While it might seem almost too good to be true, there are legitimate ways to get free PayPal gift cards or earn money through your PayPal account that you can then transfer to a bank account that don’t require hours of effort each week.
Honestly, I’ll admit I was skeptical of the ads and articles I saw touting ways to get cash back by photographing receipts and playing online games. With so many scams out there, it pays to be safe. So it wasn’t until I overheard some savvy moms in a checkout aisle after Christmas raving about how many gift cards they were able to collect and give as gifts that I decided to do some digging.
I wanted to find out how businesses could legitimately make money while also paying people for shopping at specific retailers or purchasing certain products.
Turns out, it’s not that complicated.
Dozens of legitimate online reward services and apps offer points and rewards to customers for interacting with the company’s brand partners. In the simplest terms, in some cases, the reward service is paid by other companies to gain access to the spending habits (and sometimes other info) of everyday shoppers. That’s typically one of the ways reward services and apps are able to offer shoppers a small portion of their earnings.
As a consumer – someone who uses money to make purchases – you will likely have to agree to some ‘terms of use’ when you sign up with one of the online reward services. This is why it’s really important to read the fine print to make sure you are OK with some of your personal information being shared with merchants and third-party service providers.
The good news here is that companies on the up-and-up provide information on their websites about the information they collect and what it’s used for. (It’s a lot like when you sign up for a contest for a chance to win a dream house. You have to provide your name, address, phone number, or even a cable TV provider to take part.) So as long as you read the legal info and agree to a particular company’s terms, you can begin clicking and scanning your receipts for extra income immediately.
Here are some of the ways we found to earn free PayPal gift cards (or cash payments via PayPal) and other payment methods with very little effort.
1. Scan Your Shopping Receipts
There are plenty of legit apps that allow shoppers to scan their receipts to earn points they can cash out for money and gift cards. That said, some pay out more than others, and some take more time to earn enough points to pay out. If it’s your first time to scan receipts as a way of earning PayPal gift cards and other rewards, consider these apps:
Try Fetch
Formerly Fetch Rewards, it’s a free smartphone app that rewards users for shopping online, doing things like buying groceries and then scanning the receipts and playing mobile games. (This is the popular app that that the two ladies in front of me in line said they used to earn gift cards.)
Here’s how it works: First, you have to use your mobile phone or tablet and get the application from the app store. If you are interested in earning with this app, it’s also helpful to visit the website for more details about how to get started.
Shoppers can earn a certain number of points for each receipt they take a photo of using their smartphone or tablet. Once you earn a certain number of points, they can be redeemed for free gift cards. The company also offers Fetch Shop and Fetch Play for additional ways to earn more points and more rewards.
Good to know: As of May 2025, Fetch allows customers to submit up to 35 receipts in a 7-day period.
Ibotta
Ibotta is another free shopping rewards app that can be used by those with iPhones and Android devices to earn points (and ultimately gift cards) when they make purchases. The company boasts that app users “earn $261 a year on average.” You can link a bank account or choose a gift card (Starbucks, anyone?) to withdraw earnings once you reach $20. They also feature a browser extension you can use to earn more rewards when shopping online. For more info on how to use the Ibotta app, here’s a complete guide.
2. Play Online Games
Consider Swagbucks. When you sign in online or install the app and become a Swagbucks member, you have a few options for how to earn points, which are known as SB (short for Swagbucks). While Swagbucks is perhaps best known for its online surveys, you can also choose between playing mobile games, shopping, and answering trivia questions, among other simple tasks. Typically, 100 SB equals $1. Once you reach a certain level, you can exchange Swagbucks for rewards, including Amazon gift cards and Walmart gift cards, or secure cash via PayPal.
Plus, when new users sign up, they have the opportunity to earn a $10 sign-up bonus!
3. Earn Cashback for Online Shopping
Members who use Rakuten, a browser extension, can earn cash back at more than 3,500 stores, on travel, at tons of restaurants, and even in-store. To get started, you can shop on Rakuten.com, download the browser extension, or get the app on your smartphone or other digital device.
Here’s how it works: As you shop at your favorite online stores and make qualifying purchases, cash back rewards are added to your account. That’s because retailers pay Rakuten for basically sending them shoppers, and then they share a portion of that money with members. Customers will receive cash back through PayPal or by check every three months.
4. Get Paid to Trade in Old Stuff
What’s better than getting rid of old stuff and bringing some newfound joy to your home? That would be getting paid for the things you don’t want or use anymore. So if you have old smartphones or iPads hanging around collecting dust, Buyback Boss will pay you for many of those old items and even foot the bill for shipping costs. Sound interesting? Buyback Boss also purchases old smartwatches, gaming systems, games, and computers. The bonus? They pay by direct deposit, via PayPal, or gift card.
5. Use Your Favorite Rewards Credit Cards
Another way to earn PayPal gift cards or cash back on many of your purchases is by using your favorite rewards credit card. This may seem like a no-brainer, but you would be amazed at how many people leave points on the table or let them expire and don’t cash them in. One way to rack up rewards and rewards points even faster is to use your credit card to pay for monthly bills – everything from rent to utilities – and then pay off the balance before the end of the billing cycle so you don’t accrue interest charges that can cancel out what you earn in rewards.
6. Take Surveys to Earn PayPal Cash
While taking online surveys may require a bit more bandwidth than scanning grocery store receipts, it’s still a legitimate – and easy – way to earn money while you might otherwise be spending time scrolling on your smartphone. Something interesting about Branded Surveys is that it uses the information you submit to match you with surveys best suited to your tastes and demographics.
Survey Junkie is another legitimate online market research business wholly owned by consumer insights platform DISQO, which provides data and analytics to the market research industry. They also match people with companies looking for honest opinions, feedback, and consumer views on a variety of topics and new products. Members can expect surveys in categories including technology, food and beverages, entertainment, home, personal care, financial services, travel, automotive, real estate, healthcare, and more.
Pro-tip: When you sign up for a membership with Survey Junkie, completing general and category-specific profiles often helps ensure users are matched with surveys that best fit their interests.
Conclusion: How to Earn Free PayPal Gift Cards
While the holidays are still more than six months away, now is the perfect time to start planning how to fund your holiday gift-giving season without breaking the bank. One of the easiest ways to do that could be by creating a strategy to earn free PayPal gift cards and other redemption options by using a variety of measures – including watching videos, taking surveys and employing cashback web extensions when you shop – to reap the rewards that come with them well in advance of when you will need the extra money.
