7 Clever Ways to Get Free Gift Cards This Month

You know it’s going to be a good day when you have a gift card burning a hole in your wallet.

It’s like your personal free admission pass to all your favorite stores — Amazon, Starbucks, Target, Walmart… you name it. Instead of holding your breath at checkout, you can let out a sigh of relief. That little piece of plastic just freed up room in your monthly budget for other expenses.

Sadly, you might think you can only land gift cards around your birthday or the holidays. But we’re going to show you how to get free gift cards online — it’s basically free money!

7 Easy Ways to Get Free Gift Cards

If you’re looking to pocket some free gift cards, we’ve got your guide right here. We’ve searched the internet high and low and have tested each of these strategies. No need to worry about internet scams; we’ve battled all those for you.

Without further ado, here’s how to score free gift cards today:

1. Get a Free $25 Target GiftCard 

There’s nothing better than grabbing a Starbucks at the entrance and then aimlessly exploring the wonders that is Target.

“One Spot?” Yes, please. A Chip and Joanna Gaines’ home section? We’re here for it.

But here’s something that could make it even better: a free $25 Target gift card.

Head over to Arcadia Power’s free website to see if there are utility companies in your area that are willing to lower your energy bill. You’ll need to quickly connect your utility account so Arcadia can analyze your bill.

Arcadia Power will show you the options and send you a $25 free Target gift card just for giving it a try.

Plus, by connecting your utility account, Arcadia Power will start offsetting your energy usage with clean energy sources. Meaning you can help both your wallet and the planet without having to spend any extra money. 

You can sign up to qualify for your free Target GiftCard in about two minutes.

2. Scratch Off Free Lottery Tickets to Earn Gift Cards

There’s something so satisfying about those gas station scratch-off tickets, but it’s better to avoid them because, well, that’s not Penny Hoarding.

Instead, try scratching for free using an app called Lucktastic. Each day, it releases a new assortment of digital scratch-off tickets.

Lucktastic says instant wins range from $1 to $10,000. You can also earn tokens that you can exchange for free gift cards to retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Kohl’s, Sephora and more.

The app is supported by advertising, which allows it to keep the payouts high and the games free.

3. Turn Those Crumpled Receipts Into Free Gift Cards

What do you usually do with your receipts? You check out, they hand you a mile-long piece of paper, and you frantically stuff it to the bottom of a grocery bag. Pretty worthless.

But a free app called Fetch Rewards will turn them into gift cards. It partners with tons of brands to give you points for every grocery receipt you share. Then you can exchange them for gift cards to places like Amazon, Walmart, Chipotle and dozens of other retailers.

And it’s perfect for those of us who don’t want to put a ton of work into this. All you have to do is send Fetch a photo of your receipt, and it does everything for you. No scanning barcodes or searching for offers — and you can use it with any grocery receipt.

When you download the app, use the code PENNY to automatically earn 2,000 points, and you’ll be well on your way to your first gift card.

Not so bad for a useless receipt, right?

4. Get Gift Cards for Your Screen Time

We’ve all been there. Netflix drones in the background as you scroll Instagram. What are you even doing? 

But there’s a company that will pay you for all that screen time. 

Yep. Swagbucks is a reader favorite, because it pays you in free gift cards for taking surveys and other activities right on your phone. You’ll even earn a $5 bonus when you sign up and earn 2,500 points within your first 60 days.

5. Copy This Strategy to Get $526 and a Free Gift Card

Remember when getting the mail was fun? Now it’s just bills. And Valpak envelopes.

But for Colleen Rice, checking the mail meant finding checks. For doing nothing. Seriously. Since she started using a free website called Rakuten, she’s received $526.44 and a free $10 Walmart gift card.

Rakuten has the hookup with just about every website you shop, which means it can give you a kickback every time you buy toilet paper on Amazon — even book that flight home for Thanksgiving.

Rice says she uses Rakuten for things she already has to buy, like rental cars and flights. She even used the money she earned to help her pay for her recent cross-country move.

Plus, if you sign up with Rakuten and get a kickback in the first 90 days, they’ll give you an extra $10 on your next check.

Talk about money for nothing.

6. Exchange Your Grocery Receipts for More Gift Cards

After elbowing your way through grocery store aisles, you deserve a gift card, right?

Before your next grocery haul, download the free Ibotta app to earn cash (or gift cards) for your purchases.

Search for items on your shopping list within the app, and then snap a photo of your receipt and scan the items’ barcodes.

A few recent cash-back opportunities we’ve spotted include:

• 25 cents back on any item.
• 25 cents back on avocados.
• 50 cents back on a carton of eggs.
• $2 back on Colgate mouthwash.
• $4 back on Bud Light.

Once you collect $20 in rewards, secure a gift card to a number of retailers, including Amazon, Apple iTunes, Best Buy, Chipotle, Old Navy, Sephora and Walmart.

7. Cash Out Credit Card Points for Gift Cards

Plenty of credit cards have rewards programs that’ll grant you cash back or travel points. But what about gift cards?

As long as you can manage your spending and pay off your card each month, credit card rewards can be super easy — and passive — way to pocket extra money or gift cards. Plus, sometimes exchanging your points for gift cards can get you more money back than it would straight cash.

For example, with the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, you can exchange 10,000 points for $100 in cash. Or you can save 10% of your points by redeeming them for a Whole Foods, Gap, Lowe’s or Home Depot gift card. That means you’ll get a $100 gift card, but you’ll get to hang onto 1,000 of those points.

To see if your credit card offers gift card deals, take a look at your online rewards portal or contact customer service.

Carson Kohler (carson@thepennyhoarder.com) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s all for stashing her purse with free Target gift cards. Someone’s gotta buy all those candles.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.