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Free gift cards are the holy grail of freebies – they’re a great way to score free stuff and save money on the things you love without having to do much work at all.
There are many different ways to get free gift cards online, from using special hacks and tools that can help you find free gift cards, to taking advantage of opportunities like these legit paying online survey sites in the US and online giveaways.
Oh, and since we’re getting ourselves into the world of freebies, let’s not overlook the power of finding free stuff online—think cash, drinks, make-up samples, and even free online delivery from DoorDash!
But in this post, we’re going to focus on the gift cards from the likes of Amazon, Sephora, and Starbucks; because who doesn’t want to treat themselves to a frappuccino-fueled shopping spree or a makeup haul?
Some popular free gift card hacks include using promo codes, taking advantage of reward programs, and redeeming coupons for free gift cards. It’s just like finding clever hacks on how to get free money.
How To Get Free Gift Cards Online
For over 10 years, I’ve been using free gift card rewards sites to redeem most of my freebies. This was especially true when I was still in University trying to save money as a college student.
I was a broke student with a large amount of student debt, but I share my initial struggles of how I saved my first $10,000 in a year to my first $100,000 by my mid-20s.
During my journey to saving my first $1,000 as a broke student, I continued using these money-saving hacks to earn as many free gift cards from Swagbucks as possible. It felt great knowing I could count on getting a free gift card just by taking surveys and entertaining myself with some simple games online.
You know that feeling when your employer hands over a gift card to Amazon or Starbucks for a job well done?
Sure, it may not be a large amount—perhaps $25 to $50—but the feeling of being appreciated and receiving something free sure feels good.
But let’s be real, how often are you really going to get free gift cards from your employer throughout the year?
Probably not very often, and that’s why I’m here to show you how to get free gift cards online.
YES, there are many legitimate ways and hacks to get free gift cards to Amazon, Walmart, Starbucks, and other stores you love! Wouldn’t it be nice to earn Amazon gift cards instantly? 😉
I personally like to earn free gift cards because it helps me reduce my spending throughout the year.
For example, I’ve used my free Starbucks gift cards to redeem free Starbucks coffee and lattes, and my free Amazon gift cards to pay for some household items.
If I wanted to, I could even use them to spend on gifts for my friends and family during the Christmas holiday!
You won’t earn thousands of dollars per month with these free online gift card hacks, but they can still help you save money on your normal purchases. If you like, some options even allow you to redeem them in cash over gift cards.
Hacks on how to earn free gift cards without spending money
Without further ado, here are some clever ways to earn free gift cards fast!
I encourage you to sign up for as many sites as possible. The more you sign up, the more free gift cards you may be able to earn! They are all FREE to sign up for, so you really have nothing to lose!
PIN (OR BOOKMARK) THIS PAGE: Be sure to bookmark this page by clicking here and saving this image to your “gift card” Pinterest board. This will allow you to easily come back for the best ways to earn free gift cards! You don’t want to miss out on these free gift card hacks!
1. Use Swagbucks to get free gift cards
I just love those free Swagbucks gift cards!
Swagbucks is one of my favorite ways to redeem free gift cards, and I always mention it throughout my blog because I truly love them!
You earn FREE gift cards fast by watching videos, completing surveys, surfing the web, shopping online, and more! These are just the stuff you normally do on a daily basis. In addition to Starbucks and Amazon, they offer many other gift cards to your favorite stores, like DoorDash and Target!
I’ve been a member since 2009, and I couldn’t say no to the FREE Starbucks gift cards that helped me pay for my coffee and lattes. You can also read my honest Swagbucks review here to learn whether or not they are legitimate!
Swagbucks is 100% legitimate and has paid out their members $281,868,410 to date!
👉 You can sign up for Swagbucks here and get a free $5 bonus just for using my link today.
2. Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys is another survey company that I have used for so many years now, and I have to say that I highly recommend this website if you want to earn free gift cards or cash quickly. In fact, I managed to make around $150 in cash just by answering their surveys.
But Branded Surveys isn’t like other survey sites. They don’t give you the option to do other tasks to get points since they’re focused on surveys only. You’ll just have to complete as many questionnaires as you can to accumulate points. These points can then be redeemed for free gift cards at popular retailers like Amazon, Starbucks, and Walmart. Chances are, your favorite shops have gift cards on there, too.
