Today,
we're talking about the best free gift card apps you can download. Everybody
loves gift cards! It's always a nice feeling when you start to buy something
online and realize you have a gift card you earned a while back that'll cover
the whole cost.
There are
quite a few sites out there where you can earn points to buy gift cards, mostly
by spending your spare time on stuff you'd probably be doing anyway, such as
looking at pictures, watching ads, and playing games.
Many of these
services also have free smartphone apps you can use to earn points when you're
away from your computer – arguably a more convenient setup for a lot of reasons
– and some of the apps even have perks that make them significantly more useful
than the websites they're based on.
Today,
we're talking about the best free gift card apps you can download. Everybody
loves gift cards! It's always a nice feeling when you start to buy something
online and realize you have a gift card you earned a while back that'll cover
the whole cost.
There are
quite a few sites out there where you can earn points to buy gift cards, mostly
by spending your spare time on stuff you'd probably be doing anyway, such as
looking at pictures, watching ads, and playing games.
Many of these
services also have free smartphone apps you can use to earn points when you're
away from your computer – arguably a more convenient setup for a lot of reasons
– and some of the apps even have perks that make them significantly more useful
than the websites they're based on.
Unlike
many of the other services listed here, Ibotta doesn't use a points scheme.
Instead they simply deposit cash directly into your account. You can then have
that cash transferred to Paypal or use it to buy a gift card for one of the
many popular brands on offer, including big names like Amazon, Best Buy, and
Applebees.
Go here to learn more about Ibotta.
#3 – InstaGC
This service
will give you points for shopping online, searching the web, and watching
videos. Instead of a traditional smartphone app, they have an excellent mobile
version of their website which will automatically load when you open the page
using one of your portable devices.
InstaGC's
selection of gift cards is massive. The list is more than 10 pages long and
includes popular brands like Walmart, 1-800-Flowers, and Advance Auto Parts,
just to name a few. The redeem rate is exactly 100 points per dollar.
Go here to learn more about InstaGC.
#4 – Inbox Dollars
Surveys are
the main attraction on this rewards site, but you can also earn money for
playing games and watching videos.
The gift card
selection is pretty slim, but they have most of the major retailers on their
list, including Walmart, and Amazon.
From what I
can tell, Inbox Dollars doesn't use any kind of points system. Instead,
completing tasks gradually adds cash to your account, which you can then
transfer directly to a gift card of your choice. Unfortunately you have to earn
at least $30 to request a payout.
#5 –
MyPoints
Rewards sites
tend to be aesthetically messy and confusing to navigate, but MyPoints sports a
slick interface that's easy on the eyes and extremely functional.
They have all
of the basic activities you see on most rewards sites (videos, surveys and etc)
but shopping rebates are the main focus.
Like
Swagbucks, the exchange rate from points to dollars varies depending on the
brand name for the gift card you're buying. So, for example, a $10 Amazon card
will cost you 1,480 points, while a $10 American Eagle card is only 1,410.
Go here to learn more about MyPoints.
#6 – Ebates
This is not
technically a gift card site, but the way it works is pretty close to how those
sites function, and it should appeal to the same group of people.
The strict
focus here is cash back rebates for shopping at online retailers. The money you
accumulate is sent to you monthly via either Paypal or check.
The app is
available for both major mobile platforms, and they have a nifty chrome
extension that helps keep track of your online purchases so you don't miss out
on any deals.
Go here to learn more about Ebates.
#7 – PrizeRebel
This is
primarily a survey site, but you can also earn by performing microtasks (think
MTurk), watching videos, and inviting your friends to join the service. The
selection of gift cards seems to be pretty good. I saw Amazon, Southwest
Airlines, and iTunes, among many others.
The exchange
rate is currently $1 for every 100 points, and some of the gift cards are only
$5, so that means you should be able to cash out at 500 points, which isn't bad
at all.
Go here to learn more about PrizeRebel.
#8 – Viggle
#9 – EarnHoney
This popular
service has received good press from big media sites like MSN, Business
Insider, and The Huffington Post.
You'll find
most of the typical activities you find on rewards sites, including surveys,
games, and videos. You only need $1 to redeem, which is significantly lower
than most other services, and you can opt to take your payment as a cash
deposit or buy a gift card.
Unfortunately
there isn't much information available to non-members about exchange rates or
the gift card brands available.
Read our Honey coupon app review to learn more.
#10 – CheckPoints
When you log
in here, you'll be confronted with a list of tasks, each of which will earn you
a certain number of points.
New tasks are
added periodically and there seems to be quite a lot of variety. I saw a task
that involved watching videos for a media site, and another that required you
to sign up for the Atkins Diet email list.
They have a
decent selection of gift-cards available (Amazon, Redbox, and Walmart were all
prominently displayed) but they don't actually show the dollar amounts for the
gift cards, which is pretty confusing.
For example,
the site shows that an Amazon gift card costs 335 points, but there's no
mention of whether that's for a $3 Amazon card or a $5 card. Still, despite
this issue, the service seems to be pretty easy to use and they have a nice,
simple interface.
Go
here to learn more
about CheckPoints.
Hopefully you
found some interesting apps on the above list. If you know of any other cool
rewards sites with decent smartphone apps that we failed to include, feel free
to drop us a line in the comments section below, and let us know what we're
missing out on.
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