Want to know how to get free gift cards? You’re in the right place. As digital wallets become more popular and cash use decreases each year, free gift cards are becoming a more common payment method for everyday tasks completed online.
Some of the most popular brands are Amazon, Target, Sephora, and good old pre-paid Visa credit cards.
How to Get Free Gift Cards By Doing Tasks
If you want gift cards for free, here are several easy ideas you can try.
1. Survey Junkie
Another way to earn free gift cards is to take paid online surveys. Some survey companies will reward you with straight cash. However, others will let you receive gift cards. Over 20M+ lifetime members with over $76 Million paid out to date.
A reputable survey company to consider is Survey Junkie. You can share your opinion on various topics ranging from politics or shopping habits to what you eat for your meals.
2. MyPoints
MyPoints is another rewards site that will help you earn a gift card for free.
MyPoints will give you points for activities such as:
- Taking online surveys
- Searching the net
- Taking the time to watch videos
- Trying to play games
- Taking advantage of deals
And there’s more. They’ll also give you points when you shop online through the site. MyPoints will also give you points when you shop with coupons. You can earn 50 points for each coupon you print out and redeem. See the website for details.
Once you have the minimum points, you can trade your MyPoints for gift cards to your favorite retailers.
3. Swagbucks
If you know anything about rewards programs, you’ve probably heard of Swagbucks. Swagbucks has been giving out free gift cards online for over 30 years. You earn points (called Swagbucks) by completing various online activities.
Some of the options for online activities you can choose from include:
- Taking the time to watch videos
- Browsing the web
- Taking online surveys
- Playing games
One cool thing about Swagbucks is that they pay out when you earn as little as $1. This is a new feature that was added recently. To date, Swagbucks has paid over $550 million in gift cards and cash.
Bonus: If you’d rather have cash, you can exchange your Swagbucks for a PayPal cash deposit instead of getting a gift card.
4. InboxDollars
InboxDollars will pay you for small tasks that you currently do or even for other activities that require little time.
You can get paid for:
So far, InboxDollars has paid over 50 million dollars in prizes. They pay with cash or gift cards. One downside is that the minimum payout is $30, higher than most online survey sites. However, you do get a $5 bonus just for signing up.
5. instaGC
Like other platforms in this section, instaGC lets you earn gift cards online (and other rewards) through the most common method of completing paid survey opportunities. You can also earn by watching videos, shopping online, and surfing the web.
There are over 350+ redemption options for gift cards, and you can begin receiving gift cards with only a $1 balance!
Also, all gift cards are instantly received, which means once you redeem your points for one, there’s no wait! You’ll immediately receive the gift card code details.
Bonus: instaGC also allows you to send your earned gift cards to a friend or family member.
Earn Free Gift Cards From Your Everyday Purchases
Whether you purchase items online or in-store, some apps will reward you for your purchase, which you can redeem as free gift cards. See the most popular options below.
6. PayPal Honey
Honey is another cash-back app that allows you to earn Amazon gift cards. The app has a cash-back rewards program called Honey Gold, which offers 0% to 100% cash back at select stores.
Unlike other cash-back portals, which offer a flat rate on your entire purchase, Honey’s reward rate is a mystery. After completing the purchase at a participating retailer with Honey, you will find out if any purchased products are eligible for cashback that can be redeemed for an Amazon gift card.
In short, Honey will find the best price, whether you earn Honey Gold points. But Honey Gold points award amounts are anyone’s guess.
7. Ibotta
If you use an app like Ibotta (available on iOS and Android) to save extra money on groceries, you can turn those rewards into gift cards.
By shopping at one of 341 participating merchants and snapping a picture of your receipt, Ibotta will give you cash on select items before you check out. You can also earn cash back when you spend at other online partners, such as Groupon, Jet, and Boxed.
Once you have accumulated $20 in rewards, you can receive payment in your PayPal account, Venmo, or gift cards from Best Buy, Amazon, or Starbucks. In addition, you can now have your Ibotta funds transferred directly to your bank account.
8. Rakuten
Okay, Rakuten works a bit differently than some of the other sites here, but you can still use it to receive free gift cards. Rakuten is a cash-back shopping portal. When you sign up for Rakuten using the link below in the box, they’ll give you a signup bonus after you make your first purchase.
After that, you’ll earn additional dollars every time you shop and buy online using the Rakuten shopping portal. Rakuten partners with over 2,000 stores, making it easier for you to earn money.
Each store offers a cash-back bonus through Rakuten for every purchase you make. The cash-back bonuses can range from 1% to up to 40% of your purchase. They’ll either pay you via PayPal cash or by gift card.
9. Drop
Drop is one of the most flexible sites for earning free gift cards fast. You can earn reward points while taking surveys, playing games, or referring friends. However, you’ll earn the most points with Drop after completing in-app shopping offers.
You don’t have to wait for offers. Drop allows you to do almost all your online shopping due to its partnership with over 500 retail partners. However, we recommend keeping purchases within your predetermined budget to avoid spending just to earn.
