You’re probably thinking that there is no way anyone can teach you how to get free gift cards, right? I know it sounds like a scam. Trust me, though, it’s not.
Many apps pay their members for their opinions, time, and skills through gift cards.
So, keep reading to learn how to turn your free time into gift cards to your favorite store.
Can You Get Gift Cards for Free?
You can get gift cards for free, meaning you don’t have to spend money to get gift cards in the methods I outline below. The tradeoff is your time. Like you trade time to earn a paycheck, you can trade time online for free gift cards.
As I always say, do your due diligence when learning how to get free gift cards. Don’t fall for deals that seem too good to be true. If it seems unrealistic, it’s likely a scam. Fortunately, the methods I share below are 100% legit.
17 Ways to Get Free Gift Cards Fast
Check out the top ways to get free gift cards fast! Pick your favorites and start earning extra money today.
- Swagbucks
- InboxDollars
- MyPoints
- Branded Surveys
- Survey Junkie
- PrizeRebel
- LifePoints
- Mistplay
- Honey
- Drop
- Rakuten
- Shopkick
- Ibotta
- Fetch Rewards
- ReceiptPal
- Honeygain
- Prime Opinion
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a get-paid-to site that pays members to do things like answer surveys, shop online, play games, and watch videos.
Swagbucks has paid over $500 million to its members. When you complete tasks, they pay you in ‘SBs.’ You can redeem these points for free gift cards. Some of the rewards they offer start at just $3, so it doesn’t take long before you can cash out and enjoy your earnings.
New users can get a $10 bonus just for signing up, so you don’t have to wait long for your free gift cards!
2. InboxDollars
Another great way to earn free gift cards is to sign up for InboxDollars. This get-paid-to site started as a site that paid members to read emails. It has since grown and pays members to take surveys, shop, and play games.
Unlike Swagbucks, InboxDollars rewards members in cash, not points. The downside is you must wait until you earn $30 before you can cash out and get free gift cards. Don’t worry; if getting paid to read emails is something you’d enjoy, InboxDollars still offers it, but you’ll earn gift cards faster by diversifying your efforts.
3. MyPoints
MyPoints is another great way to earn free gift cards doing the same tasks, such as online shopping, answering surveys, and playing games.
When you shop through MyPoints, not only do you earn cash back on your purchases, but you’ll have access to exclusive deals and promo codes. You can also upload receipts from in-store shopping at grocery and local big box stores to increase your earnings.
To maximize your earnings, you could also share your opinion on products and services to help companies and unwind by playing fun games.
Members earn a $5 bonus when they sign up, helping you reach your free gift card goals faster.
4. Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys is one of the top sites to consider if you want to focus on market research surveys. All you have to do is complete a profile so they can match you with the surveys they have from brands and companies.
Each time you complete a survey, you earn points. You can redeem your points for PayPal cash or free gift cards. For a little more fun, they also offer daily challenges, polls, and occasionally the option to test products in exchange for a review.
5. Prime Opinion
Prime Opinion is one of the newer market research survey companies, and they offer many benefits, including a cashout threshold as low as $1. They pay as much as $5 per survey and have hundreds of surveys available daily to earn free gift cards.
6. Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie recruits what they call influencers to provide their opinion on products and services for large brands. Each time you complete a survey, you’ll earn virtual points to redeem for gift cards to your favorite store or restaurant.
Survey Junkie has millions of members sharing their opinion and helping to shape the products and services offered today. They also offer the option to join the SJ Pulse Community, sharing your digital browsing data to help companies understand consumer behavior.
7. PrizeRebel
PrizeRebel has thousands of surveys available for its members. To join, you simply create a profile that details your demographics so PrizeRebel can match you with the right surveys. When you complete surveys, you earn points you can redeem instantly for PayPal or free gift cards.
The minimum payout threshold is only $5, so you can earn a gift card quickly when you sign up for Prize Rebel.
8. LifePoints
LifePoints offers fun surveys for members to take, and in exchange, it pays points that you can redeem for free gift cards. You can answer the surveys on your computer or download the mobile app and answer them on the go.
When you sign up as a new member, they’ll reward you with 10 points. In the last 12 months, they’ve paid members $22 million!
9. Mistplay
If surveys aren’t your thing or you want to diversify your efforts, get paid to play games on Mistplay! You don’t have to be an expert at any games, but the more you play on Mistplay, the more you earn.
The kicker is you don’t choose the games you play; they decide for you, giving you games that match your skill level and interest. You’ll likely see games you already know and love, but you may find new games that interest you, too. Of course, earning free gift cards to play the games doesn’t hurt!
10. Honey
Honey is a free browser extension to help you save money online shopping. When you shop, the extension works in the background, finding the best coupon codes and automatically applying them to your cart.