What I love about Branded Surveys is that even though there isn’t any variety in the tasks you do, they don’t give you a hard time earning points to redeem gift cards. They have a loyalty program that lets active members earn more points faster. The more surveys you take, the higher your rank in their loyalty program will be. The higher your rank is, the more bonus points you can get.
Unlock a world of free gift cards with Branded Surveys! Sign up for Branded Surveys using this special page here and instantly receive 100 welcome bonus points (equivalent to $1). Upon signing up, you can immediately answer survey questions and collect more points today, which can be used to redeem gift cards from your favorite stores like Starbucks, Amazon, and Target.
Important note: After signing up, make sure to confirm your email address so you can receive your 100 welcome bonus points!
3. Join gift card giveaways
Do you only open social media to get updates on your friends? Or maybe you enjoy scrolling through feeds to pass the time? Either way, our social media experience can be more fun when we engage in gift card giveaways.
The easiest platform to look for free gift card giveaways is Instagram. Businesses are using giveaways as a way to draw more people to their accounts. They offer free gift cards to their followers in exchange for liking and commenting on their posts.
It’s simple to join a giveaway. Usually, you just need to follow the account hosting the giveaway, like the post, and leave a comment. Some accounts will have additional instructions, but nothing too complicated.
Although Instagram is the most common place for giveaways, you can also try looking for opportunities on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
You can easily find these giveaways by using relevant hashtags like “#giveaway” or “#freegiftcard.”
Since there are so many giveaways happening on social media every day, I suggest that you only stick to credible accounts. Some people only host giveaways to try to farm your information. If a giveaway seems too good to be true, it’s best to avoid it.
4. Take Surveys to Earn Gift Cards
With Survey Junkie, you get rewarded with points each time you complete a survey, and I like how I am qualified for at least 1-2 surveys almost every day. Even when I’m not qualified for a survey, they still reward me with a few points!
The minimum payout threshold is $10, which is equivalent to 1,000 points. Since most surveys reward you between 50 to 200 points, you’ll be able to cash out with PayPal or get your free gift cards. Oh yeah, they also pay out really fast!
What I also like about them is their user-friendly interface, which allows you to navigate around easily. They also have a TrustPilot rating of 4.2/5 which makes them one of the highest-rating survey sites.
👉 You can start earning FREE gift cards by signing up for Survey Junkie (US) here.
If you live in Canada, you’ll need to sign up for Survey Junkie (CA) through this link.
5. Get a free $10 Amazon gift card hack
MyPoints is actually a sister company of Swagbucks, so they are definitely trustworthy and legitimate!
In addition to earning cash, MyPoints rewards you with free gift cards by shopping online as you would normally do, playing games, reading emails, and engaging in other fun online activities. Given that their name is “MyPoints,” it’s a no-brainer that they reward you with points (their form of currency). Once you accumulate enough points, you can cash out at their minimum payout of $10 for free gift cards, cash, and other rewards.
👉 For a limited time, you can sign up for MyPoints here and get a FREE $10 Amazon gift card after spending $20.
⭐️ Alternatively, you can sign up here and immediately get a FREE $5 bonus when you complete 5 surveys. No purchase necessary!
6. Use Rakuten to get cashback and gift cards
Here’s my all-time favorite free gift card hack!
Before you learn how to get a free Walmart gift card, I want to quickly talk about Rakuten because I think you will love them as much as I do!
With Rakuten, you can passively earn up to 40% cashback on your online purchases. They are affiliated with over 3,500 of your favorite stores including, Walmart, Macy’s, Sephora, Nike, eBay, Kohl’s, and more! Yes, this is 100% FREE to use.
Guess what? Rakuten just dropped a cool $76.06 into my PayPal account this month – talk about a nice treat! Check it out, it’s like finding free money in your digital couch cushions!
Right now, you can sign up for Rakuten here and receive a FREE $10 Walmart gift card (including a $30 free money bonus) after spending $25 through Rakuten.
If you live in Canada, sign up here and get a FREE $30 bonus.
Signing up is super easy! All it requires is your email and password. No fees and no forms, as you can see in the screenshot below. Rakuten has helped its members get over $1 billion in cash back!
