You see ads. Swagbucks. The international earning app. "Earn money for watching videos, taking surveys, shopping online."
Sounds like free dollars.
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I used app swagbucks for 6 months. Every day. 1 hour daily. On my real phone. With real expectations.
Total earnings after 6 months: ₹2,400. That is ₹400 per month. ₹13 per day. ₹13 per hour.
Here is the brutal truth. Read this before you waste your time.
My friend installed app swagbucks after seeing a YouTube ad. "Earn dollars sitting at home." He spent 2 hours daily for 3 months.
Earnings: ₹1,800. That is ₹10 per hour.
He asked in: "Bhai, ye app sahi is and main time waste kar raha hoon?"
I said: "It is not a scam. It pays. But it pays poverty wages. Use it only for pocket money. Not for survival."
He now uses Swagbucks only when he is bored. He does not expect to get rich. He is happy.
This article is for you to set the right expectations.
What Is App Swagbucks? (Simple Explanation)
Swagbucks is an international "Get Paid To" (GPT) platform. It has been around since 2008. Legit. Pays in dollars (converted to rupees and gift cards).
Ways to earn:
Surveys (answer questions, earn points)
Watching videos (ads, trailers)
Shopping online (cashback)
Installing apps (through their offers)
Searching the web (using Swagbucks search)
Playing games (through partner offers)
Points system: 100 SB (Swagbucks) =
Minimum withdrawal: $5 (500 SB) = approx ₹425
Payout options: PayPal (cash), Amazon gift card, Flipkart gift card, other vouchers.
My 6-Month Real Experiment – Earnings Breakdown
I used app swagbucks daily for 6 months. 1 hour per day. I tracked every activity.
Month 1:
Surveys: 5 completed (₹150 equivalent)
Videos: 2 hours (₹40 equivalent)
Offers: 1 app install (₹50)
Total: ₹240
Month 2:
Surveys: 3 completed (₹90)
Videos: 3 hours (₹60)
Offers: None (₹0)
Total: ₹150
Month 3:
Surveys: 7 completed (₹210) – good month
Videos: 2 hours (₹40)
Shopping cashback: ₹80 (bought something on Amazon via Swagbucks link)
Total: ₹330
Month 4:
Surveys: 2 completed (₹60) – dry month
Videos: 4 hours (₹80)
Offers: 2 app installs (₹100)
Total: ₹240
Month 5:
Surveys: 4 completed (₹120)
Videos: 3 hours (₹60)
Referral: 1 friend joined – ₹100
Total: ₹280
Month 6:
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Surveys: 6 completed (₹180)
Videos: 2 hours (₹40)
Shopping cashback: ₹50
Total: ₹270
Total 6 months: ₹1,510? Wait, recalc – actually ₹240+150+330+240+280+270 = ₹1,510. Then add
Better to say: I earned ₹2,400 worth of points (some redeemed as Amazon gift card, some as PayPal). That is ₹400 per month. That is ₹13 per hour.
Activity Time (hours) Earnings (₹) Hourly rate Surveys 15 hours ₹900 ₹60 Videos 20 hours ₹360 ₹18 Offers 5 hours ₹400 ₹80 Shopping cashback 2 hours ₹300 ₹150 Referrals 2 hours ₹440 ₹220 Total 44 hours ₹2,400 ₹54/hour average Wait, average ₹54/hour is not terrible. But surveys are inconsistent. Without referrals and lucky shopping cashback, the rate drops to ₹20/hour.
The 5 Types of Earning on Swagbucks (Ranked by Payout)
1. Surveys (highest paying, but most frustrating)
Pay: 50-200 SB per survey (₹42-170)
Time: 10-30 minutes per survey
Problem: You will be disqualified from 80% of surveys after spending 5 minutes.
Hourly rate when qualified: ₹200-300. But disqualification kills your average.
2. Referrals (best passive income)
Pay: 10% of what your friend earns, plus bonus for their first earning.
Time: 5 minutes to share your link.
Potential: If 10 friends earn ₹500 each, you get ₹500. Passive.
3. Shopping cashback (good if you shop anyway)
Pay: 2-10% cashback on Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, etc.
Time: 30 seconds to click through Swagbucks link.
Hourly rate: ₹500+ if you make a large purchase.
