InboxDollars offers a fun and varied way to earn free cash by completing surveys, playing games, and getting cash back on receipts. In this InboxDollars review, you’ll discover that, while the activities are easy to complete, the earning potential is relatively low, and the effort required is quite high. The best way to benefit from InboxDollars is by taking advantage of the special deals offered rather than relying on earning cash rewards.
That said, InboxDollars isn’t the best app that pays you real money. We recommend using a receipt cash back app like Fetch Rewards as an alternative, as earning cash back will pay more with less work.
If you’re on the constant lookout for great cash back apps that let you save on all your purchases, as well as for an app that pays you to play games and answer surveys, then you may have heard of InboxDollars. In this InboxDollars review, you’ll learn what InboxDollars is, how it works, what features it offers, and whether or not it’s the right choice for you.
What Is InboxDollars?
InboxDollars is a money-making and saving website and app. It's owned and operated by Prodege, LLC, along with other similar apps like Swagbucks. Founded in 2000 in Minnesota, it still operates from St. Paul. InboxDollars works with a wide range of U.S. businesses and connects them directly with their consumers, InboxDollars members.
Through various activities, InboxDollars earns commissions from these partners and then passes a portion of that back to their members as payment for completing a task. The activities include surveys, playing games, using product discounts, and watching adverts.
The amount consumers can earn by using this app varies with the level of effort and usage. The average earning from an InboxDollars activity is between $0.02 and $5.00, and mid-level users earn between $15 and $55 monthly. Members can choose how to receive their earnings and cash out at a minimum balance of $15.
InboxDollars regularly features in media reviews of side hustles. In 2019, USA News mentioned the app in their Survey-taking section in an Earn Extra Money feature. Woman's Day includes the app in their article titled “21 Brilliant Side Hustles to Make Money in Your Spare Time.”
There are a considerable number of potential ways to earn on InboxDollars, and the most popular is by completing surveys. Members apply to complete a survey and will be admitted if their demographic profile fits within the brand's requirements. The website homepage is very busy but well organized, with precise details of all the different ways to earn and save money.
Features Of InboxDollars
At first sight, the InboxDollars website looks very crowded and overwhelming. However, the categories are clearly defined with something to suit everyone. Here, we will be reviewing all the features of InboxDollars.
#1 InboxDollars Surveys
InboxDollars offers surveys for new brands and products on behalf of different market research companies. Once you, as a new member, complete your profile, you’re offered potential surveys to complete.
Most market research is directed to specific demographics, and members will need to answer screening questions to qualify. This screening also ensures potential participants will complete the survey correctly. Participant numbers may also be limited. The result of these constraints is that there is a good chance members won't actually qualify for a survey.
The good news is that the more surveys you complete, the more you’re likely to be offered other surveys. Also, if you don't qualify for a particular survey, others that may be a better fit will be offered. InboxDollars rewards every attempt at qualifying for a survey with a chance to win a prize through a scratch-and-win card or a spin of the prize wheel.
#2 Informative Blog
InboxDollars has an informative blog covering a range of topics. One of the most popular is the Rewarding Moments. Members can contribute by describing how using InboxDollars has positively impacted their lives.
Other categories include recipes and shopping on a budget.
#3 InboxDollars Games
InboxDollars offers several different types of games. Members can earn money from playing online games and downloading specific gaming apps.
- InboxDollars has a social media game called WinIt. Special codes consisting of letters and numbers are regularly posted on the InboxDollars Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Blog pages. All members have to do is find the code, enter it in the WinIt box on the website homepage, and find out what they have won. Prizes are sweepstakes entries, cash, or a contest entry.
- Members are notified and can register for a Bingo game through blog posts. To win, they mark off squares by completing various directed activities like answering a daily poll and uploading valid receipts. Members can earn up to an $8 bonus by marking the Bingo Board as required.
- There are also other puzzle games that members can sign up to, play, and earn cash. Some of them are advertised as having the potential to earn really good amounts. With this Scrabble game, users must follow the QR code and download an app to their phone. Rewards are earned as levels are achieved.
#4 Cash Back On Receipts
Called Magic Receipts, InboxDollars offers cash rebates and discounts on shopping. It has over 11,000 affiliated stores and restaurants, and offers are regularly updated on the website. They include:
- Cash back on any receipt. Simply scan a clear receipt through the app to receive the stated amount.
- Cash back on specific items or produce.
- Cash back amounts on items purchased at specific retailers (the offer may be available at multiple retailers).
- Percentage cash back on purchases from particular stores.
- Complete Daily Goals to earn extra cash and Streak bonuses. These goals are specifically targeted to the customer based on their profile and activities. Streak cash back is awarded when a certain number of days of goals are achieved.
- Complete goals in the Daily List challenges to earn bonus cash.