⭐️ For more info, you can read my full review and tutorial on how to use Rakuten here. I also mention a hack on how you can quickly earn FREE cash with Rakuten. You won’t be disappointed!
7. Get free gift cards by sharing your opinion
I’ve said this many times, and I’m going to say it again. You’re not going to become a millionaire by doing surveys, but it is a great way to make extra cash and earn free gift cards while watching TV, waiting for the bus, or commuting to work.
You can earn $50 to $200 worth of gift cards every month by doing easy surveys on the websites below.
Here are my top recommendations. Again, they are 100% legitimate and free to use.
American Consumer Opinion:
I recommend using American Consumer Opinion (ACOP) to earn some extra cash. I personally use this survey site, and they pay you cash just for completing really simple surveys. I’ve also gotten emails from them about entering their draws for prizes and rewards, which may include gift cards for free. There are currently over 7,000,000 active members at ACOP.
👉 You can sign up for American Consumer Opinion here for FREE.
InboxDollars:
I signed up with the Canadian version, Daily Rewards, here and earned the easiest $6.31 in less than five minutes. This includes the $5 welcome bonus along with a few questions that I answered. That’s what I got just for signing up!
With Inbox Dollars, you get paid in free gift cards or cash by completing surveys, watching TV, playing games, shopping online, and more! InboxDollars has paid out its members over $80,000,000 to date!
👉 You can sign up for InboxDollars (U.S.) here and get a FREE $5 bonus through my link.
If you live in Canada, sign up here for your FREE $5 bonus from Daily Rewards (this is the Canadian version)
8. How to get free Amazon gift cards fast
Were you searching for “free gift cards, no survey“? Maybe you’re also wondering how to get free gift cards online without completing offers.
Well, there’s a great way to earn FREE $50 Amazon gift cards fast without having to go through surveys or tasks.
Thanks to Amazon’s Trade-In Program, you can get free gift cards just by selling used items in your home. They can be anything from your old books to unused laptops to video games. What’s great is that the items don’t have to be from Amazon.
Once you have your items, visit Amazon’s Trade-In page and search for the products you want to trade in. You will get an estimated value for each item, and if you like the offer, you can start shipping them out for free. After they receive your items, they will credit your account with an Amazon gift card for the agreed-upon value of your items.
9. Earn a free $5 Starbucks e-gift card
Are you anything like me who needs a daily coffee fix to function? Personally, I’m a loyal Starbucks customer, and I have to admit that a daily cup from them can get expensive. That is why I’m always on the lookout for free Starbucks gift cards.
Starbucks is very generous with its promotions and free gift card offers, and I suggest that you take advantage of as many as you can. These Starbucks deals can help you save a great deal of money while enjoying your favorite cup of coffee.
I personally always jump on their “Buy a $20+ Starbucks eGift and get a $5 Starbucks eGift card” offer every time it’s available because it’s a hard deal to pass by. It’s like getting a free Starbucks drink whenever you buy one for yourself or a friend. Who says no to a free Starbucks drink?
If you want to be updated with Starbucks’ latest promotions, I recommend browsing their website for ongoing deals. You can also subscribe to their newsletter so you get notifications every time there’s a new one happening. It’s also a good idea to sign up for the Starbucks Rewards Program to earn points toward free treats.
10. Shop around for discounted gift cards online
If you’re not too keen on doing tasks to earn free gift cards online, then you can try looking at discounted gift cards. Shopping for them is a great way to save money on your purchases, especially when you want to make the most of your budget.
Platforms like Raise and Gift Card Granny offer a wide selection of discounted gift cards from various retailers. Some well-known retailers on these websites are Starbucks, DoorDash, Walmart, and Sephora.
When you buy from, say, Sephora at a discount as high as 10%, it’s a bonus. High discounts like these are rare finds on these platforms, but it’s not impossible to score them. On the lookout for specific brands like Bed Bath and Beyond? You can turn on “Brand Alerts,” so you’ll get notified the moment there are some gift cards available.
The savings you can get from shopping for discounted gift cards can equate to the value of a $10 or even $15 product. It’s just like getting a free $10 gift card when you buy a discounted one.
11. Ask for a gift card as a gift
Is a special occasion like your birthday or graduation coming up? Is it that time of year again, and Christmas is just around the corner?
