Online Rewards: Blingo.com (Search-and-Win)

One aforementioned rewards site (my favorite) pays you just for searching the web, but it turns out there are others that do the same!  Blingo is run byPublishers Clearing House (the people who do the "Prize Patrol") and is another site that delivers on its premise.

If you use Blingo as your search engine, you'll automatically be in the running for some pretty sweet prizes.  You might win infrequently, but when you do it's an instant prize, not points.  Each search (up to 25 daily) is a chance to win anything from a $5 Amazon Gift Card to a Ford Mustang.  Even better, if you refer your friends and a referral wins, you win the same prize...even if it's a car!

Blingo combines Ask, Yahoo, and Bing.com search technologies so results tend to be pretty good once you get past a few ads which present themselves at the top of your results.

Since my favorite search-and-win site tends to work best if your searches are scattered over the course of the day, my recommended strategy is to start your day with this one, and switch over to Blingo after you win a point (since nobody seems to get search-points in succession).  It might seem complicated, but it's really not if you make use of the toolbars/embedded browser search functions that both programs offer.

Try Blingo today!

Blingo.com [website]

Online Rewards: Lockerz

It's got a cheesy name, but this site has a lot of potential.  Lockerz.com is another completely free site that can earn you prizes.  It appears to be in an unofficial *beta* testing stage since most parts of the site don't work yet, but the concept is (will be) pretty simple:

Watch exclusive video, discover new music, play games, connect with friends, and get rewarded for it. The more often you visit, the more opportunities you have to earn PTZ (or “Pointz”), Lockerz’ own form of currency.

Could be fun. But the best part (and what all the kids are saying about it on youtube) is how few PTZ the prizes costs.  Redeem for anything from handbags to motor scooters, and cheap.  How cheap you ask?

• iPhone Skins: 35 PTZ
• Wii and Xbox 360 games: 100 PTZ 
• The complete Beatles Rockband package: 375 PTZ

For some perspective, I easily made 30+ PTZ in my first visit to the site.

Unfortunately, the only way to get a Lockerz membership is to get an email referral from a current member, but send me your email via Gchat (click the bubble below when I'm online) and I'll happily forward you one.[I will not use your email address for any other purpose]



Lockerz is probably trying to hook people early and raise the cost of each prize later...so get in NOW! =)


Lockerz [website]

Online Rewards: SwagBucks.com (Search-and-Win)

Swagbucks is one of my new favorite sites.  Lots of websites promise you free game systems and ipods for completing offers, but this one pays you to do what you do (for free) already.  Search the web.

I know, the name sounds sketchy, but skeptics take notice: this site actually delivers.  I'm not saying you'll make enough to pay off your loans, but after using it only a few weeks I've banked enough to earn $15 in Amazon.com gift cards.

Simply make a free Swagbucks account (so you have a place to store your "swagbucks" credit) and start searching.  If your search wins swagbucks (usually 1, but sometimes 2, 5, 10, 20....500), you'll be notified in your search results.  I tend to win something 1-3 times per day.  If you forgot to login before making a winning search...no problem. You'll be prompted to enter your login info to claim your winnings.

You can cash in your points for a variety of gift cards/products, but the best value per point is definitely the $5 Amazon.com gift card (don't worry, you can use multiple on a single purchase).  Additionally, Swagbucks will credit your account with matching swagbucks each time your friends win (up to 100/per) and provides a bunch of channels to obtain "swag codes": essentially coupon codes that credit you instant swagbucks if you enter them into your account.  Soon you'll be getting a FREE $20 gift card every month, or better.  Not bad, right?


A few tips for winning:

• For accessibility, add Swagbucks search to your searchbox at the top of your browser (or install the swagbucks toolbar).  There's an option to do so after you register.

• Instead of going straight to your favorite web addresses (i.e. gmail.com into the address bar), type ex."gmail" into your search and click the first listing in the results. It takes only a second more and gives you more opportunities to win

• Don't search "unnaturally" (i.e. repeatedly searching the same term or typing in gibberish in an effort to win).  It doesn't increase your chances of winning and, according to the FAQ, may be grounds for deactivation of your account.
  

The Swagbucks search engine pulls results from the Google and Ask.com search engines, so you know you're getting quality results.  In my tests, search results nearly mimicked the ones I had been getting in my search engine of choice.  Since discovering Swagbucks, I have all but abandoned traditional search.

Get 3 swagbucks free just for signing up!

Swagbucks [website]