Honey works at 30,000+ stores, so it’s easy to put it to good use.
Honey also offers what they call ‘Honey Gold’, which are cashback points you can redeem for free gift cards on certain purchases.
11. Drop
The Drop app pays you free gift cards for purchases you make, and they couldn’t make it any easier. All you have to do is download the free app and link your debit or credit card, and shop like normal.
When you make purchases that qualify you for Drop Points, they’ll get added to your account. You can redeem your points for free gift cards once you have $25 accumulated.
12. Rakuten
Rakuten is the king of cashback rewards. Formerly eBates, Rakuten works with 3,500 stores, so there are plenty of opportunities to work toward your free gift cards.
Rakuten has a community of 15 million members and has paid $2 million in cash back. You can earn anywhere rewards starting from 1% to 40% back on your purchases. While Rakuten only pays via cash or PayPal every three months, you can use that money to purchase gift cards.
Pro Tip: Use your Rakuten cash back to buy a gift card through Rakuten, and you’ll earn more cash back on your reward!
13. Shopkick
Shopkick is a fun way to earn free gift cards because they pay members to walk into stores and do small tasks, like taking pictures of displays or certain products. It’s an easy and fun way to earn your free gift cards. All you have to do is convert your ‘kicks’, their version of points, into gift cards.
Shopkick also pays cashback when you shop online through their portal or watch videos in the Shopkick app.
14. Ibotta
Ibotta is one of the original cashback apps that pay members to shop. It began strictly as a grocery store cashback app, and while it’s still true to its roots, you can also earn cashback shopping online through the Ibotta portal.
There are a couple of downsides. First, you must activate your offers before shopping, or you want to get credit. Also, if you shop in person, you must upload your receipts to get credit. You can earn gift cards when you accumulate at least $20 in rewards.
15. Fetch Rewards
Fetch Rewards is somewhat like Ibotta with one benefit – you don’t have to activate offers before shopping. Fetch pays you for any uploaded receipt. Granted, it’s only 25 points for most receipts, but it adds up! Plus, if you purchase something that they are paying bonus points for, you’ll earn more points. To cash out for free gift cards, you must have at least 3,000 points.
16. ReceiptPal
If you don’t like tracking offers, check out ReceiptPal. You get paid for uploading paper receipts. You can also get automatic credit if you link your Amazon account or email for proof of purchase. ReceiptPal pays members points for their receipts that you can turn into gift cards.
Each time you upload receipts, they’ll also enter you into a weekly sweepstakes for more prizes.
17. Honeygain
Honeygain offers a completely passive way to earn free gift cards. All you have to do is share your internet. You choose when to share your internet and when to pause it. All you have to do to get started is download the app on the devices and let it run in the background while you get paid.
Tips and Tricks to Maximize Your Free Gift Cards
You don’t need any special skills to learn how to get free gift cards, but here are some tried-and-true tips to maximize your earnings.
- Set up a separate email: Market research surveys send a lot of emails, and since they are first come, first served, you need to act fast. Having a separate email you can check when you have time to take surveys makes the process much easier.
- Diversify your efforts: Try different methods to earn the most free gift cards. Take surveys, play games, and use cashback apps. You can sign up for as many survey apps as you want, increasing your chances of higher earnings.
- Complete your profiles: Market research companies look for people in specific demographics. The more thorough you are in your profile, the more survey opportunities you’ll have to earn gift cards.
- Activate offers: If you use cashback apps, make sure you activate offers before you head to the store so you can take advantage of the opportunity to earn free gift cards.
FAQs
Learning how to earn free gift cards isn’t hard. The trick is being consistent and finding the apps that pay you the most.
Are Free Gift Card Apps Legit?
The free gift card apps are legit on our list are legit, but not all apps are as safe as they seem. Always do your due diligence, and if an offer seems too good to be true, chances are that it’s a scam, and you should steer clear.
What Is the Fastest App to Get Free Gift Cards?
You can earn free gift cards with many methods, but shopping online through cashback apps is the fastest. You’ll typically earn the most points this way and be able to cash out for gift cards much faster.
How Can I Get Free Gift Cards Without Surveys?
If surveys aren’t your thing, you can make money doing other things like playing games, watching videos, and shopping online.
What Kinds of Gift Cards Are Available For Free?
Most get-paid-to-apps offer free gift cards to major retailers and restaurants like Amazon, Target, Walmart, Applebees, Chic-fil-A, and more. Of course, you always have the option to choose PayPal cash too, if you aren’t sure which store you prefer.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to get free gift cards, which methods will you start with? Do you prefer online surveys, playing games, or getting paid to shop?
If you can’t decide, do all three methods and stack up those earnings to splurge on the things you want!