Well, then, here’s your chance to ask for a gift card when someone asks what you want. It’s the next best alternative compared to getting money as a gift.
I have no shame. I tell my friends and family straight up to just get me a gift card to Starbucks or Amazon when they ask me what I want.
Your friends and family are more than happy to give you a gift card to your top go-to places because they understand it’s something you can put to good use. Nobody likes guessing or shopping for a gift that might not be exactly what the person wanted.
So, the next time someone asks what you’d like as a gift, don’t be afraid to ask for a gift card!
It’s what I do all the time when I get pressured by close people wanting to buy me a gift but don’t know what to get me.
I just ask for a free Starbucks, Amazon, or Apple gift card. Sometimes I even ask for a gift card to Whole Foods to buy my groceries since they don’t accept Amazon gift cards.
12. Use the Drop app
If you want to know how to earn free gift cards online, then I suggest using the Drop app.
I personally use it and highly recommend it to my readers. I have also made a review of the Drop app here to give you an idea of how it works, along with my personal experience.
So, how can you earn free gift cards with Drop?
It’s simple! You just have to create a free account on the app. Upon completing your account, you will be asked to link your debit or credit card. You can add as many cards as you want, but I suggest linking only those that you frequently use.
Drop will not use your linked card for anything other than to track your purchases so they can give you points. They use bank-level 256-bit encryption, so you know that your bank information is safe.
Once that’s done, you can start shopping at your favorite stores. There are 500+ retailers to choose from in the app, some of which are Amazon, Sephora, Nike, UberEats, Starbucks, and Walmart.
Every time you successfully purchase from a shop, you’ll earn points that you can redeem for free gift cards. 500 points is equivalent to a $5 gift card. Take note that Drop allows users to redeem gift cards only once a week.
Other than earning points via shopping, there are other ways to make your progress towards earning free gift cards faster. Playing games, answering surveys, and making in-app purchases are other activities you can do to earn points. Drop also has a weekly spinner where you can spin and win bonus points, a shop bonus, or a survey bonus
What’s even better about this platform is that you can use coupons and discounts on top of the points you’re getting from Drop.
13. Sign up for rewards credit cards
No, I don’t mean to sign up and start racking up debt. Don’t just start signing up for credit cards because you want to earn free gift cards. If you’re the type of person who cannot control their spending, then please skip this point. Instead, use Swagbucks or MyPoints to earn free gift cards online.
But if you can use credit cards responsibly, then I highly recommend signing up for ones that offer cash back, gift cards, and other rewards.
If you’re going to buy the things you regularly buy and can pay them back in full each month, then passively earning free gift cards is a wise choice.
14. Swipe barcodes at nearby stores
Did you know that with a little bit of wit and charm, Shopkick could be your secret weapon for earning free gift cards? Yup, and you don’t even have to spend a dime!
Just download the Shopkick app on your smartphone, and you’re in the game. It’s kind of like a fun scavenger hunt, right? Walk into certain stores—you know, the usual suspects like Target or CVS—and boom, you’re earning points, or “kicks,” as they call them.
But here’s where it gets fun: while you’re inside the store, you can earn even more kicks by scanning products with the app. Got the kids with you? Turn it into a real-deal scavenger hunt. Keeps them busy, and you get to earn rewards. Win-win!
While you’re waiting in line to check out or just killing time during your lunch break, why not use those spare minutes to earn even more kicks? Just watch some videos in the app. And the exchange rate? Not too shabby—about 250 kicks per buck.
And when it’s time to cash in those kicks? Well, you can pick out free gift cards from your favorite shops like Sephora and H&M, or even big department stores like Target or Walmart. And just like that, you’re shopping smarter without even trying!
Free Gift Cards FAQs
I added this section to quickly answer your most frequently asked question about free gift cards and how to redeem them.
Feel free to drop a comment if you have any further questions, and I’ll be sure to answer them on the spot for you. 🙂
1. Is there a way to get free gift cards?
Yes, you can get free gift cards just by following all the tips and tricks I listed above in this blog post. To summarize them here for you, all you have to do is the following:
- Try Swagbucks by using these Swagbucks gift card hacks here.
- Complete surveys online with these top survey sites here in the US. If you reside in Canada, then you can sign up for these top Canadian survey sites here.