- Cash back on specific brand purchases. Offers will vary in terms of quantity, length of availability, and combinations.
#5 New Member Activities
InboxDollars has a comprehensive get-to-know program while earning cash at the same time. New members are rewarded for completing their profile and some basic cash-earning activities. You can earn up to $30 by completing some or all of these activities.
#6 Gold Membership
Once you have made your first $30 and received it as cash or gift cards, you automatically qualify for Gold Membership. This is really a gimmick, as everyone will qualify eventually. However, there are some perks, including faster payout, double sweepstakes, search rewards, and other exclusive rewards.
#7 Notifications
Besides the above-mentioned ways to earn with InboxDollars, it also pays you to allow notifications in two different ways.
PaidEmail Program
InboxDollars offers an incentive to receive notification emails. Called PaidEmail, it provides members with an easy way to receive special offers straight to their email account. If they're interested, they simply press Confirm to acknowledge they have read it, and they receive cash. If the member then signs up for the offer, they can earn even more.
Billy Button Browser Extension
InboxDollars members can receive notifications through their home computers by installing the Billy Button. This is a browser extension that monitors the websites visited and sends a notification if the store has any current offers.
#8 Free Trials And Special Offers
InboxDollars offers a number of bonus amounts for signing up for affiliate programs. These may be combined with special discounts from the other company. For instance, by using their referral to DoorDash, members can earn $7.50 from InboxDollars and get a month of free deliveries.
InboxDollars regularly promotes partner companies and their services, rewarding customer sign-ups with more cash back. For example, signing up for Hiatus earns $5 cash back.
#9 Refer A Friend
InboxDollars offers a unique and very interesting refer-a-friend scheme. For each referral, you get $1 once the friend has earned $7. After that, you get a huge 30% of their earnings for life. There are some terms and conditions which may restrict the potential earnings from this scheme. For example, the number of friend referrals is limited to 5.
Claiming Earnings From InboxDollars
There are a number of ways users can cash out when they have accumulated the minimum $15 balance. The amounts claimed can be $15, $30, $40, $50, and $100 and withdrawn as cash to PayPal or as a gift card. InboxDollars has a good selection of gift cards, but the minimum balance required may differ.
As mentioned above, Gold members can access faster payouts. Having faster payouts is one of the fields where InboxDollars beats other popular alternatives like Rakuten, which pays out once every three months.
Pros Of InboxDollars
- There is a good range of activities for members to participate in and earn money from.
- InboxDollars has good store ratings, with Google at 4.1 and Apple at 4.5.
- The website is informative, and the app is easy to use.
- Although the cash back might be low, there are lots of straightforward activities that will pay you for completing.
- The games are interactive and fun.
Cons Of InboxDollars
- Some activities are pretty pointless. The video-watching activities, for example, only offer 1–4 cents cash. This is regardless of the length of the video.
- Members can still be disqualified for a survey even as they're in the process of completing it.
- The time it takes for the cash to be credited to your account varies dramatically, making it difficult to keep track and ensure you're receiving everything you're entitled to. This is particularly prevalent with the refer-a-friend percentage earnings.
- There is a web page dedicated to 100% free offers and another for Savings, but we couldn’t see any difference between this page and the general cash back offers page.
Pricing
InboxDollars is free to join, and all the activities have no cost to members. InboxDollars makes its money from brands paying for completed surveys. InboxDollars then shares this commission with its members..
In Summary
InboxDollars offers an easy way for people to earn money at home and on the go. Through games, offers, and cash back on shopping, it has a good range of money-making activities. While InboxDollars itself states that most earnings come from surveys, we think you shouldn't rely on them as they seem hit and miss with not a great payoff. In order to earn any real cash, you will need to use the program frequently and in many different ways, and then you may earn between $15 and $55 per month (according to their own blog).
If you’re looking for a more laid-back option to earn extra cash easily, you can try out Fetch Rewards, our best-rated cash back app.
InboxDollars Review FAQs
Is InboxDollars worth it?
InboxDollars is probably worth it if you enjoy the varied activities and are prepared to put in the time to research the offers, scan receipts, play games, and complete the surveys. The more active you are, the more cash back you can earn.
Is InboxDollars legit?
Yes, InboxDollars is a legitimate market research website that pays customers to interact with brands and retailers. As well as good Play Store ratings, Trustpilot rates InboxDollars at 4.2 / 5, and it has a B rating from the Better Business Bureau. Overall, it's a well-established cash-earning website and app.
How much can you make on InboxDollars each day?
InboxDollars has a blog post on how to make your first $30. It includes completing surveys, redeeming coupons, signing up for a shopping app, accepting free samples, and watching a video. There are a total of 23 activities. This will undoubtedly give you a good introduction to how to use the program, but there is quite a lot of work involved, and this is an indication of how much effort is required to make any decent money using this program.
