23 Easy Ways To Get Free Gift Cards
Have you been eyeing up a pricey pair of shoes at the department store? Or maybe you just need a little extra cash for your essential shopping items? Either way, free gift cards can help frugal spenders make the most out of their purchases. Free gift cards aren’t too good to be true – check out these 23 simple ways to get your hands on some gift cards at no charge.
1. Ask for Them
When birthdays and holidays come around, be sure to let your family and friends know that you prefer gift cards over a physical gift. Some people feel that giving a gift card as a gift is lazy, but if your loved ones know it’s what you want they will be happy to get it for you. They won’t end up frustrated searching for the perfect gift, and you won’t end up with a something useless. Believe us – you’re more than likely doing them a favor!
2. Ebates
Complete your online shopping through Ebates’ website or app and receive cash back at applicable stores. Over time, you will likely accumulate a decent amount of cash. Quarterly, Ebates will pay you via check, or you can redeem your reward for a gift card. Ebates lets you choose from multiple retailers such as Amazon, Ulta, Lowes and more. Some retailers even offer a small value boost for choosing their gift card. Additionally, when you sign up for a free account, Ebates will give you a $10 gift card after completing your first purchase.
3. MyPoints
MyPoints is a reward site which provides consumers with multiple ways to earn points for cash, including online shopping, watching videos, playing games, reading emails and taking surveys. Cash out your points for Amazon, Walmart, Starbucks or other retailer gift cards. After signing up and completing your first purchase of $20, MyPoints will give you a free $10 Amazon gift card.
4. Ibotta App
Ibotta is a cash back app intended for grocery retailers, however you can earn cash back from online retailers, too. To use Ibotta, first sign up and earn your $10 bonus (score!). Then scroll through a grocery retailer’s cash back offerings and add the applicable ones to your offers. Once you complete your grocery shopping, upload a photo of your receipt to the app and receive the cash back for the items you added to your offers and bought. Withdraw your earnings in cash or gift card form every time you reach $20.
5. Honey
Honey’s free Google Chrome extension applies the best coupon code when you’re shopping online in addition to collecting points – regardless of whether you’re ordering pizza for dinner or buying a dress for an upcoming event. For every 1,000 points you earn, you get a free gift card. With Honey, you’re guaranteed the best prices, and you’re working toward free money!
6. Credit Card Rewards
Many credit cards nowadays offer some type of rewards program in which you receive a certain percentage of cash back on your purchases. You typically have the option to cash out, apply that cash as a credit to your statement balance, or receive your cash back in the form of a gift card. It’s important to be responsible when taking advantage of credit card rewards. Spend wisely, and try to pay off your balance in full every month to avoid interest; having to pay interest would defeat the purpose of earning cash back.
7. Instagram
Many companies hold giveaways on social media to create engagement with followers. Look for companies giving away gift cards by searching hashtags such as #giveaway, #contest or #freebie. Instagram allows you to follow hashtags, so you won’t ever miss a giveaway. The rules to enter to win usually require you to like the photo, comment on it or tag someone in addition to following the account.
Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) uses its crowdsourcing marketplace to complete microtasks for research purposes like surveys, data collection and more. MTurk pays its participants, and you can request payout in the form of an Amazon gift card or cash.
9. Drop
Link your debit or credit card to your Drop account and receive points for shopping at certain retailers, both online and in store. Rack up your Drop points and redeem them for free gift cards!
10. Survey Club
Survey Club’s research platform will pay you to participate in specific studies matched to you. You choose what studies you want to participate in, and once you complete a study Survey Club will deposit cash into your rewards account. Redeem your rewards via Amazon gift card or check.
11. Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is meant to help brands improve their products and services. Similar to Survey Club, Survey Junkie will match you with appropriate surveys based on your profile. Earn rewards for each survey you complete, then redeem them via PayPal or e-gift card.
12. InboxDollars
This market research company will pay you for everyday online activities like shopping online, watching videos, reading emails, playing games, clipping coupons and taking surveys. Cash out once you reach $30 in the form of check, Visa card, charity donation or e-gift card. InboxDollars is currently offering a free $5 signup bonus!
13. instaGC
Like other sites mentioned, instaGC rewards you points for taking online surveys, watching videos, shopping online and other everyday tasks. Cash your points in for gift cards from over 350 retailers. With instaGC, you can receive gift cards as low as $1, and you’ll get your gift card instantly. You can also choose to cash out via PayPal.
14. Gift Card Granny
When you purchase discounted gift cards through Gift Card Granny, you can earn points through a rewards program which you can redeem for free gift cards. You can also earn extra points for reading Gift Card Granny’s daily newsletter, downloading the Google Chrome extension and sharing a coupon or deal.
15. Test Drive a Vehicle
Lots of car dealerships offer gift cards for test driving a vehicle as a way to entice potential buyers into their showrooms. You can find these offers by visiting nearby dealers’ websites, checking their social media pages or listening to radio ads. Make sure you are prepared to say no when the dealer asks if you’re ready to make a purchase.
16. Recyclebank
If you’re a recycler, now you can be rewarded for it. If you live in a city that’s partnered with Recyclebank, you can earn points for recycling which can be redeemed for gift cards to local businesses and restaurants. Earn additional points by reading Recyclebank’s articles on sustainable life.
17. Swagbucks
With multiple options to earn points (or “bucks”) and a variety of gift cards available to the most popular retailers, Swagbucks is one of the most well-known market research websites to earn free gift cards. As with the others, you can earn points for watching videos, playing games, shopping online, browsing the internet and reviewing products. Categories include travel, entertainment, sports and more, so you’re bound to find something you’re interested in.
Sign up for Microsoft Rewards and stay signed in to your Microsoft account while searching Bing and shopping at Microsoft.com. This will earn you points which you can redeem for gift cards and other rewards. For gamers, there’s a Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox One that allows you to earn additional points by playing games and taking polls.
19. Razer Cortex
Another great way for gamers to earn free gift cards is Razer Cortex, which rewards you up to 900 zSilver daily for playing a game from their library. The only gift card option is for the Razer Store, but you can use it to get new gaming gear like a headset or a controller.
20. Become on Amazon Associate
Bloggers can become an Amazon Associate and place Amazon affiliate links on their websites for products they recommend. For each product purchased through that link, you can earn a small commission which you can redeem for cash or an Amazon gift card once you reach $10.
21. OpinionOutpost
Take online surveys and share your opinion for points. Questions range from politics to what you like to eat. You can redeem your points for gift cards at any time, or you can redeem your points for cash when you reach 100. Additionally, every survey you complete enters you into a $10,000 quarterly prize draw.
22. Shopkick
While most cash back apps only reward you for making a purchase, Shopkick will also give you points, also known as “kicks,” for simply browsing items or visiting a store. Cash in your points for digital gift cards to you favorite retailers like Target, Amazon, Starbucks, Best Buy, Sephora, Walmart and more. Shopkick also offers great deals and discounts on products.
23. Personal Capital
Personal Capital is a budgeting app that offers financial account management all in one place, personalized investment advice, a custom portfolio and more. It’s free to sign up, and the company will give you a $20 Amazon gift card just for joining.