How to turn pennies into dollars with Reward Sites- Intro

With the way the economy has been the last few years, it isn't a surprise that more and more people are looking for ways to supplement their income by making money online.  One of easiest, albeit time consuming ways that I have found is participating in several types of Point Reward and GPT sites.

What is a Point Reward site you ask? (O.k so you didn't ask but I'm going to tell ya anyway)- These are the sites that pay you to do a certain task, maybe it is watching a video, taking a survey, or even just searching the web. These sites typically pay out in points, that can be turned in for rewards such as gift cards, paypal or even a check in the mail.

If you're like most, you are probably thinking to yourself that working online is a scam, and you'd be partially right. There are scams out there, some sites will never pay you a dime, some sites will give you viruses, malware, key-loggers and then, there are sites that will spam you to the end of time. However,  there are legitimate reward sites out there, you really can make money. How do I know? Because, I am making money using them and so can you.

I'm not going to lie to you, there is a reason that this series is called "Turning pennies into Dollars"; you are not going to get rich this way.You're probably going to start off just making a few cents here and there. As you get the hang of it, with commitment you will start seeing the the profit roll in.


0.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Intro
1.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Getting Started
2.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- What to look for and what to avoid
3.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Is it worth the effort? How Much you'll really make.
4Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Get organized and maximize profit.
5. Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- My favorites

How to turn pennies into dollars with Reward Sites- Getting Started

Now that you have decided that you want to get your feet wet, there are 3 things that you'll need to do first....



1.  Grab a free email address-  You are going to get bombarded with spam in your inbox, it's the nature of the beast.  Else,  you love wading through pages upon pages of junk in your inbox everyday, this one is a must.

2. Find the best earning option for you- There are a ton of different earning opportunities out there.

Search and Earn- Companies that pay you to use their search engine
Pay per Click/Aka PPC- Websites pay you to click on company webpages/ads
Online Surveys-
Paid to watch (Watching Video's online)
Paid to play (playing games)
Affiliate Marketing

3. Set up a Paypal and Amazon account- You're going to want a way to collect your earnings and while most sites offer several forms of payment, Amazon and Paypal are the two most popular.


Just in case you dive right in, I have to at least put this out there.  I'll will touch more on it's importance in the Part 3 of the series...

Do your research- While there are thousands of websites out there that offer you a quick buck, there are only a few that actually pay. With a quick search, you can usually figure out which ones are legit and which ones are not.

0.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Intro
1.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Getting Started
2.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- What to look for and what to avoid
3.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Is it worth the effort? How Much you'll really make.
4Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Get organized and maximize profit.
5. Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- My favorites

How to turn pennies into dollars with Reward Sites- What to look for

With New Sites, popping up everyday, it is hard keep track of which one are legit.  Below, you will find simple tips, that will help you weed out all of the princes from the frogs....

What to look for 

1.The Reputation of the company- One of the easiest ways to see what a company is like, is to simply Google the company name and see what the results turn up. However, I'd suggest  doing a little bit of sleuthing, through the companies own forums, and social media platforms. There you can see what other users are saying.. if there are nothing but complaints, move on. On the other hand, if it is all glowing reviews you may want to dig deeper... some companies will plant specific comments.

2.How often are new offers available- This one may be a little harder to figure out, but if a website hasn't updated in a month, that may just be your sign.

3.Suitable forms of payment- Most companies offer several forms of payment.. such as Paypal, paper checks and gift cards to stores. Others, go strictly on Rewards, such a Magazine subscriptions, electronics, t-shirts etc..  Before investing any significant amount time earning, you're going to want  know how you're getting paid.  After All, what good is a Magazine if you don't read, or Paypal if you do not have an account.

4.How long it will take to make goal- Now that you established that some form of payment is going to work for you, it is time to see how long it takes to cash out. If they only pay a few points per offer and it takes thousands of points to cash for a $5 gift card, it really isn't worth your time.

Unfortunately, the best way to find out how long it will take to accumulate points is by trial and error. There isn't a need to invest a lot of time or effort but at least enough to properly gauge the situation.

What to avoid (The Frogs)

1. Asking for too much personal details- Most reputable sites will never ask for a Social Security Number, credit card or checking account information. There a few exceptions to this rule,( with some of the larger companies) but in my opinion it isn't worth the risk.

2. Up front cost or fee's- No legitimate rewards program will ever ask you to pay a fee up front. The sole purpose of using these programs is for you to make a buck not them.

3. Income Guarantee or Big promises- I'm sure we've all heard the expression that "If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is".   Well, this couldn't be more true, if it really is that easy, why isn't everyone doing it? 

4. Poorly written, sketchy or hidden Privacy Policies- Sites of this nature require privacy policies, if you cannot locate it, there is most likely a reason. They are required to tell you what information they collect, how it will be stored, shared,  and how long that it is kept on file. 

Now that you know what to look for, you should have no trouble finding your Prince (or Princess)....


0.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Intro
1.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Getting Started
2.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- What to look for and what to avoid
3.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Is it worth the effort? How Much you'll really make.
4Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Get organized and maximize profit.
5. Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- My favorites

How to turn Pennies into Dollars with Reward Sites- Is it really worth it? How much can be made?

Is it really worth it? It depends... on what you're looking for. As, I said in the intro this is NOT a way that is going to make you rich. Most likely, you will NOT make thousands of dollars a month, or even in a year for that matter.

