Last updated: 6/25/2013
My opinions, based on personal use, may be different from the published material of each service.
My opinions, based on personal use, may be different from the published material of each service.
SwagBucks might be the most generous website of its kind, rewarding its users with points for web searches, daily polls, watching videos, playing games, filling out surveys, completing special offers, shopping with hundreds of participating companies when you use a referral link, and more. Points are generally worth one cent each, depending on how they are redeemed. The search engine is relatively effective but has limited image and video options, unlike Google or Bing, even though it uses both as sources. Search-related points are awarded randomly throughout the day, which may mean that periodic use could lead to greater payouts than intensive use for a short period.
Personal Experience: I rarely qualify for the surveys, but otherwise average 30+ points per day.
Lifetime Payout: about $306 in Amazon.com gift cards
Referral System: Yes, SwagBucks lets you refer friends and will match up to 1000 search-related points per referral -- about ten dollars in gift cards. There is only one level of referrals, so a friend-of-a-friend won't help you reach your goals.
Publishers Clearing House has an incentivized search engine that gives away prizes of one to five hundred dollars in value on a daily basis, awarding smaller prizes roughly every thirty minutes and larger prizes once or twice a day. There are many, many users, leading to slim odds of winning. The upside is that using this website will help you earn additional contest entries for the big PCH drawings.
Lifetime Payout: $7
Referral System: None
Cash Crate is another web site with a diverse mixture of offerings. Rewards are measured in dollars and cents, rather than some type of point system, and most users receive their rewards as a check in the mail. There is a search feature that, while limited in use, pays out one cent per use, up to ten cents per day. Promotional offers and surveys are the big draw to the site, some worth several dollars each.
A recent change was made where the search engine only pays after a member earns a dollar through regular offers on the main page. While disappointing, bonus videos worth one or two cents each are now available more often. This seems to balance things out.
Personal Experience: Again, I rarely qualify for the surveys.
Lifetime Payout: $113.50 paid out so far.
Referral System: Absolutely! Cash Crate has a two-tier referral system beloved by all the top earners.
Microsoft's Bing search engine also has a reward proram worth examining. Like Swagbucks, it uses a point system where each point is worth roughly one cent, depending on how they are redeemed. Payout options include contest entries, gift cards, movie rentals, Skype subscription time, XBox Live subscription time and points, and a few other small prizes. It is usually possible to earn 31 points per day through a daily sponsored search term found in the drop-down menu under your user name and the regular limit of 30 points per day awarded at a rate of one point for three searches. These points can add up quickly with image and video searches because each will offer a long list of related search terms. In order to get the best value for your prizes, use Bing often enough to reach "gold" status each month. This brings, along with bragging rights, a small discount on all prizes and contest entries.
Personal Experience: Slow but steady wins this race.
Lifetime Payout: $50 in Amazon.com gift cards
Referral System: You can refer up to ten friends and earn ten points from each, worth roughly one dollar against your next prize.