Don’t have a budget? Check out these great budgeting apps to help you get started. That being said, Drop will save you money when you shop. In addition, you can earn 5,000 Drop points for the first ten friends or family members you sign up with your referral code.
Drop points can be redeemed for gift cards at popular retailers such as Amazon or Starbucks. They cannot be redeemed as a direct deposit to your bank account.
Other Ways to Get Free Gift Cards
Here are some other unique ways to get gift cards for free.
10. Fetch Rewards
Did you know you can get gift cards just by taking pictures of your receipts? Yes, it is that simple with Fetch Rewards. Just add the Apple or Android app to your phone and start earning points toward gift cards.
The app is super easy to use. To earn points, simply take a picture of your receipts. The app gives you bonus points towards inviting friends (typically 4,000) and buying specific products.
Roughly 1,000 points are equal to $1.
11. Gift Card Granny
If you buy discounted gift cards online, you should check out Gift Card Granny. Their rewards program allows you to earn points quickly and redeem them for free gift cards. In addition to earning points for each gift card you buy, you can receive five points daily by reading their daily newsletter and downloading their Chrome browser extension.
You can earn even more points if you have a coupon or gift card deal to share with Gift Card Granny. What also makes Gift Card Granny unique is that they search the price listings of other gift card discounters, such as Raise and Giftcard Zen.
Not only does Granny give you points for shopping, but she finds the best deals for you as well. Since its inception, this program has changed drastically and has become more of a search engine than a direct route to getting discounted gift cards. However, you can still earn free physical or digital gift cards from the site.
Related article: 12 Ways to Get Free Apple Gift Cards
12. Amazon Trade-In
Trade in your old technology, books, video games, and belongings to Amazon Trade-In to receive Amazon gift cards. You can find out if Amazon is willing to buy your items by searching product listings. If they are looking to acquire used inventory, a trade-in box with the current value will be displayed.
Amazon will also browse your purchase history and, on its trade-in screen, show you the potential trade-in value of qualified items. Even items you didn’t buy at Amazon can be exchanged for digital gift cards.
Shipping is free for all the items you trade into Amazon, and you will receive a payment within ten business days from the date they receive your shipment.
13. Shopkick
Shopkick is a rewards app for shopping activities (both online and in-person). It is available on Android and iOS. Get a $5 new user bonus using the code WALLET.
Shopkick lets you earn rewards both online and in-store. To earn online, visit your favorite store through the Shopkick portal. When you make your purchase, you will earn points (called “Kicks”) through an online partner for each purchase. You can also earn Kicks by watching videos or learning about new products.
When shopping in-store at Shopkick partner stores, you can earn Kicks when scanning certain products’ barcodes. Note that gift cards redeemed via Shopkick have a higher point value than you’ll find with some other GPT sites.
14. BookScouter
Selling used textbooks for in-store credit (similar to a gift card) can be an easy way to maximize your profit if you still have future textbook purchases. One site to check out is Bookscouter, where you can sell your old books.
Use the site’s buyer comparison service to get the most for your used textbooks. Bookscouter allows you to take in-store credit instead of cash for your textbooks. Then, you can use your in-store credit to buy more books.
Bonus: The site’s in-store credit payouts are higher than their cash payments.
15. Request Gift Cards as a Gift
Another way to get free gift cards is to ask for them. Gift cards are an easy answer for people who want to know what to give you as a gift for Christmas or your birthday.
As part of your wish list, ask your friends and family for gift cards and share some places where you usually spend your money with them. That way, you might not receive gifts you won’t use or gift cards to an obscure restaurant or store you will never visit.
This helps you avoid having to “re-gift” unwanted gift cards to one of your other friends. It might feel inappropriate to suggest gift cards as a gift, but many gift-givers appreciate you making their lives easier by asking for this easy-to-get and straightforward gift.
Related: How To Turn a Visa Gift Card Into Cash
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you still have questions about earning free gift cards? These answers might be able to help.
How many free gift cards can I earn?
There’s no limit to the number of free gift cards you can earn. However, some sites may set individual limits on earnings.
How long does it take to earn a gift card?
It depends on which sites you use, what activities you complete on those sites, and more. Visit each site for specific details.
Are the free gift cards physical or virtual gift cards?
Some sites pay by virtual gift cards, and some by physical gift cards. See each site for details.
Will my gift cards expire?
Each free gift card has its own user requirements. See the FAQ section on each website or read the fine print when you get your free gift cards.
Summary
Getting free gift cards can be a great way to save money. You can get gift cards to big-box stores like Walmart and use them to get free groceries. You can use your gift cards to give as gifts or buy gifts you need. Or you can sell your gift cards for cash. There’s no limit to the number of ways you can earn free gift cards.
Nearly anyone can earn points toward gift cards by taking surveys on their phone or browsing the internet in their spare time. So, if you have free time, consider using it to get free gift cards!
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