For many, it’s a dream to make money from bed without ever having to follow company rules, answer to a boss, or even set foot outside. There are tons of ways to make money online, and today we’re going to take a look at two popular, trusted options: Swagbucks and Survey Junkie.
These platforms offer simple and accessible ways to turn your downtime into dollars.
While Survey Junkie focuses mostly on taking surveys, Swagbucks offers many other money-making options, like playing games, shopping online and in-store, and even bonuses on one-off activities like signing up for a bank account.
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into Swagbucks and Survey Junkie to help you determine how they work, how you can make and receive money, how much time you need to invest, and what you can realistically expect to earn.
We’ll also take a look at an alternative way to make money online (spoiler alert: it’s Whop!).
How do surveys and online activities make you money?
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of these two platforms, let’s first take a minute to understand why they exist. At their core, Swagbucks and Survey Junkie are market research companies. They partner with other entities like research companies and consumer brands to collect valuable data about customers like you.
By filling in surveys, sharing your browsing activity, playing games, and completing other tasks, you’re giving these companies valuable data. They can learn who you are, what you like, and how you behave on a daily basis.
This data is like a golden ticket: the more these companies know, the more they’re able to give customers what they want and need. And the more they can do this, the more successful they’ll be in the long run.
Because this data is so valuable, Swagbucks and Survey Junkie’s partners set aside part of their budget to reward you for your time. They get valuable data, you get a payout. Everyone wins.
What is Swagbucks?
Swagbucks is a website that offers financial rewards for members who complete a range of activities. These include filling out surveys, playing games, shopping online, and completing special offers.
At the time of writing this article, Swagbucks claims to have awarded an incredible $615 million USD to participants.
The company was launched in February 2008 under the parent company Prodege, which is based in California. Prodege is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with a B rating. Swagbucks was originally launched to raise charitable donations, a feature that’s still available but has evolved considerably.
How Swagbucks works
Each activity is worth a set amount of points, or Swagbucks. You’ll see them represented as SB.
Once you accumulate enough SB, you’ll be able to redeem them for prizes like gift cards, prepaid debit cards, deposits to your PayPal account, donations to charities, and entries into Swagbucks contests.
The lowest cash-out is typically around 500 SB, or $5 in value, though some are slightly lower.
What is Survey Junkie?
Unlike Swagbucks, which offers a broad array of paid activities to choose from, Survey Junkie offers only a few ways to get paid. The first category includes surveys, focus groups, and product testing. These can cover a huge range of topics, from education to health to pets to things you’ve bought recently.
The other way to get paid is by opting into the Surf to Earn program, which is a form of behavioral market research. Essentially, you’re sharing your browsing activity so Survey Junkie can collect more information about what you do online (more on that later).
Survey Junkie was founded in 2011 by parent company DISQO, which is based out of California like Swagbucks. Survey Junkie is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with a B rating, the same as Swagbucks’ parent company Prodege.
How Survey Junkie works
Survey Junkie works similarly to Swagbucks in that you collect points for each activity. As you gain points, you can cash out for gift cards, prepaid debit cards, and deposits to your PayPal.
You can even get a transfer to your bank account, a feature that Swagbucks doesn’t offer.
The minimum amount to cash out is 500 points, which is $5 in value.
Getting started with Swagbucks and Survey Junkie
Now that you understand the basics of each platform, let’s take a look at the process of signing up and how to get going.
Signing up
Generally speaking, signing up with Swagbucks is a quicker process than Survey Junkie. You can sign up with Google, Apple, or email. If you’re in the US, they sweeten the deal with a $10 welcome bonus. Just be sure you sign up through one of the bonus offers through the website or a partner site or you won’t be eligible.
Once you’re in, you’re greeted with some eye-catching bonus offers, then you can go directly to your dashboard.
Survey Junkie takes a few extra minutes. Because Survey Junkie focuses mostly on surveys, the right people must be matched with the right surveys. To achieve this, you'll need to fill out some personal questions before getting started.
To become a member, you’ll need to provide:
- Zip/postal code
- Date of birth
- Gender
- First and last name
Afterward, you’ll be asked 17 questions to create your profile. Here are a few:
- How much of your household's grocery shopping do you do yourself?
- How many children do you have?
- What's the highest level of education you have received?
- What's your household income level?
- Are you a registered voter? If yes, what's your political affiliation?
- What's your employment status?
- In which industry or profession do you work?
