Swagbucks Review UK: How I Earned Over £1,500
Swagbucks claims you can make money online by watching videos, searching the web and completing surveys. That sounds suspiciously easy. I’ve been using Swagbucks UK for over six years and have earned more than £1,500 from it. So yes, it’s legit but no, it’s not as simple as they make it sound.
If you use Swagbucks the wrong way, you’ll earn pennies and give up. Use it properly, and it becomes a reliable side earner.
Swagbucks review
With a bit of practice with this site, it can turn out to be a good earner. Videos and searching won’t earn you much, but there are some decent-paying surveys and some bonus games that make this a site worth considering.
Pros
- Constant stream of surveys
- Plenty of other earning opportunities
- Choose between cash and gift cards
Cons
- Some surveys are poorly paid compared to other sites
- Tasks like watching videos are pointless
- Can take up to 7 days to receive payment
Reviewed by Household Money SavingLooking to make money from home? There are plenty of sites claiming you can earn online, but most aren’t worth the effort. Swagbucks is one I keep coming back to, and that says a lot considering how many survey sites I’ve tried over the years.
What is Swagbucks?
Swagbucks is what’s known as a Get Paid To (GPT) site. That means you earn points (called SB) for completing tasks such as surveys, shopping online, signing up to offers and downloading apps.
Those points can then be exchanged for PayPal cash or gift cards.
Is Swagbucks legit?
Yes. Swagbucks is owned by Prodege, LLC, a US-based company that also owns MyPoints and InboxDollars. They claim to have paid out hundreds of millions to members worldwide.
More importantly, I’ve cashed out dozens of times myself without a single issue.
If Swagbucks didn’t pay, I wouldn’t still be using it six years later.
Also worth reading
If you’re serious about making extra money, why not visit my post on the surveys for money?
How Swagbucks actually works
You earn SB by completing tasks listed across the site. Once you reach the minimum redemption amount, you exchange SB for rewards.
What matters isn’t how many tasks you do, it’s which ones you choose.
Below are the only parts of Swagbucks worth focusing on.
Surveys (the main earner)
Surveys are where most of your Swagbucks income will come from.
There are two main types:
Gold Surveys
These pay the best and appear most often. Pay varies wildly, so you need to be selective. I look for:
• Short surveys
• High SB per minute
• Anything under 10 minutes unless the payout is strong
If you’re screened out, you’ll still get 1 SB, up to 5 times per day.
Peanut Labs
These surveys appear on multiple GPT sites, which is why the pay is usually lower. I only touch these if I’m chasing a daily bonus.
Cashback shopping
Swagbucks also works as a cashback site. Click through to a retailer, shop as normal, and earn SB.
The rates usually aren’t as good as TopCashback or Quidco, but Swagbucks has two advantages:
• Some retailers aren’t listed elsewhere
• Cashback often tracks and credits faster
Discover offers (big but selective)
This section can be extremely profitable or a complete waste of time.
You’ll find:
• App downloads
• Free trials
• Games
• Subscription offers
Games can pay thousands of SB, but only if the targets are realistic. Some are easy wins, others are designed to drag on.
Casino and bingo offers pay well and have always tracked for me, but they’re obviously not for everyone.
👉 Take a look at my post on the best apps to play games and earn money
One thing to avoid
Stay away from “free gift card” offers that ask for excessive personal details or credit card info. Yes, they might pay SB, but the spam afterwards isn’t worth it.
Search (small but consistent)
Using the Swagbucks search engine can earn SB randomly. You can earn up to two wins per day, usually worth 4–7 SB, occasionally more.
Once a month, Collector’s Bills boost these rewards, making search surprisingly worthwhile. If that tickles your fancy, why not take a look at other sites that pay you for searching the web?
Certainly not worth getting excited about, but a fairly simple way to earn.
What I don’t bother with anymore
Watching videos
This used to be decent. Now it pays next to nothing. I only use it to hit a daily goal if I’m a few SB short. You can see other sites that pay you for watching videos and TV.
Low-paid surveys at weekends
Fewer surveys, worse pay. I usually skip weekends unless there’s a bonus running.