- Look for gift card giveaways on Instagram
- Ask for free gift cards as a gift when it’s your birthday, graduation, anniversary, holiday, etc.
2. Is there a website that gives free gift cards?
There are many websites that offer free gift cards when you complete their surveys or when you use their cashback apps.
Many companies also run promotions on their social media pages, so be sure to follow your favorite brands and retailers on Instagram to stay up-to-date on free gift card giveaways.
3. How can I get gift cards fast?
Earning gift cards online isn’t always a quick process, as it often takes time to complete surveys or earn free points from cashback apps.
However, there are ways you can speed up the process and get gift cards faster.
One way to get free gift cards quickly is by making big purchases at your favorite retailers and using a cashback app like Rakuten at the same time.
Usually, the bigger your purchase, the more free points you get that can then be redeemed for free gift cards. However, I only recommend this if you need that big-ticket item, otherwise, you would be spending more money than you need to.
Another option is to sign up for free survey sites and complete as many surveys as possible to earn free gift cards. This is a great way to earn free gift cards quickly if you are qualified to complete multiple surveys in a day.
But if you are spending that much time taking surveys, then I suggest looking for higher-paying side hustles or some creative ways to earn $500 a month, or even $500 a day. That way, you can use your time more wisely and earn more money.
4. Are free gift cards legit?
You may think “free” gift cards sound too good to be true, because why would any company give out gift cards for free without a catch?
Brands and companies are willing to give away gift cards for free in exchange for something. That includes answering questions in their survey forms, which inform them about your opinion about a product or service.
When you give them your feedback, they will understand you as their customer better. In turn, that will allow them to help you by improving their products and services and catering to what you want.
In short, they will simply give you freebies when you tell them how they are doing as a company.
Yes, all of the methods listed in this article are legitimate ways to earn free gift cards. You can see how I legitimately earn free Starbucks drinks and gift cards in addition to Amazon gift cards in those separate articles.
5. How to get a free $20 dollar gift card?
I mentioned earlier that you can get a free $10 Walmart gift card from Rakuten.
But right now, they are offering an even sweeter deal! They are giving you a $30 free cash bonus if you sign up with the app and make your first $25 purchase online. Again, you can check out my legitimate Rakuten review based on my personal experience on how I earn cash back! Through my review, you can claim your free $30 bonus when you click on my special referral link!
Wrap up on the best ways to get free gift cards online
If you’re looking to get free gift cards fast, there are many ways to do so.
As mentioned, you could sign up for a free rewards program or download an app that offers gift cards as a reward for completing tasks or surveys.
You could also try entering giveaways and sweepstakes to win gift cards or follow your favorite brands and retailers on social media to see if they’re offering free gift card promotions.
Whatever route you choose, just remember that free gift cards don’t grow on trees; it takes a little bit of work and commitment to get them. But with some effort, free gift cards are within reach for anyone who wants them!
Over to you — Now, you know where to get free gift cards online! Are you ready to earn free gift cards fast during your free time? 🙂
Enjoyed this post? Don’t forget to bookmark this and share it on Pinterest! 🙂
Amir Shahzad
Please help me I need to make some money. Send me something. I am jobless and poor.
I am patient and at my age of 55 years old, my financial problems is very serious. What to do?
Please and thank you.
Dwane
Thanks for giving your thoughts about Swagbucks – I read your review post. I just downloaded this on my phone and so far it looks easy to use. I can’t wait for the rewards to kick in!!!
Ling
I’m glad you enjoyed this post about free gift cards!
Mike
This post is very helpful for letting us know how to get gift cards.
thank you for sharing this tips with us.
I’ve tried many sites and Swagbucks was good with paying me $100 gift cards. I am eager to try the other opportunity you say here. Thank you
Ant @ TheCashDiaries
I use Swagbucks and I’ve managed to make over $200 in gift cards through it.
panda
Hello Ant!
Yes, Swagbucks is one of my favorite rewards and cash back sites! My bf and I relied on it to redeem Starbucks gift cards when we were still students and we still continue to use it today 🙂
Thank you for dropping by with your feedback!
Leo T. Ly
I have a two hour train commute everyday. I think doing surveys to earn gift cards is a great idea. It’s a much more efficient use of my time rather than just surfing the net. Thanks for the recommendations.
panda
Definitely worth doing during your down times! 🙂