Sweepstake Restriction Rules #2
I’m sharing some information about entering sweepstake online, because I’ve found it to be a fun and profitable hobby. In part #1 of sweepstakes restriction rules, we discussed some disqualifiers that you need to look out for when reviewing the “Official Rules” of a sweepstakes. I also promised you some time saving automation tips in future parts of the series. I hope you’ll come to enjoy the thrill of entering online sweepstakes as much as I have.
Here are some more restrictions you’ll want to keep an eye out for when entering sweeps:
Determine how often you can enter the sweepstakes.
Each sweepstake has its own Official Rules that you’ll need to consult in order to find out how many allowable entries you may submit. Here are the common ones…
Daily Entry: You may enter once per day; remember that it’s usually calculated from 12 AM to 11:59 PM
24 – Hour Entry: This seems a bit self explanatory; however the times differ from the daily entry submissions. You cannot enter the sweep again for 24 hours from your previous entry. If you entered at 9:00 AM today entering at 8:59 the next day could disqualify you.
One Time: Each person has only one chance of winning. If you submit multiple entries you could be disqualified.
Week or Monthly Entry: Allows you to entry once a week or once a month.
Numbered Entry: This allows you to enter the sweep a certain number times, without regard to when. Some sweepstakes indicate a specific limit on the number of online entries compared to mail in entries.
Unlimited Entry: You can enter as many times as you’d like.
Household Entry Restrictions
A lot of times sweepstakes have restrictions about how members of families or households can enter. The restrictions are usually broken down into one of the following categories:
Restrictions per Household: This restriction outlines how many people sharing the same physical address may enter the sweepstakes.
Restrictions per Person: Each person may enter, regardless of sharing an address with someone who has already entered.
Restrictions per Email Address: The entries to the sweep are based on your email address; therefore you may enter as many times as you want so long as it’s from a different email address. This could greatly increase your odds, but make sure you read through the official rules for more guidelines.
Restrictions per IP: This is a rare restriction that I don’t see very often. IP refers to the internet connection you connect to the site from. In simple terms two people who share an internet connection cannot each enter the sweepstakes.
Sweepstakes rules can also combine the above restrictions. For example: One entry per person/ household.
Other Helpful Notes:
Take into account what you’ll need to do in order to enter the sweepstake. For instance some are as simple as filling out the entry form, while other requires you to successful answer a trivia question, or click on a link they email to you. Pay close attention to instruction, otherwise you’ll simply be wasting your time.
Make sure you look for the starting and ending date of the sweepstakes. I’ve went through the process of filling out the online entry form and finding an answer to a hard trivia question, only to find out the sweepstake ended two days ago.
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