If you are very frugal, then you probably love free things. I know I do! Here are 10 ways to get free samples.
The last thing you want to do is spend your hard-earned money on products that are poor quality or don’t end up serving your needs.
Free samples are a win-win option for both brands and consumers.
Brands can introduce products to new audiences and foster loyalty among existing customers.
Consumers get to try a variety of samples before they decide on whether to spend money on the actual product or not.
Free samples, because of their travel sizes, are also super convenient for small on-the-go needs.
As a self-proclaimed financially savvy individual myself, today, I want to share with you the best ways to get some free samples!
I am going to highlight eight different ways you can get free samples. After all, who doesn’t love free? Let’s go!
Costco
Costco is famous for its liberal handout of free samples. In front of almost every aisle, there is at least one station showcasing their latest products.
The products can range from chips to popcorn, salsa, sausages, ice cream, you name it.
What I especially appreciate about Costco’s free samples is how generous the portions are.
I can attest that their free sample strategy certainly works, as it has helped my family discover fun and delicious items we never knew existed.
Of course, as someone sensitive to numbers, I can’t help but notice that their free samples typically feature the more exotic and expensive products in their assortment.
While I certainly believe that you should treat yourself every so often, I still recommend that you go into Costco with a shopping list in mind, and pick only one or two items that do not appear on your original shopping list, at most, as a treat.
Sephora
If you are a beauty and skincare enthusiast, Sephora is undoubtedly a place you cannot miss.
It has tons of products, ranging from skincare and fragrance to bath and body, makeup, and haircare, that can surely satisfy even the pickiest customer.
Sephora is very generous with free samples, so please take advantage of them for your own sake!
Skincare and beauty routines are an integral part of our lives. You want to make sure that you use products that not only look good but also have no adverse effects on your skin.
Often, a quick sample in-store is not enough to see the impact.
For example, it may take a few days to see if a particular product causes breakouts. The store is aware of the limitations of in-store sampling, so the customer representatives are always happy to provide a free sample if you ask.
The samples usually last at least a week, so you have enough time to test the products on your skin before making a purchase.
Join Their Beauty Insider Program for More Free Samples
In addition to asking for free samples when you are deciding on a product, you can also get free samples on your birthday if you join their Beauty Insider program. That is a free loyalty program that gives you access to perks like free shipping, points collection for your purchases, and of course, a free birthday gift.
The birthday samples are of excellent quality. For example, I had these to choose from one year:
- MILK MAKEUP: Mascara and Lip + Cheek Set
- Sol de Janeiro: Bum Bum Cream and Coco Cabana Cream Set
- Briogeo: Mini Charcoal + Coconut Oil Shampoo and Mini Deep Conditioning Mask
If you are a VIB or Rouge member, you also have a fourth option: Mini Veil Primer and Mini Veil Powder from Hourglass.
I picked the Bum Bum cream set because of its cute name. It came in two small containers, one is the Bum Bum Cream, and the other is the Coco Cabana Cream. I loved the heavenly smell, how easily the body cream glided on my skin, and how smooth my skin felt.
Last but not least, every time you make a purchase online, you are eligible for up to 2 free samples.
Baby Registry Welcome Box
For those of us with a new baby at home or one in the belly, and you want to try out lots of different products to help you decide what you need, then the Free Registry gift boxes are exactly what you need.
Related: Learn how to prepare for a baby on a budget and how to get all the free baby samples!
Various baby registries send you free sample boxes for you to try different baby products. Each place has different requirements, so read through the instructions for each carefully.
As of this writing, these stores were offering a free Baby Registry Welcome filled with free samples:
Related: How To Get the Free Welcome Kit From the Target Baby Registry
Be Loyal to a Specific Beauty Brand
Brands love to reward their customers’ loyalty. It makes business sense for them: after all, it is more difficult to find new customers than it is to keep them! Therefore, if you have a beauty brand that you like, you are in a great position to score some savings.
How can you go about doing that? Step one is to subscribe to the brand’s newsletters. The newsletters typically feature the best coupons and promotions, including steep discounts, BOGO offers, and even free samples!
In addition to being loyal to a brand, you should go one step further and be loyal to a specific makeup/beauty counter in the mall.
Their drawers are stuffed full of free samples. If you are a loyal customer and the sales representatives know you well, you are in a great position to score some free samples every time you make a purchase!
Of course, please adopt this strategy only if the brand is truly a good fit for you.
Rule #1 of personal finance is to never purchase products just because of the perks. A deal is not a deal if you can’t afford it!
Curate Your Social Media
Many companies offer free samples of their products to anyone who wants. They usually do this by offering targeted ads on social media. This works for Facebook and Instagram.
So go into your Facebook or Instagram and search “Free samples” and “Free makeup samples” or “Free perfume samples”. Change it up depsneidn gon waht you want. Scroll through the results, pausing to read some of them. Then, when you see a large company with a post or ad about free samples, comment on it and like it.
Usually, this will give the algorithm all the signals that you are in the market for free samples.
Now you’ll get targeted ads for free samples.
So far, this has gotten me free samples from Macy’s Perfume, Aveeno, Maybelline, and OGX.
PINCHMe
PINCHme is a site that sends you free products in exchange for your honest review. You’ll sign up and then answer a series of questions about your household and shopping habits in the Member Profile.
From that, they’ll learn what you like and offer samples just for you.
Once you’ve had a chance to try your samples, complete a short feedback survey to tell them what you think of the samples. Then they share that with brands.
This seems to be the easiest program to get free samples with the caveat that many people are eligible for free samples very sporadically.
Influenster
Influenster is an online platform that sends thousands of boxes (called VoxBoxes) full of free samples to qualified individuals every month for review. In exchange for providing your feedback, you get to keep those samples for free!
