Question about earning with Swag Bucks and its value/savings potential

[GatorMama]

I saw that SEVERAL people have suggested using SBs to help earn and save. So I signed up. I'm looking at the prizes I can redeem for and have come up with some questions about what is available. What is the difference between an amazon gift card and an amazon gift certificate? Is there a difference in the way they can be used? It is my understand that if I want Amazon, to get the $5 ones because they're a better value for the number of points I'd be spending. Yes?

Now... what about the $25 gift card to Restaurants.com? It's 400 points for those... and then those giftcards I use to buy gift cards for other restaurants right? So I'd actually be saving even more. Is that right or am I missing something? What do I need to know about Restaurants.com before I sign up? It seems like it would be a good deal for us to do that since we will be needing to eat out (offsite) on our upcoming vacation. And that's a good way for me to ACTIVELY save for that trip.

Thoughts?

 

[ThisIsTheYear]

I'm not sure about the Amazon Gift card vs. gift certificate. Make sure to select your country first.
I consider 'gift certificates' from Restaurant.com as coupons because you need to spend a certain amount before you can use them. For example, I bought a $25 gift certificate (cost me $2 after a sale and coupon code). In order to use that gift certificate, I would have to spend $40 or more and tip the waiter/waitress 18%. I buy them because it's still a really good deal.
I have earned $90 since February with Swagbucks, however I've been on 'burnout' for the last month or two.
Good luck!

 

[GatorMama]

I'm not sure about the Amazon Gift card vs. gift certificate. Make sure to select your country first.
I consider 'gift certificates' from Restaurant.com as coupons because you need to spend a certain amount before you can use them. For example, I bought a $25 gift certificate (cost me $2 after a sale and coupon code). In order to use that gift certificate, I would have to spend $40 or more and tip the waiter/waitress 18%. I buy them because it's still a really good deal.
I have earned $90 since February with Swagbucks, however I've been on 'burnout' for the last month or two.
Good luck!

By this you mean that it says something along the lines of "$25 off of a $40 purchase"? Because I'd be totally OK with that. Still seems like a pretty good deal to me... but maybe I'm wrong?

 

[ThisIsTheYear]

By this you mean that it says something along the lines of "$25 off of a $40 purchase"? Because I'd be totally OK with that. Still seems like a pretty good deal to me... but maybe I'm wrong?

Yes! I agree, it is a really good deal. That's why I buy them. Under the restaurant listing it will tell you how much you will have to tip, spend, etc.

 

[cheap traveler]

I used swag bucks for a while, and earned around $25 for Amazon. The only difference in cards are one is for the US and one for Canada.

My only advice - BE CAREFUL! One of the earning avenues on that site gave my computer a very nasty virus. The computer is toast, but luckily my computer guru was able to recover almost all of my important stuff off the hard drive.

I have since given up on the site - the $25 I earned was effectively wiped by the $500 for the new computer.

 

[GatorMama]

I used swag bucks for a while, and earned around $25 for Amazon. The only difference in cards are one is for the US and one for Canada.

My only advice - BE CAREFUL! One of the earning avenues on that site gave my computer a very nasty virus. The computer is toast, but luckily my computer guru was able to recover almost all of my important stuff off the hard drive.

I have since given up on the site - the $25 I earned was effectively wiped by the $500 for the new computer.

Oh no! Do you mind sharing which it was? You could PM me if you'd rather. I've really only been taking surveys and searching.

 

[semo233]

All I can say is that my computer guy HATES the swagbucks tool bar and the coupon printers. He claims that they are responsible for the majority of any problems I have.

 

[amez]

I've used swagbucks for about 2 years and have never had a problem with a virus or anything--and I do have the swagbucks tool bar. the only thing I ever my swagbucks out on is amazon gift cards.

 

[gardengalB4]

My only advice - BE CAREFUL! One of the earning avenues on that site gave my computer a very nasty virus. The computer is toast, but luckily my computer guru was able to recover almost all of my important stuff off the hard drive.

THIS-I agree! same problem.....

 

[worm761]

I love SwagBucks. I regularly watch SwagTV and rack up the points. I only do the daily's, swagtv, and search. I started late last July and it paid for about half of Christmas off of Amazon. I only cash out for the $5 Amazon GC codes though. I have bought a ton of things off of Amazon and have paid very little cash out of pocket. I love it! SwagBucks is actually part of my Christmas plan this year. I just need to stop spending it and it might work out. LOL. On average, I am cashing out for a $5 Amazon card once a week. Not too bad. I have not had any computer problems from this site. I do have the toolbar and use it to go to any site that I visit. You never know when points will pop up.

 

[cam&phoebsmom]

I have used SB since Jan and have over $200 in my account.

I do not get the restaurant.com cards b/c restaurant.com frequently has 80% off sales and I buy the $25 certificates for $2 then.