Using the dashboard
Once you’re in Swagbucks, your dashboard will show top games, surveys, trending offers, and more. The top navigation includes:
- Answer for surveys
- Play for games
- Shop for shopping offers
- Magic Receipts where you can upload your shopping receipts to earn SBs
- Discover where you can earn SBs for participating in special offers
- More where you can redeem rewards, download the mobile app, earn SBs for referring friends, and more
One downside to using Swagbucks is that it’s a bit “busy”. There’s a lot of information and visuals, and the user interface (UI) isn’t the most modern. It can be overwhelming at first. But once you get rolling, the site is generally intuitive and easy to use.
Survey Junkie has a much more simple, streamlined, and modern interface and user experience (UX). There are only 3 tabs in the main navigation: Home, Rewards, and Account.
On the Home Page, you’ll see all the offers available to you. This includes surveys you qualify for, as well as bonuses and other opportunities to earn points.
Earning money with surveys on Swagbucks and Survey Junkie
And now, the part you’ve been waiting for: how you can make money.
Let’s look at surveys first, as they’re the common thread between these two platforms.
Later, we’ll get into the other ways to make money on each platform.
Survey availability
When you log in to each site, you’ll see all the surveys that you qualify for based on the questions and profiles you’ve already answered. Survey availability will vary, depending on details like your profile, location, and the current market research needs of Swagbucks and Survey Junkie’s partners.
The platforms constantly update their surveys, so the amount available to you at any given time will fluctuate. Keep in mind that every survey is tailored to specific demographics, which means some users may find more opportunities than others.
It’s important to remember that you likely won’t qualify for most surveys you try to take, so make sure to manage your expectations.
Occasionally, you’ll find special offers like this limited-time bonus Swagbucks offer, where you get 100 extra SB ($1) for each survey.
Keep an eye out for guaranteed points offers, like this one on Survey Junkie for 4 points to answer 4 questions.
Payment rates
Swagbucks tasks pay different amounts based on what you do. Surveys earn you between 40 to 200 SB ($0.40 to $2.00) and special offers can pay up to 200 SB. You can expect to earn $2 to $5 daily through regular platform use, potentially adding up to $730 to $1,825 per year.
Survey Junkie payment rates generally range from $0.15 (15 points) to $3 (300 points) per survey, depending on the length and complexity of the survey. As you might guess, shorter ones typically offer less while longer ones offer more. Rarely, you might be able to take a survey worth $85 (850 points) or more — but be patient and don’t hold your breath!
Qualification process
Getting into surveys works differently on each platform.
Swagbucks uses screener questions at the start to check if you match what their partners are looking for. You'll need to meet all requirements and follow their terms to earn rewards. They usually tell you upfront when you'll get credit for completing a survey.
Be careful though — you might get disqualified for rushing through surveys, giving inconsistent answers, or not matching the survey's target audience.
The good news? You'll still earn 1 SB (1 cent) for up to 5 disqualifications daily.
Keep in mind that both platforms can (and probably will at some point) disqualify you even after you've started answering questions. You might be several minutes into a survey when they determine you're not in their target audience.
Unfortunately, you won’t receive any compensation when this happens.
Other ways to earn money on Swagbucks
Aside from surveys, there are several other ways to make money on Swagbucks. You’ll find games, shopping rewards, search engine rewards, daily polls, and more.
Games
If you're interested in earning while gaming, Swagbucks is your only option between these platforms. It offers games across multiple categories, including:
- Puzzle
- Role Playing
- Strategy
- Arcade
- Casino (Games of chance)
Choose a category you enjoy, and you'll find games that pay anywhere from $8 to $70. Some popular titles include Toon Blast and Bingo Blitz, where you can earn rewards by completing in-game tasks.
For example, in Toon Blast, you can earn rewards by completing a series of levels that involve matching colored blocks and clearing the board. Every time you progress through a level, you can earn coins, which can be exchanged for Swagbucks or used for bonuses like extra moves or power-ups.
In Bingo Blitz, you can earn rewards by playing Bingo cards and completing daily challenges like "cover all the numbers" or "win X number of rounds in a row." You can also earn bonus rewards by achieving streaks of consecutive wins or by collecting special items during special events.
Keep in mind that Swagbucks frequently adds and removes games from its platform, so be sure to check back regularly for new opportunities and tasks.
Shopping rewards
If you already shop online regularly, you might as well get paid for it.