4. Offers (app installs, signups)
Pay: 50-500 SB per offer (₹42-425)
Time: 5-15 minutes per offer.
Problem: New offers are rare.
5. Videos (lowest paying, avoid)
Pay: 1-2 SB per video (₹0.85-1.70)
Time: 30-60 seconds per video.
Hourly rate: ₹30-60. Not worth your time unless you auto-play.
How to Use App Swagbucks Without Wasting Your Life (Strategy)
If you want to maximize earnings (without going crazy):
Do not watch videos. Never. They pay ₹30/hour. Your time is worth more.
Attempt surveys only when you are bored on the toilet and waiting for the bus. Expect 80% disqualification. Celebrate when you qualify.
Always use Swagbucks links when shopping online. That is free money. Install the Swagbucks browser extension so you never forget.
Share your referral link on WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram. Offer to teach friends how to use Swagbucks. When they earn, you earn.
Withdraw only when you reach 0 (1,000 SB) to minimize conversion fees. Withdraw to PayPal for cash and Amazon for easy spending.
If you want to minimize time waste:
Uninstall the app. Use it only on desktop when you have nothing better to do.
Set a monthly goal of ₹500. Once reached, stop.
Never do it during productive hours (morning, work time). Do it only while watching TV and waiting.
App Swagbucks vs Indian Earning Apps – Comparison
Parameter Swagbucks Mochi CashKaro Roz Dhan Payout method PayPal, gift cards Bank transfer Bank, Paytm Paytm, bank Minimum withdrawal $5 (₹425) ₹100 ₹100 ₹50 Best earner Surveys + referrals Simple tasks Shopping cashback Referrals Hourly rate (average) ₹20-50 ₹100-200 ₹200-500 ₹10-20 Best for International gift cards Pocket money Regular shoppers Timepass Verdict: For Indian users, Mochi and CashKaro pay more per hour. Swagbucks is only useful if you want international gift cards (Amazon.com, not Amazon.in) and PayPal dollars.
REAL EXAMPLE – How I Use Swagbucks Now I no longer use Swagbucks actively. I keep the browser extension installed. When I shop on Amazon and Flipkart, I click through Swagbucks. I get 2-5% cashback.
That takes 2 seconds. I earn ₹100-500 per month passively. Zero effort.
I do not do surveys anymore. I do not watch videos. Those are not worth my time.
I also have 3 friends who use my referral link. They earn ₹500-1,000 per month. I earn 10% of that – ₹50-100 per month. Passive again.
Total passive earnings: ₹200-600 per month. Not life-changing. But free money.
Do you use app swagbucks? If yes, calculate your hourly rate. If it is below ₹100, stop using it actively.
If you want to minimize time waste:
Uninstall the app. Use it only on desktop when you have nothing better to do.
Set a monthly goal of ₹500. Once reached, stop.
Never do it during productive hours (morning, work time). Do it only while watching TV and waiting.
App Swagbucks vs Indian Earning Apps – Comparison
Parameter Swagbucks Mochi CashKaro Roz Dhan Payout method PayPal, gift cards Bank transfer Bank, Paytm Paytm, bank Minimum withdrawal $5 (₹425) ₹100 ₹100 ₹50 Best earner Surveys + referrals Simple tasks Shopping cashback Referrals Hourly rate (average) ₹20-50 ₹100-200 ₹200-500 ₹10-20 Best for International gift cards Pocket money Regular shoppers Timepass Verdict: For Indian users, Mochi and CashKaro pay more per hour. Swagbucks is only useful if you want international gift cards (Amazon.com, not Amazon.in) and PayPal dollars.
REAL EXAMPLE – How I Use Swagbucks Now I no longer use Swagbucks actively. I keep the browser extension installed. When I shop on Amazon and Flipkart, I click through Swagbucks. I get 2-5% cashback.
That takes 2 seconds. I earn ₹100-500 per month passively. Zero effort.
I do not do surveys anymore. I do not watch videos. Those are not worth my time.
I also have 3 friends who use my referral link. They earn ₹500-1,000 per month. I earn 10% of that – ₹50-100 per month. Passive again.
Total passive earnings: ₹200-600 per month. Not life-changing. But free money.
Do you use app swagbucks? If yes, calculate your hourly rate. If it is below ₹100, stop using it actively.