Free gift cards are the money hack you’ve been needing and looking for.
This is because gift cards are one of the simplest and easiest ways to increase your purchasing power.
And, they are widely accessible.
Many times, they are as good as cash or better at your favorite retailers. This is because gift cards are more often given away for free and can be purchased at a discount (if you know where to look).
Fortunately, this article has you covered.
I will show you exactly where to get free gift cards online and in-person, as well as where to buy gift cards at a discount.
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Table of Contents
The best ways to get free gift cards in 2021
Redeem free Amazon gift cards with Swagbucks
If you’re not taking advantage of Swagbucks right now, you’re missing out.
Swagbucks is a legit and free loyalty program that gives you access to free gift cards, digital coupon codes, and super easy ways to make money online.
What’s not to like about that?
To get started on Swagbucks, all you have to do is create a free account and start taking advantage of the opportunities listed on their website.
And as a Luster Lexicon reader, by creating an account through our link here, you will get $10 worth of “swagbucks” in your account!
These swagbucks (and any other swagbucks you earn) can be redeemed instantly for a free $10 gift card as well.
I recommend redeeming free Amazon gift cards, Visa, or PayPal prepaid cards because they are usually going for a discount!
I’ve made and saved so much money over the years using Swagbucks which helped me pay my bills in tough times. I’m confident Swagbucks can help you make extra money as well.
Click here to create your free account on Swagbucks and claim your $10
Refer people to your favorite products and brands.
Did you know that companies will give you free money or gift cards every time you refer someone to their product or service?
It’s true.
Formally, these freebies are called referral bonuses.
I’ve compiled a step-by-step referral bonus guide and a list of 66 of the best referral programs that pay in cash or gift cards that are as good as cash. You can view the list here.
Give your opinion on your favorite topics
A lot of us, including myself, feel empowered when we can share our opinions with others. Did you know that there are companies that will give you cash or free gift cards for your opinion on popular topics and products?
And, you can do it from your phone or computer.
You may be wondering why they pay people to do this.
Companies are always looking to improve their products, marketing, and messaging. One of the best ways they’ve found to do this is by hearing directly from people on what they like and want.
One of the ways companies garners opinions is through legit survey websites.
The highest paying survey website I’ve used is called SurveyJunkie. I’ve seen a survey on there pay $50 for about two hours worth of time!
I also like that you can cash out your money with PayPal within 24 hours (and in most cases it’s instant).
Click here to sign up for a free account on SurveyJunkie
Shop in-store with Ibotta
Do you find yourself shopping at the grocery store often?
Then, you should download this awesome app called Ibotta, or else you’re missing out on totally free gift cards!
Ever since I found out about Ibotta back in 2019, I’ve been using it when I shop. Since then, I have made over $1000 in gift cards and cash. Consider that I sometimes forget to use the app, am only doing shopping for myself, and I’ve still made that much!
Imagine how much you could make if you shop for your entire family?
So, how do you use Ibotta to get gift cards for free? Let me show you step-by-step.
How to get free gift cards using Ibotta
- Download Ibotta here.
- Search for your favorite retailers and add them to your favorites. Ex: Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, Kroger, Target, etc.
- Select items that you plan on buying.
- Buy those items at the store.
- Tap “Redeem” in the Ibotta app.
- Snap a picture of the store receipt that has those items you selected and bought.
- Ibotta gives you cash back for those items which can be redeemed for gift cards!
Click here to download Ibotta for free.
Get free gift cards on TikTok
It turns out TikTok is good for more than just funny and inspirational content.
Did you know that influencers and even regular people giveaway gift cards on TikTok for free? I recently found this out and it blew my mind.
There is a legit way to get access to these gift card giveaways and I’m going to show you exactly what to do step-by-step.
How to get free gift cards on TikTok
- Login to your TikTok account.
- In the search bar, input terms such as: #giftcardgiveaway #giftcard #freegiftcardgiveaway #giftcards
- Click the “hashtag” tab.
- Select the term you put in.
- Click on a video with the term.
- Follow the instructions in the video. Usually, it entails commenting and liking the video, or following the account to be entered.
That’s all you have to do.
Now, I send you good luck in winning one of these contests!