Shop at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target, or Starbucks through Swagbucks, and you'll earn cash back on purchases. Most stores offer between 1% and 12% back, meaning a $100 purchase could earn you anywhere from 100 SB ($1) to 1,200 SB ($12).
You can also earn from grocery shopping using Magic Receipts (Swagbucks' grocery rebate program). Upload receipts from your regular grocery trips and earn rewards on everyday staples like eggs, bread, and produce.
Discover offers
Only Swagbucks offers additional earning opportunities through their Discover section.
You'll find different types of offers:
- Featured offers - High-paying opportunities like RevU (up to 500,000 SB)
- Partner offers - From trusted providers like MyChips and TOROX
- Mobile apps - Install and try new apps for rewards
- Free offers - Sign up for newsletters or download free content
- Shopping deals - Special promotions and discounts
Most offers range from quick tasks earning a few SB to larger opportunities worth thousands of points. For example, you might earn 2 SB ($0.02) for signing up for a newsletter or up to 14,132 SB ($14.13) for trying a new crypto wallet app.
Daily polls
Earning consistently on survey platforms can feel challenging, but daily rewards can keep you on track.
Swagbucks' Daily Poll is a quick, one-question task that earns you 1 SB (1 cent) every day. You’ll find it in the "Answer" section on the dashboard — it only takes a few seconds and adds up over time.
Search engine rewards
Swagbucks also rewards you for using their search engine powered by Yahoo. Set it as your default browser, and you can earn 1-25 SB($0.01-$0.25) randomly while searching like you normally would.
For best results, space out your searches by 20-30 seconds. Not every search earns points, but using it for your regular web searches can add up to additional SB over time.
You can set Swagbucks as your default search engine on Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer to start earning while you search.
Swag codes
Swagbucks offers an extra way to boost your earnings: Swag Codes. These are short, time-sensitive codes you can redeem for rewards.
Finding Swag Codes is part of the fun. When a code goes live, Swagbucks will alert you through notifications on their app, the SwagButton extension, or on their social media channels. Keep an eye out for these, as they are only available for a limited time and usually offer a specific number of Swag Bucks.
Using a Swag Code is easy. Just copy the code exactly as it appears and enter it into the SwagCode box on the Swagbucks website or through the SwagButton or mobile app. Once you enter the code, the points are instantly added to your balance. It’s a simple way to earn without having to complete surveys or tasks.
Survey Junkie doesn’t offer Swag Codes, but it has other ways to earn, like bonus points for completing a set number of surveys. While these promotions can help increase your earnings, they require more time and effort compared to the quick rewards you get from Swag Codes.
MyGiftCardsPlus
MyGiftCardsPlus is a Swagbucks feature that lets you earn cashback in Swagbucks (SB) every time you purchase gift cards.
Here’s how it works: buy gift cards for popular retailers like Starbucks, Sephora, or Delta Airlines through MyGiftCardsPlus. For every purchase, you’ll earn SB points, which you can later redeem for more gift cards or PayPal cash.
Plus, you can double up on rewards. Use a cashback credit card to buy a gift card through MyGiftCardsPlus, and you’ll earn rewards both from Swagbucks and your credit card provider.
Referral program
Sharing is earning — at least with Swagbucks and Survey Junkie. Both platforms let you earn extra rewards by inviting others to join.
On Swagbucks, referrals add up over time. You’ll get 300 SB ($3) when your referral earns their first 300 SB in 30 days. After that, you’ll keep earning 10% of their Swag Bucks for as long as they use the platform.
Survey Junkie also has a referral program. You earn a flat $1.50 for every referral who cashes out their points. While it’s a one-time payment, it’s quick and easy if your referrals complete surveys and redeem rewards soon after joining.
Swagbucks Live Trivia
Swagbucks Live Trivia is a live game show where you can win real money and bonus SB by answering trivia questions. The game includes 10 multiple-choice questions, and you’ll have 10 seconds to choose your answer after the host begins reading.
Answer all 10 questions correctly to win the grand prize. If multiple players win, the prize is split. Even if you're eliminated early, some questions still offer bonus SB, so keep playing to rack up extra points.
You can rejoin a game once per session by redeeming SB from your account or using free rejoin tokens earned by watching videos. There’s also a Daily Trivia Challenge for additional SB outside of live games — a great way to sharpen your skills or earn more points.
