Free gift card apps that are worth five minutes

A free gift card is rarely completely free. You are trading time, data or a small purchase. That can still be a good deal — as long as you know which currency you are spending.

Scanning receipts is the lowest-effort option. The welcome bonus is usually the best part; after that, points accumulate slowly. Do the first five scans, claim the card, then decide whether the ongoing rate is worth your camera roll.

Use a separate folder for receipt photos and delete them after the scan is approved. There is no reason to keep a picture of your weekly shop.

A ten-minute survey for a $10 card is a strong rate. A forty-minute survey for $2 is not. Check the estimated time before you start, and stop if the questions drift into account numbers, health records or your employer.

These are not freebies in the strict sense, but a birthday reward or a sign-up credit can be. The trick is to create the account a week before you need it and to use the same email everywhere, so the reward is easy to find.

• A payout that requires you to invite five friends first.
• A card that can only be spent on one expensive product.
• An app that asks for bank login details to “verify” a reward.
• A balance that expires before you can reach the minimum.

None of those are worth the five minutes. The good ones usually pay quickly, explain the minimum in plain language, and let you delete the app afterwards.