Join gift card giveaways on Instagram
You may not have realized this but, you can win gift cards on Instagram.
And, it’s surprisingly easy to put yourself in a position to do so.
Each giveaway will have different rules or tasks that you’ll need to complete.
Be sure to read the original post for exact details. Usually, all you have to do is follow an account or leave a comment on a post to be entered. Sometimes you will have to tag friends as well.
To find these giveaways, you want to search for hashtags such as: #freegiftcards, #giftcardgiveaway, #contest, #freeamazongiftcard, etc.
Shop online with the Honey App
One of the easiest ways to get free gift cards (and save money automatically) is to add Honey App to your browser.
I promise you this app isn’t sticky like real honey…but the gift cards you’ll rack up will be sweet!
When you make purchases on an online retailer, the honey browser will automatically find and input promo codes to save you money.
As you make purchases, you will also accumulate “Honey Gold” which are points that can be redeemed for free gift cards to popular retailers such as Best Buy, Amazon, Dominos Pizza, Target, eBay and more!
Click here to add the free Honey extension to your browser.
Test drive new cars
Yeah, I know this sounds a little too awesome to be true, but this is for real!
There are car companies like Nissan, Jeep, Volvo, and Hyundai that will give you a free $50 gift card to take their new car model out for a spin.
These companies do these promotions to drive up hype for their new release in the hopes that you’ll commit to buy or lease it.
Typically, you’ll find that these promotions are available for a limited time and near a holiday. It’s best to take advantage of them when they pop up.
The easiest and most efficient way to find up-to-date gift card promotions for test driving cars would be to input “car test drive promotions 2021” or “car test drive offers 2021” into a search engine.
Enter online sweepstakes for free gift cards
If you have some spare time, participate in online sweepstakes. The legit ones like Publishers Clearing House (PCH) are like entering the lottery for free. Other online sweepstakes award things like vacations and electronics. You should make a secondary e-mail because online sweepstakes websites will send you a lot of e-mails.
Here are the best free online Sweepstakes to win real money and gift cards (no purchase necessary; all free to enter):
- VIP Voice. You will be entered for their $1000 sweepstakes upon completing sign up. There are also additional chances to win vacations and other cash prizes when you complete their surveys.
- The Nielsen Panel App is owned by one of the best and oldest market research firms in the world. Nielsen enters you into $10,000 sweepstakes every month and pays you $50 every year in either cash or gift cards. All you have to do is keep their app on your computer or mobile device for a specified time. It’s really that straightforward.
- Lucktastic is an app for Android that lets you play scratch cards for free and potentially win large sums of cash and gift cards.
- Publishers Clearing House. Win gift cards and up to millions of dollars.
It’s truly amazing how much legit free money you can get online in 2021.
Bonus: Purchase discounted gift cards through gift card marketplaces
One of my favorite ways to save money is by purchasing discounted gift cards at gift card marketplaces.
These gift cards can either be bought digitally or as physical cards, and they can be used at your favorite retailers like Amazon, Target, Best Buy, and many more.
My favorite gift card market places are the following:
Raise – Earn $5 when you sign up and buy your first gift card. They have a big selection of gift cards to choose from. Click here to sign up for Raise.
CardCash – Get $5 off your first gift card purchase when you sign up. Click here to sign up for CardCash.
GiftCardGranny – Earn $1 upon completion of signup. GiftCardGranny lets you withdraw your cash same-day. Sign up here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best ways to earn instant gift cards?
Without a doubt, that would be referral bonuses and task websites like Swagbucks and SurveyJunkie. Both of these methods let you redeem gift cards online instantly.
What’s the difference between gift cards and prepaid cards?
Gift cards are meant to be used at a specific retailer such as Amazon, Gamestop, Best Buy, or even games like Roblox, until the balance is at zero.
Prepaid cards can be used virtually anywhere debit or credit cards can be used and are usually reloadable.
Can you really get free gift cards for doing nothing?
Pretty much. If you use an app like Drop, all you have to do is download the app and link your credit or debit card.
What are the best apps for getting free gift cards?
Swagbucks and Drop are both easy ways to get free cards that are easy, free and don’t require effort.