How much Can you make?  What I personally earn varies from month to month, usually it is somewhere between $25- $100. Some months it may be much more, for example this is still the first week of the month and I have already made $63 between two sites, with minimal effort. However, I could never live off what I make, it does help to fill in the gaps.

So essentially,  if you are not looking to get rich....but have free time to spare...or maybe just want a few extra dollars to buy that awesome pair of shoes you've been eyeing.... IT IS WORTH IT!






0.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Intro
1.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Getting Started
2.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- What to look for and what to avoid
3.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Is it worth the effort? How Much you'll really make.
4Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Get organized and maximize profit.
5. Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- My favorites

How to turn Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Get organized and maximize profit.

No matter which reward method you chose, you are probably going to want to work with several different sites, to make maximum profit . Trying to keep up with them all can be quite time consuming, you are going to need to stay organized. You can do this by either bookmarking them in your browser, saving to spreadsheet, using another computer program or my personal favorite a plain old notebook full of paper.

I list my sites, in order of importance and try to go down the list at least once a day checking for new opportunities. I list them this way on purpose, if I don't make it to the end of the list, I will not feel as bad as if it was one of my top sites..

You are also going to want to check the separate email address, (that you set up earlier) several times a day, looking for new opportunities. Sometimes this offers are only available for a certain amount of people, and can go really fast, so you are going to want to check in often.





0.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Intro
1.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Getting Started
2.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- What to look for and what to avoid
3.Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Is it worth the effort? How Much you'll really make.
4Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Get organized and maximize profit.
5. Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- My favorites

How to turn Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- My favorites

When I first started out, I signed up for everything; I was quickly overwhelmed and had nothing to show for it). I gave up within months, on almost all of them. Below you will find the ones that were worth sticking out, some I found along the way and a few new additions that seem promising.

Online Point Reward Programs

Swagbucks- Reward program that pays in digital dollars,("Swag Bucks" ) that can in return be traded for a huge variety of gifts, or gift cards. 

You can earn Swag Bucks from participating in wide range of activities such as searching the web, taking surveys, watching videos, filling out offers, printing and using coupons in store, shopping at specific online stores and playing games.

My experience, Swagbucks is listed first for a reason, I have been a member since 2009,  and have never had a problem. The earning is steady,and pretty dependable. Every once in a while you'll get a survey/offer that doesn't credit. 

Instant Gift Cards (InstaGC)-  Earn rewards fast and cash in instantly, as low as a dollar. You earn points by taking surveys, offers, videos and tasks.

My experience, This is one of the newer sites that I have joined, and it has quickly became one of my favorites. There isn't a large range of activities, but there is always something and it takes very little to cash out. In the 6 days, I have been here I have cashed out 5 times, 2 of those being at $5. Have always received payment within seconds.

My Points-  Reputable site accredited by the BBB, Earn points for Gifts cards through Shop & earn, searching,games and surveys. 
My experience, I have been a member since 2008, and have never had a problem.. On the  other hand, I have also earned very little since I do not shop much online.  Once you earn enough points, it takes a while for the reward to show up. MyPoints is still at the top of my list for sites I recommend, it is the only site that I would trust giving my credit card information to. 

ZoomBucks, Reward program that pays in digital dollars,("Zoom Bucks" ) that can in return be traded for gift cards. 

You can earn by participating in wide range of activities such as searching the web, taking surveys, watching videos, filling out offers, and playing games.

My experience, The points need for redeeming gift cards are a bit steep, I have heard that payment takes close to a month. I have yet to cash out, but will keep you updated on the process. 

Gift Hulk, Reward program that pays in digital dollars, search, video, games surveys, daily polls and tasks. (Still learning)

iRazoo, Reward program that pays in digital dollars, Coupons, search, video, shop & earn, games surveys and tasks. (Still learning)

Other Reward programs worth mentioning...

Viggle- Get rewarded for watching T.V with the Viggle app, this is probably the simplest form of point earning. You literally just check in with your smartphone and rack up the points. 

My experience. The rewards vary, and are always changing. I have enough points to cash in but am holding out for a better reward. 

e-Rewards- Survey site, This is one of the few survey sites that I belong to. The rewards are not the greatest but they do pay.

BzzAgent, Bzzagent is technically not a reward site, it is a word of mouth marketing... but it is so awesome that it is worth mentioning. You get to try out new products, tell your friends about it, fill out a report and then you are rewarded MyPoints (see 3rd listing from top)

MyCokeRewards, This is one I am sure everyone has heard of, You collect points from coke product packaging and bottle caps, and turn them in for awesome rewards. They are constantly updating there catalog, and there is always something fun. 

My experience, Been a member for at least 4 yrs, have had account hacked (followed a link from an external site, thinking it was coke) once in that time and Coke rectified the problem right away. Right before Christmas, I was able to cash out 2 $25 gift cards, 2 $5 gift cards and received 4 free 12pk- cola coupons, I have also cashed in for electronic, t-shirts, Club Pogo passes, and collectibles throughout the years. .   

 (Please note: If there is a link to a site in this post, that link is most likely a referral link, if you would like a referral link to those without one, send an email with, your name, and site interested in. I'll send one to you ASAP) 



Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Intro
Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Getting Started
Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- What to look for and what to avoid
Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Is it worth the effort? How Much you'll really make.
Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- Get organized and maximize profit.
Turning Pennies into Dollars with Reward sites- My favorites