Daily bonuses and streaks
Swagbucks sets a daily SB target. Hit it and you earn bonus SB. Hit it consistently and you unlock streak bonuses, which quietly add up.
If you stay active, these bonuses alone can be worth hundreds of SB per year.
Also worth reading
If you would like to boost your income from your phone, see which are the best money-making apps.
Referral scheme (seriously underrated)
Swagbucks pays you 10% of everything your referral earns for life (with a few exclusions).
If you have friends, a blog or social media following, this can easily become one of your biggest earners on the site.
Swagbucks apps
Swagbucks App
A mobile version of the site. Surveys, shopping, daily tasks are all useful.
Swagbucks Answer
More limited. Surveys, daily poll and receipt uploads. Receipt payouts are tiny (2 SB), and acceptance is hit-and-miss.
Swagbucks Live
A live quiz game with real prizes. Fun, free and occasionally profitable, though the questions lean heavily US-centric.
What can you redeem SB for?
Swagbucks has one of the best reward selections around.
Popular options include:
• Amazon (check out other ways to earn free Amazon gift cards)
• Tesco
• John Lewis
• Marks & Spencer
• Starbucks
• PayPal cash
Gift cards often go on sale, which means larger denominations offer better value.
How much are Swagbucks points worth?
Typically, 625 SB = £5, although this fluctuates. I’ve seen it drop to 500 SB during promotions.
How much can you realistically earn?
This depends entirely on how picky you are.
With decent surveys and offers, £6–£7 per hour is realistic. I personally average £40–£50 per month, which I use to cover Christmas spending.
Over five years, I’ve earned 211,000+ SB. That works out at over £1,500 in cash and gift cards.
My Swagbucks UK review conclusion
Swagbucks isn’t perfect. Some surveys are poor, and some tasks simply aren’t worth doing.
But it’s one of the few sites I keep coming back to.
If you focus on:
• Short, well-paid surveys
• Cashback offers
• Select Discover tasks
…it becomes a reliable side earner that fits around real life.
If Swagbucks doesn’t appeal, take a look at my top-paying survey sites instead.
How to earn more Swagbucks (what actually works)
• Ignore video watching unless chasing a bonus
• Focus on Discover offers with clear targets
• Check surveys during weekday mornings
• Avoid weekends where possible
• Stick to surveys under 10 minutes unless pay is strong
• If you stop surveying for a week, Swagbucks often boosts payouts temporarily
FAQ
What is the Swagbutton?
This a tool that you can add to your browser of choice. You can search the web, find shops or add Swag codes for bonus SB (the button can send you notifications when a code is available). Plus, you’ll earn SB when you install it for the first time.
Is Swagbucks safe?
Yes. The site has been running for many year and is owned by Prodege, LLC, a US company that owns several survey sites. I have earned over £1,500 from them since I joined.
How much are Swagbucks worth?
This partly depends on the gift card you buy. On average, 100 Swagbucks is the equivalent of around 70 pence in the UK.
Is Swagbucks worth the time?
Yes, although it takes some time to get used to. There are some tasks which are poorly paid and they need to be avoided.
How long does it take to make money on Swagbucks?
This changes from day-to-day. Sometimes, you can find some great surveys and offers and earn 1000 SB in under an hour. And then you may not find anything worthwhile for days.
SWAGBUCKS IS AN ABSOLUTE SCAM!!!!
I have been using Swagbucks for a couple of months. It all started well and I did whatever I could, answering surveys, daily polls, daily activities, and also to download games and watch ads. It was a fun experience for me throughout. Then out of the blue 1 day, my account was deactivated (no email was sent to me for this) and I realised this when I tried to log in.
Naturally, I submitted a ticket to find out what was going on. They came back to me a couple of days thereafter to say that I breached their policy for either sharing accounts or having multiple accounts (both of which I do not do). I explained to them that I had used swagbucks on my desktop and laptop, but ultimately focus on my mobile to play the games and watch the ads.
All they did was come back with another email saying that the account deactivation was final and the case is now closed (with no evidence whatsoever of the wrongdoing).
Whilst they might pay you some money, a lot of your hard work (of watching ads) will ultimately go to waste. Stay away from them. They should be reported to the police or whatever other authority looks after companies like this.