Daily tasks
Swagbucks keeps you coming back with daily tasks — mini challenges that make earning a little extra fun while keeping your rewards consistent. You can earn SB by:
- Watching short video playlists in the background
- Clicking through featured offers for extra rewards
- Completing surveys or scanning receipts
- Taking a quick daily poll for an easy SB point
Survey Junkie doesn’t have anything similar, making Swagbucks the better choice for consistent, small rewards.
Other ways to earn money on Survey Junkie
In addition to surveys, Survey Junkie occasionally offers focus groups or product testing opportunities.
However, these are rare and often difficult to qualify for. Another option is joining the Surf to Earn community.
Focus groups and product testing
Focus groups and product testing are typically less frequent than surveys, but they may be worth your time as they can pay much more than surveys. These opportunities tend to become available to people who spend a lot of time on the site and complete a lot of surveys.
Focus groups can take place on the phone, video call, or even in person. They might pay anywhere from $5 to upwards of $100 for a single session. If you can manage to snag any of these, they’ll by far be your most lucrative efforts.
Product testing might involve testing different types of packaged goods or digital products, like movie trailers or episodes of a TV show. Physical products will be shipped to your home for you to try out and give your honest opinions, then you get to keep them. Digital products will be sent to you online.
Product testing can also start at around $5 to upwards of $50.
Surf to Earn
The Surf to Earn program is a lot less “hands-on” than taking surveys. To participate, all you need to do is install the Pulse browser extension or opt into the program on the Survey Junkie mobile app. By installing and opting in, you're agreeing to share data like the sites you visit, what you search, your shopping activity, the content you engage with, and the ads you see.
Swagbucks also offers rewards for browsing, though it’s limited to typing searches into the search engine that’s embedded inside the Swagbucks website.
It’s also worth noting that this payment isn’t very high. Some users report earning around 100 points ($1) in a month.
If you have privacy concerns, make sure you take a careful look at the privacy policy. Out of all the ways to make money on Survey Junkie and Swagbucks, this will likely be the least private.
How you’ll get paid
Getting paid is the most important part of using platforms like Swagbucks and Survey Junkie. Here's how both handle payouts.
Minimum withdrawal amounts
How fast can you see the rewards of your effort? Minimum withdrawal amounts affect how quickly you can turn points into something useful.
Swagbucks makes it easy to cash out small amounts. For select gift cards, you can redeem as little as $1 (100 SB). PayPal payouts, however, require a minimum of $5.
Survey Junkie keeps things consistent. You need 500 points (worth $5) to redeem, whether you’re going for gift cards or cash.
Payment methods
More choices are always a win when it comes to cashing out. The right payment options can make your rewards feel even more rewarding.
Swagbucks gives you multiple ways to cash out. You can use PayPal, choose gift cards, donate to charity, or even enter sweepstakes.
Survey Junkie sticks to practical options like PayPal, bank transfers, and gift cards to popular stores such as Amazon and Target.
Processing times
No one likes waiting around for their hard-earned rewards. Quick payouts turn points into cash (or gift cards) that you can actually use.
Survey Junkie processes payments fast. PayPal payouts typically process in about 24 hours, gift cards arrive in a few hours, and bank transfers take 2–5 business days.
Swagbucks can be slower with processing. Gift cards usually arrive faster than PayPal payouts, but timing depends on the payout method you choose.
Gift card options
Speaking of gift cards, you’ll want to know which stores you can shop at. After all, what’s the point of rewards if they don’t match your favorite retailers?
Swagbucks gives you a broader range to choose from. You’ll find gift cards for big names like Amazon, Walmart, Starbucks, and plenty more.
Survey Junkie has a smaller selection of gift cards. You can get cards for Amazon and Target, but that's about it.
Point expiration policies
Nobody wants to lose their hard-earned rewards.
With Swagbucks, your points never expire as long as you stay active. It’s great if you like taking your time to save up for bigger redemptions. Just note that features like Swag Codes have specific deadlines.
Survey Junkie requires a little more attention. If you don’t log in or complete a survey within 12 months, your points will expire. Staying active ensures you keep what you’ve earned.
Availability and requirements to get started
Before you get excited about earning rewards, let's check if these platforms can work for you. Both Swagbucks and Survey Junkie have specific requirements that might affect your ability to join and earn.
Geographic availability
Your location plays an essential role in whether these platforms work for you. It’s the first thing to check before signing up.
Swagbucks accepts users from most countries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. They’re also planning to expand into Africa soon.
Survey Junkie is stricter — you can only join if you live in the United States, Canada, Australia, or the United Kingdom (UK).
