Last August I highlighted Swagbucks on my list of ways to make money from home.  Since then, however, the brand has only grown in popularity. Currently, some Swagbucks reviews have the platform listed as high as #6 in the “Coupons and Rebates” e-commerce category. Investment U recently conducted our own review of Swagbucks in an effort to help you on your path to financial freedom.

What is Swagbucks?

Swagbucks launched in February of 2008. Continuing the trend of digital currencies, Swagbucks allows users to earn “swagbucks” or “SB” by performing a series of actions online. According to their website, you can “Get Free Gift Cards & Cash for the everyday things you do online.”

Owned and operated by Prodege, a digital services and customer loyalty brand, Swagbucks’ 11 year history is quite impressive.

In 2013, former Shopzilla and Fandango CEO Chuck Davis joined the company as executive chairman.

Additionally, in 2014, Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV) made an investment of $60 million into Prodege. This no doubt has helped the company grow at a much faster rate. Later that year, Prodege announced it’s acquisition of SodaHead.com. The polling technology company has partnerships with ESPN, FOX News, and Good Morning America to name a few.

How Does Swagbucks Work?

By watching videos, searching the web or answering surveys, Swagbucks awards you with points. One SB point equals one US cent. The rewards values can vary. Watch a short video and you could receive 5 SB. A longer survey could award you 33 SB or more.

All of this is extremely transparent. Swagbucks provides the amount of points you will receive upon completion of your task, as well as the time it should take to complete it. This is extremely useful to Swagbucks members that are aiming to achieve a certain amount of points in a given day.

You can earn rewards by recruiting others to sign up. Regardless of how much you have earned, your “swagbucks” total is always available to you and you have the right to “cash out” at any time. That is assuming you have the minimum amount to purchase a gift card of course. After your request is made, allow 2 to 3 weeks and your card will arrive in the mail.

You are not limited to just gift cards. One of the options that’s available is to have your “swagbucks” transferred into real cash by way of a PayPal account. As your account grows so do the options to convert.

Where Can You Use Swagbucks?

After your Swagbucks points reach a certain level, you can cash them in for gift cards at these familiar retailers:

• Amazon
• Best Buy
• Expedia
• Hotels.com
• eBay
• Target
• Walmart
• The Home Depot
• Ticketmaster
• Priceline
• Staples
• Kohl’s
• Lowe’s

Click Here to see the full list

Swagbucks isn’t just about answering surveys. It’s about brand influence. As digital consumers, we engage with many types of content on a daily basis. Swagbucks has created a platform that provides value to both brands and consumers, while seamlessly integrating brand marketing.

The Swagbucks mobile app is available on both Google Play and the App Store. This makes it easy to access to your account even on the go. Whether you’re sitting on a park bench or on your way to a meeting, your Swagbucks account is always available.

Swagbucks Review: Pros and Cons

According to Swagbucks.com, they’ve paid out over $407,000,000 (and counting) to members. Due to the overwhelming increase in membership, there are some who would like to know the advantages and disadvantages prior to signing up.

Pros

• In-store cashback options
• A variety of ways to earn points
• Huge section of retailers
• User-friendly website/mobile app

Cons

• Sometimes it takes a lot of effort to earn points
• Earning a large income is highly unlikely
• It may take 2 to 3 weeks to receive gift cards
• Not available in ALL countries (find out more)

What many customers enjoy is being able to receive cashback on their purchases. This is one of the many perks that Swagbucks has managed to negotiate on behalf of their members. Unlike other rewards systems, one of the main benefits of Swagbucks is that you only have to take part in activities that interest you. Many platforms lack variety, making the user experience less enjoyable and ultimately unsustainable. It can take a few weeks for rewards to become redeemable. But, as noted before, you always have the option to transfer to a Paypal account.

Swagbucks Summary

Search for codes, play games, use coupons and achieve daily goals to earn points. Earning points is the name of the game, and quite frankly, there is no way around it. In other words, the more effort you put in, the more rewards you will get out.

If you’re looking to get rich quick, Swagbucks is far from the answer. However, if you’re looking to make some extra cash by doing some of the online activities that you already love…Swagbucks may be right for you.

In conclusion, building wealth isn’t done overnight. As always, InvestmentU aims to bring you the most beneficial investment opportunities as well as income ideas.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our Swagbucks review. To take your financial well-being to the next level, sign up today for our free e-letter below.