Are you wondering if those survey apps are actually worth the download? And do you ever really make money when you upload your shopping receipts? And if they DO pay you, do they actually let you take the money?
I need money, so I’ve decided to put three of these apps to the test to see if they live up to the hype of being a “side hustle.”
I’m here to let you know — no BS — whether Ibotta, SwagBucks, and BrandClub are the real deal. Granted, I’ve used all of these within the past like five years. My experiences might not fully reflect any updates or changes, but I tried my best to do some research and re-familiarize myself with these apps in order to write this post.
Ibotta
Premise: upload shopping receipts, get shopping rewards/ save money
User-friendliness: easy
My hot take: I used it for a while but never got to the point where I could cash out, but I wasn’t using it very religiously.
I do like that they have a lot of everyday things you would get cash-back on, so I could definitely see it being used as more of a couponing app than really a “money making” app, which I think is what it’s really meant to be.
I’ve just seen people advertising it as a good way to “make money”, which I’d say it’s… not. But it could be a good way to save money, if you check it often for deals and don’t mind going to the store every day if something is on sale one day and not the next.
Verdict: No
SwagBucks
Premise: watch videos and ads, complete surveys, and make money
User-friendliness: annoying
My hot take: I’m gonna be real with you straight out of the gate, I only ever used the desktop version. And I was never able to cash out.
I honestly wouldn’t even bother with SwagBucks unless you’ve heard of someone having a lot of success with it and want to try to mimic something they’ve done, because obviously, I didn’t have the best experience.
I remember the videos you could watch and the surveys you could take being extremely long with very little payout.
Verdict: No
BrandClub
Premise: become a “club member” of your favorite brands (that are available), complete surveys, share affiliate links, watch videos, and… make money
User-friendliness: super easy
My hot take: This is the latest app I’ve tried, thanks to a creator on TikTok. I had never heard of it before like a week ago, and I’m actually pleasantly surprised.
This is the first app I’ve used like this that ACTUALLY pays you out. It makes it easy to do surveys and watch videos.
The day I joined, I made and cashed out $15. Now, I have about $30 to cash out, but in order to do so, I have to complete a task such as purchasing an item from Amazon/ Target/ Walmart.
Most of these items are things I would purchase any way, so I’m kind of just waiting for my payout to be worth it.
If you join and want $12 (weird number, right) right out of the gate, use this link.
Verdict: Yes!