Age and platform requirements
Age restrictions and device compatibility can make or break your ability to participate. You'll want to know if everyone in your household can join and how they can access these platforms.
With Swagbucks, you need to be 13 or older, but parental permission is required if you’re under 18. Survey Junkie is stricter — you must be at least 18 to sign up.
You can use both platforms on your phone (iOS or Android) or any computer with a web browser. For Survey Junkie, Firefox often provides the best experience.
Account verification
When real money is involved, platforms need to verify your identity to prevent fraud and ensure secure payments.
Swagbucks typically asks for ID (driver's license, passport, or state ID) only when claiming high-value rewards or contacting support.
Survey Junkie requires more immediate verification — you'll need to provide a photo ID and selfie before your first withdrawal.
Account limitations
Account rules and activity requirements exist to keep things fair and secure for everyone.
On Swagbucks, you can only have one account, but multiple people in your household can join if you all follow the rules. Survey Junkie is stricter — you’re limited to one account, no exceptions.
To keep your account active, log in to Swagbucks at least once a year. On Survey Junkie, make sure your survey answers are consistent — rushing through them could put your account at risk.
Important note for US users: Taxes
If you’re a US resident and you earn more than $600 in a calendar year on either platform, you’ll need to file a 1099 tax form and pay taxes to the IRS on your earnings. Any earnings under $600 don’t need to be reported, and you won’t owe any taxes.
Once you’re approaching the $600 mark, Swagbucks and Survey Junkie will send you a W-9 form to fill out and send back to them. This is what they’ll use to issue your 1099 at the end of the tax year.
You’ll only need to submit a W-9 once over the lifetime of your membership (but of course, you’ll always need to pay applicable taxes).
Is it worth using Swagbucks and SurveyJunkie Pros and cons
Swagbucks
Pros
- Earn points through surveys, games, shopping, and more
- Cashback on purchases from partnered retailers
- Easy-to-use platform with a mobile app for earning on the go
- Redeem points for PayPal cash or gift cards with low thresholds (300 SB for gift cards, 500 SB for PayPal)
- $10 sign-up bonus to get you started
Cons
- Pre-screening for surveys often leads to disqualifications
- Earnings are low for most tasks, requiring time and consistency
- Higher PayPal withdrawal threshold ($25 worth of points)
- Some tasks require sharing personal information or email sign-ups
Survey Junkie
Pros
- Earn points even if you don’t qualify for a survey
- Simple sign-up process to get started quickly
- User-friendly design makes navigating the platform easy
- Redeem points for PayPal, gift cards, or bank transfers
- Free to join, with extra points for setting up your profile
Cons
- Only a small percentage of surveys match your profile
- Earnings are low and require time to build up
- Survey options depend heavily on your demographic info
- Cash-out processing can take a few days
Final verdict: Is Swagbucks or Survey Junkie better for making money online?
At the end of the day, Swagbucks and Survey Junkie are both trusted platforms for earning some cash on the side. They both offer modest earning opportunities — spending a couple of hours every day might earn you on average about $40 in a month. This number can grow if you get the chance to participate in special opportunities and offers, or if you choose to put in more time.
If you want more diverse opportunities to earn money, Swagbucks is the clear winner. While Survey Junkie is mostly just surveys, Swagbucks offers many more ways to earn.
You can play games, get rewards and cashback while shopping, try new apps and content, and sign up for special promotions that can earn thousands of points at a time. Plus, Swagbucks has many high-value offers at any given time, while you generally need to wait for them on Survey Junkie.
For these reasons, Swagbucks is our vote for the platform that pays the most.
Make more money online with Whop
Taking surveys, playing games, and participating in other activities on Swagbucks and Survey Junkie can certainly earn you some extra cash. But if you’re looking for a more powerful way to make money — and one with much higher earning potential for your time — give Whop a try.
Instead of trading time for money, Whop allows you to invest in building something passive and scalable on your own terms. You can sell digital products like eBooks and other downloadables, software, digital media, online courses, and masterclasses.
Whop also allows you to build online communities, where you can:
- Share your knowledge and expertise
- Establish yourself as a thought leader
- Boost collaboration and partnership opportunities
- Get access to valuable feedback and education
- Connect with like-minded people
The best part: it’s free to get started. We’ll handle the payments, as well as help you through the tech side of building an online business.
All you need to do is bring your creativity and determination. Sign up in minutes and get started today!