To increase your chances of qualifying for a VoxBox, you should do the following:
Increase Your Social Media Presence
As the name “Influenster” implies, the brands do rely on social influencers to help review and promote their products. Therefore, the more of a social influencer you are, the more likely you are to get a VoxBox full of free samples. Once you set up a profile with Influenster, make sure that you connect all your social media accounts to maximize your “impact score.”
Answer Questions in the “Snaps” Section on Your Profile
Snaps are quick questions that help determine your eligibility for a VoxBox. Make sure you answer the questions honestly and as soon as they come in. The free samples are usually first-come, first-served, so you want to be sure that you are at the front of the line!
Answer Surveys in Emails
If you are serious about getting VoxBoxes, you want to subscribe to their emails. Influenster sends out emails with surveys regularly. If you complete the surveys and your profile is deemed a good match, then you may also be eligible for a box of free products.
Complete Your Tasks To Increase Your Chance of Getting Your Next Voxbox
If you qualify for your first VoxBox, congratulations! It’s time to have fun experimenting with your free samples! However, if you want to increase your chances of receiving another box, make sure you complete the requested social media tasks.
The tasks can include tweeting photos of products to your Twitter followers, writing reviews and posting them on Facebook, and writing a blog post about the products you received. The more tasks you complete, the higher the likelihood that you will receive another VoxBox.
Influenster boasts a reviewer population of 6.5 million. The program is completely free to join, and the products you may qualify for are absolutely free and often full-size. I highly recommend that you try it out!
SMILEY360
Smiley360 is another online platform that offers free samples for members in exchange for feedback. They currently have more than 1 million members (called Smiley Members) who are taking advantage of the platform every day.
To qualify for free samples to try, you have to
- Sign up to become a Smiley Member
- Qualify for Smiley360 Missions. It is on these Missions that you receive free samples to try.
To improve your chances of qualifying for Smiley360 Missions, you will want to
- Complete surveys
- Keep your profile up-to-date
- Participate in community discussions
- For all the Smiley360 Missions that you are qualified for, make sure you complete all the components of that Mission.
L’oréal Consumer Testing Program
Do you love brands such as Lancome, Kiehl’s, L’Oréal, Garnier, Maybelline, Essie, and NYX? Do you want to get samples from these brands, provide feedback, and keep these samples for free? If so, L’Oréal Consumer Testing Program may be the right option for you.
Sounds interesting? Head to the signup page for L’Oréal’s Consumer Participation Program! L’Oréal is continuously looking for feedback on a wide array of products, ranging from hair care, styling, and color products to cosmetics, skincare, and sunscreens.
Upon entering the signup page, you will be redirected to answer a few standard questions about yourself to determine your eligibility. Just like many other programs like Influenster and Smiley360, I mentioned above, you will need to qualify to participate in their product evaluation studies.
L’oréal Provides On-Site Opportunities
One unique aspect of L’Oréal’s testing program is that they offer evaluation opportunities onsite in New Jersey and Ohio. If you happen to live close by these sites, you get to interact with employees and other panelists in real life while enjoying the free samples and providing feedback.
Of course, if you can’t make it to New Jersey or Ohio, you can still test the products at home if you are selected. The products will be mailed to you for testing, and you will then fill out a questionnaire online.
L’Oréal Group has a family of fantastic brands that I, and I believe, many of you, love.
As a consumer myself, I also like to see a company that I respect come up with great new products regularly. So why not spend some time evaluating their products and providing feedback so they can make the products better? You get to try some of the newest products for free, not to mention that you get to keep these samples! That’s not a bad perk, isn’t it!
I Love Free Things
I Love Free Things is also an interesting website for you to get free samples for products daily!
This website operates on a slightly different business model than Influenster and Smiley360. These two websites match you to free samples based on your interest and lifestyle according to your answers in surveys. The nice thing about it is that you don’t know what you are getting, so there is always an element of surprise. However, it can also have downsides, because you don’t see what you are getting!
I Love Free Things, on the other hand, advertises its free samples directly on its website.
They have an easy-to-use directory of free samples for consumers to browse. Consumers can then directly connect with the brands if there are any products they want to try.
Additionally, free samples are no longer limited to beauty and makeup products but span many sectors, including yogurt, ice cream, lipsticks, and even photo printing services!
Getting offers is very simple. All you need to do is go to their website, browse through their directory of free samples, click on the ones you like, and select “Get this offer!” You will then be redirected to the merchant’s website, where you will enter some basic information to get the samples shipped to your house for free!
I highly recommend that you bookmark their website and check back at least once or twice a week for the freshest offers. Alternatively, you can sign up for their newsletter and get new free sample offers into your inbox twice a week. Pretty easy.
How To Avoid Free-Sample Scams
While getting free samples is a great way to get free stuff and try new products, it’s important that you don’t get scammed.
To qualify for free samples, you often need to disclose your personal information.
Therefore, you need to ensure you are doing it safely.
Here are some key questions you need to ask when you come across a site that offers free samples:
- Have you heard of the platform before?
- Have you heard of the companies that offer free samples?
- Go to their websites. Do the websites seem legit? Do they have a contact us page with an email address, a physical address, and a contact person’s name?
- Conduct some further research on their sites. Can you find review articles about these sites? Are the reviews from reputable blogs or websites?
- The more reviews there are, and the more legitimate the blogs and websites are, the more you can be at ease with using these sites.
- In addition to asking you for basic information, are they also asking you for information like your Social Security number?
- That type of information is usually not necessary for free samples. Be careful.
Really enjoyed reading this. This would be great for college students because we’re always trying to save a buck, lol.