I am saving my amazon gift cards for Christmas as our trip to WDW is in Nov. and I want to help with the holidays anyway I can!

This month I have gotten very few surveys which I used to get and complete at least one every other day, and I have around 1200 SB right now (I usually have over 2300 by now-enough to buy my amazon gc the 1st 3 days).

I have not gottn any virsuses, but I also do not download anything to my computer.

 

[GatorMama]

Does anyone know if I can use the amazon gift cards to buy gift cards to restaurants on amazon? It would end up being "cheaper" than redeeming my SBs directly for the restaurant card... even with $4 for shipping per card.

(I'm trying my best to figure out a way to use these SBs for helping us out on our vacation... and restaurant gift cards seem to be the best thing I've seen... possibly Target GCs since we'll need groceries, but groceries are so expensive at Target...)

 

[cheap traveler]

Oh no! Do you mind sharing which it was? You could PM me if you'd rather. I've really only been taking surveys and searching.

I have no problem warning people

Sometimes they have links on the main page where you click to earn 2SB, this one was some sort of razor if I remember correctly. Just watch a short (30 seconds or so) video and get credited. This wasn't the first shady link either, it was just a fast-acting virus that gave me no warning. Just be careful of the links. I never had problems with the searches, surveys, NOSO, and the like. Even most of the offers were good, just try to make sure you have a good anti-virus in place. Mine had expired a month earlier, so I was an easy target

 

[cam&phoebsmom]

Does anyone know if I can use the amazon gift cards to buy gift cards to restaurants on amazon? It would end up being "cheaper" than redeeming my SBs directly for the restaurant card... even with $4 for shipping per card.

(I'm trying my best to figure out a way to use these SBs for helping us out on our vacation... and restaurant gift cards seem to be the best thing I've seen... possibly Target GCs since we'll need groceries, but groceries are so expensive at Target...)

once you order the amazon GC you put them on your amazon account and they are no different than any other amazon GC you might buy. If they sell it on amazon and it is legal to buy, you can use the GC you earned through SB without problem.

 

[GatorMama]

I have no problem warning people

Sometimes they have links on the main page where you click to earn 2SB, this one was some sort of razor if I remember correctly. Just watch a short (30 seconds or so) video and get credited. This wasn't the first shady link either, it was just a fast-acting virus that gave me no warning. Just be careful of the links. I never had problems with the searches, surveys, NOSO, and the like. Even most of the offers were good, just try to make sure you have a good anti-virus in place. Mine had expired a month earlier, so I was an easy target

Thank you so much! I'm not a link clicker, and I expecially won't be now! I've been doing surveys mostly. I'm almost to $10 since Monday!

 

[Dahly]

once you order the amazon GC you put them on your amazon account and they are no different than any other amazon GC you might buy. If they sell it on amazon and it is legal to buy, you can use the GC you earned through SB without problem.

You may want to double check this, as I was hoping to buy a hotel gift card with my Swagbucks earnings through Amazon..but every gift card (hotel, resturant or store) that i checked has this blurb in the product features


Amazon.com Gift Cards cannot be used as a method of payment for this item.

Dahly

 

[GatorMama]

You may want to double check this, as I was hoping to buy a hotel gift card with my Swagbucks earnings through Amazon..but every gift card (hotel, resturant or store) that i checked has this blurb in the product features


Amazon.com Gift Cards cannot be used as a method of payment for this item.

Dahly

I also saw that there is a blurb on the bottom of the amazon gift card pages on swagbucks that says that gift cards cannot be used to purchase other giftcards. BUMMER! Oh well.... still free money.

 

[worm761]

You may want to double check this, as I was hoping to buy a hotel gift card with my Swagbucks earnings through Amazon..but every gift card (hotel, resturant or store) that i checked has this blurb in the product features


Amazon.com Gift Cards cannot be used as a method of payment for this item.

Dahly

This is because not everything for sale on Amazon.com is for sale BY Amazon.com. Sometimes they are a third party and you aren't buying it from them but rather the retailer or an individual.

 

[tzeitel]

I only get the $5 Amazon gcs, looked into the Restaurant.com but (like someone else mentioned) they run so many 80% sales that I just spend the $2 rather than use my SBs.

I've been a member for 3 months now and with the $75 in Amazon gcs we got the Tangled BluRay, a new UV filter and memory card for my camera. Just today I received a pair of FitFlops

I think using SB rewards for things you might need for the trip (new shoes, sunblock etc ) rather than for the rest.com certificate is a better deal.

Now I am working on saving for a new camera bag

 

[theducksdidit]

I think using SB rewards for things you might need for the trip (new shoes, sunblock etc ) rather than for the rest.com certificate is a better deal.

That's exactly what I'm doing!!! Well, I'm racking swagbucks up for amazon gift certificates to get new luggage