing apps and joining focus groups. You can also earn points when you shop from their partner retailers. Another way to earn points is to find and redeem, the codes that they post on their social media accounts.
I love that you can start cashing out points at just $1. This is only for the gift card option; for PayPal cash, you must have a $5 balance.
Opinion Outpost
Keeping it simple is what Opinion Outpost does best. They don’t have a mobile app, but the site is mobile-friendly and easy to access on any device. Signing up takes just a few minutes, and once you’re set, you’ll receive an email whenever there’s a new survey.
Before each survey, you’ll need to answer a few questions to see if you qualify. For surveys that you do not qualify for, you’ll receive an entry to the quarterly $10,000 drawing. After completing a survey, your points are added to your account within 24 hours.
When you’re ready to cash in on your earnings, you can select from PayPal, a Visa Prepaid Card, or free gift cards from popular retailers and restaurants.
Opinion Outpost does send a lot of emails, so be sure that you sign up with an email account that you use for survey apps. This makes it easier to keep your important inbox tidy and find out about new surveys.
Earn Real Money Fast by Filling Out Surveys!
- Sign up for FREE & complete your profile
- Earn points for taking surveys
- Redeem your points for cash or gift cards
- $55k+ Paid to Survey Junkie members daily
- Complete 3+ surveys a day, earn up to $100/mo.
Summary of money-making apps like Swagbucks
Here’s a quick look at how these money-making apps compare against each other. Some have lower payout thresholds than others and most have mobile apps.
App | Cash-out Minimum | Available on mobile |
Rakuten | $5 (paid out quarterly) | Yes |
Survey Junkie | $5 | Yes |
InboxDollars | $30 | Yes |
MyPoints | $5 | Yes |
PrizeRebel | $2 (gift cards), $5 (PayPal) | No |
LifePoints | $20 | Yes |
Pinecone Research | $1 | Yes |
InstaGC | $1 | No |
Opinion Outpost | $5 | No |
Although PrizeRebel, InstaGC, and Opinion Outpost don’t have apps, their websites are mobile-friendly and can be easily accessed from your smartphone.
FAQs
Do I have to pay money to join a money-making app?
No, you should never pay money to join survey sites and take paid surveys. They compensate you for your time by offering points or virtual coins for actions like taking online surveys, playing games, and watching videos. These points and coins can be redeemed for gift cards or PayPal cash, depending on the app’s rewards program. For some of the cash-back apps, like Rakuten and the receipt program in InboxDollars you receive money on purchases that you’ve made. Essentially you’re getting a rebate on your purchase.
How much money can I earn per hour with money-making apps?
You won’t get rich taking surveys and watching videos, but it can be a fun way to earn extra cash during those minutes spent waiting in the line at the grocery store or in the carpool line. With cash-back apps, you could earn a good amount, depending on your shopping habits. If you spend $100 at Target each month and receive 3% cash back, that’s $3 a month or $36 a year. Multiply that by all the shopping you can expect to get back considerably more. You can even get cash back on TurboTax, H&R Block, and Free Tax USA.
Do I have to give out personal information when filling out surveys?
Yes, you are required to share some personal data like your date of birth, zip code, marital status, education level, and household income. They should never ask for sensitive info like your Social Security number or bank account numbers. You should be honest because many of these sites are doing market research and have paid apps like MyPoints and LifePoints money to collect data from their users. This is how they compensate you. The good news is that the data collected is anonymous and there’s usually an option for “I don’t know” or “I prefer not to answer.” Opt for one of those choices if you’re not comfortable with a question. But honestly, most of the information they ask for can be found online in just a few minutes.
Why should you use money-making apps like Swagbucks
Out of all the money-making apps, I think the cash-back ones are worthwhile for most people. When I was fresh out of college and had more time than money, I did spend time clicking on emails and doing surveys with MyPoints and Swagbucks. These days, I don’t have as much free time as I did back then, so I stick to just cash-back apps like Rakuten to earn cash back on my shopping.
For apps that allow you to upload receipts and earn cashback, the same is true: in less than a minute, you can scan and submit your receipt and earn anywhere from $0.10 to $10.00 or more.
For those who do have side hustles that are bringing in lots of cash, then money-making apps like these may not be the best use of your time. Don’t skip a lawn mowing job that will net you $40 an hour just so you can take a few more surveys that will earn you less than $4 in that hour. Save the surveys for those down times when you’re between jobs or on your lunch break.
Related:
Earn Real Money Fast by Filling Out Surveys!
- Sign up for FREE & complete your profile
- Earn points for taking surveys
- Redeem your points for cash or gift cards
- $55k+ Paid to Survey Junkie members daily
- Complete 3+ surveys a day, earn up to $100/mo.
The bottom line
Apps like Swagbucks, MyPoints, Rakuten, and Survey Junkie are great but aren’t for everyone. Even if you don’t have much downtime, you do make time for grocery shopping and online purchases, so why not get a bit of cash back for it? Decide on a set time each week when you’ll scan your receipts and upload them to the app of your choice. While it may not seem like much on a weekly basis, over the course of a year, you could have $100 or more.
The best way to get started is to choose one of these paid survey sites and get started. Give it a few weeks before deciding if you want to try another one. Trying to use all of these apps (not to mention other money-making apps that are out there) will just frustrate you and you won’t see any traction.
Within a few weeks to a month, if you complete surveys daily, you should see your cash rewards adding up. When you meet the minimum payout threshold, you can redeem it or wait and let it build up. Then comes the fun part; deciding what to do with the money. Some like it use this extra money from the payout to go towards paying off debt, others save it for vacations, and some use it as fun money to splurge on a new outfit.
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Writer
Charlotte Edwards is an educator-turned-freelance writer based in Beijing, China. She writes personal finance and parenting content for both digital and print publications around the world.
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