Categories: BUSINESS & FINANCE

How to Get Free Gift Cards Online

Everyone likes to get something for free, especially if that something is a gift card to the retailer of your choice! Gift cards are so popular that, according to the TowerGroup research firm, sales totals for the gift cards will hit the $100 billion mark by 2012 (Washington Post, 12-27-10).

Many businesses offer a way for you to earn free gift cards with purchases. Discover Card, for example, allows you to accumulate points when you purchase items with their credit card. These points can then be redeemed for a free gift card. In like manner, some pharmacies will reward you with a free gift card when you switch your prescription over to them.

Unfortunately, these and other methods to get free gift cards require you to spend money. Some free gift card promotions may even cost you money in the long run. After you consider the interest charges you’re paying on that credit card, for example, is the free gift card really free at all?

If you’re trying to figure out how to get free gift cards without any out-of-pocket expense at all, then what you need to do is learn the tricks to getting free gift cards online. Although scams are abundant, there are some legitimate consumer research firms that will indeed give you free gift cards online in exchange for your time. Usually that time investment is you taking online surveys, but sometimes all you have to do is click on emails or watch short videos.

One such site is Rewards1, where you can “sign up free and earn points by completing surveys, which you use to cash in for rewards! Rewards are sponsored through the survey offers you complete. You’ll get points for answering questions, or trying some product or service, no credit card required!” Rewards1 is unique in that they often sponsor contests where you can win points. For example, they recently hosted what they called a caption contest. They posted a funny photo and the Rewards1 member who came up with the funniest caption won $20 cash.

Another completely reputable site where you can get free gift cards online is MyPoints. This site sends you emails each day (if you opt in) and you get 5 points just for clicking on each email. Of course, if you actually buy what the email is advertising you’ll earn more points but a purchase is never required to get the 5 points minimum. MyPoints also awards points for taking surveys, watching 30-second commercials on their site, and for accepting free samples. What makes MyPoints unique is that they allow you to print grocery coupons from their site and you earn 10 points for each coupon you redeem at the store. The only drawback to MyPoints is that it can sometimes take 30 days for your points to “vest” (become available for redemption).

Finally, any article about how to get free gift cards online wouldn’t be complete without mentioning MySurvey. This site awards free gift cards just for taking surveys online. There are no gimmicks, no complex rules to follow, and very few emails sent to you. Depending on the length of the survey, members earn between 5 and 600 points for completing a survey. What makes MySurvey unique is that each time you complete a survey you are entered into a monthly drawing for a prize of their choice. This month, for example, they’re giving away a COBY DVD Player with Karaoke Function.

Whatever site you choose to get free gift cards online, remember to carefully choose a reputable company. MySurvey, for example, is part of Lightspeed Research, both owned by WPP, one of the world’s leading communications services groups. MySurvey.com has been collecting the opinions of U.S. consumers since 1946 as National Family Opinion, NFO and TNS. The current MySurvey.com website was created in 2001 to enable consumers to express their opinions online.